§5.12.6quo mihi acciderit optatius, si in hac sententia fueris ut a continentibus tuis scriptis, in quibus perpetuam rerum gestarum historiam complecteris, secernas hanc quasi fabulam rerum eventorumque nostrorum.
Therefore, it would happen the more desirably for me, if you were of this opinion, that you should separate this, as it were, drama of our deeds and events from your continuous writings, in which you embrace the perpetual history of achievements.
habet enim varios actus mutationesque et consiliorum et temporum.
For it has various acts and changes both of plans and of times.
ac non vereor ne adsentatiuncula quadam aucupari tuam gratiam videar, quom hoc demonstrem, me a te potissimum ornari celebrarique velle.
And I do not fear lest I should seem to fish for your favor by some small flattery, when I show this, that I wish to be adorned and celebrated by you of all people.
neque enim tu is es qui, quid sis, nescias et qui non eos magis, qui te non admirentur, invidos quam eos, qui laudent, adsentatores arbitrere; neque autem ego sum ita demens, ut me sempiternae gloriae per eum commendari velim, qui non ipse quoque in me commendando propriam ingeni gloriam consequatur.
For you are not such a man as not to know what you are, and as not to consider those who do not admire you envious rather than those who praise you flatterers; nor, on the other hand, am I so mad as to wish to be commended to eternal glory by one who does not himself also, in commending me, obtain the proper glory of his own genius.
§5.12.7neque enim Alexander ille gratiae causa ab Apelle potissimum pingi et a Lysippo fingi volebat, sed quod illorum artem cum ipsis tum etiam sibi gloriae fore putabat.
For indeed that famous Alexander did not wish to be painted by Apelles of all people, and to be fashioned by Lysippus, for the sake of favor, but because he thought that their art would be a source of glory both to themselves and also to him.
atque illi artifices corporis simulacra ignotis nota faciebant; quae vel si nulla sint, nihilo sint tamen obscuriores clari viri.
And those artists used to make likenesses of the body known to those who did not know them; which even if they were non-existent, famous men would nevertheless be in no way more obscure.
nec minus est Spartiates Agesilaus ille perhibendus, qui neque pictam neque fictam imaginem suam passus est esse, quam qui in eo genere laborarunt; unus enim Xenophontis libellus in eo rege laudando facile omnis imagines omnium statuasque superavit.
Nor is that famous Spartan Agesilaus, who did not allow his image to be either painted or fashioned, to be held in less esteem than those who labored in that kind of representation; for the single book of Xenophon in praising that king easily surpassed all the portraits and statues of all men.
atque hoc praestantius mihi fuerit et ad laetitiam animi et ad memoriae dignitatem, si in tua scripta pervenero quam si in ceterorum, quod non ingenium mihi solum suppeditatum fuerit tuum, sicut Timoleonti a Timaeo aut ab Herodoto Themistocli, sed etiam auctoritas clarissimi et spectatissimi viri et in rei p. maximis gravissimisque causis cogniti atque in primis probati, ut mihi non solum praeconium, quod, cum in Sigeum venisset, Alexander ab Homero Achilli tributum esse dixit, sed etiam grave testimonium impertitum clari hominis magnique videatur.
And this will have been more excellent for me both for the joy of my mind and for the dignity of my memory, if I find a place in your writings rather than in those of others, because not only will your genius have been supplied to me, as to Timoleon by Timaeus or to Themistocles by Herodotus, but also the authority of a most illustrious and highly esteemed man, known and approved in the highest degree in the greatest and gravest causes of the republic, so that there may seem to be imparted to me not only the heraldry which, when he had come to Sigeum, Alexander said had been paid to Achilles by Homer, but also the grave testimony of an illustrious and great man.
placet enim Hector ille mihi Naevianus, qui non tantum 'laudari' se laetatur, sed addit etiam 'a laudato viro. ' §5.12.8quod si a te non impetro, hoc est, si quae te res impedierit (neque enim fas esse arbitror quicquam me rogantem abs te non impetrare), cogar fortasse facere, quod non nulli saepe reprehendunt, scribam ipse de me, multorum tamen exemplo et clarorum virorum.
For that Hector of Naevius pleases me, who is not only glad that he is 'praised', but also adds 'by a praised man.' But if I do not obtain this from you, that is, if some circumstance hinders you (for indeed I do not think it is right that I should fail to obtain anything from you when I ask), I shall perhaps be compelled to do what some often find fault with, namely, to write about myself, nevertheless following the example of many and illustrious men.
sed, quod te non fugit, haec sunt in hoc genere vitia: et verecundius ipsi de sese scribant necesse est, si quid est laudandum, et praetereant, si quid reprehendendum est.
But, as does not escape you, these are the faults in this genre: it is necessary both that they write more modestly about themselves if there is anything to be praised, and that they pass over it if there is anything to be blamed.
accedit etiam ut minor sit fides, minor auctoritas, multi denique reprehendant et dicant verecundiores esse praecones ludorum gymnicorum, qui cum ceteris coronas imposuerint victoribus eorumque nomina magna voce pronuntiarint, cum ipsi ante ludorum missionem corona donentur, alium praeconem adhibeant, ne sua voce se ipsi victores esse praedicent.
There is added also that there is less credibility, less authority, and finally many find fault and say that the heralds of the gymnastic games are more modest, who, when they have placed crowns on the other victors and pronounced their names in a loud voice, when they themselves are presented with a crown before the dismissal of the games, employ another herald, lest they themselves should proclaim with their own voice that they are victors.
§5.12.9haec nos vitare cupimus et, si recipis causam nostram, vitabimus, idque ut facias rogamus.
These things we desire to avoid, and if you undertake our cause, we shall avoid them; and we ask that you do this.
ac ne forte mirere cur, cum mihi saepe ostenderis te accuratissime nostrorum temporum consilia atque eventus litteris mandaturum, a te id nunc tanto opere et tam multis verbis petamus, illa nos cupiditas incendit, de qua initio scripsi, festinationis, quod alacres animo sumus, ut et ceteri viventibus nobis ex libris tuis nos cognoscant et nosmet ipsi vivi gloriola nostra perfruamur.
And lest by chance you should wonder why, although you have often shown me that you would commit to writing with the greatest care the plans and events of our times, we now seek this of you so earnestly and with so many words, that desire of haste, of which I wrote in the beginning, inflames us, because we are eager in mind that both others may know us from your books while we are still living, and we ourselves while alive may enjoy our little glory.
§5.12.10his de rebus quid acturus sis, si tibi non est molestum, rescribas mihi velim.
Concerning these matters, I would like you to write back to me what you are going to do, if it is not troublesome to you.
si enim suscipis causam, conficiam commentarios rerum omnium, sin autem differs me in tempus aliud, coram tecum loquar.
For if you undertake the cause, I will prepare memoirs of all the events; but if you put me off to another time, I will speak with you in person.
tu interea non cessabis et ea, quae habes instituta, perpolies nosque diliges.
Meanwhile, you will not be idle, and will thoroughly polish those things which you have begun, and continue to love us.