§5.20.5nam de Lucceio est ita actum, ut auctore Cn.
For concerning Lucceius, it was so managed that, on the advice of Cn.
Pompeio ista pecunia in fano poneretur.
Pompeius, that money was deposited in the temple.
id ego agnovi meo iussu esse factum.
I acknowledged that this was done by my command.
qua pecunia Pompeius est usus ut ea, quam tu deposueras, Sestius.
Which money Pompeius used, as Sestius did that which you had deposited.
sed haec ad te nihil intellego pertinere; illud me non animadvertisse moleste ferrem, ut ascriberem te in fano pecuniam iussu meo deposuisse, nisi ista pecunia gravissimis esset certissimisque monumentis testata, cui data, quo senatus consulto, quibus tuis, quibus meis litteris P. Sestio tradita esset.
But I understand that these matters have nothing to do with you; I should be annoyed that I had failed to notice this—namely, to add that you had deposited the money in the temple by my command—if that money were not attested by the weightiest and most certain records, showing to whom it was given, by what decree of the senate, and by what letters of yours and of mine it was handed over to P. Sestius.
quae cum viderem tot vestigiis impressa, ut in iis errari non posset, non ascripsi id, quod tua nihil referebat; ego tamen ascripsisse mallem, quoniam id te video desiderare. §5.20.6sicut scribis tibi id esse referendum, idem ipse sentio, neque in eo quicquam a meis rationibus discrepabunt tuae; addes enim tu, meo iussu, quod ego, qui non addidi, nec causa est cur negem nec, si causa esset et tu nolles, negarem.
Since I saw that these things were marked by so many traces that there could be no error in them, I did not add that which was of no concern to you; yet I would prefer to have added it, since I see that you desire it. Just as you write that it must be submitted by you, I myself think the same, nor will your accounts differ in this from mine in any way; for you will add, "by my command", which I, who did not add it, have no reason to deny, nor, if there were a reason and you were unwilling, would I deny it.
nam de sestertiis nongentis milibus certe ita relatum est, ut tu sive frater tuus referri voluit.
For concerning the nine hundred thousand sesterces, it was certainly submitted in such a way as you or your brother wished it to be submitted.
sed, si quid est, quoniam de Lucceio parum provisum est, quod ego in rationibus referendis etiam nunc corrigere possim, de eo mihi, quoniam senatus consulto non sum usus, quid per leges liceat, considerandum est.
But, if there is anything, since little provision was made concerning Lucceius, which I can even now correct in submitting the accounts, concerning this, since I did not make use of the decree of the senate, I must consider what is permitted by the laws.
te certe in pecuniam exactam ista referre ex meis rationibus relatis non oportuit, nisi quid me fallit; sunt enim alii peritiores.
You certainly ought not to have entered those items into the account of money collected from my submitted accounts, unless I am mistaken in something; for there are others more experienced.
illud cave dubites, quin ego omnia faciam, quae interesse tua aut etiam velle te existimem, si ullo modo facere possim. §5.20.7quod scribis de beneficiis scito a me et tribunos militaris et praefectos et contubernalis dumtaxat meos delatos esse.
Beware of doubting that I will do everything which I think is of interest to you or even that you wish, if I can do it in any way. As to what you write concerning the favors, know that by me only military tribunes, prefects, and at least my own companions have been reported.
in quo quidem me ratio fefellit; liberum enim mihi tempus ad eos deferendos existimabam dari, postea certior sum factus triginta diebus deferri necesse esse, quibus rationes rettulissem.
In which matter indeed my calculation deceived me; for I thought that free time was given to me for reporting them, but afterwards I was informed that it was necessary to report them within thirty days from when I had submitted the accounts.
sane moleste tuli non illa beneficia tuae potius ambitioni reservata esse quam meae, qui ambitione nihil uterer.
I was indeed annoyed that those favors had not been reserved for your ambition rather than for mine, who make no use of ambition.
de centurionibus tamen et de tribunorum militarium contubernalibus res est in integro; genus enim horum beneficiorum definitum lege non erat. §5.20.8reliquum est de sestertiis centum milibus, de quibus memini mihi a te Myrina litteras esse adlatas, non mei errati, sed tui; in quo peccatum videbatur esse, si modo erat, fratris tui et Tulli.
Concerning the centurions, however, and the companions of the military tribunes, the matter is untouched; for this class of favors was not defined by law. There remains the matter of the hundred thousand sesterces, concerning which I remember that letters were brought to me from you from Myrina, not of my error, but of yours; in which the mistake, if indeed there was one, seemed to be that of your brother and of Tullius.
sed, cum id corrigi non posset, quod iam depositis rationibus ex provincia decessimus, credo me quidem tibi pro animi mei voluntate proque ea spe facultatum, quam tum habebamus, quam humanissime potuerim, rescripsisse; sed neque tum me humanitate litterarum mearum obligatum puto neque me tuam hodie epistulam de HS c_ sic accepisse, ut ii accipiunt, quibus epistulae per haec tempora molestae sunt. §5.20.9simul illud cogitare debes, me omnem pecuniam, quae ad me salvis legibus pervenisset, Ephesi apud publicanos deposuisse; id fuisse HS x_x_i_i_; eam omnem pecuniam Pompeium abstulisse.
But since this could not be corrected, because we departed from the province after the accounts had already been deposited, I believe indeed that I wrote back to you as kindly as I could, in accordance with the goodwill of my mind and that hope of means which we then had; but neither did I think then that I was bound by the kindness of my letters, nor have I received your letter today concerning the hundred thousand sesterces in the way those receive them to whom letters at these times are troublesome. At the same time you ought to consider this, that I deposited all the money which had come to me without breaking the laws at Ephesus with the tax-collectors; that this sum was two million two hundred thousand sesterces; and that Pompeius carried off all that money.
quod ego sive aequo animo sive iniquo fero, tu de HS c_ aequo animo ferre debes et existimare eo minus ad te vel de tuis cibariis vel de mea liberalitate pervenisse.
Whether I bear this with an even or an uneven mind, you ought to bear the matter of the hundred thousand sesterces with an even mind and think that so much the less has come to you either from your allowances or from my liberality.
quod si mihi expensa ista HS c tulisses, tamen, quae tua est suavitas quique in me amor, nolles a me hoc tempore aestimationem accipere; nam, numeratum si cuperem, non erat.
But even if you had entered those hundred thousand sesterces as paid to me, yet, such is your sweetness and such your love toward me, you would be unwilling at this time to accept an evaluation from me; for, if I wished for cash, there was none.
sed haec iocatum me putato, ut ego te existimo.
But consider that I have said these things in jest, as I think of you.
ego tamen, cum Tullius rure redierit, mittam eum ad te, si quid ad rem putabis pertinere.
Nevertheless, when Tullius returns from the country, I will send him to you, if you think it has any relevance to the matter.
hanc epistulam cur conscindi velim causa nulla est.
There is no reason why I should wish this letter to be torn up.