§7.17.1tuae litterae mihi gratae iucundaeque sunt.
Your letter was pleasing and delightful to me.
de pueris in Graeciam transportandis tum cogitabam cum fuga ex Italia quaeri videbatur.
I was thinking of transporting the boys to Greece at the time when a flight from Italy seemed to be looked for.
nos enim Hispaniam peteremus; illis hoc aeque commodum non erat.
For we were to make for Spain; this was not equally convenient for them.
tu ipse cum Sexto etiam nunc mihi videris Romae recte esse posse; etenim minime amici Pompeio nostro esse debetis.
You yourself, with Sextus, seem to me even now to be able to remain in Rome quite safely; for indeed you ought by no means to be friends to our Pompey.
nemo enim umquam tantum de urbanis praediis detraxit.
For no one has ever detracted so much from the value of suburban properties.
videsne me etiam iocari? §7.17.2scire iam te oportet L. Caesar quae responsa referat a Pompeio, quas ab eodem ad Caesarem ferat litteras.
Do you see that I am even joking? You must already know what replies Lucius Caesar is bringing back from Pompey, and what letter he is carrying from the same to Caesar.
scriptae enim et datae ita sunt ut proponerentur in publico.
For they were written and delivered in such a way that they might be published in public.
in quo accusavi mecum ipse Pompeium qui, cum scriptor luculentus esset, tantas res atque eas quae in omnium manus venturae essent Sestio nostro scribendas dederit.
In this matter I myself in my own mind accused Pompey, who, though he was an excellent writer, gave such important matters, and those which would come into everyone's hands, to our Sestio to be written.
itaque nihil umquam legi scriptum Σηστιωδέστερον.
And so I have never read anything written in a more Sestian style.
perspici tamen ex litteris Pompei potest nihil Caesari negari omniaque ei cumulate quae postulet dari.
Yet it can be perceived from Pompey's letter that nothing is denied to Caesar, and all that he demands is given to him abundantly.
quae ille amentissimus fuerit nisi acceperit, praesertim cum impudentissime postulaverit.
He would be utterly mad if he did not accept these, especially since he demanded them most impudently.
quis enim tu es qui dicas,
"si in Hispaniam profectus erit, si praesidia dimiserit?"
tamen conceditur: minus honeste nunc quidem violata iam ab illo re publica illatoque bello quam si olim de ratione habenda impetrasset.
For who are you to say, 'if he departs for Spain, if he dismisses his garrisons'? Yet it is granted; less honorably indeed now that the republic has already been violated by him and war brought in, than if he had formerly obtained his consideration for candidacy.
et tamen vereor ut his ipsis contentus sit.
And yet I fear that he may not be satisfied with these very things.
nam cum ista mandata dedisset L. Caesari, debuit esse paulo quietior dum responsa referrentur; dicitur autem nunc esse acerrimus. §7.17.3Trebatius quidem scribit se ab illo viiii Kal. Febr. rogatum esse ut scriberet ad me ut essem ad urbem; nihil ei me gratius facere posse.
For when he had given those instructions to Lucius Caesar, he ought to have been a little quieter while the replies were being brought back; but now he is said to be most active. Trebatius indeed writes that he was asked by him on January 24 to write to me to be near the city; that I could do nothing more pleasing to him.
haec verbis plurimis.
This in very many words.
intellexi ex dierum ratione, ut primum de discessu nostro Caesar audisset, laborare eum coepisse ne omnes abessemus.
I understood from the calculation of the days that, as soon as Caesar had heard of our departure, he began to worry lest we should all be absent.
itaque non dubito quin ad Pisonem, quin ad Servium scripserit; illud admiror non ipsum ad me scripsisse, non per Dolabellam, non per Caelium egisse.
Therefore I do not doubt that he wrote to Piso, and to Servius; I wonder at this, that he did not write to me himself, nor act through Dolabella, nor through Caelius.
quamquam non aspernor Trebati litteras, a quo me unice diligi scio. §7.17.4rescripsi ad Trebatium (nam ad ipsum Caesarem qui mihi nihil scripsisset nolui) quam illud hoc tempore esset difficile; me tamen in praediis meis esse neque dilectum ullum neque negotium suscepisse.
Although I do not despise Trebatius's letter, by whom I know I am uniquely loved. I wrote back to Trebatius (for I did not want to write to Caesar himself, who had written nothing to me) how difficult that would be at this time; that I, however, was in my country estates and had undertaken neither any levy nor any business.
in quo quidem manebo dum spes pacis erit; sin bellum geretur, non deero officio nec dignitati meae, pueros ὑπεκθέμενοσ in Graeciam.
In this indeed I shall remain as long as there is hope of peace; but if war is waged, I shall not be wanting to my duty nor to my dignity, having sent the boys away to Greece.
totam enim Italiam flagraturam bello intellego.
For I perceive that the whole of Italy will burn with war.
tantum mali est excitatum partim ex improbis, partim ex invidis civibus.
Such a great evil has been excited partly by wicked, partly by envious citizens.
sed haec paucis diebus ex illius ad nostra responsa responsis intellegentur quorsum evasura sint.
But these things will be understood in a few days, from his responses to our responses, in what direction they will turn out.
tum ad te scribam plura, si erit bellum; sin †autem† etiam indutiae, te ipsum, ut spero, videbo. §7.17.5ego iiii Nonas Febr. , quo die has litteras dedi, in Formiano, quo Capua redieram, mulieres exspectabam.
Then I shall write more to you, if there is war; but if there is even a truce, I shall, as I hope, see you yourself. On February 2, the day I dispatched this letter, I was expecting the women at my villa in Formiae, where I had returned from Capua.
quibus quidem scripseram tuis litteris admonitus ut Romae manerent.
I had indeed written to them, advised by your letter, to remain in Rome.
sed audio maiorem quendam in urbe timorem esse.
But I hear that there is some greater fear in the city.
Capuae Nonis Febr. esse volebam, quia consules iusserant.
I wanted to be at Capua on February 5, because the consuls had ordered it.
quicquid huc erit a Pompeio adlatum, statim ad te scribam tuasque de istis rebus litteras exspectabo.
Whatever is brought here from Pompey, I shall immediately write to you and expect your letter about those matters.