§1.13.1accepi tuas tris iam epistulas, unam a M. Cornelio quam Tribus Tabernis, ut opinor, ei dedisti, alteram quam mihi Canusinus tuus hospes reddidit, tertiam quam, ut scribis, ancora soluta de phaselo dedisti;
I have already received your three letters: one from M. Cornelius, which I think you gave him at Three Taverns; another which your host from Canusium delivered to me; and a third which, as you write, you sent from your swift boat as the anchor was weighed.
quae fuerunt omnes, ut rhetorum pueri loquuntur, cum humanitatis sparsae sale tum insignes amoris notis.
All of these, as the pupils of the rhetoricians say, were not only sprinkled with the salt of culture, but also distinguished by marks of love.
quibus epistulis sum equidem abs te lacessitus ad rescribendum; sed idcirco sum tardior quod non invenio fidelem tabellarium.
By these letters, I have indeed been challenged by you to write back; but I am somewhat slow because I cannot find a reliable letter-carrier.
quotus enim quisque est qui epistulam paulo graviorem ferre possit nisi eam pellectione relevarit? accedit eo quod mihi non† ut quisque in Epirum proficiscitur.
For how few are there who can carry a letter of rather serious import without lightening it by reading it through? Added to this is the fact that [it is not convenient] for me whenever anyone sets out for Epirus.
ego enim te arbitror caesis apud Amaltheam tuam victimis statim esse ad Sicyonem oppugnandum profectum neque tamen id ipsum certum habeo quando ad Antonium proficiscare aut quid in Epiro temporis ponas.
For I suppose that you, having sacrificed victims at your Amaltheum, immediately set out to blockade Sicyon, and yet I do not have certain knowledge of even that, namely when you are setting out to Antonius or what time you are spending in Epirus.
ita neque Achaicis hominibus neque Epiroticis paulo liberiores litteras committere audeo.
Thus, I dare not entrust a rather frank letter either to Achaean or to Epirot messengers.
§1.13.2sunt autem post discessum a me tuum res dignae litteris nostris, sed non committendae eius modi periculo ut aut interire aut aperiri aut intercipi possint.
However, since your departure from me, there have occurred things worthy of our correspondence, but they must not be entrusted to a danger of such a kind that they can either be lost, opened, or intercepted.
primum igitur scito primum me non esse rogatum sententiam praepositumque esse nobis pacificatorem Allobrogum, idque admurmurante senatu neque me invito esse factum.
First, then, know that I was not first asked for my opinion, and that the pacifier of the Allobroges was preferred before me, and that this was done while the Senate murmured, but not against my will.
sum enim et ab observando homine perverso liber et ad dignitatem in re publica retinendam contra illius voluntatem solutus, et ille secundus in dicendo locus habet auctoritatem paene principis et voluntatem non nimis devinctam beneficio consulis.
For I am both free from the obligation of paying court to a perverse man and unconstrained in maintaining my dignity in the commonwealth against his will; and that second position in speaking holds an authority almost equal to that of the leader, and a will not too closely bound by the consul's favor.
Tertius est Catulus, quartus, si etiam hoc quaeris, Hortensius.
Catulus is third; Hortensius, if you also ask about this, is fourth.
consul autem ipse parvo animo et pravo tamen cavillator genere illo moroso quod etiam sine dicacitate ridetur, facie magis quam facetiis ridiculus, nihil agens cum re publica, seiunctus ab optimatibus, a quo nihil speres boni rei publicae quia non vult, nihil speres mali quia non audet.
But the consul himself is of a small and perverse mind, a caviller of that morose kind who is laughed at even without wit, ridiculous in face rather than in facetiousness, doing nothing with the commonwealth, separated from the optimates, from whom you can hope for nothing good for the state because he does not wish it, and nothing bad because he does not dare it.
eius autem conlega et in me perhonorificus et partium studiosus ac defensor bonarum.
His colleague, however, is both very honorable toward me and a zealous supporter and defender of the good cause.
§1.13.3qui nunc leviter inter se dissident.
They are now slightly at variance with each other.
sed vereor ne hoc quod infectum est serpat longius.
But I fear that this matter, which is still unsettled, may creep further.
credo enim te audisse, cum apud Caesarem pro populo fieret, venisse eo muliebri vestitu virum, idque sacrificium cum virgines instaurassent, mentionem a Q. Cornificio in senatu factam (is fuit princeps, ne tu forte aliquem nostrum putes); postea rem ex senatus consulto ad virgines atque ad pontifices relatam idque ab iis nefas esse decretum; deinde ex senatus consulto consules rogationem promulgasse; uxori Caesarem nuntium remisisse.
For I believe you have heard that, when sacrifice was being made for the people at Caesar’s house, a man came there in female attire, and that after the virgins had solemnized that sacrifice anew, mention of it was made by Q. Cornificius in the Senate (he was the leader, lest you perchance think it was one of us); that afterwards, by a decree of the Senate, the matter was referred to the virgins and to the pontiffs, and was decreed by them to be sacrilege; that then, by a decree of the Senate, the consuls promulgated a bill; and that Caesar sent a notice of divorce to his wife.
in hac causa Piso amicitia P. Clodi ductus operam dat ut ea rogatio quam ipse fert et fert ex senatus consulto et de religione antiquetur.
In this cause, Piso, led by his friendship with P. Clodius, is endeavoring to have that bill—which he himself brings forward, and brings forward by a decree of the Senate, and which concerns religion—rejected.
Messalla vehementer adhuc agit severe.
Messalla, up to now, is acting very vigorously and severely.
boni viri precibus Clodi removentur a causa, operae comparantur, nosmet ipsi, qui Lycurgei a principio fuissemus, cotidie demitigamur, instat et urget Cato.
Good men are being withdrawn from the cause by Clodius's entreaties; gangs are being organized; I myself, who had been a Lycurgus at the beginning, am being softened daily; Cato is pressing and urging.
quid multa? vereor ne haec neglecta a bonis, defensa ab improbis magnorum rei publicae malorum causa sit.
To be brief? I fear that this matter, neglected by the good and defended by the wicked, may be the cause of great evils to the commonwealth.
§1.13.4tuus autem ille amicus (scin quem dicam?), de quo tu ad me scripsisti, postea quam non auderet reprehendere, laudare coepisse, nos, ut ostendit, admodum diligit, amplectitur, amat, aperte laudat, occulte sed ita ut perspicuum sit invidet.
But as for that friend of yours (you know whom I mean?), about whom you wrote to me, after he did not dare to find fault, he has begun to praise; as he shows, he is extremely fond of us, embraces, loves, openly praises, but secretly, yet so that it is transparent, envies.
nihil come, nihil simplex, nihil ἐν τοῖς πολιτικοῖσ inlustre, nihil honestum, nihil forte, nihil liberum.
There is nothing courteous, nothing straightforward, nothing distinguished in politics, nothing honorable, nothing brave, nothing free.
sed haec ad te scribam alias subtilius; nam neque adhuc mihi satis nota sunt et huic terrae filio nescio cui committere epistulam tantis de rebus non audeo.
But I will write about these things to you at another time more precisely; for they are not yet sufficiently known to me, and I dare not entrust a letter about such great affairs to this son of the earth, whoever he may be.
§1.13.5provincias praetores nondum sortiti sunt.
The praetors have not yet drawn lots for their provinces.
res eodem est loci quo reliquisti.
The matter is in the same place where you left it.
τοποθεσίαν quam postulas Miseni et Puteolorum includam orationi meae.
The description of the topography of Misenum and Puteoli, which you request, I will include in my speech.
"A. d. iii Non. Decembr. "
mendose fuisse animadverteram.
"The third day before the Nones of December" I had noticed that this was a mistake.
quae laudas ex orationibus, mihi crede, valde mihi placebant sed non audebam antea dicere; nunc vero quod a te probata sunt, multo mi Ἀττικώτερα videntur.
Those things which you praise from my speeches, believe me, were very pleasing to me, but I did not dare to say so before; but now, because they have been approved by you, they seem to me much more Attic.
in illam orationem Metellinam addidi quaedam.
To that speech against Metellus I have added some things.
Liber tibi mittetur, quoniam te amor nostri φιλορήτορα reddidit.
The book shall be sent to you, since your love for us has made you a lover of rhetoric.
§1.13.6novi tibi quidnam scribam? quid? etiam.
Shall I write any news to you? What? Yes, indeed.
Messalla consul Autronianam domum emit HS † C_X_X_X_I_I_I_I_ZZZ †.
The consul Messalla has bought the house of Autronius for 1,340,000 sesterces.
"quid id ad me?"
inquies.
"What is that to me?" you will say.
tantum quod ea emptione et nos bene emisse iudicati sumus et homines intellegere coeperunt licere amicorum facultatibus in emendo ad dignitatem aliquam pervenire.
Only that by this purchase we also have been judged to have bought well, and men have begun to understand that it is permitted to reach a certain dignity in purchasing by using the means of friends.
Teucris illa lentum negotium est sed tamen est in spe.
That Teucris is a slow business, but yet there is hope.
tu ista confice.
Do you settle those affairs of yours.
a nobis liberiorem epistulam exspecta.
Expect a more frank letter from us.
vi Kal. Febr. M. Messalla, M. Pisone coss.
The sixth day before the Kalends of February, in the consulship of M. Messalla and M. Piso.