§13.16.1P. Crassum ex omni nobilitate adulescentem dilexi plurimum et ex eo cum ab ineunte eius aetate bene speravissem, tum perbone existimare coepi eximus iudiciis quae de eo feceras cognitis.
Of all the young nobles, I loved Publius Crassus the most, and while I had conceived good hopes of him from his early youth, I began to think extremely well of him upon learning the excellent judgements you had passed on him.
eius libertum Apollonium iam tum equidem cum ille viveret et magni faciebam et probabam; erat enim et studiosus Crassi et ad eius optima studia vehementer aptus; itaque ab eo admodum diligebatur.
Even while Crassus was still alive, I highly valued and approved of his freedman Apollonius; for he was both devoted to Crassus and exceedingly well suited to his finest intellectual pursuits, and was therefore greatly loved by him.
§13.16.2post mortem to autem Crassi eo mihi etiam dignior visus est quem in fidem atque amicitiam meam reciperem, quod eos a se observandos et colendos putabat, quos ille dilexisset et quibus carus fuisset.
After Crassus' death, however, he seemed to me even more worthy of being received into my protection and friendship, because he thought that those whom Crassus had loved and to whom Crassus had been dear ought to be respected and cherished by him.
itaque et ad me in Ciliciam venit multisque in rebus mihi magno usui fuit et fides eius et prudentia et, ut opinor, tibi in Alexandrino bello, quantum studio et fidelitate consequi potuit, non defuit.
And so he both came to me in Cilicia and, in many matters, his fidelity and prudence were of great service to me; and, as I think, he was not wanting to you in the Alexandrian war, so far as he could achieve by zeal and fidelity.
§13.16.3quod cum speraret te quoque ita existimare, in Hispaniam ad te maxime ille quidem suo consilio sed etiam me auctore est profectus.
Hoping that you also thought the same of him, he set out to you in Spain, chiefly indeed by his own decision, but also with my encouragement.
cui ego commendationem non sum pollicitus, non quin eam valituram apud te arbitrarer, sed neque egere mihi commendatione videbatur, qui et in bello tecum fuisset et propter memoriam Crassi de tuis unus esset, et, si uti commendationibus vellet, etiam per alios eum videbam id consequi posse;
I did not promise him a recommendation, not because I did not think it would have weight with you, but because he did not seem to me to need a recommendation, since he had been with you in the war and, because of the memory of Crassus, was already one of your own; and, if he wished to use recommendations, I saw that he could obtain them through others as well.
testimonium mei de eo iudici, quod et ipse magni aestimabat et ego apud te valere eram expertus, ei libenter dedi.
I did, however, gladly give him the testimony of my opinion of him, which he himself highly valued, and which I had experienced to have weight with you.
§13.16.4doctum igitur hominem cognovi et studiis optimis deditum, idque a puero; nam domi meae cum Diodoto Stoico, homine meo iudicio eruditissimo, multum a puero fuit.
I therefore knew him to be a learned man, devoted to the best studies, and that from his boyhood; for from his youth he spent much time at my house with Diodotus the Stoic, a man in my judgement most deeply learned.
nunc autem incensus studio rerum tuarum eas litteris Graecis mandare cupiebat.
But now, fired with enthusiasm for your achievements, he was desiring to record them in Greek literature.
posse arbitror; valet ingenio, habet usum, iam pridem in eo genere studi litterarumque versatur, satis facere immortalitati laudum tuarum mirabiliter cupit.
I think he is capable of it; he is strong in natural talent, has experience, has long been engaged in that kind of study and literature, and is wonderfully eager to do justice to the immortality of your glory.
habes opinionis meae testimonium, sed tu hoc facilius multo pro tua singulari prudentia iudicabis.
You have the testimony of my opinion, but you, with your singular wisdom, will judge this much more easily.
et tamen, quod negaveram, commendo tibi eum.
And yet, what I had refused, I now recommend him to you.
quicquid ei coin-modaveris, erit id mihi maiorem in modum gratum.
Whatever favor you show him will be a source of the greatest pleasure to me.