§15.3.1undecimo Kal. accepi in Arpinati duas epistulas tuas, quibus duabus meis respondisti.
On the eleventh day before the Kalends, I received in my Arpinate villa two of your letters, with which you replied to two of mine.
una erat xv Kal. , altera xii data.
One was dated the fifteenth day before the Kalends, the other the twelfth.
ad superiorem igitur prius.
So first to the earlier one.
accurres in Tusculanum, ut scribis; quo me vi Kal. venturum arbitrabar.
You will hasten to your Tusculan villa, as you write; where I thought I would come on the sixth day before the Kalends.
quod scribis parendum victoribus, non mihi quidem cui sunt multa potiora.
As to your writing that we must obey the victors, certainly not for me, to whom many things are far preferable.
nam illa quae recordaris Lentulo et Marcello consulibus acta in aede Apollinis, nec causa eadem est nec simile tempus, praesertim cum Marcellum scribas aliosque discedere.
For as to those events which you recall as having taken place in the temple of Apollo during the consulship of Lentulus and Marcellus, neither is the cause the same nor the situation similar, especially since you write that Marcellus and others are departing.
erit igitur nobis coram odorandum et constituendum tutone Romae esse possimus.
Therefore we must sniff things out and decide together in person whether we can be in Rome safely.
novi conventus habitatores sane movent; in magnis enim versamur angustiis.
The residents of the new gathering certainly worry me; for we are in great straits.
sed sunt ista parvi; quin et maiora contemnimus.
But those things are of little account; in fact, we even despise greater things.
Calvae testamentum cognovi, hominis turpis ac sordidi; tabula Demonici quod tibi curae est gratum.
I have learned of the will of Calva, a disgraceful and sordid man; that the list of Demonicus is a care to you is pleasing.
de †malo† scripsi iam pridem ad Dolabellam accuratissime, modo redditae litterae sint.
Concerning the †malo†, I wrote some time ago to Dolabella in great detail, provided only that the letter was delivered.
eius causa et cupio et debeo.
For his sake I both wish to and ought to do so.
§15.3.2venio ad propiorem.
I come to the more recent one.
cognovi de Alexione quae desiderabam.
I learned what I wanted to know about Alexio.
Hirtius est tuus.
Hirtius is on your side.
Antonio, †quoniam† est, volo peius esse.
For Antony, †since† he is, I wish things to go worse.
de Quinto filio, ut scribis, †A. M. C.† de patre coram agemus.
Concerning Quintus the son, as you write, †A.M.C.†; concerning the father we shall deal in person.
Brutum omni re qua possum cupio iuvare.
I desire to help Brutus in every way I can.
cuius de oratiuncula idem te quod me sentire video.
And regarding his short speech, I see that you feel the same as I do.
sed parum intellego quid me velis scribere quasi a Bruto habita oratione, cum ille ediderit.
But I do not quite understand what you want me to write, as though it were a speech delivered by Brutus, when he himself has already published it.
qui tandem convenit? an sic ut in tyrannum iure optimo caesum? multa dicentur, multa scribentur a nobis sed alio modo et tempore.
How indeed is that fitting? Or should it be to the effect that he was most justly slain as a tyrant? Many things will be said, many things will be written by us, but in another manner and at another time.
de sella Caesaris bene tribuni;
Regarding Caesar's chair, the tribunes did well; excellent also the fourteen rows!
praeclaros etiam xiv ordines! Brutum apud me fuisse gaudeo, modo et libenter fuerit et sat diu.
I am glad that Brutus was at my house, provided that he was there both gladly and long enough.