§5.10.1ut Athenas a. d. vi Kal. Quintilis veneram, exspectabam ibi iam quartum diem Pomptinum neque de eius adventu certi quicquam habebam.
As I had come to Athens on the sixth day before the Kalends of July, I was waiting there already for the fourth day for Pomptinus and had no certain information about his arrival.
eram autem totus, crede mihi, tecum et, quamquam sine iis per me ipse, tamen acrius vestigiis tuis monitus de te cogitabam.
But I was entirely with you, believe me, and although by myself without them, yet more keenly reminded by your footsteps, I was thinking of you.
quid quaeris? non me hercule alius ullus sermo nisi de te.
What more do you want? By Hercules, there is no other conversation but about you.
§5.10.2sed tu de me ipso aliquid scire fortasse mavis.
But perhaps you prefer to know something about me myself.
haec sunt.
Here is the situation.
adhuc sumptus nec in me aut publice aut privatim nec in quemquam comitum.
Up to now, no expense has been incurred either for me publicly or privately, nor for any of my companions.
nihil accipitur lege Iulia, nihil ab hospite.
Nothing is accepted under the Julian law, nothing from a host.
persuasum est omnibus meis serviendum esse famae meae.
All my people are convinced that they must serve my reputation.
belle adhuc.
So far, so good.
hoc animadversum Graecorum laude et multo sermone celebratur.
This, having been noticed, is celebrated by the praise and much talk of the Greeks.
quod superest, elaboratur in hoc a me, sicut tibi sensi placere.
As for what remains, I am working hard on this, just as I perceived it pleases you.
sed haec tum laudemus cum erunt perorata.
But let us praise these things when they have been fully concluded.
§5.10.3reliqua sunt eius modi ut meum consilium saepe reprehendam quod non aliqua ratione ex hoc negotio emerserim.
The rest of things are of such a kind that I often blame my own decision for not having escaped from this business in some way.
o rem minime aptam meis moribus! o illud verum ἔρδοι τισ! dices
"quid adhuc? nondum enim in negotio versaris?"
sane scio et puto molestiora restare. etsi haec ipsa fero equidem fronte, ut puto, et vultu bellissime sed angor intimis sensibus;
Oh, business so little suited to my character! Oh, how true is that saying: 'Let each man practice the craft he knows'! You will say, "What, already? For you are not yet engaged in the business, are you?" Indeed I know it, and I think more troublesome things remain.
ita multa vel iracunde vel insolenter vel in omni genere stulte insulse adroganter et dicuntur et tacentur cotidie; quae non quo te celem non perscribo sed quia δυσεξείλητα sunt.
And yet, even these things I bear, as I think, with a very fine front and expression, but I am tormented in my innermost feelings; so many things, either wrathfully, or insolently, or in every kind of foolish, silly, and arrogant way, are both said and left unsaid daily; which I do not write to you in detail, not because I want to hide them from you, but because they are hard to describe.
itaque admirabere meam βαθύτητα cum salvi redierimus; tanta mihi μελέτη huius virtutis datur.
Therefore, you will admire my depth when we return safe; so great a practice of this virtue is given to me.
§5.10.4ergo haec quoque hactenus; etsi mihi nihil erat propositum ad scribendum, quia quid ageres, ubi terrarum esses, ne suspicabar quidem.
So, so much for this too; although I had no purpose to write, because I had no idea what you were doing or where on earth you were.
nec hercule umquam tam diu ignarus rerum mearum fui, quid de Caesaris, quid de Milonis nominibus actum sit; ac non modo nemo domo sed ne Roma quidem quisquam, ut sciremus in re publica quid ageretur.
Nor, by Hercules, have I ever been for so long ignorant of my own affairs, what has been done about Caesar's, what about Milo's debts; and not only has there been no one from home, but not even anyone from Rome, so that we might know what is going on in the republic.
qua re si quid erit quod scias de iis rebus quas putabis scire me velle, per mihi gratum erit si id curaris ad me perferendum.
Therefore, if there is anything that you know about those matters which you think I would want to know, it will be extremely pleasing to me if you take care to have it delivered to me.
§5.10.5quid est praeterea? nihil sane nisi illud.
What is there besides? Nothing indeed, except this.
valde me Athenae delectarunt urbe dumtaxat et urbis ornamento et hominum amore in te et in nos quadam benevolentia; †sed multum ea philosophia sursum deorsum†, si quidem est in Aristo, apud quem eram.
Athens has delighted me greatly, at least as far as the city itself and its adornment are concerned, and the love of the people for you, and a certain goodwill towards us; but that philosophy is much upside down, if indeed it is in Aristus, at whose house I was staying.
nam Xenonem tuum vel nostrum potius Quinto concesseram, et tamen propter vicinitatem totos dies simul eramus.
For your Xeno—or rather ours—I had yielded to Quintus, and yet on account of the proximity we were together all day long.
tu velim cum primum poteris tua consilia ad me scribas, ut sciam quid agas, ubi quoque tempore, maxime quando Romae futurus sis.
I would like you to write your plans to me as soon as you can, so that I may know what you are doing, where you are at any given time, and especially when you will be in Rome.