§14.4.1ego minus saepe do ad vos litteras quam possum, propterea quod cum omnia mihi tempora sunt misera, tum vero, cum aut scribo ad vos aut vestras lego, conficior lacrimis sic ut ferre non possim.
I send letters to you less frequently than I might, because, while all times are miserable for me, yet indeed, when I either write to you or read yours, I am so overcome with tears that I cannot bear it.
quod utinam minus vitae cupidi fuissemus! certe nihil aut non multum in vita mali vidissemus.
Would that we had been less desirous of life! Certainly we should have seen no evil, or not much, in life.
quod si nos ad aliquam alicuius commodi aliquando reciperandi spem fortuna reservavit, minus est erratum a nobis; si haec mala fixa sunt, ego vero te quam primum, mea vita, cupio videre et in tuo complexu emori, quoniam neque dii, quos tu castissime coluisti, neque homines, quibus ego semper servivi, nobis gratiam rettulerunt.
But if fortune has preserved us for some hope of recovering some benefit at some time, our error was less; if these evils are fixed, I indeed desire to see you as soon as possible, my life, and to die in your embrace, since neither the gods, whom you have worshipped most chastely, nor men, whom I have always served, have returned thanks to us.
§14.4.2nos Brundisi apud M. Laenium Flaccum dies xiii fuimus, virum optimum, qui periculum fortunarum et capitis sui prae mea salute neglexit neque legis improbissimae poena deductus est quo minus hospiti et amicitiae ius officiumque praestaret.
We were at Brundisium for thirteen days at the house of Marcus Laenius Flaccus, an excellent man, who neglected the danger to his fortunes and his life for the sake of my safety, and was not deterred by the penalty of a most wicked law from performing the right and duty of hospitality and friendship.
huic utinam aliquando gratiam referre possimus! habebimus quidem semper.
Would that we may some day be able to return thanks to him! We shall indeed always feel grateful.
§14.4.3Brundisio profecti sumus a. d. ii K. Mai. ; per Macedoniam Cyzicum petebamus.
We set out from Brundisium on April 30; we were making for Cyzicus through Macedonia.
O me perditum, o adflictum! quid nunc rogem te ut venias, mulierem aegram et corpore et animo confectam? non rogem? sine te igitur sim? opinor, sic agam: si est spes nostri reditus, eam confirmes et rem adiuves; sin, ut ego metuo, transactum est, quoquo modo potes ad me fac venias.
Oh, ruined and afflicted as I am! Why should I now ask you to come, a woman sick and exhausted in both body and mind? Should I not ask? Am I then to be without you? I think I will do this: if there is any hope of our return, you should strengthen it and help the cause; but if, as I fear, it is all over, see to it that you come to me in whatever way you can.
unum hoc scito: si te habebo, non mihi videbor plane perisse.
Know this one thing: if I have you, I shall not think that I have entirely perished.
sed quid Tulliola mea fiet? iam id vos videte; mihi deest consilium.
But what will become of my little Tullia? Now you must see to that; I am at a loss for a plan.
sed certe, quoquo modo se res habebit, illius misellae et matrimonio et famae serviendum est.
But certainly, however matters shall stand, we must look to the marriage and reputation of that poor girl.
quid? Cicero meus quid aget? iste vero sit in sinu semper et complexu meo.
What? What will my Cicero do? Let him indeed be always in my bosom and embrace.
non queo plura iam scribere; impedit maeror.
I cannot write any more now; grief prevents me.
tu quid egeris nescio; utrum aliquid teneas an, quod metuo, plane sis spoliata.
What you have done, I do not know; whether you retain anything, or, as I fear, have been entirely despoiled.
Pisonem, §14.4.4ut scribis, spero fore semper nostrum.
As for Piso, as you write, I hope he will always be ours.
de familia liberata nihil est quod te moveat.
Concerning the manumission of the slaves, there is nothing to disturb you.
primum tuis ita promissum est,. te facturam esse, ut quisque esset meritus; est autem in 10 officio adhuc Orpheus, praeterea magno opere nemo; ceterorum servorum ea causa est ut, si res a nobis abisset, liberti nostri essent, si obtinere potuissent; sin ad nos pertinerent, servirent praeterquam oppido pauci.
In the first place, to your own slaves it was promised that you would do as each of them deserved; moreover, Orpheus is so far doing his duty, but besides him, no one in any great degree; as for the rest of the slaves, the arrangement is that, if our property should be confiscated, they should be our freedmen, if they could maintain that status; but if the property remained ours, they should continue as slaves, except for a very few.
sed haec minora sunt.
But these are minor matters.
§14.4.5tu quod me hortaris ut animo sim magno et spem habeam reciperandae salutis, id velim sit eius modi ut recte sperare possimus.
As to your encouraging me to be of good courage and to have hope of recovering my safety, I wish that things were such that we could rightly hope.
nunc miser quando tuas iam litteras accipiam? quis ad me perferet? quas ego exspectassem Brundisi, si esset licitum per nautas, qui tempestatem praetermittere noluerunt.
Now, wretch that I am, when shall I receive your letters? Who will bring them to me? I would have waited for them at Brundisium, if it had been permitted by the sailors, who did not want to miss the favorable weather.
quod reliquum est, sustenta te, mea Terentia, ut potes honestissime.
As for what remains, support yourself, my Terentia, as honorably as you can.
viximus, floruimus; non vitium nostrum sed virtus nostra nos adflixit; peccatum est nullum, nisi quod non una animam cum ornamentis amisimus.
We have lived, we have flourished; not our vice, but our virtue has afflicted us; there has been no fault, except that we did not lose our life at the same time as our honors.
sed si hoc fuit liberis nostris gratius nos vivere, cetera, quamquam ferenda non sunt, feramus.
But if it was more pleasing to our children that we should live, let us bear the rest, although it is not to be borne.
atque ego, qui te confirmo, ipse me non possum.
And I, who encourage you, cannot encourage myself.
§14.4.6Clodium Philhetaerum, quod valetudine oculorum impediebatur, hominem fidelem, remisi.
I have sent back Clodius Philhetaerus, a faithful man, because he was hindered by a disease of his eyes.
Sallustius officio vincit omnis.
Sallustius surpasses all in his devotion.
Pescennius est perbenevolus nobis; quem semper spero tui fore observantem.
Pescennius is very well-disposed to us; I hope he will always be attentive to you.
Sicca dixerat se mecum fore sed Brundisio discessit.
Sicca had said he would be with me, but he departed from Brundisium.
cura, quod potes, ut valeas et sic existimes, me vehementius tua miseria quam mea commoveri.
Take care, as far as you can, of your health, and be assured of this, that I am more violently moved by your misery than by my own.
mea Terentia, fidissima atque optima uxor, et mea carissima filiola et spes reliqua nostra, Cicero, valete.
My Terentia, most faithful and best of wives, and my dearest little daughter, and Cicero, our remaining hope, farewell.
Pr. K. Mai. Brundisio.
April 30, from Brundisium.