§7.7.1"Dionysius, vir optimus, ut mihi quoque est perspectus, et doctissimus tuique amantissimus, Romam venit xv Kalend. Ian. et litteras a te mihi reddidit. "
tot enim verba sunt de Dionysio in epistula tua, illud †putato† non adscribis,
"et tibi gratias egit. "
atqui certe ille agere debuit et, si esset factum, quae tua est humanitas, adscripsisses.
"Dionysius, an excellent man, as he has also been known to me, and most learned and most affectionate toward you, came to Rome on the fifteenth day before the Kalends of January and delivered your letter to me." For there are so many words about Dionysius in your letter, yet you do not add that phrase, "and he thanked you." And yet he certainly ought to have done so, and, if it had been done, such is your kindness, you would have written it.
mihi autem nulla de eo παλινῳδία datur propter superioris epistulae testimonium.
But to me no recantation (παλινῳδία) about him is allowed because of the testimony of my former letter.
sit igitur sane bonus vir.
So let him indeed be a good man.
hoc enim ipsum bene fecit quod mihi sui cognoscendi penitus etiam istam facultatem dedit.
For he has done well in this very thing, that he has given me also that opportunity of knowing him thoroughly.
Philogenes recte ad te scripsit; curavit enim quod debuit.
Philogenes has written to you correctly; for he took care of what he ought to have.
eum ego uti ea pecunia volui quoad liceret; itaque usus est menses xliii.
I wanted him to use that money as long as it was permitted; therefore he used it for forty-three months.
§7.7.3Pomptinum cupio valere et, quod scribis in urbem introisse, vereor quid sit; nam id nisi gravi de causa non fecisset.
I desire Pomptinus to be well, and as for what you write, that he has entered the city, I fear what it may mean; for he would not have done so except for a serious reason.
ego quoniam iiii Non. Ian. compitalicius dies est, nolo eo die in Albanum venire, ne molestus familiae veniam.
Since January 2 is the day of the Compitalia, I do not want to come to my Alban estate on that day, lest I should arrive as a burden to my household.
iii non. Ian. igitur; inde ad urbem pridie Nonas.
Therefore, on January 3; from there to the city on the day before the Nones.
tua λῆψισ quem in diem incurrat nescio, sed prorsus te commoveri incommodo valetudinis tuae nolo.
On what day your attack (λῆψισ) falls I do not know, but I certainly do not want you to be moved to the detriment of your health.
§7.7.4de honore nostro nisi quid occulte Caesar per suos tribunos molitus erit, cetera videntur esse tranquilla; tranquillissimus autem animus meus qui totum istuc aequi boni facit et eo magis quod iam a multis audio constitutum esse Pompeio et eius consilio in Siciliam me mittere quod imperium habeam.
Concerning our honor, unless Caesar has secretly attempted something through his tribunes, other things seem to be quiet; but quietest is my mind, which regards all that matter as of no consequence, and all the more because I already hear from many that it has been decided by Pompey and his council to send me to Sicily because I have command.
id est Ἀβδηριτικόν.
That is utterly foolish (Ἀβδηριτικόν).
nec enim senatus decrevit nec populus iussit me imperium in Sicilia habere.
For neither has the senate decreed nor the people ordered that I should have command in Sicily.
sin hoc res publica ad Pompeium refert, qui me magis quam privatum aliquem mittat? itaque si hoc imperium mihi molestum erit, utar ea porta quam primum videro.
But if the republic refers this to Pompey, why should he send me rather than some private person? Therefore, if this command is troublesome to me, I shall make use of the first gate I see.
nam quod scribis mirificam exspectationem esse mei neque tamen quemquam bonorum aut sat bonorum dubitare quid facturus sim, ego quos tu bonos esse dicas non intellego. ipse nullos novi, sed ita, si ordines bonorum quaerimus; nam singulares sunt boni viri.
For as to what you write, that there is a wonderful expectation of me and yet none of the good or the sufficiently good doubt what I am going to do, I do not understand whom you call "good." I myself know none, that is, if we look for classes of good men; for individually there are good men.
verum in dissensionibus ordines bonorum et genera quaerenda sunt.
But in dissensions, classes and kinds of good men must be sought.
senatum bonum putas per quem sine imperio provinciae sunt (numquam enim Curio sustinuisset, si cum eo agi coeptum esset; quam sententiam senatus sequi noluit; ex quo factum est ut Caesari non succederetur), an publicanos qui numquam firmi sed nunc Caesari sunt amicissimi, an faeneratores, an agricolas quibus optatissimum est otium? nisi eos timere putas ne sub regno sint qui id numquam, dum modo otiosi essent, recusarunt.
Do you think the senate is good, through whom the provinces are without command (for Curio would never have held out if proceedings had begun against him; which resolution the senate refused to follow, whence it happened that no successor was appointed to Caesar)? Or the tax-gatherers, who are never stable but now most friendly to Caesar? Or the money-lenders? Or the farmers, to whom peace is most desirable? Unless you think they fear being under a king, who have never refused it, provided they were at peace.
quid ergo?
What then?
§7.7.6exercitum retinentis cum legis dies transierit rationem haberi placet? mihi vero ne absentis quidem;
Are we to approve that the candidacy of one who retains his army after the legal time has passed be considered?
sed cum id datum est, illud una datum est.
To me indeed, not even in his absence; but when that was granted, this was granted along with it.
annorum enim decem imperium et ita latum placet? placet igitur etiam me expulsum et agrum Campanum perisse et adoptatum patricium a plebeio, Gaditanum a Mytilenaeo, et Labieni divitiae et Mamurrae placent et Balbi horti et Tusculanum.
Do you approve of a ten-year command and a law passed in such a manner? Then you must also approve of my expulsion, and the loss of the Campanian land, and the adoption of a patrician by a plebeian, of a citizen of Gades by one of Mytilene, and the wealth of Labienus and Mamurra, and the gardens and Tusculan villa of Balbus.
sed horum omnium fons unus est.
But of all these, there is but one source.
imbecillo resistendum fuit et id erat facile; nunc legiones XI, equitatus tantus quantum volet, Transpadani, plebes urbana, tot tribuni pl. , tam perdita iuventus, tanta auctoritate dux, tanta audacia.
He ought to have been resisted when he was weak, and that was easy; now there are eleven legions, as much cavalry as he wants, the Transpadanes, the city populace, so many tribunes of the plebs, such ruined youth, a leader of such authority, and such audacity.
cum hoc aut depugnandum est aut habenda e lege ratio.
With him we must either fight to the end or allow his candidacy according to the law.
§7.7.7"depugna"
inquis
"potius quam servias.
"Fight to the end," you say, "rather than be a slave." To what purpose?
"
ut quid? si victus eris, proscribare, si viceris, tamen servias?
"quid ergo"
inquis
"facturus es?"
idem quod pecudes quae dispulsae sui generis sequuntur greges.
If you are defeated, to be proscribed; if you win, to be a slave nevertheless? "What then," you say, "are you going to do?" The same as the beasts, which when scattered follow the herds of their own kind.
ut bos armenta sic ego bonos viros aut eos quicumque dicentur boni sequar, etiam si ruent.
As an ox follows the herd, so shall I follow the good men, or whoever shall be called good, even if they rush to ruin.
quid sit optimum male contractis rebus plane video.
What is best in these badly contracted matters I see clearly.
nemini est enim exploratum cum ad arma ventum sit quid futurum sit, at illud omnibus, si boni victi sint, nec in caede principum clementiorem hunc fore quam Cinna fuerit nec moderatiorem quam Sulla in pecuniis locupletum.
For no one can be sure, when it comes to arms, what will happen; but this is clear to all, that if the good are defeated, this man will not be more merciful in the slaughter of the leaders than Cinna was, nor more moderate than Sulla in the confiscation of the wealth of the rich.
ἐμπολιτεύομαί σοι iam dudum et facerem diutius, nisi me lucerna desereret.
I have been playing the politician with you (ἐμπολιτεύομαι) for a long time now, and would do so longer, if my lamp were not failing me.
ad summam dic, M. Tulli.
In short, speak, Marcus Tullius!
adsentior Cn. Pompeio, id est T. Pomponio. Alexim, humanissimum puerum, nisi forte dum ego absum adulescens factus est (id enim agere videbatur), salvere iubeas velim.
"I agree with Gnaeus Pompey, that is, with Titus Pomponius." I should like you to greet Alexis, a most polite boy, unless by chance he has become a youth while I have been away (for he seemed to be doing so).