§1.20.1cum e Pompeiano me Romam recepissem a. d. iiii Idus Maias, Cincius noster eam mihi abs te epistulam reddidit quam tu Idibus Febr. dederas.
When I had returned to Rome from my Pompeian estate on the twelfth of May, our friend Cincius delivered to me that letter from you which you had given on the thirteenth of February.
ei nunc epistulae litteris his respondebo.
To that letter I will now reply in this letter.
ac primum tibi perspectum esse iudicium de te meum laetor, deinde te in iis rebus quae mihi asperius a nobis atque nostris et iniucundius actae videbantur moderatissimum fuisse vehementissime gaudeo idque neque amoris mediocris et ingeni summi ac sapientiae iudico.
And first of all, I am glad that my opinion of you has been clearly seen by you, and secondly, I rejoice most exceedingly that you have been most moderate in those matters which seemed to me to have been acted upon rather harshly and unpleasantly by us and our people; and I judge this to be a sign of no ordinary affection and of the highest talent and wisdom.
qua de re cum ad me ita suaviter, diligenter, officiose, humaniter scripseris ut non modo te hortari amplius non debeam sed ne exspectare quidem abs te aut ab ullo homine tantum facilitatis ac mansuetudinis potuerim, nihil duco esse commodius quam de his rebus nihil iam amplius scribere.
Concerning this matter, since you have written to me so sweetly, diligently, dutifully, and humanely that I not only ought not to exhort you further but could not have expected even from you or from any human being so much readiness and gentleness, I consider nothing to be more convenient than to write nothing more now about these matters.
cum erimus congressi, tum si quid res feret coram inter nos conferemus.
When we have met, then, if the occasion requires, we will confer together in person.
§1.20.2quod ad me de re publica scribis, disputas tu quidem et amanter et prudenter, et a meis consiliis ratio tua non abhorret; nam neque de statu nobis nostrae dignitatis est recedendum neque sine nostris copiis intra alterius praesidia veniendum, et is de quo scribis nihil habet amplum, nihil excelsum, nihil non summissum atque populare.
As to what you write to me about the republic, you indeed dispute both lovingly and wisely, and your policy does not differ from my plans; for we must not recede from the position of our dignity, nor must we enter into another's protection without our own resources, and that man of whom you write has nothing grand, nothing lofty, nothing that is not submissive and popular.
verum tamen fuit ratio mihi fortasse ad tranquillitatem meorum temporum non inutilis, sed me hercule rei publicae multo etiam utilior quam mihi civium improborum impetus in me reprimi, cum hominis amplissima fortuna, auctoritate, gratia fluctuantem sententiam confirmassem et a spe malorum ad mearum rerum laudem convertissem.
Nevertheless, that policy was perhaps not useless to me for the tranquility of my times, but, by Hercules, it was even much more useful to the republic than to me that the onslaught of wicked citizens against me was repressed, when I had confirmed the wavering opinion of a man of most ample fortune, authority, and influence, and had turned him from the hope of the wicked to the praise of my achievements.
quod si cum aliqua levitate mihi faciendum fuisset, nullam rem tanti existimassem; sed tamen a me ita sunt acta omnia non ut ego illi adsentiens levior sed ut ille me probans gravior videretur.
But if this had had to be done by me with any levity, I should have valued nothing at so great a price; but yet all things were so conducted by me, not that I should appear lighter by agreeing with him, but that he should appear heavier by approving of me.
§1.20.3reliqua sic a me aguntur et agentur ut non committamus ut ea quae gessimus fortuito gessisse videamur.
The rest of my affairs are being and will be conducted by me in such a way that we do not commit the error of appearing to have done by chance those things which we have achieved.
meos bonos viros, illos quos significas, et eam quam mihi dicis obtigisse Σπάρταν non modo numquam deseram sed etiam, si ego ab illa deserar, tamen in mea pristina sententia permanebo.
My "good men," those whom you indicate, and that "Sparta" which you say has fallen to my lot, I will not only never desert, but even if I am deserted by it, I will nevertheless remain in my former opinion.
illud tamen velim existimes, me hanc viam optimatem post Catuli mortem nec praesidio ullo nec comitatu tenere.
I would wish you, however, to think this, that since the death of Catulus, I hold this road of the Optimates without any protection or companion.
nam ut ait Rhinton, ut opinor,
"
οἱ μὲν παρ' οὐδέν εἰσι, τοῖσ δ' οὐδὲν μέλει. "
mihi vero ut invideant piscinarii nostri aut scribam ad te alias aut in congressum nostrum reservabo.
For, as Rhinton says, I think, "Some are of no account, and to others nothing matters." As to how our "fishpond owners" envy me, I will either write to you at another time or reserve it for our meeting.
a curia autem nulla me res divellet, vel quod ita rectum est vel quod rebus meis maxime consentaneum vel quod a senatu quanti fiam minime me paenitet.
But nothing shall tear me away from the senate-house, either because it is right, or because it is most consistent with my affairs, or because I am least of all sorry at how highly I am valued by the senate.
§1.20.4de Sicyoniis, ut ad te scripsi antea, non multum spei est in senatu; nemo est enim idem qui queratur.
Concerning the Sicyonians, as I wrote to you before, there is not much hope in the senate; for there is no one else who complains.
qua re si id exspectas, longum est; alias via, si qua potes, pugna.
Therefore, if you are waiting for that, it is a long business; fight by another way, if you can by any means.
cum est actum, neque animadversum est ad quos pertineret et raptim in eam sententiam pedarii cucurrerunt.
When it was enacted, it was not noticed to whom it related, and the backbenchers hastily ran into that opinion.
inducendi senatus consulti maturitas nondum est, quod neque sunt qui querantur et multi partim malevolentia, partim opinione aequitatis delectantur.
The time is not yet ripe for rescinding the decree of the senate, because there are none who complain, and many are delighted, partly from malevolence, partly from a notion of equity.
§1.20.5Metellus tuus est egregius consul; unum reprehendo quod otium nuntiari e Gallia non magno opere gaudet.
Your Metellus is an excellent consul; I find fault with one thing, that he does not greatly rejoice at the news of peace from Gaul.
cupit, credo, triumphare.
He desires, I believe, to celebrate a triumph.
hoc vellem mediocrius; cetera egregia.
I could wish this desire were more moderate; other things are excellent.
Auli filius vero ita se gerit ut eius consulatus non consulatus sit sed Magni nostri ὑπώπιον. §1.20.6de meis scriptis misi ad te Graece perfectum consulatum meum.
But the son of Aulus conducts himself in such a way that his consulship is not a consulship, but a black eye for our "Great One." Concerning my writings, I have sent to you my consulship completed in Greek.
eum librum L. Cossinio dedi.
I gave that book to L. Cossinius.
puto te Latinis meis delectari, huic autem Graeco Graecum invidere.
I think that you are delighted with my Latin works, but that, as a Greek yourself, you envy this Greek one.
alii si scripserint, mittemus ad te; sed mihi crede, simul atque hoc nostrum legerunt, nescio quo pacto retardantur.
If others write anything, we will send it to you; but believe me, as soon as they read this work of ours, they are somehow or other discouraged from writing.
§1.20.7nunc ut ad rem meam redeam, L. Papirius Paetus, vir bonus amatorque noster, mihi libros eos quos Ser. Claudius reliquit donavit.
Now to return to my own business: L. Papirius Paetus, a good man and a friend of ours, has presented to me those books which Ser. Claudius left.
cum mihi per legem Cinciam licere capere Cincius amicus tuus diceret, libenter dixi me accepturum si attulisset.
Since your friend Cincius told me that it was lawful for me to accept them under the Cincian law, I gladly said that I would accept them if he brought them.
nunc si me amas, si te a me amari scis, enitere per amicos, clientis, hospites, libertos denique ac servos tuos ut scida ne qua depereat; nam et Graecis iis libris quos suspicor, et Latinis quos scio illum reliquisse, mihi vehementer opus est.
Now, if you love me, and if you know that you are loved by me, strive through your friends, clients, guests, freedmen, and finally your slaves, that not a single leaf may be lost; for I have vehement need both of those Greek books which I suspect, and of the Latin ones which I know he left.
ego autem cotidie magis quod mihi de forensi labore temporis datur in iis studiis conquiesco.
For my part, daily more and more, whatever time is granted to me from my forensic labor, I find rest in these studies.
per mihi, per inquam gratum feceris si in hoc tam diligens fueris quam soles in iis rebus quas me valde velle arbitraris, ipsiusque Paeti tibi negotia commendo, de quibus tibi ille agit maximas gratias, et ut iam invisas nos non solum rogo sed etiam suadeo.
You will do me a very, I say a very great favor, if you are as diligent in this as you are wont to be in those matters which you think I greatly desire, and I commend to you the business of Paetus himself, for which he returns you his warmest thanks; and I not only ask but even advise you to visit us now.