§10.9A.1exanimatus tuis litteris, quibus te nihil nisi triste cogitare ostendisti neque id quid esset perscripsisti neque non tamen quale esset quod cogitares aperuisti, has ad te ilico litteras scripsi.
Deeply alarmed by your letter, in which you showed that you are thinking of nothing but what is sad, and yet did not write in detail what that was, nor did you, however, fail to reveal what sort of thing it was that you were thinking, I have written this letter to you immediately.
per fortunas tuas, Cicero, per liberos te oro et obsecro ne quid gravius de salute et incolumitate tua consulas.
By your fortunes, Cicero, by your children, I beg and entreat you not to take any too severe resolution concerning your safety and welfare.
nam deos hominesque amicitiamque nostram testificor me tibi praedixisse neque temere monuisse sed, postquam Caesarem convenerim sententiamque eius qualis futura esset parta victoria cognorim, te certiorem fecisse.
For I call gods and men and our friendship to witness that I foretold this to you and did not advise you without reason, but that, after I met Caesar and learned what his sentiment would be once victory was gained, I informed you.
si existimas eandem rationem fore Caesaris in dimittendis adversariis et condicionibus ferendis, erras; nihil nisi atrox et saevum cogitat atque etiam loquitur; iratus senatui exiit, his intercessionibus plane incitatus est; non me hercules erit deprecationi locus.
If you think that Caesar's policy in dismissing adversaries and offering terms will be the same, you are mistaken; he thinks and even speaks of nothing but what is harsh and cruel; he left angry with the senate, clearly incensed by these vetoes; by Hercules, there will be no room for entreaty.
§10.9A.2qua re si tibi tu, si filius unicus, si domus, si spes tuae reliquae tibi carae sunt, si aliquid apud te nos, si vir optimus gener tuus valemus, quorum fortunam non debes velle conturbare, ut eam causam in quoius victoria salus nostra est odisse aut relinquere cogamur aut impiam cupiditatem contra salutem tuam habeamus—denique illud cogita, quod offensae fuerit in ista cunctatione te subisse.
Therefore, if you are dear to yourself, if your only son, if your house, if your remaining hopes are dear to you, if we, or your excellent son-in-law, have any weight with you—whose fortune you ought not to wish to throw into confusion, so that we should be compelled to hate or abandon that cause in whose victory our safety lies, or else harbor an undutiful desire against your safety—finally, think of this, namely what displeasure you have already incurred by that hesitation of yours.
nunc te contra victorem Caesarem facere, quem dubiis rebus laedere noluisti, et ad eos fugatos accedere, quos resistentis sequi nolueris, summae stultitiae est.
Now, to act against the victorious Caesar, whom you did not want to offend when his fortunes were doubtful, and to join those who are in flight, whom you refused to follow when they were resisting, is the height of folly.
vide ne, dum pudet te parum optimatem esse, parum diligenter quid optimum sit eligas.
See to it lest, while you are ashamed of being too little of an aristocrat, you choose with too little care what is best.
§10.9A.3quod si totum tibi persuadere non possum, saltem, dum quid de Hispaniis agamus scitur, exspecta; quas tibi nuntio adventu Caesaris fore nostras.
But if I cannot persuade you of this entirely, at least wait until it is known what we are doing about Spain; which I announce to you will be ours upon Caesar's arrival.
quam isti spem habeant amissis Hispaniis nescio; quod porro tuum consilium sit ad desperatos accedere non medius fidius reperio.
What hope those people can have once Spain is lost, I do not know; furthermore, what plan of yours it can be to join those who are desperate, by Hercules, I cannot find out.
§10.9A.4hoc quod tu non dicendo mihi significasti Caesar audierat ac, simul atque
"have"
mihi dixit, statim quid de te audisset exposuit.
This which you indicated to me by not speaking, Caesar had heard, and as soon as he said "Greetings" to me, he immediately explained what he had heard about you.
negavi me scire, sed tamen ab eo petii ut ad te litteras mitteret, quibus maxime ad remanendum commoveri posses.
I said I did not know, but nevertheless I asked him to send a letter to you, by which you might be most powerfully moved to remain.
me secum in Hispaniam ducit; nam nisi ita faceret, ego, prius quam ad urbem accederem, ubicumque esses, ad te percucurrissem et hoc a te praesens contendissem atque omni vi te retinuissem.
He is taking me with him to Spain; for if he were not doing so, I, before approaching the city, would have run to you wherever you were, and would have urged this upon you in person and held you back with all my might.
etiam atque etiam, Cicero, cogita ne te tuosque omnis funditus evertas, ne te sciens prudensque eo demittas unde exitum vides nullum esse.
Again and again, Cicero, think lest you utterly ruin yourself and all your family, lest with full knowledge and foresight you cast yourself down into a place from which you see no escape.
quod si te aut voces optimatium commovent aut non nullorum hominum insolentiam et iactationem ferre non potes, eligas censeo aliquod oppidum vacuum a bello, dum haec decernuntur; quae iam erunt confecta.
But if either the voices of the aristocrats move you, or you cannot bear the insolence and boasting of certain men, I advise that you choose some town free from war, while these matters are being decided; which will soon be finished.
id si feceris, et ego te sapienter fecisse iudicabo et Caesarem non offendes.
If you do this, both I shall judge that you have acted wisely, and you will not offend Caesar.