§12.22a.1A. d. xiii K. Ian. senatus frequens mihi est adsensus cum de ceteris rebus magnis et necessariis tum de provinciis ab iis qui obtinerent retinendis neque cuiquam tradendis, nisi qui ex s. c. successisset.
On the thirteenth day before the Kalends of January, a full Senate agreed with me, both on other important and necessary matters, and especially on the point that the provinces should be retained by those who held them and not handed over to anyone, except to someone who should succeed in accordance with a decree of the Senate.
hoc ego cum rei p. causa censui tum me hercule in primis retinendae dignitatis tuae.
I proposed this both for the sake of the republic and, by Hercules, especially for the sake of maintaining your dignity.
quam ob rem te amoris nostri causa rogo, rei p. causa hortor ut ne cui quicquam iuris in tua provincia esse patiare atque ut omnia referas ad dignitatem, qua nihil esse potest praestantius.
Therefore, I ask you for the sake of our love, and exhort you for the sake of the republic, not to allow anyone to have any right of jurisdiction in your province, and to refer everything to your dignity, than which nothing can be more excellent.
§12.22a.4vere tecum agam, ut necessitudo nostra postulat in Sempronio, si meis litteris obtemperasses, maximam ab omnibus laudem adeptus esses.
I will deal with you frankly, as our intimacy demands: in the case of Sempronius, if you had obeyed my letter, you would have obtained the greatest praise from everyone.
sed illud et praeteriit et levius est, haec magna res est: fac ut provinciam retineas in potestate rei p.
But that matter is both past and of less importance; this is the great matter: see to it that you retain your province under the power of the republic.
plura scripsissem, nisi tui festinarent.
I would have written more, if your messengers were not in a hurry.
itaque Chaerippo nostro me velim excuses.
Therefore, I would like you to excuse me to our friend Chaerippus.