§8.14.1tanti non fuit Arsacen capere et Seleuceam expugnare, ut earum rerum quae hic gestae sunt spectaculo careres; numquam tibi oculi doluissent, si in repulsa Domiti vultum vidisses.
It was not worth capturing Arsaces and storming Seleucia at the cost of your missing the spectacle of the events that have taken place here; your eyes would never have pained you if you had seen the face of Domitius at his defeat.
Magna illa comitia fuerunt, et plane studia ex partium sensu apparuerunt; perpauci necessitudinem secuti officium praestiterunt.
That was a great election, and the passions from party feeling were clearly apparent; very few, following private friendship, performed their duty.
itaque mihi est Domitius inimicissimus ut ne familiarem quidem suum quemquam tam oderit quam me, atque eo magis quod per iniuriam sibi putat ereptum auguratum, quoius ego auctor fuerim.
Consequently, Domitius is so hostile to me that he hates none of his intimates as much as me, and all the more because he thinks the augurship was snatched from him unjustly, and that I was the promoter of it.
nunc furit tam gavisos homines suum dolorem †unumque move studiosiorem Antoni; nam Cn.
Now he is furious that men have rejoiced so much at his pain, and †that they are more zealous for Antonius; for Cn.
Saturninum adulescentem ipse Cn.
Domitius himself has prosecuted the young Cn.
Domitius reum fecit sane quam superiore a vita invidiosum; quod iudicium nunc in exspectatione est, etiam in bona spe post Sex.
Saturninus, a man indeed highly unpopular from his past life; this trial is now eagerly awaited, and even with good hope after the acquittal of Sex.
Peducaei absolutionem.
Peducaeus.
§8.14.2de summa re publica saepe tibi scripsi me in annum pacem non videre et, quo propius ea contentio quam fieri necesse est accedit, eo clarius id periculum apparet.
On the supreme crisis of the state, I have often written to you that I do not see peace for the coming year, and the closer that conflict which must inevitably happen approaches, the more clearly does that danger appear.
propositum hoc est, de quo qui rerum potiuntur sunt dimicaturi, quod Cn.
This is the issue about which those in power are going to fight: Cn.
Pompeius constituit non pati C. Caesarem consulem aliter fieri nisi exercitum et provincias tradiderit, Caesari autem persuasum est se salvum esse non posse si ab exercitu recesserit; fert illam tamen condicionem, ut ambo exercitus tradant.
Pompey has resolved not to allow C. Caesar to become consul unless he hands over his army and provinces, while Caesar is convinced that he cannot be safe if he leaves his army; yet he offers this condition, that both hand over their armies.
sic illi amores et invidiosa coniunctio non ad occultam recidit obtrectationem, sed ad bellum se erupit; neque mearum rerum quid consili capiam reperio; quod non dubito quin te quoque haec deliberatio sit perturbatura.
Thus those old loves and that envied alliance have not relapsed into secret slander, but have broken out into war; nor do I find what plan to adopt for my own affairs; and I do not doubt that this deliberation will disturb you too.
nam mihi cum hominibus his et gratia et †necessitudinem cum causam illam unde homines odi.
For while I have both goodwill and †obligation with these men, on the other hand I hate that cause because of the men from whom...
§8.14.3illud te non arbitror fugere quin homines in dissensione domestica debeant, quam diu civiliter sine armis certetur, honestiorem sequi partem, ubi ad bellum et castra ventum sit, firmiorem et id melius statuere quod tutius sit.
I do not think it escapes you that in domestic discord, as long as the struggle is carried on civilly without arms, men ought to follow the more honorable party, but when it comes to war and camps, the stronger, and to judge that which is safer to be better.
in hac discordia video Cn.
In this discord, I see that Cn.
Pompeium senatum quique res iudicant secum habiturum, ad Caesarem omnis qui cum timore aut mala spe vivant accessuros; exercitum conferendum non esse.
Pompey will have the senate and those who judge cases with him, while all who live in fear or with bad hope will go over to Caesar; the armies are not to be compared.
omnino satis spati est ad considerandas utriusque copias et eligendam partem.
On the whole, there is sufficient time to consider the forces of both and to choose a party.
§8.14.4prope oblitus sum quod maxime fuit scribendum.
I had almost forgotten what most needed to be written.
scis Appium censorem hic ostenta facere, de signis et tabulis, de agri modo, de acre alieno acerrime agere? persuasum est ei censuram lomentum aut nitrum esse.
Do you know that Appius the censor is performing wonders here, acting most vigorously concerning statues and pictures, the limit of land, and debt? He is convinced that the censorship is cosmetic powder or soda.
errare mihi videtur; nam sordis eluere vult, venas sibi omnis et viscera aperit.
He seems to me to be mistaken; for while he wants to wash off dirt, he opens up all his own veins and bowels.
curre, per deos atque homines! et quam primum haec risum veni, legis Scantiniae iudicium apud Drusum fieri, Appium de tabulis et signis agere; crede mihi, est monerandum.
Run, by gods and men! and come as soon as possible to laugh at these things: that a trial under the Scantinian law is taking place before Drusus, and that Appius is acting concerning pictures and statues; believe me, it is something to be wondered at.
Curio noster sapienter id, quod remisit de stipendio Pompei, fecisse existimatur.
Our friend Curio is thought to have acted wisely in what he remitted concerning Pompey's pay.
ad summam, quaeris quid putem futurum.
In short, you ask what I think will happen.
si alter uter eorum ad Parthicum bellum non eat, video magnas impendere discordias, quas ferrum et vis iudicabit; uterque et animo et copiis est paratus.
If one or the other of them does not go to the Parthian war, I see great discords impending, which the sword and force will decide; both are prepared in spirit and in forces.
si sine summo periculo fieri posset, magnum et iucundum tibi Fortuna spectaculum parabat.
If it could be done without the greatest danger, Fortune was preparing a grand and delightful spectacle for you.