§3.5.1Trallis veni a. d. vi K. Sext.
I arrived at Tralles on the sixth day before the Kalends of August.
ibi mihi praesto fuit L. Lucilius cum litteris mandatisque tuis; quo quidem hominem neminem potuisti nec mihi amiciorem nec, ut arbitror, ad ea cognoscenda, quae scire volebam, aptiorem prudentioremve mittere.
There Lucius Lucilius was waiting for me with your letter and instructions; indeed, you could have sent no man more friendly to me, nor, as I think, more suitable or wiser for learning those things which I wished to know.
ego autem et tuas litteras legi libenter et audivi Lucilium diligenter.
As for me, I read your letter gladly and listened to Lucilius diligently.
nunc, quoniam et tu ita sentis (scribis enim, quae de nostris officiis ego ad te scripserim, etsi tibi iucunda fuerint, tamen, quoniam ex alto repetita sint, non necessaria te putasse), et re vera con-firmata amicitia et perspecta fide commemoratio officiorum supervacanea est, eam partem orationis praetermittam, tibi tamen agam, ut debeo, gratias; animadverti enim et didici ex tuis litteris te omnibus in rebus habuisse rationem, ut mihi consuleres restitueresque et parares quodam modo omnia, quo mea ratio facilior et solutior esse posset.
Now, since you also think so (for you write that, although the things I wrote to you about our duties were pleasing to you, yet, since they were recalled from the distant past, you thought them unnecessary), and since in truth, when friendship is established and loyalty proven, the mention of duties is superfluous, I shall pass over that part of the discourse, yet I shall return thanks to you, as I ought; for I noticed and learned from your letter that in all things you had made it your care to look out for my interest, and in some way to restore and prepare everything, so that my position might be easier and freer.
§3.5.2hoc tuum officium cum mihi gratissimum esse dicam, sequitur illud, ut te existimare velim mihi magnae curae fore atque esse iam, primum ut ipse tu tuique omnes, deinde ut etiam reliqui scire possint me tibi esse amicissimum.
While I say that this kindness of yours is most pleasing to me, it follows that I would wish you to think that it will be of great concern to me, and indeed is so already, first that you yourself and all your people, and next that the rest as well, may be able to know that I am most friendly to you.
quod quibus adhuc non satis est perspectum, ii mihi nolle magis nos hoc animo esse quam non intellegere videntur; sed profecto intellegent, neque enim obscuris personis nec parvis in causis res agetur.
As for those by whom this has not yet been sufficiently perceived, they seem to me to wish rather that we were not of this mind, than not to understand it; but indeed they will understand, for the matter will not be transacted by obscure persons nor in trivial causes.
sed haec fieri melius quam dici aut scribi volo.
But I wish these things to be done rather than said or written.
§3.5.3quod itinerum meorum ratio te non nullam in dubitationem videtur adducere, visurusne me sis in provincia, ea res sic se habet: Brundisi cum loquerer cum Phania, liberto tuo, veni in eum sermonem, ut dicerem me libenter ad eam partem provinciae primum esse venturum, quo te maxime velle arbitrarer.
As for the fact that the plan of my journeys seems to lead you into some doubt as to whether you will see me in the province, the matter is as follows: when I was speaking at Brundisium with Phanias, your freedman, I entered into such a conversation as to say that I would gladly come first to that part of the province where I thought you most wished me to.
tunc mihi ille dixit, quod classe tu velles decedere, per fore accommodatum tibi si ad illam maritimam partem provinciae navibus accessissem.
Then he told me that, because you wished to depart with the fleet, it would be very convenient for you if I had approached that coastal part of the province with ships.
dixi me esse facturum itaque fecissem, nisi mi L. Clodius noster Corcyrae dixisset minime id esse faciendum; te Laudiceae fore ad meum adventum.
I said I would do so, and I would have done so, if our friend Lucius Clodius had not told me at Corcyra that this was by no means to be done, but that you would be at Laodicea upon my arrival.
erat id mihi multo brevius multoque commodius, cum praesertim te ita malle arbitrarer.
That was much shorter for me and much more convenient, especially since I thought you preferred it so.
tua ratio postea est commutata.
Your plan was afterward changed.
§3.5.4nunc quid fieri possit, tu facillime statues; ego tibi meum consilium exponam: Pr. K. Sextilis puto me Laudiceae fore.
Now what can be done, you will decide most easily; I will explain my plan to you: I think I shall be at Laodicea on the day before the Kalends of August.
perpaucos dies, dum pecunia accipitur, quae mihi ex publica permutatione debetur, commorabor.
I shall delay for a very few days, while the money is being received which is owed to me from the public exchange.
deinde iter faciam ad exercitum, ut circiter id. Sext. putem me ad Iconium fore.
Then I shall make my journey to the army, so that I think I shall be near Iconium around the Ides of August.
sed, si quid nunc me fallit in scribendo (procul enim aberam ab. re ipsa et a locis), simul ac progredi coepero, quam celerrime potero et quam creberrimis litteris faciam ut tibi nota sit omnis ratio dierum atque itinerum meorum.
But if anything now deceives me in writing (for I was far away from the reality and from the places), as soon as I begin to advance, I will make sure, as quickly as I can and by very frequent letters, that my entire arrangement of days and journeys is known to you.
oneris tibi imponere nec audeo quicquam nec debeo; sed, quod commodo tuo fieri possit, utriusque nostrum magni interest ut te videam ante quam decedas.
I neither dare nor ought to impose any burden on you; but, so far as it can be done at your convenience, it is of great importance to both of us that I see you before you depart.
quam facultatem si quis casus eripuerit, mea tamen in te omnia officia constabunt non secus ac si te vidissem; tibi de nostris rebus nihil sum ante mandaturus per litteras quam desperaro coram me tecum agere posse.
If any chance should snatch away this opportunity, all my duties toward you will nevertheless remain constant, just as if I had seen you; I am not going to entrust anything to you about our affairs by letter until I despair of being able to act with you in person.
§3.5.5quod te a Scaevola petisse dicis, ut, dum tu abesses, ante adventum meum provinciae praeesset, eum ego Ephesi vidi fuitque mecum familiariter triduum illud, quod ego Ephesi commoratus sum, nec ex eo quicquam audivi, quod sibi a te mandatum diceret.
As for your saying that you requested Scaevola to govern the province in your absence before my arrival, I saw him at Ephesus, and he was with me familiarly during those three days that I stayed at Ephesus, nor did I hear anything from him to the effect that he said anything had been mandated to him by you.
ac sane vellem potuisset obsequi voluntati tuae; non enim arbitror noluisse.
And indeed I wish he could have complied with your wish; for I do not think he was unwilling.