§4.4.1accipio excusationem tuam, qua usus es, cur saepius ad me litteras uno exemplo dedisses, sed accipio ex ea parte, quatenus aut neglegentia aut improbitate eorum, qui epistulas accipiant, fieri scribis ne ad nos perferantur; illam partem excusationis, qua te scribis orationis paupertate' (sic enim appellas) isdem verbis epistulas saepius mittere, nec nosco nec probo, et ego ipse, quem tu per iocum (sic enim accipio) divitias orationis ' habere dicis, me non esse verborum admodum inopem agnosco (ei)rwneu/esqai enim non necesse est),. sed tamen idem (nec hoc ei)rwneuo/menos facile cedo tuorum scriptorum subtilitati et elegantiae.
I accept your excuse, which you used, for why you had sent letters to me more often with the same copy, but I accept it on that part, so far as you write that it is due to the negligence or wickedness of those who receive the letters that they are not delivered to us; that part of the excuse, in which you write that you, because of a "poverty of speech" (for so you call it), send letters more often in the same words, I neither recognize nor approve, and I myself, whom you say in jest (for so I take it) to have "riches of speech," acknowledge that I am not altogether destitute of words (for there is no need to be ironical (εἰρωνεύεσθαι)), but yet I, the same person (nor do I say this ironically (εἰρωνευόμενος)), easily yield to the subtlety and elegance of your writings.
§4.4.2consilium tuum, quo te usum scribis hoc Achaicum negotium non recusavisse, cum semper probavissem, tum multo magis probavi lectis tuis proximis litteris; omnes enim causae, quas commemoras, iustissimae sunt tuaque et auctoritate et prudentia dignissimae.
Your plan, which you write you used in not refusing this Achaean business, while I had always approved of it, I approved of much more after reading your latest letter; for all the reasons you mention are most just and most worthy of both your authority and prudence.
quod aliter cecidisse rem existimas atque opinatus sis, id tibi nullo modo adsentior; sed quia tanta perturbatio et confusio est rerum ita perculsa et prostrata foedissimo bello iacent omnia ut is cuique locus, ubi ipse sit, et sibi quisque miserrimus esse videatur, propterea et tui consili paenitet te, et nos, qui domi sumus, tibi beati videmur, at contra nobis non tu quidem vacuus molestiis, sed prae nobis beatus.
As to your thinking that the matter has turned out otherwise than you had expected, in this I by no means agree with you; but because there is such great disturbance and confusion of things, all things lie so stricken and prostrated by a most foul war, that whatever place each one is in seems to him the most wretched, and everyone seems to himself most miserable, for this reason you both regret your plan, and we, who are at home, seem happy to you, while on the contrary to us, you indeed seem not free from troubles, but happy compared to us.
atque hoc ipso melior est tua quam nostra condicio, quod tu, quid doleat, scribere audes, nos ne id quidem tuto possumus, nec id victoris vitio, quo nihil moderatius, sed ipsius victoriae, quae civilibus bellis semper est insolens.
And in this very respect your condition is better than ours, that you dare to write what pains you, while we cannot do even that safely, and that not by the fault of the victor, than whom nothing is more moderate, but of the victory itself, which in civil wars is always insolent.
§4.4.3uno te vicimus, quod de Marcelli, conlegae tui, salute paulo ante quam tu cognovimus, etiam me hercule quod, quem ad modum ea res ageretur, vidimus.
In one thing we have surpassed you, in that we knew of the safety of Marcellus, your colleague, a little before you, and indeed, by Hercules, because we saw how that matter was conducted.
nam sic fac existimes, post has miserias, id est postquam armis disceptari coeptum sit de iure publico, nihil esse actum aliud cum dignitate.
For make yourself think thus, that after these miseries, that is, after it began to be disputed by arms concerning public law, nothing else has been done with dignity.
nam et ipse Caesar accusata 'acerbitate' Maricelli (sic enim appellabat) laudataque honorificentissime et aequitate tua et prudentia repente praeter spem dixit se senatui roganti de Marcello ne ominis quidem causa negaturum.
For Caesar himself, having both accused the "sourness" of Marcellus (for so he called it) and praised most honorably both your fairness and prudence, suddenly, contrary to expectation, said that he would not refuse the senate when they asked concerning Marcellus, even for the sake of avoiding a bad omen.
fecerat autem hoc senatus, ut, cum a L. Pisone mentio esset facta de M. Marcello et C. Marcellus se ad Caesaris pedes abiecisset, cunctus consurgeret et ad Caesarem supplex accederet.
Now the senate had done this: when mention had been made of M. Marcellus by L. Piso, and C. Marcellus had cast himself at Caesar's feet, the whole body rose and approached Caesar as suppliants.
noli quaerere; ita mihi pulcher hic dies visus est, ut speciem aliquam viderer videre quasi reviviscentis rei publicae.
Do not ask; this day seemed so beautiful to me that I seemed to see some appearance, as it were, of a reviving republic.
§4.4.4itaque, cum omnes ante me rogati gratias Caesari egissent praeter Volcacium (is enim, si eo loco esset, negavit se facturum fuisse), ego rogatus mutavi meum consilium.
Therefore, when all who were asked before me had returned thanks to Caesar, except Volcacius (for he said that if he had been in that place, he would not have done so), I, when asked, changed my plan.
nam statueram non me hercule inertia, sed desiderio pristinae dignitatis in perpetuum tacere.
For I had resolved, by Hercules, not from inactivity but from a longing for my former dignity, to remain silent forever.
fregit hoc meum consilium et Caesaris magnitudo animi et senatus officium; itaque pluribus verbis egi Caesari gratias, meque metuo ne etiam in ceteris rebus honesto otio privarim, quod erat unum solacium in malis.
Both Caesar's greatness of mind and the duty of the senate broke this plan of mine; and so I returned thanks to Caesar in more words, and I fear that in other matters as well I have deprived myself of honorable leisure, which was the sole consolation in evils.
sed tamen, quoniam effugi eius offensionem, qui fortasse arbitraretur me hanc rem publicam non putare, si perpetuo tacerem, modice hoc faciam aut etiam intra modum, ut et illius voluntati et meis studiis serviam.
But yet, since I have escaped the offense of him who would perhaps think that I did not consider this to be a republic if I remained silent forever, I will do this moderately, or even below moderation, so that I may serve both his will and my studies.
nam, etsi a prima aetate me omnis ars et doctrina liberalis et maxime philosophia delectavit, tamen hoc studium cotidie ingravescit, credo, et aetatis maturitate ad prudentiam et iis temporum vitiis, ut nulla res alia levare animum molestiis possit.
For, although from my earliest youth every liberal art and doctrine, and especially philosophy, has delighted me, yet this study grows more intense daily, I believe, both because of the maturity of my age tending towards prudence and because of those vices of the times, so that no other thing can relieve the mind from troubles.
§4.4.5A quo studio te abduci negotiis intellego ex tuis litteris, sed tamen aliquid iam noctes te adiuvabunt.
From which study I understand from your letter that you are drawn away by business, but yet now the nights will help you somewhat.
Servius tuus vel potius noster summa me observantia colit; cuius ego cum omni probitate summaque virtute tum studiis doctrinaque delector.
Your Servius, or rather ours, cultivates me with the greatest respect; by whose integrity and greatest virtue, as well as by his studies and learning, I am delighted.
is mecum saepe de tua mansione aut decessione communicat.
He often communicates with me concerning your staying or departure.
adhuc in hac sum sententia, nihil ut faciamus nisi quod maxime Caesar velle videatur.
I am still of this opinion, that we should do nothing except what Caesar seems most of all to wish.
res sunt eius modi, ut, si Romae sis, nihil praeter tuos delectare possit.
Affairs are of such a kind that, if you were at Rome, nothing except your family could delight you.
de reliquis nihil melius ipso est Caesare, cetera sunt eius modi, ut, si alterum utrum necesse sit, audire ea malis quam videre.
Of the rest, nothing is better than Caesar himself; other things are of such a kind that, if one of the two were necessary, you would prefer to hear of them rather than to see them.
hoc nostrum consilium nobis minime iucundum est, qui te videre cupimus, sed consulimus tibi.
This advice of ours is least pleasing to us, who desire to see you, but we are advising for your own good.
vale.
Farewell.