§16.11.1Nonis accepi a te duas epistulas quarum alteram Kal. dederas, alteram pridie.
On the Nones (5 November), I received two letters from you, one of which you had dispatched on the Kalends (1 November), the other on the day before.
igitur prius ad superiorem.
Therefore, I will reply to the earlier one first.
nostrum opus tibi probari laetor; ex quo ἄνθη ipsa posuisti. quae mihi florentiora sunt visa tuo iudicio; cerulas enim tuas miniatulas illas extimescebam.
I am glad that our work is approved by you, from which you have gathered the very "flowers." These seemed more flourishing to me because of your judgment; for I was dreading those red-wax emendations of yours.
de Sicca ita est ut scribis; ab asta ea aegre me tenui.
As to Sicca, it is just as you write; I had difficulty in restraining myself in that auction.
itaque perstringam sine ulla contumelia Siccae aut Septimiae, tantum ut sciant
"παῖδεσ παίδων"
sine φαλλῷ Luciliano eum ex C. Fadi filia liberos habuisse.
Therefore, I shall touch upon it lightly, without any insult to Sicca or Septimia, only so far that they may know that he had children, "children's children," by the daughter of C. Fadius without any Lucilian phallus.
atque utinam eum diem videam cum ista oratio ita libere vagetur ut etiam in Siccae domum introeat! sed illo tempore opus est quod fuit illis iiiviris.
And would that I might see the day when that speech of mine may roam so freely that it even enters the house of Sicca! But for that, we need such times as existed under those triumvirs.
moriar nisi facete! tu vero leges Sexto eiusque iudicium mihi perscribes.
May I die if it isn't witty! You indeed must read it to Sextus and write back his judgment to me in detail.
"εἷσ ἐμοὶ μύριοι. "
Caleni interventum et Calvenae cavebis.
"To me, one is worth ten thousand." Beware of the intervention of Calenus and of Calvena.
§16.11.2quod vereris ne ἀδόλεσχοσ mihi tu, quis minus? cui, ut Aristophani Archilochi iambus, sic epistula tua longissima quaeque optima videtur.
As to your fear of being a chatterbox to me, who is less of one? To whom, just as Archilochus's iambic seemed to Aristophanes, so your letter, the longer it is, the better it seems.
quod me admones, tu vero etiam si reprenderes, non modo facile paterer sed etiam laetarer, quippe cum in reprensione sit prudentia cum εὐμενείᾳ.
As for your advising me—indeed, even if you were to censure me, I should not only easily bear it but even rejoice, since in censure there is wisdom accompanied by goodwill.
ita libenter ea corrigam quae a te animadversa sunt,
"eodem iure quo Rubriana"
potius quam
"quo Scipionis,"
et de laudibus Dolabellae deruam cumulum.
Thus, I will gladly correct those things which have been noticed by you, and use "by the same right as the Rubrian property" rather than "as that of Scipio," and I will scale down the heap of praises for Dolabella.
ac tamen est isto loco bella, ut mihi videtur, εἰρωναία, quod eum ter contra civis in acie.
And yet, in that passage there is, as it seems to me, a fine irony, in that he stood in battle array three times against his fellow citizens.
illud etiam malo
"indignissimum est hunc vivere"
quam
"quid indignius?" §16.11.3Πεπλογραφίαν Varronis tibi probari non moleste fero; a quo adhuc Ἡρακλείδειον illud non abstuli.
I also prefer "it is most shameful that this man lives" to "what is more shameful?" I am not displeased that Varro's "Peplographia" is approved by you; from whom I have not yet managed to get that Heraclidian work.
quod me hortaris ad scribendum, amice tu quidem, sed me scito agere nihil aliud.
As for your urging me to write, it is indeed friendly of you, but know that I am doing nothing else.
gravedo tua mihi molesta est.
Your cold is a concern to me.
quaeso, adhibe quam soles diligentiam.
Please, apply your usual care.
"o Tite"
tibi prodesse laetor.
I am glad that "O Titus" is of benefit to you.
"Anagnini"
sunt Mustela ταξιάρχησ et Laco qui plurimum bibit.
The "men of Anagnia" are Mustela the captain and Laco who drinks the most.
librum quem rogas perpoliam et mittam.
I will polish the book you ask for and send it.
§16.11.4haec ad posteriorem.
Now for the later letter.
τὰ περὶ τοῦ quatenus Panaetius, absolvi duobus.
The part about "how far Panaetius goes" I have completed in two books.
illius tres sunt; sed cum initio divisisset ita, tria genera exquirendi offici esse, unum, cum deliberemus honestum an turpe sit, alterum, utile an inutile, tertium, cum haec inter se pugnare videantur, quo modo iudicandum sit, qualis causa Reguli, redire honestum, manere utile, de duobus primis praeclare disseruit, de tertio pollicetur se deinceps sed nihil scripsit.
His own are three; but although he had divided at the beginning in such a way that there are three kinds of inquiring into duty—one, when we deliberate whether it is honorable or shameful; another, whether useful or useless; a third, when these seem to clash with each other, how one must judge (such as the case of Regulus, for whom to return was honorable, to remain was useful)—he discussed the first two splendidly, and promises to discuss the third next, but wrote nothing.
eum locum Posidonius persecutus est.
Posidonius followed up that topic.
ego autem et eius librum arcessivi et ad Athenodorum Calvum scripsi ut ad me τὰ κεφάλαια mitteret; quae exspecto.
I, however, have both sent for his book and written to Athenodorus Calvus to send me the main headings; which I am awaiting.
quem velim cohortere et roges ut quam primum.
I would like you to encourage him and ask him to do so as soon as possible.
in eo est περὶ τοῦ κατὰ περίστασιν. quod de inscriptione quaeris, non dubito quin καθῆκον
"officium"
sit, nisi quid tu aliud; sed inscriptio plenior
"de officiis. "
προσφωνῶ autem Ciceroni filio.
In it is the topic "on duty under circumstances." As to what you ask about the title, I have no doubt that "officium" corresponds to καθῆκον, unless you think otherwise; but a fuller title is "On Duties." And I dedicate it to my son Cicero.
visum est non ἀνοίκειον.
It seemed not inappropriate.
§16.11.5de Myrtilo dilucide.
On Myrtilus, it is clear.
o qualis tu semper istos! itane? in D. Brutum? di istis!
Oh, how you always size those fellows up! Is it so? Against D. Brutus? May the gods bring ruin on those fellows!
§16.11.6ego me, ut scripseram, in Pompeianum non abdidi primo tempestatibus quibus nil taetrius; deinde ab Octaviano cotidie litterae ut negotium susciperem, Capuam venirem, iterum rem publicam servarem, Romam utique statim.
I did not, as I had written, hide myself in my Pompeian villa: first, because of storms than which nothing could be more foul; then, because from Octavian there are daily letters urging me to undertake the business, to come to Capua, to save the republic a second time, and at all events to come to Rome immediately.
"αἴδεσθεν μὲν ἀνήνασθαι,"
is tamen egit sane strenue et agit.
"They were ashamed to refuse," yet he indeed has acted quite energetically and is acting so.
Romam veniet cum manu magna, sed est plane puer.
He will come to Rome with a large band, but he is clearly a boy.
putat senatum statim.
He thinks the Senate will meet immediately.
quis veniet? si venerit, quis incertis rebus offendet Antonium? Kal.
Who will come? If anyone comes, who will offend Antony in these uncertain times?
Ianuar. erit fortasse praesidio aut quidem ante depugnabitur.
On the Kalends of January (1 January), he will perhaps be a protection, or indeed the decisive battle will be fought before then.
puero municipia mire favent.
The municipal towns favor the boy wonderfully.
iter enim faciens in Samnium venit Cales, mansit Teani.
Indeed, on his journey to Samnium, he came to Cales and stayed at Teanum.
mirifica ἀπάντησισ et cohortatio.
There was a wonderful turnout and encouragement.
hoc tu putares? ob hoc ego citius Romam quam constitueram.
Would you have thought this? Because of this, I shall go to Rome sooner than I had resolved.
simul et constituero scribam.
As soon as I have settled my plan, I will write.
§16.11.7etsi nondum stipulationes legeram (nec enim Eros venerat), tamen rem pridie Idus velim conficias.
Although I had not yet read the stipulations (for Eros had not yet arrived), nevertheless I should like you to settle the matter on the day before the Ides (12 November).
epistulas Catinam, Tauromenium, Syracusas commodius mittere potero si Valerius interpres ad me nomina gratiosorum scripserit.
I shall be able to send letters to Catina, Tauromenium, and Syracuse more conveniently if Valerius the interpreter writes down for me the names of influential people.
alii enim sunt alias, nostrique familiares fere demortui.
For different men are influential at different times, and our close friends are almost all dead.
publice tamen scripsi, si uti vellet eis Valerius; aut mihi nomina mitteret.
However, I have written in a public capacity, if Valerius wishes to use them; or let him send the names to me.
§16.11.8de Lepidianis feriis Balbus ad me usque ad iii Kal.
About the Lepidian holidays Balbus has written to me.
exspectabo tuas litteras meque de Torquati negotiolo sciturum puto.
I shall wait for your letter up to the third day before the Kalends (29 November) and I think I shall know about Torquatus's little business.
Quinti litteras ad te misi ut scires quam valde eum amaret quem dolet a te minus amari.
I have sent Quintus's letter to you so that you might know how dearly he loves the one whom he grieves is less loved by you.
Atticae, quoniam, quod optimum in pueris est, hilarula est, meis verbis suavium des volo.
Since Attica is rather cheerful—which is the best thing in children—I wish you to give her a kiss on my behalf.