§13.9.1quamquam tibi praesens commendavi, ut potui diligentissime, socios Bithyniae teque cum mea commendatione tum etiam tua sponte intellexi cupere ei societati quibuscumque rebus posses commodare, tamen cum ii, quorum res agitur, magni sua interesse arbitrarentur me etiam per litteras declarare tibi qua essem erga ipsos voluntate, non dubitavi haec ad te scribere.
Although I commended to you in person, as diligently as I could, the partners of Bithynia, and I understood that you, both because of my commendation and also of your own accord, desired to serve that company in whatever ways you could, yet, since those whose interest is at stake thought it to be of great importance to them that I should also declare to you by letter what goodwill I had toward them, I did not hesitate to write this to you.
§13.9.2volo enim te existimare me, cum universo ordini publicanorum semper libentissime tribuerim idque magnis eius ordinis erga me meritis facere debuerim, tum in primis amicum esse huic Bithynicae societati, quae societas ordine ipso et hominum genere pars est maxima civitatis (constat enim ex ceteris societatibus), et casu permulti sunt in ea societate valde mihi familiares in primisque is, cuius praecipuum officium agitur hoc tempore, P. Rupilius P. f. Men. , qui est magister in ea societate.
For I wish you to believe that, while I have always most gladly shown respect to the entire order of tax-collectors, and indeed ought to have done so because of the great services of that order toward me, I am yet in the highest degree a friend to this Bithynian company, which company, by its very order and the class of its men, is the largest part of the state (for it is made up of the other companies), and by chance there are very many in that company who are very intimate friends of mine, and especially he whose particular duty is concerned at this time, Publius Rupilius, son of Publius, of the Menenian tribe, who is the director in that company.
§13.9.3quae cum ita sint, in maiorem modum a te peto Cn. a Pupium, qui est in operis eius societatis, omnibus tuis officiis atque omni liberalitate tueare curesque ut eius operae, quod tibi facile factu est, quam gratissimae sint sociis, remque et utilitatem sociorum (cuius rei quantam potestatem quaestor habeat non sum ignarus) per te quam maxime defensam et auctam velis.
Since things are so, I ask of you in an unusual degree that you protect Gnaeus Pupius, who is among the employees of that company, with all your services and all your kindness, and see to it that his service—which is easy for you to do—is as acceptable as possible to the partners, and that you wish the property and interest of the partners (how much power a quaestor has in this matter I am not ignorant) to be protected and increased through you as much as possible.
id cum mihi gratissimum feceris, tum illud tibi expertus promitto et spondeo, te socios Bithyniae, si iis commodaris, memores esse et gratos cogniturum.
When you have done this, which will be most pleasing to me, I promise and guarantee to you from experience that you will find the partners of Bithynia, if you serve them, to be mindful and grateful.