§6.2.6Nonis Maiis in Ciliciam cogitabam.
On the Nones of May I am thinking of setting out for Cilicia.
ibi cum Iunium mensem consumpsissem (atque utinam in pace! magnum enim bellum impendet a Parthis), Quintilem in reditu ponere.
There, when I have spent the month of June (and would that it be in peace! for a great war is impending from the Parthians), I intend to spend July on my return journey.
annuae enim mihi operae a. d. iii Kal. Sextil. emerentur.
For my year of service will be completed on the third day before the Kalends of August.
magna autem in spe sum mihi nihil temporis prorogatum iri.
Moreover, I am in great hope that no extension of time will be granted to me.
habebam acta urbana usque ad Nonas Martias; e quibus intellegebam Curionis nostri constantia omnia potius actum iri quam de provinciis.
I had the city records up to the Nones of March; from which I understood that by the persistence of our friend Curion everything will be discussed rather than the provinces.
ergo, ut spero, prope diem te videbo.
Therefore, as I hope, I shall see you shortly.
§6.2.7venio ad Brutum tuum, immo nostrum, sic enim mavis.
I come to your Brutus, or rather ours, for so you prefer.
equidem omnia feci quae potui aut in mea provincia perficere aut in regno experiri.
Indeed, I have done everything that I could either accomplish in my province or attempt in the kingdom.
omni igitur modo egi cum rege et ago cotidie per litteras scilicet.
Therefore, I have dealt with the king in every way and do so daily, of course by letter.
ipsum enim triduum quadriduumve mecum habui turbulentis in rebus quibus eum liberavi.
For I had him with me for three or four days during the turbulent affairs from which I delivered him.
sed et tum praesens et postea creberrimis litteris non destiti rogare et petere mea causa; suadere et hortari sua.
But both then in person and afterwards by very frequent letters, I did not cease to ask and petition for my sake, and to advise and exhort for his own.
multum profeci sed quantum non plane, quia longe absum, scio.
I have achieved much, but how much I do not know clearly, because I am far away.
Salaminios autem (hos enim poteram coercere) adduxi ut totum nomen Scaptio vellent solvere sed centesimis ductis a proxima quidem syngrapha nec perpetuis sed renovatis quotannis.
As for the Salaminians (for these I could coerce), I brought them to be willing to pay the whole debt to Scaptius, but with interest calculated at one percent per month from the latest bond, and that not compound but renewed annually.
numerabantur nummi; noluit Scaptius.
The money was being counted; Scaptius refused.
tu qui ais Brutum cupere aliquid perdere? quaternas habebat in syngrapha.
You, who say that Brutus is willing to lose something? He had forty-eight percent in his bond.
fieri non poterat nec, si posset, ego pati possem.
It could not be done, nor, if it could, could I allow it.
audio omnino Scaptium paenitere.
I hear that Scaptius is entirely repentant.
nam quod senatus consultum esse dicebat ut ius ex syngrapha diceretur, eo consilio factum est quod pecuniam Salaminii contra legem Gabiniam sumpserant.
For as to his saying that there was a decree of the senate that judgment should be given according to the bond, that was done for the reason that the Salaminians had borrowed the money contrary to the Gabinian law.
vetabat autem Auli lex ius dici de ita sumpta pecunia.
Now the law of Aulus forbade judgment to be given on money so borrowed.
decrevit igitur senatus ut ius diceretur ex ista syngrapha.
The senate therefore decreed that judgment should be given on that particular bond.
nunc ista habet iuris idem quod ceterae, nihil praecipui.
Now that bond of yours has the same legal status as all others, nothing exceptional.
§6.2.8haec a me ordine facta puto me Bruto probaturum, tibi nescio, Catoni certe probabo.
I think I shall justify these things, done by me in due order, to Brutus; to you I know not, but to Cato I certainly shall.
sed iam ad te ipsum revertor.
But now I return to you yourself.
ain tandem, Attice, laudator integritatis et elegantiae nostrae,
"
ausus es hoc ex ore tuo— —
"
inquit Ennius, ut equites Scaptio ad pecuniam cogendam darem me rogare? an tu si mecum esses qui scribis morderi te interdum quod non simul sis, paterere me id facere si vellem?
"non amplius"
inquis
"quinquaginta. "
cum Spartaco minus multi primo fuerunt.
Do you really, Atticus, the praiser of our integrity and refinement, say—"did you dare this from your own mouth—" as Ennius says, to ask me to give cavalry to Scaptius to compel payment of the money? Or if you, who write that you are sometimes stung because you are not with me, were with me, would you allow me to do it if I wished? "No more," you say, "than fifty." There were fewer at first with Spartacus.
quid tandem isti mali in tam tenera insula non fecissent? non fecissent autem? immo quid ante adventum meum non fecerunt? inclusum in curia senatum habuerunt Salaminium ita multos dies ut interierint non nulli fame.
What mischief indeed would those fellows not have done in so fragile an island? Not have done, did I say? Nay, what did they not do before my arrival? They kept the Salaminian senate shut up in their council chamber for so many days that some died of hunger.
erat enim praefactus Appi Scaptius et habebat turmas ab Appio.
For Scaptius was a prefect of Appius, and had troops of horse from Appius.
id me igitur tu cuius me hercule os mihi ante oculos solet versari cum de aliquo officio ac laude cogito, tu me inquam rogas praefectus ut Scaptius sit? alias hoc statueramus ut negotiatorem neminem idque Bruto probaramus.
Do you, then, whose face, by Hercules, is accustomed to rise before my eyes when I think of any duty and praise, do you, I say, ask me that Scaptius should be a prefect? We had decided on this elsewhere, that no businessman should be a prefect, and we had approved this to Brutus.
habeat is turmas? cur potius quam cohortis? sumptu iam nepos evadit Scaptius.
Should he have troops of horse? Why rather than cohorts? Scaptius is already becoming a spendthrift in his expenses.
§6.2.9"volunt"
inquit
"principes. "
scio;
"The leading men wish it," he says.
nam ad me Ephesum usque venerunt flentesque equitum scelera et miserias suas detulerunt.
I know it; for they came to me as far as Ephesus, and weeping, they reported the crimes of the cavalry and their own miseries.
itaque statim dedi litteras ut ex Cypro equites ante certam diem decederent, ob eamque causam tum ob ceteras Salaminii nos in caelum decretis suis sustulerunt.
Therefore, I immediately sent a letter ordering the cavalry to depart from Cyprus before a certain day, and for that reason, as well as others, the Salaminians have raised us to heaven with their decrees.
sed iam quid opus equitatu? solvunt enim Salaminii;
But now what need is there of cavalry?
nisi forte id volumus armis efficere ut faenus quaternis centesimis ducant.
For the Salaminians are paying; unless perhaps we wish to effect by arms that they should receive interest at forty-eight percent.
et ego audebo legere umquam aut attingere eos libros quos tu dilaudas, si tale quid fecero? nimis inquam in isto Brutum amasti, dulcissime Attice, nos vereor ne parum.
And shall I ever dare to read or touch those books which you praise so highly, if I do such a thing? You have loved Brutus too much in that matter, sweetest Atticus; I fear you have loved us too little.
atque haec scripsi ego ad Brutum scripsisse te ad me.
And I have written to Brutus that you wrote this to me.
§6.2.10cognosce nunc cetera.
Now hear the rest.
pro Appio nos hic omnia facimus honeste tamen sed plane libenter.
For Appius we do everything here, honorably indeed, but quite willingly.
nec enim ipsum odimus et Brutum amamus et Pompeius mirifice a me contendit quem me hercule plus plusque in dies diligo.
For we do not hate the man himself, and we love Brutus, and Pompey, whom by Hercules I love more and more daily, urges me wonderfully.
C. Coelium quaestorem huc venire audisti.
You have heard that C. Coelius the quaestor is coming here.
nescio quid sit hominis.
I do not know what kind of man he is.
sed Pammenia illa mihi non placent.
But those affairs of Pammenes do not please me.
ego me spero Athenis fore mense Septembri.
I hope I shall be at Athens in the month of September.
tuorum itinerum tempora scire sane velim.
I should certainly like to know the times of your journeys.
εὐήθειαν Semproni Rufi cognovi ex epistula tua Corcyraea.
I learned the foolishness of Sempronius Rufus from your letter from Corcyra.
quid quaeris? invideo potentiae Vestori.
What more do you ask? I envy the power of Vestorius.
cupiebam etiam nunc plura garrire sed lucet; urget turba, festinat Philogenes.
I wished to babble more even now, but it is growing light; the crowd presses, Philogenes is in a hurry.
valebis igitur et valere Piliam et Caeciliam nostram iubebis litteris et salvebis a meo Cicerone.
You will fare well, therefore, and you will bid our Pilia and Caecilia fare well by letter, and receive greetings from my Cicero.