§1.14.5Romanae autem se res sic habent.
But as for affairs in Rome, they stand as follows.
senatus Ἄρειοσ πάγοσ; nihil constantius, nihil severius, nihil fortius.
The Senate is an Areopagus; nothing could be more steadfast, nothing more severe, nothing more courageous.
nam cum dies venisset rogationi ex senatus consulto ferendae, concursabant barbatuli iuvenes, totus ille grex Catilinae, duce filiola Curionis, et populum ut antiquaret rogabant.
For when the day had come for presenting the bill according to the decree of the Senate, young men with little beards, that whole crowd of Catiline, with the little daughter of Curio as their leader, were running about and asking the people to reject the bill.
Piso autem consul lator rogationis idem erat dissuasor.
Moreover, the consul Piso, the proposer of the bill, was himself its opponent.
operae Clodianae pontis occuparant, tabellae ministrabantur ita ut nulla daretur
"uti rogas.
Clodius's gangs had occupied the voting-bridges, and the voting tablets were being distributed in such a way that none of "as you propose" was given.
"
hic tibi in rostra Cato advolat, convicium Pisoni consuli mirificum facit, si id est convicium, vox plena gravitatis, plena auctoritatis, plena denique salutis.
Here, to your amazement, Cato flies to the rostra and makes a wonderful attack on the consul Piso, if indeed it is an attack, for it was a speech full of gravity, full of authority, and finally full of salvation.
accedit eodem etiam noster Hortensius, multi praeterea boni; insignis vero opera Favoni fuit.
Our friend Hortensius also joined him there, and many other good men besides; indeed, the effort of Favonius was outstanding.
hoc concursu optimatium comitia dimittuntur, senatus vocatur.
By this gathering of the optimates, the assembly is dismissed, and the Senate is summoned.
cum decerneretur frequenti senatu, contra pugnante Pisone, ad pedes omnium singillatim accidente Clodio, ut consules populum cohortarentur ad rogationem accipiendam, homines ad quindecim Curioni nullum senatus consultum facienti adsenserunt; ex altera parte facile cccc fuerunt.
When it was being decreed in a full Senate, with Piso fighting against it, and Clodius falling at the feet of everyone individually, that the consuls should exhort the people to accept the bill, about fifteen men agreed with Curio, who was preventing any decree of the Senate from being made; on the other side, there were easily four hundred.
acta res est.
The matter was decided.
Fufius tribunus tum concessit.
Fufius the tribune then gave way.
Clodius contiones miseras habebat, in quibus Lucullum, Hortensium, C. Pisonem, Messallam consulem contumeliose laedebat;
Clodius was holding wretched public meetings, in which he abusively attacked Lucullus, Hortensius, C.
me tantum
"comperisse"
omnia criminabatur.
Piso, and the consul Messalla; me he accused only of having "found out" everything.
senatus et de provinciis praetorum et de legationibus et de ceteris rebus decernebat ut ante quam rogatio lata esset ne quid ageretur.
The Senate was decreeing both concerning the provinces of the praetors and concerning embassies and other matters, that nothing should be done until the bill had been presented.
§1.14.6habes res Romanas.
You have the Roman affairs.
sed tamen etiam illud quod non speraram audi.
But yet, hear also that which I had not hoped for.
Messalla consul est egregius, fortis, constans, diligens, nostri laudator, amator, imitator.
The consul Messalla is excellent, brave, steadfast, diligent, a praiser, lover, and imitator of us.
ille alter uno vitio minus vitiosus quod iners, quod somni plenus, quod imperitus, quod ἀπρακτότατοσ sed voluntate ita καχέκτησ ut Pompeium post illam contionem in qua ab eo senatus laudatus est odisse coeperit.
That other one is less vicious by one vice, because he is lazy, full of sleep, inexperienced, and most inactive (ἀπρακτότατοσ); but in his goodwill, he is so ill-conditioned (καχέκτησ) that after that meeting in which the Senate was praised by Pompey, he began to hate Pompey.
itaque mirum in modum omnis a se bonos alienavit.
Therefore, in a wonderful manner, he alienated all good men from himself.
neque id magis amicitia Clodi adductus fecit quam studio perditarum rerum atque partium.
Nor did he do this so much led by friendship with Clodius as by his zeal for ruined causes and factions.
sed habet sui similem in magistratibus praeter Fufium neminem.
But among the magistrates, he has no one like himself except Fufius.
bonis utimur tribunis pl. , Cornuto vero Pseudocatone.
We have good tribunes of the plebs, and Cornutus indeed is a virtual Pseudocato.
quid quaeris?
What more do you ask?
§1.14.7nunc ut ad privata redeam, Τεῦκρισ promissa patravit.
Now to return to private matters, Teucris (Τεῦκρισ) has fulfilled her promises.
tu mandata effice quae recepisti.
Do you execute the commissions you received.
Quintus frater, qui Argiletani aedifici reliquum dodrantem emit HS d_c_c_x_x_v_, Tusculanum venditat, ut, si possit, emat Pacilianam domum.
My brother Quintus, who bought the remaining three-quarters of the building on the Argiletum for HS d_c_c_x_x_v_, is offering his Tusculan villa for sale, so that, if possible, he may buy the house of Pacilius.
cum Lucceio in gratiam redii.
I have returned to favor with Lucceio.
video hominem valde petiturire.
I see that the man is very eager to stand for office.
navabo operam.
I will do my best.
tu quid agas, ubi sis, cuius modi istae res sint, fac me quam diligentissime certiorem.
Let me know as diligently as possible what you are doing, where you are, and of what sort those matters of yours are.
Idibus Febr.
On the Ides of February.