§5.4.1Beneventum veni a. d. v Idus Majas.
I arrived at Beneventum on May 11th.
ibi accepi eas litteras quas tu superioribus litteris significaveras te dedisse; ad quas ego eo ipso die dederam ex Trebulano a Pontio.
There I received that letter which you had indicated in your previous letter that you had sent; to which I had already dispatched a reply on that very day from Pontius's villa in Trebulanum.
ac binas quidem tuas Beneventi accepi quarum alteras Funisulanus multo mane mihi dedit, alteras scriba Tullius.
And indeed I received two letters of yours at Beneventum, of which Funisulanus gave me one early in the morning, and the secretary Tullius the other.
gratissima est mihi tua cura de illo meo primo et maximo mandato; sed tua profectio spem meam debilitat.
Your care concerning that first and greatest commission of mine is most pleasing to me; but your departure weakens my hope.
ac †me ille illud labat†, non quo—, sed inopia cogimur eo contenti esse.
And [text damaged], not because—, but we are forced by lack of alternatives to be content with it.
de illo altero quem scribis tibi visum esse non alienum, vereor adduci ut nostra possit, et tu ais δυσδιάγνωστον esse. equidem sum facilis, sed tu aberis et me absente res haerebit.
Concerning that other candidate who you write seemed to you not unsuitable, I fear I cannot bring our people (or: our daughter) to agree, and you yourself say he is "difficult to judge." For my part, I am easy to please, but you will be away and, with me absent, the matter will stick.
habebis mei rationem.
You will take consideration of me.
nam posset aliquid, si utervis nostrum adesset, agente Servilia Servio fieri probabile.
For something probable might have been done, if either of us were present, through the agency of Servilia with Servius.
nunc si iam res placeat, agendi tamen viam non video.
Now, even if the matter should please us, I still do not see a way of acting.
§5.4.2nunc venio ad eam epistulam quam accepi a Tullio.
Now I come to that letter which I received from Tullius.
de Marcello fecisti diligenter.
You have acted diligently concerning Marcellus.
igitur senatus consultum si erit factum, scribes ad me; si minus, rem tamen conficies; mihi enim attribui oportebit, item Bibulo.
Therefore, if the decree of the senate is passed, you will write to me; if not, you will nevertheless finish the business; for an allocation ought to be made to me, and likewise to Bibulus.
sed non dubito quin senatus consultum expeditum sit in quo praesertim sit compendium populi.
But I do not doubt that the decree of the senate has been expedited, in which there is especially a saving for the people.
de Torquato probe.
Excellent about Torquatus.
de Masone et Ligure, cum venerint.
Concerning Maso and Ligur, when they come.
de illo quod Chaerippus (quoniam hic quoque
"πρόσνευσιν sustulisti), o provincia! etiamne hic mihi curandus est? curandus autem hactenus ne quid ad senatum
"consule!"
aut
"numera"
!"
nam de ceteris — sed tamen commode, quod cum Scrofa.
As for that business about Chaerippus (since here too you have removed "obeisance"), O province! must I care even for this man? But he must be cared for only to this extent, lest anything be said to the senate: "Consult!" or "Pay!" For as to the other matters— but anyway, it is convenient that you are with Scrofa.
de Pomptino recte scribis.
You write rightly about Pomptinus.
est enim ita ut, si ante Kal. Iunias Brundisi futurus sit, minus urgendi fuerint M'.
For it is such that, if he is to be at Brundisium before the Kalends of June, M'.
Anneius et L. Tullius.
Anneius and L. Tullius would have had to be urged less.
§5.4.3quae de Sicinio audisti ea mihi probantur, modo ne illa exceptio in aliquem incurrat bene de nobis meritum.
What you have heard about Sicinius is approved by me, provided that that exception does not fall upon anyone who has deserved well of us.
sed considerabimus, rem enim probo.
But we shall consider it, for I approve of the measure.
de nostro itinere quod statuero, de quinque praefectis quid Pompeius facturus sit cum ex ipso cognoro faciam ut scias.
As to what I shall decide about our journey, and what Pompey is going to do about the five prefects, I will let you know when I have learned it from him.
de Oppio bene curasti quod ei de d_c_c_c_ exposuisti idque, quoniam Philotimum habes, perfice et cognosce rationem et ut agam planius, si me amas, prius quam proficiscaris effice.
You have managed well with Oppius in explaining to him about the 800,000 [sesterces], and since you have Philotimus with you, finish it and examine the account; and so that I may act more clearly, if you love me, effect this before you depart.
Magna me cura levaris.
You will relieve me of a great care.
§5.4.4habes ad omnia.
You have my answer to everything.
etsi paene praeterii chartam tibi deesse.
Although I almost passed over the fact that you are short of paper.
mea captio est, si quidem eius inopia minus multa ad me scribis.
It is my loss, if indeed because of its scarcity you write less to me.
tu vero aufer ducentos; etsi meam in eo parsimoniam huius paginae contractio significat.
Indeed, take two hundred sheets; though the cramming of this page indicates my stinginess in that regard.
dum acta et rumores vel etiam si qua certa babes de Caesare exspecto.
I am waiting for the news and rumors or even if you have any certainties about Caesar.
litteras et aliis et Pomptino de omnibus rebus diligenter dabis.
You will diligently give letters on all matters both to others and to Pomptinus.