§8.12.1pudet me tibi confiteri et queri de Appi, hominis ingratissimi, iniuriis, qui me odisse, quia magna mihi debebat beneficia, coepit et, cum homo avarus ut ea solveret sibi imperare non posset, occultum bellum mihi indixit, ita occultum tamen ut multi mihi renuntiarent et ipse facile animadverterem male eum de me cogitare.
I am ashamed to confess to you and to complain of the wrongs of Appius, a most ungrateful man, who began to hate me because he owed me great favors, and, since as a greedy man he could not bring himself to repay them, declared a secret war against me—yet only so far secret that many reported it to me and I myself easily noticed that he was thinking ill of me.
postea quam vero comperi eum conlegium temptasse, deinde aperte cum quibusdam locutum, cum L. Domitio, ut nunc est, mihi inimicissimo homine, deliberare, velle hoc munusculum deferre Cn. Pompeio, ipsum reprenderem et ab eo deprecarer iniuriam, quem vitam mihi debere putaram, impetrare a me non potui.
But when I found out that he had sounded out the college, then spoken openly with certain people, and was consulting with Lucius Domitius, who is now my greatest enemy, wishing to offer this little present to Gnaeus Pompey, I could not bring myself to reproach him in person and beg him to refrain from this injury, whom I had thought owed his life to me.
§8.12.2quid ergo est? tamen quasi aliquot amicis, qui testes erant meorum in illum meritorum, locutus sum.
What happened then? Nevertheless, I spoke, as it were, to some friends who were witnesses to my services toward him.
postea quam illum ne quoi satis faceret quidem me dignum habere sensi, malui conlegae eius, homini alienissimo mihi et propter amicitiam tuam non aequissimo, me obligare quam illius simiae vultum subire.
After I perceived that he did not hold me worthy even of making any explanation to me, I preferred to obligate myself to his colleague—a man most estranged from me and, on account of your friendship, not very well-disposed—rather than submit to the grimaces of that ape.
id postquam resciit, excanduit et me causam inimicitiarum quaerere clamitavit, ut, si mihi in pecunia minus satis fecisset, per hanc speciem simultatis eum consectarer.
When he found this out, he flared up and cried out that I was seeking a cause of enmity, so that, if he had not fully satisfied me in money matters, I might pursue him under this pretext of a feud.
postea non destitit accersere Polam Servium accusatorem, mire cum Domitio consilia.
Thereafter he did not cease to summon Servius Pola as an accuser, and wonderfully [laid] plans with Domitius.
§8.12.3quibus cum parum procederet ut ulla lege mihi ponerent accusatorem, compellari ea lege me voluerunt qua dicere non poterant; insolentissimi homines summis Circensibus ludis meis postulandum me lege Scantinia curarunt.
Since it was not succeeding well for them to set an accuser against me under any law, they wanted me to be prosecuted under that law which they themselves could not even speak of; these most insolent men, during the very height of my Circensian games, saw to it that I was prosecuted under the Scantinian law.
vix hoc erat Pola elocutus, cum ego Appium censorem eadem lege postulavi.
Hardly had Pola spoken this, when I prosecuted the censor Appius under the same law.
quod melius caderet nihil vidi; nam sic est a populo et non infimo quoque approbatum, ut maiorem Appio dolorem fama quam postulatio attulerit.
I have seen nothing turn out better; for it was so approved by the people, and not just the lowest of them, that the gossip brought greater pain to Appius than the prosecution itself.
praeterea coepi sacellum, in domo quod est, ab eo petere.
Besides, I began to demand from him the shrine which is in his house.
§8.12.4conturbat me mora servi huius qui tibi litteras attulit; nam acceptis prioribus litteris amplius dies quadraginta mansit.
The delay of this slave who brought you the letter disturbs me; for after receiving the previous letters, he remained for more than forty days.
quid tibi scribam nescio.
What I should write to you, I do not know.
scis Domitio comitiorum diem timori esse.
You know that the day of the comitia is a source of fear to Domitius.
te exspecto valde et quam primum videre cupio.
I eagerly await you and desire to see you as soon as possible.
A te peto ut meas iniurias proinde doleas, ut me existimas et dolere et ulcisci tuas solere.
I ask of you that you grieve for my wrongs in the very same way as you believe that I am accustomed both to grieve for and to avenge yours.