§5.8.1quantum †ad meum studium exstiterit dignitatis tuae vel tuendae vel etiam augendae, non dubito quin ad te omnes tui scripserint; non enim fuit aut mediocre aut obscurum aut eius modi, quod silentio posset praeteriri.
As to how much my zeal has stood out either in defending or even increasing your dignity, I do not doubt that all your people have written to you; for it was neither mediocre nor obscure nor of such a kind that it could be passed over in silence.
nam et cum consulibus et cum multis consularibus tanta contentione decertavi quanta numquam antea ulla in causa suscepique mihi perpetuam propugnationem pro omnibus ornamentis tuis veterique nostrae necessitudini iam diu debitum, sed multa varietate temporum interruptum officium cumulate reddidi.
For I fought with both the consuls and with many consulars with as great a struggle as I never did before in any cause, and I took upon myself a perpetual defense for all your honors, and fully paid the duty long owed to our old intimacy but interrupted by the great variety of times.
§5.8.2neque mehercule umquam mihi tui aut colendi aut ornandi voluntas defuit; sed quaedam pestes hominum laude aliena dolentium et te non numquam a me alienarunt et me aliquando immutarunt tibi.
And by Hercules, the will to respect or honor you was never lacking to me; but certain plagues of men, grieving at other people's praise, sometimes alienated you from me and occasionally changed my feelings toward you.
sed exstitit tempus optatum mihi magis quam speratum, ut florentissimis tuis rebus mea perspici posset et memoria nostrae voluntatis et amicitiae fides; sum enim consecutus, non modo ut domus tua tota, sed ut cuncta civitas me tibi amicissimum esse cognosceret.
But a time has arisen, more wished for than hoped for by me, so that in your most flourishing circumstances both the memory of our goodwill and the loyalty of our friendship might be clearly seen; for I have achieved that not only your whole household but the entire state should know that I am most friendly to you.
itaque et praestantissima omnium feminarum, uxor tua, et eximia pietate, virtute, gratia tui Crassi meis consiliis, monitis, studiis actionibusque nituntur, et senatus populusque R. intellegit tibi absenti nihil esse tam promptum aut tam paratum quam in omnibus rebus, quae ad te pertineant, operam, curam, diligentiam, auctoritatem meam.
Therefore, both your wife, the most excellent of all women, and your sons, the Crassi, of exceptional piety, virtue, and popularity, rely on my counsels, warnings, zeal, and actions; and the senate and the Roman people understand that to you in your absence nothing is so prompt or so ready, in all matters pertaining to you, as my effort, care, diligence, and authority.
§5.8.3quae sint acta quaeque agantur, domesticorum tibi litteris declarari puto.
What has been done and what is being done, I think is made clear to you by the letters of your household.
de me sic existimes ac tibi persuadeas vehementer velim, non me repentina aliqua voluntate aut fortuito ad tuam amplitudinem meis officiis amplectendam incidisse, sed, ut primum forum attigerim, spectasse semper, ut tibi possem quam maxime esse coniunctus.
As for me, I would strongly wish you to think and persuade yourself of this: that I did not happen upon embracing your dignity with my services by some sudden goodwill or by chance, but that, from the moment I first touched the forum, I always aimed to be as closely connected with you as possible.
quo quidem ex tempore memoria teneo neque meam tibi observantiam neque mihi tuam summam benevolentiam ac liberalitatem defuisse.
Indeed, from that time, I keep in memory that neither my respect for you nor your greatest goodwill and generosity toward me has been lacking.
si quae inciderunt non tam re quam suspicione violata, ea, cum fuerint et falsa et mania, sint evulsa ex omni memoria vitaque nostra.
If any things have occurred that were violated not so much in reality as by suspicion, let them, since they were both false and empty, be torn out from all our memory and life.
is enim tu vir es et eum me esse cupio, ut, quoniam in eadem rei p. tempora incidimus, coniunctionem amicitiamque nostram utrique nostrum laudi sperem fore.
For you are such a man, and I desire myself to be such, that since we have fallen upon the same times of the commonwealth, I hope our connection and friendship will be a source of honor to both of us.
§5.8.4quam ob rem tu, quantum tuo indicio tribuendum esse nobis putes, statues ipse et, ut spero, statues ex nostra dignitate; ego vero tibi profiteor atque polliceor eximium et singulare meum studium in omni genere offici, quod ad honestatem et gloriam tuam spectet.
Therefore, you yourself will determine how much you think should be attributed to us by your judgment, and, as I hope, you will determine it in accordance with our dignity; but I declare and promise to you my exceptional and singular zeal in every kind of service that looks to your honor and glory.
in quo etiam si multi mecum contendent, tamen cum reliquis omnibus tum Crassis tuis iudicibus omnis facile superabo; quos quidem ego ambo unice diligo, sed in Marcum benevolentia pari hoc magis sum Publio deditus, quod me, quamquam a pueritia sua semper, tamen hoc tempore maxime sicut alterum parentem et observat et diligit.
In which, even if many contend with me, yet I will easily surpass everyone, both with all the rest and especially with your sons, the Crassi, as judges; both of whom I indeed love uniquely, but with equal goodwill toward Marcus, I am more devoted to Publius for this reason, that although he has always done so from his childhood, yet at this time most of all he respects and loves me as a second parent.
§5.8.5has litteras velim existimes foederis habituras esse vim, non epistulae, meque ea, quae tibi promitto ac recipio, sanctissime esse observaturum diligentissimeque esse facturum.
I would wish you to think that this letter will have the force of a treaty, not of an ordinary letter, and that I will most sacredly observe and most diligently perform those things which I promise and undertake to you.
quae a me suscepta defensio est te absente dignitatis tuae, in ea iam ego non solum amicitiae nostrae sed etiam constantiae meae causa permanebo.
In the defense of your dignity which I have undertaken in your absence, I will now persist, not only for the sake of our friendship but also for the sake of my consistency.
quam ob rem satis esse hoc tempore arbitratus sum hoc ad te scribere, me, si quid ipse intellegerem aut ad voluntatem aut ad commodum aut ad amplitudinem tuam pertinere, mea sponte id esse facturum; sin autem quippiam aut a te essem admonitus aut a tuis, effecturum ut intellegeres nihil neque te scripsisse neque quemquam tuorum frustra ad me detulisse.
Therefore, I judged it sufficient at this time to write this to you: that if I myself perceived anything to pertain either to your will or to your advantage or to your greatness, I would do it of my own accord; but if I were admonished of anything either by you or by your people, I would bring it about that you understood that neither you had written nor anyone of your people had brought it to me in vain.
quam ob rem velim ita et ipse ad me scribas de omnibus minimis, maximis, mediocribus rebus ut ad hominem amicissimum et tuis praecipias ut opera, consilio, auctoritate, gratia mea sic utantur in omnibus publicis, privatis, forensibus, domesticis tuis, amicorum, hospitum, clientium tuorum negotiis, ut, quod eius fieri possit, praesentiae tuae desiderium meo labore minuatur.
Therefore, I would wish you also to write to me about all the smallest, greatest, and moderate matters as to a most friendly man, and to instruct your people to use my effort, counsel, authority, and influence in all your public, private, forensic, and domestic affairs, and those of your friends, guests, and clients, in such a way that, as far as is possible, the regret of your absence may be lessened by my labor.