§5.21.1te in Epirum salvum venisse et, ut scribis, ex sententia navigasse vehementer gaudeo, non esse Romae meo tempore pernecessario submoleste fero.
I vehemently rejoice that you have arrived safe in Epirum and, as you write, have had a voyage to your mind; but that you are not at Rome at a time so extremely necessary to me, I bear with some annoyance.
hoc me tamen consolor uno: spero te istic iucunde hiemare et libenter requiescere.
Yet I console myself with this one thing: I hope you are spending the winter agreeably there and taking your rest with pleasure.
§5.21.2C. Cassius, frater Q. Cassi familiaris tui, pudentiores illas litteras miserat de quibus tu ex me requiris quid sibi voluerint quam eas quas postea misit, quibus per se scribit confectum esse Parthicum bellum.
Gaius Cassius, the brother of your intimate friend Quintus Cassius, had sent those more modest letters, about which you inquire of me what they meant, than those which he sent afterwards, in which he writes that the Parthian war was finished by his own efforts.
recesserant illi quidem ab Antiochia ante Bibuli adventum sed nullo nostro εὐημερήματι; hodie vero hiemant in Cyrrhestica, maximumque bellum impendet.
They had indeed retreated from Antioch before the arrival of Bibulus, but through no success () of ours; today, however, they are wintering in Cyrrhestica, and a very great war is impending.
nam et Orodi regis Parthorum filius in provincia nostra est, nec dubitat Deiotarus, cuius filio pacta est Artavasdis filia ex quo sciri potest, quin cum omnibus copiis ipse prima aestate Euphraten transiturus sit.
For both the son of Orodes, the king of the Parthians, is in our province, and Deiotarus, whose son is betrothed to the daughter of Artavasdes—from which circumstance information can be gained—does not doubt that he himself will cross the Euphrates with all his forces at the beginning of summer.
quo autem die Cassi litterae victrices in senatu recitatae sunt, datae Nonis Octobribus, eodem meae tumultum nuntiantes.
On the very day, moreover, on which Cassius's victorious letters, dated the Nones of October, were read in the senate, my letters announcing a tumult were read on the same day.
Axius noster ait nostras auctoritatis plenas fuisse, illis negat creditum.
Our friend Axius says that ours were full of authority, and denies that theirs were believed.
Bibuli nondum erant adlatae; quas certo scio plenas timoris fore.
Bibulus's letters had not yet arrived; which I know for certain will be full of fear.
§5.21.3ex his rebus hoc vereor ne cum Pompeius propter metum rerum novarum nusquam dimittatur, Caesari nullus honos a senatu habeatur, dum hic nodus expediatur, non putet senatus nos ante quam successum sit oportere decedere nec in tanto motu rerum tantis provinciis singulos legatos praeesse.
From these circumstances, I fear this—lest, while Pompey is sent nowhere on account of the fear of revolution, and no honor is paid to Caesar by the senate, until this knot is untied, the senate should think that we ought not to depart before a successor is appointed (), and that single legates should not command such great provinces in such a great disturbance of affairs.
hic ne quid mihi prorogetur, quod ne intercessor quidem sustinere possit, horreo atque eo magis quod tu abes qui consilio, gratia, studio multis rebus occurreres.
Here, lest any extension of command () be made to me, which not even an intercessor () could prevent, I shudder; and so much the more because you are absent, who by your advice, influence, and zeal would meet many difficulties.
sed dices me ipsum mihi sollicitudinem struere.
But you will say that I am building up anxiety for myself.
cogor ut velim ita sit; sed omnia metuo.
I am forced to wish that it may be so; but I fear everything.
etsi bellum ἀκροτελεύτιον habet illa tua epistula quam dedisti nauseans Buthroto,
"tibi, ut video et spero, nulla ad decedendum erit mora. "
"mallem"
"ut video,"
nihil opus fuit
"ut spero. " §5.21.4acceperam autem satis celeriter Iconi per publicanorum tabellarios a Lentuli triumpho datas.
And yet, that letter of yours which you sent while seasick from Buthrotum has a warlike end (): "For you, as I see and hope, there will be no delay in departing." I should have preferred "as I see"; there was no need for "as I hope." Now I had received quite quickly at Iconium, through the letter-carriers of the tax-farmers, the letters sent after the triumph of Lentulus.
in his γλυκύπικρον illud confirmas moram mihi nullam fore; deinde addis, si quid secus, te ad me esse venturum.
In these you confirm that sweet-and-bitter () assurance that there will be no delay for me; then you add that, if anything happens otherwise, you will come to me.
angunt me dubitationes tuae; simul et vides quas acceperim litteras.
Your doubts distress me; and at the same time you see what letters I have received.
nam quas Hermonis centurionis caculae ipse scribis te dedisse non accepi.
For the letters which you write that you yourself gave to the servant () of the centurion Hermon, I have not received.
Laeni pueris te dedisse saepe ad me scripseras. eas Laodiceae denique, cum eo venissem, iii Idus Februar. Laenius mihi reddidit datas a. d. x Kal. Octobris.
Those which you had often written to me that you gave to the servants of Laenius, Laenius finally delivered to me at Laodicea, when I arrived there, on the third day before the Ides of February; they were dated the tenth day before the Kalends of October.
Laenio tuas commendationes et statim verbis et reliquo tempore re probabo.
I will prove to Laenius your recommendations, both immediately by words and in the remaining time by deeds.
§5.21.5eae litterae cetera vetera habebant, unum hoc novum de Cibyratis pantheris.
That letter contained other old matters, and only this one piece of news about the panthers of Cibyra.
multum te amo quod respondisti M. Octavio te non putare.
I love you very much for having replied to Marcus Octavius that you did not think so.
sed posthac omnia quae recta non erunt pro certo negato.
But hereafter deny for certain everything that is not right.
nos enim et nostra sponte bene firmi et me hercule auctoritate tua inflammati vicimus omnis (hoc tu ita reperies) cum abstinentia tum iustitia, facilitate, clementia.
For we, both of our own accord well established and, by Hercules, inflamed by your authority, have surpassed all men (as you will find to be the case) both in self-restraint () and in justice, accessibility, and clemency.
cave putes quicquam homines magis umquam esse miratos quam nullum terruncium me obtinente provinciam sumptus factum esse nec in rem publicam nec in quemquam meorum praeter quam in L. Tullium legatum.
Do not think that men have ever wondered at anything more than that, while I hold the province (), not a farthing of expense has been incurred either for the public or for any of my staff, except for Lucius Tullius, my legate.
is ceteroqui abstinens sed Iulia lege transitans, semel tamen in diem, non ut alii solebant omnibus vicis (praeter eum semel nemo accepit), facit ut mihi excipiendus sit, cum terruncium nego sumptus factum.
He, otherwise self-restrained, but traveling under the Julian law, yet only once a day and not in every village as others used to do (except him, no one received even once), makes it necessary for me to except him when I say that not a farthing of expense was incurred.
praeter eum accepit nemo.
Except him, no one received anything.
has a nostro Q. Titinio sordis accepimus.
We have received this blemish from our friend Quintus Titinius.