§4.2.1si forte rarius tibi a me quam a ceteris litterae redduntur peto a te ut id non modo neglegentiae meae sed ne occupationi quidem tribuas; quae etsi summa est, tamen nulla esse potest tanta ut interrumpat iter amoris nostri et offici mei.
If perchance letters are delivered to you from me less frequently than from others, I beg of you not to attribute this only to my negligence, but not even to my being occupied; which, although it is greatest, yet none can be so great as to interrupt the course of our love and of my duty.
nam ut veni Romam, iterum nunc sum certior factus esse cui darem litteras; itaque has alteras dedi.
For since I came to Rome, this is now the second time I have been informed that there is someone to whom I might give a letter; and so I have sent this second one.
prioribus tibi declaravi adventus noster qualis fuisset et quis esset status atque omnes res nostrae quem ad modum essent,
"
ut ín secundis flúxae, ut in advorsís bonae. " §4.2.2post illas datas litteras secuta est summa contentio de domo.
In the former letter I declared to you what our arrival had been like, and what our status was, and how all our affairs stood, "unstable in prosperity, but good in adversity." After those letters were sent, there followed an extreme contest concerning my house.
diximus apud pontifices pr. Kal. Octobris.
We spoke before the pontiffs on the day before the Kalends of October.
acta res est accurate a nobis et, si umquam in dicendo fuimus aliquid aut etiam si numquam alias fuimus, tum profecto doloris magnitudo vim quandam nobis dicendi dedit.
The matter was conducted carefully by us; and if ever we were anything in speaking, or even if we never were at any other time, then surely the magnitude of our grief gave us a certain power of speaking.
itaque oratio iuventuti nostrae deberi non potest; quam tibi, etiam si non desideras, tamen mittam cito.
Therefore, that speech cannot be kept as a debt to our youth; which I will send to you quickly, even if you do not desire it.
§4.2.3cum pontifices decressent ita, si neque populi iussu neque plebis scitu is qui se dedicasse diceret nominatim ei rei praefectus esset neque populi iussu aut plebis scitu id facere iussus esset videri, posse sine religione eam partem areae mihi restitui, mihi facta statim est gratulatio; nemo enim dubitabat quin domus nobis esset adiudicata; cum subito ille in contionem escendit quam Appius ei dedit.
When the pontiffs had decreed thus—that if he who said he had dedicated it had neither by command of the people nor by decree of the plebs been appointed by name to that office, nor was seen to have been commanded to do so by command of the people or decree of the plebs, that part of the site could be restored to me without religious obstacle—congratulations were immediately offered to me; for no one doubted that the house was adjudged to us; when suddenly that man mounted the platform for a speech, which Appius gave him.
nuntiat iam populo pontifices secundum se decrevisse, me autem vi conari in possessionem venire; hortatur ut se et Appium sequantur et suam libertatem vi defendant.
He announces to the people that the pontiffs had decreed in his favor, but that I was attempting to enter into possession by force; he begs them to follow him and Appius, and to defend their liberty by force.
hic cum etiam illi infimi partim admirarentur partim inriderent hominis amentiam, ego statuerem illuc non accedere nisi cum consules ex senatus consulto porticum Catuli restituendam locassent Kal Octobr. habetur senatus frequens.
At this, while even the lowest class of people were partly wondering, partly laughing at the man's madness, and I had resolved not to go there until the consuls, in accordance with the decree of the Senate, had contracted for the restoration of the portico of Catulus, on the Kalends of October a full Senate was held.
§4.2.4adhibentur omnes pontifices qui erant senatores.
All the pontiffs who were senators were called in.
a quibus Marcellinus, qui erat cupidissimus mei, sententiam primus rogatus quaesivit quid essent in decernendo secuti.
Of them Marcellinus, who was very well-disposed to me, being first asked his opinion, inquired what they had followed in making their decree.
tum M. Lucullus de omnium conlegarum sententia respondit religionis iudices pontifices fuisse, legis esse senatum; se et conlegas suos de religione statuisse, in senatu de lege statuturos cum senatu.
Then Marcus Lucullus, speaking for all his colleagues, replied that the pontiffs had been the judges of the religious question, but the Senate was of the legal one; that he and his colleagues had decided on the religious point, and would decide on the legal point in the Senate along with the Senate.
itaque sub quisque horum loco sententiam rogatus multa secundum causam nostram disputavit.
Therefore, each of them, being asked his opinion in his proper turn, argued much in favor of our cause.
cum ad Clodium ventum est, cupiit diem consumere neque ei finis est factus, sed tamen cum horas tris fere dixisset, odio et strepitu senatus coactus est aliquando perorare.
When it came to Clodius, he wished to consume the day, and no limit was put to him; but nevertheless, when he had spoken for nearly three hours, he was forced by the hatred and clamor of the Senate at last to conclude his speech.
cum fieret senatus consultum in sententiam Marcellini omnibus praeter unum adsentientibus, Serranus intercessit.
When a decree of the Senate was being made in accordance with the opinion of Marcellinus, with all assenting except one, Serranus vetoed it.
de intercessione statim ambo consules referre coeperunt.
Upon this veto, both consuls immediately began to refer the matter to the Senate.
cum sententiae gravissimae dicerentur, senatui placere mihi domum restitui, porticum Catuli locari, auctoritatem ordinis ab omnibus magistratibus defendi si quae vis esset facta, senatum existimaturum eius opera factum esse qui senatus consulto intercessisset, Serranus pertimuit et Cornicinus ad suam veterem fabulam rediit; abiecta toga se ad generi pedes abiecit.
When most weighty opinions were being delivered, to the effect that it was the pleasure of the Senate that my house should be restored to me, the portico of Catulus contracted for, and the authority of the order defended by all magistrates if any violence should be done, and that the Senate would consider it to have been done by his agency who had vetoed the decree of the Senate, Serranus became thoroughly frightened, and Cornicinus returned to his old farce; throwing off his toga, he threw himself at his son-in-law's feet.
ille noctem sibi postulavit.
The latter requested a night for himself.
non concedebant, reminiscebantur enim Kal. Ianuar.
They would not grant it, for they remembered the Kalends of January.
vix tandem tibi de mea voluntate concessum est.
At last, with difficulty, it was granted on my consent.