§2.6.1nondum erat auditum te ad Italiam adventare, cum Sex. Villium, Milonis mei familiarem, cum his ad te litteris misi.
It had not yet been heard that you were approaching Italy, when I sent Sextus Villius, a close friend of my Milo, to you with this letter.
sed tamen, cum adpropinquare tuus adventus putaretur, et te iam ex Asia Romam versus profectum esse constaret, magnitudo rei fecit, ut non vereremur ne nimis cito mitteremus, cum has quam primum ad te perferri litteras magno opere vellemus.
But yet, since your arrival was thought to be drawing near, and it was clear that you had already set out from Asia toward Rome, the importance of the matter brought it about that we did not fear lest we should send too early, since we greatly wished this letter to be delivered to you as soon as possible.
ego, si mea in te essent officia solum, Curio, tanta, quanta magis a te ipso praedicari quam a me ponderari solent, verecundius a te, si quae magna res mihi petenda esset, contenderem; grave est enim homini pudenti petere aliquid magnum ab eo, de quo se bene meritum putet, ne id, quod petat, exigere magis quam rogare et in mercedis potius quam benefici loco numerare videatur.
I, Curio, if my services to you were alone so great as they are accustomed to be proclaimed by yourself rather than weighed by me, would plead with you more hesitantly, if any great thing had to be sought by me; for it is painful for a modest man to seek something great from him whom he thinks he has well deserved, lest he should seem to demand rather than to ask what he seeks, and to number it in the place of a reward rather than a favor.
§2.6.2sed, quia tua in me vel nota omnibus vel ipsa novitate meorum temporum clarissima et maxima beneficia exstiterunt, estque animi ingenui, cui multum debeas, eidem plurimum velle debere, non dubitavi id a te per litteras petere, quod mihi omnium esset maximum maximeque necessarium.
But, because your favors toward me have stood out as either known to all or, by the very novelty of my difficult times, clearest and greatest, and it is the character of a noble mind to wish to owe most to the same person to whom you owe much, I did not hesitate to seek from you through a letter that which was for me the greatest and most necessary of all.
neque enim sum veritus ne sustinere tua in me vel innumerabilia non possem, cum praesertim confiderem nullam esse gratiam tuam, quam non vel capere animus meus in accipiendo vel in remunerando cumulare atque inlustrare posset.
For I did not fear lest I should not be able to bear your even innumerable favors to me, especially since I trusted that there was no favor of yours which my mind could not either comprehend in receiving or accumulate and illustrate in repaying.
§2.6.3ego omnia mea studia, omnem operam, curam, industriam, cogitationem, mentem denique omnem in Milonis consulatu fixi et locavi statuique in eo me non offici solum fructum sed etiam pietatis laudem debere quaerere; neque vero cuiquam salutem ac fortunas suas tantae curae fuisse umquam puto, quantae mihi sit honos eius, in quo omnia mea posita esse decrevi.
I have fixed and established all my zeal, all my effort, care, industry, thought, and finally my whole mind on Milo's consulship, and I have determined that in this I ought to seek not only the fruit of duty but also the praise of devotion; nor indeed do I think that his own safety and fortunes were ever of such great care to anyone as his honor is to me, in which I have decided that all my affairs are placed.
huic te unum tanto adiumento esse, si volueris, posse intellego, ut nihil sit praeterea nobis requirendum.
I understand that you alone, if you wish, can be of such great assistance to him that nothing else remains to be sought by us.
habemus haec omnia, bonorum studium conciliatum ex tribunatu propter nostram, ut spero te intellegere, causam, vulgi ac multitudinis propter magnificentiam munerum liberalitatemque naturae, iuventutis et gratiosorum in suffragiis studia propter ipsius excellentem in eo genere vel gratiam vel diligentiam, nostram suffragationem, si minus potentem, at probatam tamen et iustam et debitam et propterea fortasse etiam gratiosam.
We have all these things: the zeal of the good citizens, won over from his tribuneship on account of our cause, as I hope you understand; that of the common people and the multitude on account of the magnificence of his games and the liberality of his nature; the support of the youth and of those influential in voting on account of his own excellent favor or diligence in that kind; and our own support, which, if less powerful, is yet approved, just, due, and for that reason perhaps even influential.
§2.6.4dux nobis et auctor opus est et eorum ventorum, quos proposui, moderator quidam et quasi gubernator.
We need a leader and sponsor, and a certain moderator and, as it were, pilot of those winds which I have set forth.
qui si ex omnibus unus optandus esset, quem tecum conferre possemus non haberemus.
If he alone had to be chosen out of all, we would not have anyone whom we could compare with you.
quam ob rem, si me memorem, si gratum, si bonum virum vel ex hoc ipso, quod tam vehementer de Milone laborem, existimare potes, si dignum denique tuis beneficiis iudicas, hoc a te peto, ut subvenias huic meae sollicitudini et huic meae laudi vel, ut verius dicam, prope saluti tuum studium dices.
For which reason, if you can judge me to be a mindful, grateful, and good man, even from this very fact that I labor so vehemently for Milo, and if, finally, you judge me worthy of your favors, I ask this of you: that you dedicate your zeal to help this anxiety of mine and this praise of mine, or, to speak more truly, almost my safety.
de ipso T. Annio tantum tibi polliceor, te maioris animi, gravitatis, constantiae benevolentiaeque erga te, si complecti hominem volueris, habiturum esse neminem; mihi vero tantum decoris, tantum dignitatis adiunxeris ut eundem te facile adgnoscam fuisse in laude mea, qui fueris in salute.
Concerning T. Annius himself, I promise you this much: that, if you are willing to embrace the man, you will have no one of greater mind, gravity, constancy, and goodwill toward you; to me indeed you will have added so much of honor and so much of dignity that I may easily recognize that you were the same person in my praise who you were in my safety.
ego ni te videre scirem, qua mente haec scriberem, quantum offici sustinerem, quanto opere mihi esset in hac petitione Milonis omni non modo contentione, sed etiam dimicatione elaborandum, plura scriberem; nunc tibi omnem rem atque causam meque totum commendo atque trado.
If I did not know that you see with what mind I write these things, how much duty I bear, and with how great effort I must labor in this candidacy of Milo, not only with all striving but even with conflict, I would write more; now I commend and deliver the whole matter and cause, and myself entirely, to you.
unum hoc sic habeto, si a te hanc rem impetraro, me paene plus tibi quam ipsi Miloni debiturum; non enim mihi tam mea salus cara fuit, in qua praecipue sum ab illo adiutus, quam pietas erit in referenda gratia iucunda; eam autem unius tuo studio me adsequi posse confido.
Hold this one thing so: if I obtain this thing from you, I shall owe almost more to you than to Milo himself; for my safety, in which I was especially helped by him, was not so dear to me as my devotion will be pleasant in returning the favor; and I trust that I can attain this through your zeal alone.