§11.7.1gratae tuae mihi litterae sunt, quibus accurate perscripsisti omnia quae ad me pertinere arbitratus es.
Your letter was pleasing to me, in which you have written in detail everything that you thought pertained to me.
et factum igitur tu scribis istis placere et placere isdem istis lictoribus me uti, quod concessum Sestio sit; cui non puto suos esse concessos sed ab ipso datos.
And so you write that those men approve of what I did, and that those same men are pleased that I should use the lictors, which was granted to Sestius; to whom I do not think his own were granted, but given by himself.
audio enim eum ea senatus consulta improbare quae post discessum tribunorum facta sunt.
For I hear that he disapproves of those decrees of the senate which were made after the departure of the tribunes.
qua re poterit, si volet sibi constare, nostros lictores comprobare.
Therefore, if he wishes to be consistent with himself, he will be able to approve of our lictors.
§11.7.2quamquam quid ego de lictoribus qui paene ex Italia decedere sim iussus? nam ad me misit Antonius exemplum Caesaris ad se litterarum in quibus erat se audisse Catonem et L. Metellum in Italiam venisse Romae ut essent palam.
And yet, why do I speak of lictors, I who have been almost ordered to depart from Italy? For Antony sent to me a copy of Caesar's letter to him, in which it was written that he had heard that Cato and Lucius Metellus had come to Italy in order to be openly at Rome.
id sibi non placere ne qui motus ex eo fierent; prohiberique omnis Italia nisi quorum ipse causam cognovisset; deque eo vehementius erat scriptum.
That this did not please him, lest any movements should arise from it; and that everyone was forbidden from Italy except those whose cause he himself had recognized; and about this it was written rather vehemently.
itaque Antonius petebat a me per litteras ut sibi ignoscerem; facere se non posse quin iis litteris pareret.
Therefore Antony asked me by letter to forgive him; that he could not help but obey that letter.
tum ad eum misi L. Lamiam qui demonstraret illum Dolabellae dixisse ut ad me scriberet ut in Italiam quam primum venirem; eius me litteris venisse.
Then I sent Lucius Lamia to him to show that Caesar had told Dolabella to write to me to come to Italy as soon as possible; that I had come because of his letter.
tum ille edixit ita ut me exciperet et Laelium nominatim.
Then he issued an edict in such a way as to except me and Laelius by name.
quod sane nollem; poterat enim sine nomine res ipsa excipi.
Which indeed I would rather he had not; for the matter itself could have been excepted without name.
§11.7.3o multas et gravis offensiones! quas quidem tu das operam ut lenias, nec tamen nihil proficis, quin hoc ipso minuis dolorem meum, quod ut minuas tam valde laboras; idque velim ne gravere quam saepissime facere.
O many and heavy grievances! Which indeed you take pains to alleviate, nor yet do you accomplish nothing, but rather by this very thing you lessen my pain, because you labor so hard to lessen it; and I would wish you not to be reluctant to do this as often as possible.
maxime autem adsequere quod vis, si me adduxeris ut existimem me bonorum iudicium non funditus perdidisse.
But you will achieve what you wish most of all if you bring me to think that I have not completely lost the judgment of good men.
quamquam quid tu in eo potes? nihil scilicet.
And yet, what can you do in that? Nothing, of course.
sed si quid res dabit tibi facultatis, id me maxime consolari poterit; quod nunc quidem video non esse sed, si quid, ex eventis, ut hoc nunc accidit.
But if the circumstance gives you any opportunity, that will be able to console me most; which indeed I see is not there now, but, if anything, will come from events, as this has now happened.
dicebar debuisse cum Pompeio proficisci.
I was said to have been obliged to set out with Pompey.
exitus illius minuit eius offici praetermissi reprehensionem.
His end lessened the censure of that neglected duty.
sed ex omnibus nihil magis tamen desideratur quam quod in Africam non ierim.
But of all things, nothing is more regretted than that I did not go to Africa.
iudicio hoc sum usus non esse barbaris auxiliis fallacissimae gentis rem publicam defendendam, praesertim contra exercitum saepe victorem.
I used this judgment, that the republic was not to be defended by the barbarian auxiliaries of a most treacherous nation, especially against an army so often victorious.
non probant fortasse; multos enim viros bonos in Africam venisse audio et scio fuisse antea.
Perhaps they do not approve; for I hear that many good men have come to Africa, and I know that they were there before.
valde hoc loco urgeor.
I am pressed very hard on this point.
hic quoque opus est casu, ut aliqui sint ex eis aut, si potest, omnes qui salutem anteponant.
Here too there is need of chance, so that there may be some of them, or, if possible, all, who prefer safety.
nam si perseverant et obtinent, quid nobis futurum sit vides.
For if they persevere and prevail, you see what will become of us.
dices,
"quid illis, si victi erunt?"
honestior est plaga.
You will say, "What of them, if they are defeated?" The blow is more honorable.
haec me excruciant.
These things torment me.
§11.7.4Sulpici autem consilium non scripsisti cur meo non anteponeres.
But you have not written why you would not prefer Sulpicius's plan to mine.
quod etsi non tam gloriosum est quam Catonis, tamen et periculo vacuum est et dolore.
Which, although it is not as glorious as Cato's, is nevertheless free from both danger and pain.
extremum est eorum qui in Achaia sunt.
The last is that of those who are in Achaia.
ii tamen ipsi se hoc melius habent quam nos quod et multi sunt uno in loco et, cum in Italiam venerint, domum statim venerint.
Yet these very men are better off than we are in this, that they are many in one place and, when they come to Italy, they will come home immediately.
haec tu perge, ut facis, mitigare et probare quam plurimis.
Continue, as you are doing, to mitigate these things and to make them approved by as many as possible.
§11.7.5quod te excusas, ego vero et tuas causas nosco et mea interesse puto te istic esse vel ut cum iis quibus oportebit agas quae erunt agenda de nobis, ut ea quae egisti.
As for your excusing yourself, I indeed both recognize your reasons and think it is of interest to me that you are there, either so that you may transact with those with whom it will be necessary what needs to be done concerning us, as you have done.
in primisque hoc velim animadvertas.
And especially I would like you to notice this.
multos esse arbitror qui ad Caesarem detulerint delaturive sint me aut paenitere consili mei aut non probare quae fiant.
I think there are many who have reported or will report to Caesar that I either regret my plan or do not approve of what is being done.
quorum etsi utrumque verum est, tamen ab illis dicitur animo a me alienato, non quo ita esse perspexerint.
Although both of these are true, yet they are said by them with a mind alienated from me, not because they have perceived it to be so.
sed in eo est totum ut hoc Balbus sustineat et Oppius et eorum crebris litteris illius voluntas erga me confirmetur.
But the whole thing lies in this, that Balbus and Oppius sustain this, and by their frequent letters his goodwill toward me is confirmed.
et hoc plane ut fiat diligentiam adhibebis.
And you will apply diligence so that this may be done clearly.
§11.7.6alterum est cur te nolim discedere, quod scribis Tulliam te flagitare.
The other reason why I do not want you to depart is that you write that Tullia is demanding you.
o rem miseram! quid scribam aut quid velim? breve faciam, lacrimae enim se subito profuderunt.
O wretched state of affairs! What shall I write or what shall I wish? I will make it brief, for tears have suddenly poured forth.
tibi permitto, tu consule; tantum vide ne hoc tempore isti obesse aliquid possit.
I leave it to you, you consult; only see to it that at this time this cannot be of any harm to her.
ignosce, obsecro te.
Forgive me, I beseech you.
non possum prae fletu et dolore diutius in hoc loco commorari.
I cannot delay longer on this point because of weeping and pain.
tantum dicam, nihil mihi gratius esse quam quod eam diligis.
I will say only this, that nothing is more pleasing to me than that you love her.
§11.7.7quod litteras quibus putas opus esse curas dandas facis commode.
In that you arrange for the letters which you think are needed to be delivered, you act commodiously.
Quintum filium vidi qui Sami vidisset, patrem Sicyone: quorum deprecatio est facilis.
I saw Quintus's son, who had seen him at Samos, and the father at Sicyon: whose deprecation is easy.
utinam illi qui prius illum viderint me apud eum velint adiutum tantum quantum ego illos vellem si quid possem!
I wish those who saw him earlier would wish me to be helped with him as much as I would wish them if I could do anything!
§11.7.8quod rogas ut in bonam partem accipiam si qua sint in tuis litteris quae me mordeant, ego vero in optimam teque rogo ut aperte, quem ad modum facis, scribas ad me omnia idque facias quam saepissime.
As to your asking me to take it in good part if there is anything in your letters that bites me, I indeed take it in the best part, and I ask you to write everything to me openly, as you are doing, and to do so as often as possible.
vale.
Farewell.
xiiii K. Ian.
December 16.