§4.3.1avere te certo scio cum scire quid hic agatur tum mea a me scire, non quo certiora sint ea quae in oculis omnium geruntur si a me scribantur quam cum ab aliis aut scribantur tibi aut nuntientur, sed ut perspicias ex meis litteris quo animo ea feram quae geruntur et qui sit hoc tempore aut mentis meae sensus aut omnino vitae status.
I know for certain that you are eager both to know what is going on here and to hear my news from myself—not because the things that are being done before the eyes of everyone would be more certain if written by me than when they are either written to you or reported by others, but so that you may perceive from my letters with what mind I bear the things that are going on, and what is at this time either the feeling of my mind or the state of my life as a whole.
§4.3.2armatis hominibus ante diem tertium Nonas Novembris expulsi sunt fabri de area nostra, disturbata porticus Catuli quae ex senatus consulto consulum locatione reficiebatur et ad tectum paene pervenerat, Quinti fratris domus primo fracta coniectu lapidum ex area nostra, deinde inflammata iussu Clodi, inspectante urbe coniectis ignibus, magna querela et gemitu non dicam bonorum, qui nescio an nulli sint, sed plane hominum omnium.
On the third of November, the workmen were driven from our site by armed men; the portico of Catulus, which was being rebuilt in accordance with a decree of the Senate by the contract of the consuls and had almost reached the roof, was demolished; my brother Quintus’s house was first broken into by a shower of stones from our site, and then set on fire by order of Clodius, with firebrands thrown in the sight of the city, to the great complaint and groaning—I will not say of the good citizens, for I do not know if there are any, but clearly of all mankind.
ille demens ruere, post hunc vero furorem nihil nisi caedem inimicorum cogitare, vicatim ambire, servis aperte spem libertatis ostendere.
That madman went raging about, thinking of nothing after this frenzy but the slaughter of his enemies, going around street by street, and openly offering the hope of freedom to the slaves.
etenim antea cum iudicium tollebat, habebat ille quidem difficilem manifestamque causam sed tamen causam; poterat infitiari, poterat in alios derivare, poterat etiam aliquid iure factum defendere;
Indeed, before, when he was attempting to block the trial, he had a difficult and obvious case, but still a case; he could deny, he could shift it onto others, he could even defend some act as done by right.
post has ruinas, incendia, rapinas desertus a suis vix iam Decimum designatorem, vix Gellium retinet, servorum consiliis utitur, videt, si omnis quos vult palam occiderit, nihilo suam causam difficiliorem quam adhuc sit in iudicio futuram.
But after these ruins, fires, and plunderings, deserted by his followers, he now hardly retains Decimus the undertaker, hardly Gellius, and uses the counsels of slaves; he sees that, even if he should openly kill all those whom he wishes, his case in court will be no more difficult than it has been up to now.
itaque ante diem tertium Idus Novembris, cum Sacra via descenderem, insecutus est me cum suis.
Therefore, on the eleventh of November, as I was going down the Sacred Way, he pursued me with his men.
clamor, lapides, fustes, gladii, haec improvisa omnia.
Shouts, stones, clubs, swords—all these were unforeseen.
discessimus in vestibulum Tetti Damionis. qui erant mecum facile operas aditu prohibuerunt.
We retreated into the vestibule of Tettius Damio; those who were with me easily prevented the gang from entering.
ipse occidi potuit, sed ego diaeta curare incipio, chirurgiae taedet.
Clodius himself might have been killed; but I am beginning to treat myself by diet, and am tired of surgery.
ille omnium vocibus cum se non ad iudicium sed ad supplicium praesens trudi videret, omnis Catilinas Acidinos postea reddidit.
When he saw from the voices of all that he was being pushed not to a trial but to instant execution, he made all past Catilines and Acidini look like models of restraint.
nam Milonis domum, eam quae est in Cermalo, pr. Idus Novembr. expugnare et incendere ita conatus est ut palam hora quinta cum scutis homines eductis gladiis, alios cum accensis facibus adduxerit.
For on the twelfth of November, he attempted to storm and burn Milo’s house, the one on the Cermalus, in such a way that he openly led men at the fifth hour with shields and drawn swords, and others with lighted torches.
ipse domum P. Sullae pro castris sibi ad eam impugnationem sumpserat.
He himself had taken the house of Publius Sulla as his headquarters for that assault.
tum ex Anniana Milonis domo Q. Flaccus eduxit viros acris; occidit homines ex omni latrocinio Clodiano notissimos, ipsum cupivit, sed ille se in interiora aedium Sullae.
Then, from Milo’s Annian house, Quintus Flaccus led out some sharp men; he killed the most notorious individuals among all the Clodian gang and desired to kill Clodius himself, but the latter hid himself in the inner parts of Sulla’s house.
exin senatus postridie Idus. domi Clodius.
Next, on the day after the Ides, the Senate met; Clodius remained at home.
egregius Marcellinus, omnes acres.
Marcellinus was excellent, and everyone was sharp.
Metellus calumnia dicendi tempus exemit adiuvante Appio, etiam hercule familiari tuo, de cuius constantia virtute tuae verissimae litterae.
Metellus wore out the time for speaking by obstruction, with the help of Appius, indeed, by Hercules, your intimate friend, about whose constancy and virtue your most truthful letters spoke.
Sestius furere.
Sestius was raging.
ille postea, si comitia sua non fierent, urbi minari.
Clodius afterward threatened the city if his election should not take place.
Milo proposita Marcellini sententia, quam ille de scripto ita dixerat ut totam nostram causam areae, incendiorum, periculi mei iudicio complecteretur eaque omnia comitiis anteferret, proscripsit se per omnis dies comitialis de caelo servaturum.
Milo, since the proposal of Marcellinus was set forth—which he had spoken from a written draft in such a way as to include our whole case of the site, the fires, and my danger in the trial, and to prefer all these things to the election—advertised that he would watch the heavens on all election days.
§4.3.4contiones turbulentae Metelli, temerariae Appi, furiosissimae Publi haec tamen summa, nisi Milo in campo obnuntiasset, comitia futura.
The assemblies of Metellus were turbulent, those of Appius reckless, those of Publius most furious; yet this was the sum of it, that unless Milo had announced a bad omen in the Campus, the election would have taken place.
ante diem xii Kal. Decembr. Milo ante mediam noctem cum, magna manu in campum venit.
On the twentieth of November, Milo came to the Campus before midnight with a large force.
Clodius cum haberet fugitivorum delectas copias, in campum ire non est ausus.
Clodius, though he had a chosen force of runaway slaves, did not dare to go to the Campus.
Milo permansit ad meridiem mirifica hominum laetitia summa cum gloria.
Milo remained until noon to the wonderful joy of the people and with the greatest glory.
contentio fratrum trium turpis, fracta vis, contemptus furor.
The ugly struggle of the three brothers, their violence broken, their madness despised.
Metellus tamen postulat ut sibi postero die in foro obnuntietur; nihil esse quod in campum nocte veniretur; se hora prima in comitio fore.
Yet Metellus demanded that the omen should be announced to him on the next day in the Forum, saying that there was no reason to come to the Campus by night, and that he would be in the Comitium at the first hour.
itaque ante diem xi Kal. in comitium Milo de nocte venit.
Therefore, on the twenty-first of November, Milo came to the Comitium by night.
Metellus cum prima luce furtim in campum itineribus prope deviis currebat; adsequitur inter lucos hominem Milo, obnuntiat.
Metellus at dawn was running secretly to the Campus by almost devious paths; Milo caught up with the man between the groves and announced the omen.
ille se recepit magno et turpi Q. Flacci convicio.
He retreated under the heavy and shameful abuse of Quintus Flaccus.
ante diem x Kal. nundinae.
On the twenty-second of November was the market day.
§4.3.5contio biduo nulla.
For two days there was no assembly.
ante diem viii Kal. haec ego scribebam hora noctis nona.
On the twenty-fourth of November, I am writing this at the ninth hour of the night.
Milo campum iam tenebat.
Milo already held the Campus.
Marcellus candidatus ita stertebat ut ego vicinus audirem.
Marcellus, the candidate, was snoring so loudly that I, his neighbor, could hear him.
Clodi vestibulum vacuum sane mihi nuntiabatur, pauci pannosi, linea lanterna.
Clodius’s vestibule was reported to me as completely empty, with only a few ragged men and a linen lantern.
meo consilio omnia illi fieri querebantur ignari quantum in illo heroe esset animi, quantum etiam consili.
They were complaining that everything was being done by my advice, ignorant of how much courage there is in that hero, and how much counsel besides.
miranda virtus est.
His virtue is wonderful.
nova quaedam divina mitto; sed haec summa est.
I omit certain new, almost divine details; but this is the sum of it.
comitia fore non arbitror; reum Publium, nisi ante occisus erit, fore a Milone puto; si se in turba ei iam obtulerit, occisum iri ab ipso Milone video.
I do not think the election will take place; I think Publius will be prosecuted by Milo, unless he is killed beforehand; if he shows himself to him in a crowd now, I see that he will be killed by Milo himself.
non dubitat facere, prae se fert; casum illum nostrum non extimescit.
Milo does not hesitate to do it; he openly professes it; he is not terrified by that disaster of ours.
numquam enim cuiusquam invidi et perfidi consilio est usurus nec inerti nobili crediturus.
For he will never use the counsel of any envious and treacherous man, nor will he trust a lazy nobleman.
§4.3.6nos animo dumtaxat vigemus etiam magis quam cum florebamus, re familiari comminuti sumus.
We indeed are vigorous in spirit, even more than when we were in our prime, but in our private fortune we are shattered.
Quinti fratris tamen liberalitati pro facultatibus nostris, ne omnino exhaustus essem, illo recusante subsidiis amicorum respondemus.
Nevertheless, against the liberality of my brother Quintus—lest I should be entirely exhausted—we respond with the assistance of friends according to our means, despite his refusal.
quid consili de omni nostro statu capiamus te absente nescimus.
What plan we should adopt concerning our whole state, we do not know in your absence.
qua re adpropera.
Therefore, make haste.