§13.36.1Cum Demetrio Mega mihi vetustum hospitium est, familiaritas autem tanta quanta cum Siculo nullo.
I have an old guest-friendship with Demetrius Megas, and my intimacy with him is as great as with no other Sicilian.
ei Dolabella rogatu meo civitatem a Caesare impetravit, qua in re ego interfui; itaque nunc P. Cornelius vocatur;
At my request, Dolabella obtained citizenship for him from Caesar, in which matter I myself was present; therefore he is now called Publius Cornelius.
cumque propter quosdam sordidos homines, qui Caesaris beneficia vendebant, tabulam, in qua nomina civitate donatorum incisa essent, revelli iussisset, eidem Dolabellae me audiente Caesar dixit nihil esse quod de Mega vereretur; beneficium suum in eo manere.
And when, on account of certain low fellows who were selling Caesar’s favors, Caesar had ordered the removal of the tablet on which the names of those gifted with citizenship had been engraved, in my hearing Caesar said to the same Dolabella that there was no reason why he should fear for Megas; his own favor toward him remained valid.
§13.36.2hoc te scire volui, ut eum in civium Romanorum numero haberes, ceterisque in rebus tibi eum ita commendo, ut maiore studio neminem commendarim.
I wished you to know this, so that you might hold him in the number of Roman citizens, and in all other matters I recommend him to you with such zeal that I have recommended no one with greater.
gratissimum mihi feceris, si eum ita tractaris, ut intellegat meam commendationem magno sibi ornamento fuisse.
You will do me a most agreeable favor if you treat him in such a way that he understands that my recommendation has been of great honor to him.