§15.13.1viii Kal. duas a te accepi epistulas.
On June 24th, I received two letters from you.
respondebo igitur priori prius.
I will therefore reply to the earlier one first.
adsentior tibi ut nec duces simus nec agmen cogamus, faveamus tamen.
I agree with you that we should neither be leaders nor bring up the rear, yet we should show our support.
orationem tibi misi.
I have sent the speech to you.
eius custodiendae et proferendae arbitrium tuum.
Its keeping and publishing are at your discretion.
sed quando illum diem cum tu edendam putes?
But when do you think that day will come when it should be published?
§15.13.2indutias quas scribis non intellego fieri posse.
I do not understand how the "truce" you write about can come to pass.
melior est ἀναντιφωνησία qua me usurum arbitror.
Better is the "silence" (non-response), which I think I shall employ.
quod scribis legiones duas Brundisium venisse, vos omnia prius.
As for your writing that two legions have come to Brundisium, you will know everything beforehand.
scribes igitur quicquid audieris.
Write, therefore, whatever you hear.
§15.13.3Varronis διάλογον exspecto. iam probo Ἡρακλείδειον, praesertim cum tu tanto opere delectere; sed quale velis velim scire.
I am waiting for Varro's "dialogue." Already I approve of a "Heracleidean" work, especially since you take such great delight in it; but I should like to know what kind you want.
quod ad te antea atque adeo prius scripsi (sic enim mavis), ad scribendum †tibi vere dicere† fecisti me alacriorem.
As for what I wrote to you before, or rather "earlier" (for so you prefer), you have made me more eager to write.
ad tuum enim iudicium quod mihi erat notum addidisti Peducaei auctoritatem magnam quidem apud me et in primis gravem.
For to your own judgment, which was well known to me, you added the authority of Peducaeus, which is indeed great with me and of the first importance.
enitar igitur ne desideres aut industriam meam aut diligentiam.
I shall strive, therefore, so that you may not miss either my industry or my diligence.
Vettienum, ut scribis, et Faberium foveo.
I am cultivating Vettienus, as you write, and Faberius.
Clodium nihil arbitror malitiose; quamquam—sed quod egerit.
I do not think Clodius has any malicious intent; although—but let him see to what he has done.
de libertate retinenda, qua certe nihil est dulcius, tibi adsentior.
On retaining liberty, than which surely nothing is sweeter, I agree with you.
itane Gallo Caninio? o hominem nequam! quid enim dicam aliud? cautum Marcellum! me sic, sed non tamen cautissimum.
Really so with Gallus Caninius? Oh, what a worthless scoundrel! For what else should I say? Cautious Marcellus! I am so, but yet not the most cautious.
§15.13.4longiori epistulae superiorique respondi.
I have replied to your longer and earlier letter.
nunc breviori propiorique quid respondeam nisi eam fuisse dulcissimam? res Hispanienses valde bonae, modo Balbilium incolumem videam, subsidium nostrae senectutis.
Now, what should I reply to your shorter and more recent one, except that it was most sweet? Spanish affairs are very good, if only I may see Balbilius safe, the support of our old age.
de Anniano item, quod me valde observat Visellia.
Likewise concerning Annianus, because Visellia respects me very much.
sed haec quidem humana.
But these are indeed human things.
de Bruto te nihil scire dicis, sed Servilia venisse M. Scaptium †eumque non qua pompa† ad se tamen clam venturum sciturumque me omnia; quae ego statim.
You say you know nothing about Brutus, but Servilia says Marcus Scaptius has come, and that he will come to her secretly, and that I shall know everything; which I will write to you immediately.
interea narrat eadem Bassi servum venisse qui nuntiaret legiones Alexandrinas in armis esse, Bassum arcessi, Cassium exspectari.
Meanwhile, she relates that a slave of Bassus has come to report that the Alexandrian legions are in arms, that Bassus is being summoned, and that Cassius is expected.
quid quaeris? videtur res publica ius suum reciperatura.
In short, the republic seems likely to recover its rights.
sed ne quid ante.
But let us not rejoice beforehand.
nosti horum exercitationem in latrocinio et amentiam.
You know these men's practice in banditry and their madness.
§15.13.5Dolabella vir optimus, etsi, cum scribebam secunda mensa apposita, venisse eum ad Baias audiebam, tamen ad me ex Formiano scripsit, quas litteras cum e balineo exissem accepi, sese de attributione omnia summa fecisse.
Dolabella, a most excellent man—although, as I was writing while the second course was being served, I heard he had come to Baiae—nevertheless wrote to me from his Formian estate, which letter I received when I had come out of the bath, saying that he had done his utmost regarding the assignment of funds.
Vettienum accusat (tricatur scilicet ut monetalis), sed ait totum negotium Sestium nostrum suscepisse, optimum quidem illum virum nostrique amantissimum.
He accuses Vettienus (who is playing tricks, of course, like a mint-master), but says our Sestius has taken up the whole business, that excellent man and most affectionate toward us.
quaero autem quid tandem Sestius in hac re facere possit quod non quivis nostrum.
But I ask what Sestius can possibly do in this matter that any one of us could not do.
sed si quid praeter spem erit, facies ut sciam; sin est, ut arbitror, negotium perditum, scribes tamen neque ista res commovebit.
But if there is anything contrary to expectation, let me know; but if, as I think, it is a lost cause, write all the same, and that matter will not disturb me.
§15.13.6nos hic φιλοσοφοῦμεν (quid enim aliud?) et τὰ περὶ τοῦ καθήκοντοσ magnifice explicamus προσφωνοῦμενque Ciceroni;
Here we are playing the philosopher (for what else is there to do?) and are splendidly expounding the topic "On Duty," and we address it to Cicero; for on what subject should a father rather write to a son?
qua de re enim potius pater filio? deinde alia.
Then we shall write on other matters.
quid quaeris? exstabit opera peregrinationis huius.
In short, the fruits of this travel will stand out.
Varronem hodie aut cras venturum putabant; ego autem in Pompeianum properabam, non quo hoc loco quicquam pulchrius sed interpellatores illic minus molesti.
People thought Varro would arrive today or tomorrow; but I was hurrying to my Pompeian estate, not because anything is more beautiful than this place, but because intruders are less troublesome there.
sed perscribe, quaeso, quae causa sit Myrtili (poenas quidem illum pependisse audivi) et satisne pateat unde corruptus.
But please write in detail what the case of Myrtilus is (I heard indeed that he paid the penalty) and whether it is sufficiently clear by whom he was bribed.
§15.13.7haec cum scriberem, tantum quod existimabam ad te orationem esse perlatam.
As I was writing this, I supposed that the speech had only just been delivered to you.
hui, quam timeo quid existimes! etsi quid ad me? quae non sit foras proditura nisi re publica reciperata.
Oh, how I fear what you will think of it! And yet, what is it to me? It is not to come before the public unless the republic is recovered.
de quo quid sperem non audeo scribere.
On what I hope regarding that, I do not dare to write.