§14.1.1et litteris multorum et sermone omnium perfertur ad me incredibilem tuam virtutem et fortitudinem esse teque nec animi neque corporis laboribus defetigari.
By the letters of many and the talk of all, it is brought to me that your virtue and courage are unbelievable, and that you are exhausted by labors neither of mind nor of body.
me miserum! te ista virtute, fide, probitate, humanitate in tantas aerumnas propter me incidisse, Tulliolamque nostram, ex quo patre tantas voluptates capiebat, ex eo tantos percipere luctus! nam quid ego de Cicerone dicam? qui cum primum sapere coepit, acerbissimos dolores miseriasque percepit.
Ah, miserable me! That you, with that virtue, fidelity, honesty, and humanity, have fallen into such great distresses on my account, and that our little Tullia receives such great griefs from that very father from whom she used to derive such great pleasures! For what shall I say of Cicero? Who, as soon as he began to have understanding, experienced the bitterest pains and miseries.
quae si, tu ut scribis, 'fato facta' putarem, ferrem paulo facilius; sed omnia sunt mea culpa commissa, qui ab iis me amari putabam qui invidebant, eos non sequebar qui petebant.
If I thought these things were 'done by fate', as you write, I should bear them a little more easily; but all has been brought about by my own fault, who thought I was loved by those who envied me, and did not follow those who sought me.
§14.1.2quod si nostris consiliis usi essemus neque apud nos, tantum valuisset sermo aut stultorum amicorum aut improborum, beatissimi viveremus.
But if we had followed our own counsels, and the talk of either foolish or wicked friends had not had so much influence with us, we should be living most happily.
nunc quoniam sperare nos amici iubent, dabo operam ne mea valetudo tuo labori desit.
Now, since our friends bid us hope, I will do my best that my health may not fail your labor.
res quanta sit intellego quantoque fuerit facilius manere domi quam redire; sed tamen si omnis tr. pl. habemus, si Lentulum tam studiosum quam videtur, si vero etiam Pompeium et Caesarem, non est desperandum.
I understand how great the matter is, and how much easier it would have been to remain at home than to return; but yet, if we have all the tribunes of the plebs, if Lentulus is as zealous as he seems, and if indeed we also have Pompey and Caesar, we must not despair.
§14.1.3de familia quo modo placuisse scribis amicis faciemus.
Concerning the household, we will do as you write has pleased our friends.
de loco nunc quidem iam abiit pestilentia, sed quam diu fuit me non attigit.
As for the place, the plague has now indeed departed, but as long as it lasted, it did not touch me.
Plancius, homo officiosissimus, me cupit esse secum et adhuc retinet.
Plancius, a most obliging man, wishes me to be with him and still detains me.
ego volebam loco magis deserto esse in Epiro, quo neque Piso veniret nec milites, sed adhuc Plancius me retinet; sperat posse fieri ut mecum in Italiam decedat.
I wanted to be in a more deserted place in Epirus, where neither Piso nor soldiers would come, but Plancius still detains me; he hopes it can happen that he may return with me to Italy.
quem ego diem si videro et si in vestrum complexum venero ac si et vos et me ipsum reciperaro, satis magnum mihi fructum videbor percepisse et vestrae pietatis et meae.
If I see that day, and if I come into your embrace, and if I recover both you and myself, I shall think myself to have received a sufficiently great fruit of both your devotion and mine.
§14.1.4Pisonis humanitas, virtus, amor in omnis nos tantus est, ut nihil supra possit.
Piso's humanity, virtue, and love toward us all is so great that nothing could be more.
utinam ea res ei voluptati sit! gloriae quidem video fore.
I pray that this matter may be a pleasure to him! I see indeed it will be a glory.
de Quinto fratre nihil ego te accusavi, sed vos, cum praesertim tam pauci sitis, volui esse quam coniunctissimos.
Concerning my brother Quintus, I have in no way accused you, but I wanted you, especially since you are so few, to be as closely united as possible.
§14.1.5quibus me voluisti agere gratias egi et me a te certiorem factum esse scripsi.
I have thanked those to whom you wished me to do so, and I wrote that I had been informed by you.
quod ad me, mea Terentia, scribis te vicum vendituram, quid, obsecro te, me miserum! quid futurum est? et si nos premet eadem fortuna, quid puero misero fiet? non queo reliqua scribere; tanta vis lacrimarum est; neque te in eundem fletum adducam; tantum scribo: si erunt in officio amici, pecunia non deerit; si non erunt, tu efficere tua pecunia non poteris.
As to what you write to me, my Terentia, that you will sell your village, what, I beseech you, oh miserable me! what is to happen? And if the same fortune presses us, what will become of the miserable boy? I cannot write the rest; such is the force of my tears; nor will I bring you into the same weeping; I only write this: if our friends do their duty, money will not be lacking; if they do not, you will not be able to accomplish it with your own money.
per fortunas miseras nostras, vide ne puerum perditum perdamus; cui si aliquid erit ne egeat, mediocri virtute opus est et mediocri fortuna ut cetera consequatur.
By our wretched fortunes, see to it that we do not ruin the boy, who is already ruined; for whom, if there is something so that he does not want, only moderate virtue and moderate fortune are needed to attain the rest.
§14.1.6fac valeas et ad me tabellarios mittas, ut sciam quid agatur et vos quid agatis.
See to it that you remain well and send messengers to me, so that I may know what is being done and how you are doing.
mihi omnino iam brevis exspectatio est, Tulliolae et Ciceroni salutem dic.
For me indeed the expectation is now altogether short. Give my greetings to Tulliola and Cicero.
valete.
Farewell.
D. a. d. vi K. Decembr. Dyrrhachi.
Dispatched on the sixth day before the Kalends of December, at Dyrrhachium.
§14.1.7Dyrrhachium veni, quod et libera civitas est et in me officiosa et proxima Italiae; sed si offendet me loci celebritas, alio me conferam, ad te scribam.
I have come to Dyrrhachium, because it is both a free state and friendly to me, and very near to Italy; but if the crowdedness of the place offends me, I will betake myself elsewhere, and write to you.