§15.2.1S. v. v. b. e. e. q. v. Cum pr. K. Sext. in provinciam venissem neque maturius propter itinerum et navigationum difficultatem venire potuissem, maxime convenire officio meo reique p.
S. v. v. b. e. e. q. v. (If you are in good health, and if things are according to your wish, I also am in good health.) When I had arrived in the province on July 31st and could not have arrived earlier on account of the difficulty of the journeys and voyages, I thought it was most fitting for my duty and advantageous to the republic to prepare those things which belonged to the army and to military affairs.
conducere putavi parare ea quae ad exercitum quaeque ad rem militarem pertinerent. quae cum essent a me cura magis et diligentia quam facultate et copia constituta, nuntiique et litterae de bello a Parthis in provinciam Syriam inlato cotidie fere adferrentur, iter mihi faciendum per Lycaoniam et per Isauros et per Cappadociam arbitratus sum.
When these things had been arranged by me with care and diligence rather than with resources and abundance, and messengers and letters concerning the war brought by the Parthians into the province of Syria were brought almost daily, I thought that I must make a journey through Lycaonia, the Isaurians, and Cappadocia.
erat enim magna suspicio Parthos, si ex Syria egredi atque inrumpere in meam provinciam conarentur, iter eos per Cappadociam, quod ea maxime pateret, esse facturos.
For there was a great suspicion that the Parthians, if they should try to go out from Syria and burst into my province, would make their journey through Cappadocia, because it lay most open.
§15.2.2itaque cum exercitu per Cappadociae partem eam quae cum Cilicia continens est iter feci castraque ad Cybistra, quod oppidum est ad montem Taurum, locavi, ut Artuasdes, rex Armenius, quocumque animo esset, sciret non procul a suis finibus exercitum p. R. esse, et Deiotarum fidelissimum regem atque amicissimum rei p. nostrae, maxime coniunctum haberem, cuius et consilio et opibus adiuvari posset res p.
Therefore, with the army, I made a journey through that part of Cappadocia which is contiguous with Cilicia and pitched camp at Cybistra, which is a town near Mount Taurus, so that Artavasdes, the Armenian king, whatever his disposition might be, might know that the army of the Roman people was not far from his borders, and that I might have Deiotarus, the most faithful king and greatest friend of our republic, in closest connection with me, by whose counsel and resources the republic might be aided.
§15.2.3quo cum in loco castra haberem equitatumque in Ciliciam misissem, ut et meus adventus iis civitatibus, quae in ea parte essent, nuntiatus firmiores animos omnium faceret et ego mature quid ageretur in Syria scire possem, tempus eius tridui, quod in iis castris morabar, in magno officio et necessario mihi ponendum putavi.
When I had camp in this place and had sent cavalry into Cilicia—so that both the announcement of my arrival to those states which were in that region might make the minds of all firmer, and I might quickly know what was being done in Syria—I thought that the time of those three days, which I spent in that camp, ought to be employed by me in a great and necessary duty.
§15.2.4Cum enim vestra auctoritas intercessisset ut ego regem Ariobarzanem Eusebem et Philorhomaeum tuerer eiusque regis salutem et incolumitatem regnumque defenderem, regi regnoque praesidio essem, adiunxissetisque saltitem eius regis populo senatuique magnae curae esse, quod nullo umquam de rege decretum esset a nostro ordine, existimavi me iudicium vestrum ad regem deferre debere eique praesidium meum et fidem et diligentiam polliceri, ut, quoniam salus ipsius, incolumitas regni mihi commendata esset a vobis, diceret si quid vellet.
For since your authority had intervened decreeing that I should protect King Ariobarzanes Eusebes and Philorhomaeus, and defend the safety, integrity, and kingdom of that king, and be a protection to the king and the kingdom, and you had added that the safety of that king was of great concern to the people and the senate (which had never been decreed by our order concerning any king), I estimated that I ought to convey your judgment to the king and promise him my protection, fidelity, and diligence, so that, since his safety and the integrity of his kingdom had been entrusted to me by you, he might say if he wanted anything.
§15.2.5quae cum essem in consilio meo cum rege locutus, initio ille orationis suae vobis maximas, ut debuit, deinde etiam mihi gratias egit, quod ei permagnum et perhonorificum videbatur senatui p. q. R. tantae curae esse salutem suam meque tantam diligentiam adhibere ut et mea fides et commendationis vestrae auctoritas perspici posset.
And when I had spoken these things in my council with the king, at the beginning of his speech he gave the greatest thanks, as he ought, to you, and then also to me, because it seemed to him very great and highly honorable that his safety was of such concern to the senate and the Roman people, and that I applied such diligence that both my fidelity and the authority of your recommendation could be clearly seen.
atque ille primo, quod mihi maximae laetitiae fuit, ita mecum locutus est, ut nullas insidias neque vitae suae neque regno diceret se aut intellegere fieri aut etiam suspicari.
And at first—which was of the greatest joy to me—he spoke with me in such a way that he said he neither understood that any plots were being made against either his life or his kingdom, nor even suspected any.
Cum ego ei gratulatus essem idque me gaudere dixissem et tamen adulescentem essem cohortatus ut recordaretur casum illum interitus paterni et vigilanter se tueretur atque admonitu senatus consuleret saluti suae, tum a me discessit in oppidum Cybistra.
When I had congratulated him and said that I rejoiced at this, and yet had navigated the young man to remember that disaster of his father's death and to guard himself vigilantly, and, by the admonition of the senate, to consult for his safety, he then departed from me into the town of Cybistra.