§14.20.1e Pompeiano navi advectus sum in Luculli nostri hospitium vi Idus hora fere tertia.
I was carried by ship from my Pompeian villa into the hospitality of our friend Lucullus on the sixth day before the Ides at about the third hour.
egressus autem e navi accepi tuas litteras quas tuus tabellarius in Cumanum attulisse dicebatur Nonis Maiis datas.
Upon disembarking from the ship, I received your letter, which your messenger was said to have brought to Cumae, dated on the Nones of May.
a Lucullo postridie eadem fere hora veni in Puteolanum.
On the following day, at about the same hour, I came from Lucullus's villa to my Puteolan villa.
ibi accepi duas epistulas, alteram Nonis, alteram vii Idus Lanuvio datas.
There I received two letters, one dated on the Nones, the other on the seventh day before the Ides from Lanuvium.
§14.20.2audi igitur ad omnis.
Hear, then, my reply to all of them.
primum, quae de re mea gesta et in solutione et in Albiano negotio, grata.
First, what has been done regarding my affairs, both in the payment and in the Albian business, is pleasing.
de tuo autem Buthroto, cum in Pompeiano essem, Misenum venit Antonius.
As for your Buthrotum, when I was in my Pompeian villa, Antony came to Misenum.
inde ante discessit quam illum venisse audissem, in Samnium a quo vide quid speres.
He departed from there before I had heard that he had arrived, going to Samnium—from whom see what you can hope for.
Romae igitur de Buthroto.
Therefore, regarding Buthrotum, it must be settled at Rome.
L. Antoni horribilis contio, Dolabellae praeclara.
Lucius Antony's assembly speech was horrible, Dolabella's was splendid.
iam vel sibi habeat nummos, modo numeret Idibus.
Now let him even keep his money for himself, provided he pays it on the Ides.
Tertullae nollem abortum. tam enim Cassii sunt iam quam Bruti serendi.
I should regret Tertulla's miscarriage; for now Cassiuses must be sown as much as Brutuses.
de regina velim atque etiam de Caesare illo.
Concerning the Queen, I would wish it so, and also concerning that Caesar.
persolvi primae epistulae, venio ad secundam.
I have paid my debt to the first letter, and now I come to the second.
§14.20.3de Quintis, Buthroto, cum venero, ut scribis.
Concerning the Quintuses and Buthrotum, as you write, when I come.
quod Ciceroni suppeditas, gratum.
That you supply Cicero with funds is pleasing.
quod errare me putas qui rem publicam putem pendere e Bruto, sic se res habet. aut nulla erit aut ab isto istisve servabitur.
As for your thinking that I am mistaken in believing that the republic depends on Brutus, the matter stands thus: either there will be none, or it will be saved by that man or those men.
quod me hortaris ut scriptam contionem mittam, accipe a me, mi Attice, καθολικὸν θεώρημα earum rerum in quibus satis exercitati sumus. nemo umquam neque poeta neque orator fuit qui quemquam meliorem quam se arbitraretur.
As for your encouraging me to send the written speech, receive from me, my Atticus, a general theorem concerning those matters in which we are sufficiently practiced: there was never any poet or orator who thought anyone better than himself.
hoc etiam malis contingit; quid tu Bruto putas et ingenioso et erudito? de quo etiam experti sumus nuper in edicto.
This happens even to bad ones; what do you think of Brutus, who is both talented and learned?
scripseram rogatu tuo.
We have also recently experienced this in the case of the edict.
meum mihi placebat, illi suum.
I had written it at your request.
quin etiam cum ipsius precibus paene adductus scripsissem ad eum
"de optimo genere dicendi,"
non modo mihi sed etiam tibi scripsit sibi illud quod mihi placeret non probari.
Mine pleased me, his pleased him.
qua re sine, quaeso, sibi quemque scribere,
"
suam quoíque sponsam, míhi meam; suum quoíque
amorem, míhi meum.
Nay, indeed, when almost induced by his own entreaties I had written to him "on the best style of speaking," he wrote not only to me but also to you that what pleased me was not approved by him.
"
non scite. hoc enim Atilius, poeta durissimus.
Therefore, let each one write for himself, I beg: "To each his own bride, to me mine; to each his own love, to me mine.
atque utinam liceat isti contionari! cui si esse in urbe tuto licebit, vicimus.
"Not very neatly put; for Atilius wrote this, a very harsh poet.
ducem enim novi belli civilis aut nemo sequetur aut ii sequentur qui facile vincantur.
And would that he were allowed to address the people!
§14.20.4venio ad tertiam.
If he is allowed to be safely in the city, we have won.
gratas fuisse meas litteras Bruto et Cassio gaudeo.
For either no one will follow the leader of a new civil war, or those will follow who may easily be conquered.
itaque iis rescripsi.
I come to the third.
quod Hirtium per me meliorem fieri volunt, do equidem operam et ille optime loquitur sed vivit habitatque cum Balbo qui item bene loquitur.
I am glad that my letter was pleasing to Brutus and Cassius.
quid credas videris.
Therefore, I wrote back to them.
Dolabellam valde placere tibi video; mihi quidem egregie.
As for their wishing Hirtius to be made better through me, I indeed do my best, and he speaks very well, but he lives and resides with Balbus, who likewise speaks well.
cum Pansa vixi in Pompeiano.
What you should believe is for you to see.
is plane mihi probabat se bene sentire et cupere pacem.
I see that Dolabella pleases you greatly; to me indeed, extraordinarily.
causam armorum quaeri plane video.
I lived with Pansa in my Pompeian villa.
edictum Bruti et Cassi probo.
He clearly showed me that he felt well and desired peace.
quod vis ut suscipiam cogitationem quidnam istis agendum putem, consilia temporum sunt quae in horas commutari vides.
I clearly see that a pretext for arms is being sought.
Dolabellae et prima illa actio et haec contra Antonium contio mihi profecisse permultum videtur.
I approve of the edict of Brutus and Cassius.
prorsus ibat res;
As for your wishing me to enter into a consideration of what indeed I think those men ought to do, plans belong to the times, which you see are changed from hour to hour.
nunc autem videmur habituri ducem;
Both that first action of Dolabella's and this assembly speech against Antony seem to me to have done a great deal of good.
quod unum municipia bonique desiderant.
The matter was going straight ahead; but now we seem to be about to have a leader, which is the one thing the municipalities and good men desire.
§14.20.5Epicuri mentionem facis et audes dicere μὴ.
You make mention of Epicurus and dare to say μὴ.
non te Bruti nostri vulticulus ab ista oratione deterret? Quintus filius, ut scribis, Antoni est dextella.
Does not the little face of our Brutus deter you from that sort of talk?
per eum igitur quod volemus facile auferemus.
Young Quintus, as you write, is Antony's right hand.
exspecto, si, ut putas, L. Antonius produxit Octavium, qualis contio fuerit.
Through him, therefore, we shall easily obtain what we want.
haec scripsi;
I am waiting to hear what kind of speech it was if, as you think, Lucius Antony brought forward Octavius.
statim enim Cassi tabellarius.
I have written this because Cassius's messenger is leaving immediately.
eram continuo Piliam salutaturus, deinde ad epulas Vestori navicula.
I am about to go straightway to greet Pilia, and then by boat to Vestorius's feast.
Atticae plurimam salutem.
Best health to Attica.