§12.5.1hiemem credo adhuc prohibuisse quo minus de te certum haberemus quid ageres maximeque ubi esses; loquebantur omnes tamen (credo, quod volebant) in Syria te esse, habere copias.
I believe the winter has so far prevented us from having certain news of what you are doing and especially where you are; yet everyone was saying (I believe, because they wished it) that you are in Syria and have troops.
id autem eo facilius credebatur, quia simile veri videbatur.
Moreover, this was believed all the more easily because it seemed like the truth.
Brutus quidem noster egregiam laudem est consecutus; res enim tantas gessit tamque inopinatas ut eae cum per se gratae essent tum ornatiores propter celeritatem.
Our Brutus indeed has achieved extraordinary praise; for he has performed such great and unexpected deeds that, while they were welcome in themselves, they were all the more distinguished because of their speed.
quod si tu ea tenes quae putamus, magnis subsidiis fulta res p. est; a prima enim ora Graeciae usque ad Aegyptum optimorum civium imperiis muniti erimus et copiis.
But if you hold those resources which we think you do, the republic is supported by great reinforcements; for from the very first coast of Greece all the way to Egypt, we shall be protected by the commands and forces of the best citizens.
§12.5.2quamquam, nisi me fallebat, res se sic habebat ut totius belli omne discrimen in D. Bruto positum videretur qui si, ut sperabamus, erupisset Mutina, nihil belli reliqui fore videbatur.
And yet, unless I was mistaken, the situation was such that the entire crisis of the whole war seemed to depend on D. Brutus; if he, as we hoped, had broken out of Mutina, it seemed there would be nothing left of the war.
parvis omnino iam copiis obsidebatur, quod magno praesidio Bononiam tenebat Antonius.
He was besieged indeed by very small forces now, because Antonius was holding Bononia with a large garrison.
erat autem Claternae noster Hirtius, ad forum Corneli Caesar, uterque cum firmo exercitu, magnasque Romae Pansa copias ex dilectu Italiae compararat.
Moreover, our Hirtius was at Claterna, Caesar at Forum Cornelii, each with a strong army, and Pansa had raised large forces at Rome from the levy of Italy.
hiems adhuc rem geri prohibuerat.
The winter has so far prevented action from being taken.
Hirtius nihil nisi considerate, ut mihi crebris litteris significat, acturus videbatur.
Hirtius seemed likely to act only with consideration, as he indicates to me in frequent letters.
praeter Bononiam, Regium Lepidi, Parmam totam Galliam tenebamus studiosissimam rei publicae; tuos etiam clientis Transpadanos mirifice coniunctos cum causa habebamus.
Except for Bononia, Regium Lepidi, and Parma, we held the whole of Gallia, which is most devoted to the republic; we also had your Transpadane clients wonderfully joined with our cause.
erat firmissimus senatus exceptis consularibus, ex quibus unus L. Caesar a firmus est et rectus.
The senate was most firm, with the exception of the consulars, of whom L. Caesar alone is firm and upright.
Ser. Sulpici morte magnum praesidium amisimus;
By the death of Ser.
reliqui partim inertes, partim improbi; non nulli invident eorum laudi quos in re p. probari vident; populi vero Romani totiusque Italiae mira consensio est.
Sulpicius we lost a great safeguard; of the rest, some are inert, others dishonest; some envy the praise of those whom they see approved in the republic; indeed, there is a wonderful consensus of the Roman people and of all Italy.
haec erant fere quae tibi nota esse vellem; nunc autem opto ut ab istis Orientis partibus virtutis tuae lumen eluceat.
These were about the things that I wished to be known to you; but now I pray that from those parts of the East the light of your valor may shine forth.
vale.
Farewell.