§7.8.1quid opus est de Dionysio tam valde adfirmare? an mihi nutus tuus non faceret fidem? suspicionem autem eo mihi maiorem tua taciturnitas adtulerat, quod et tu soles conglutinare amicitias testimoniis tuis et illum aliter cum aliis de nobis locutum audiebam.
What need is there to assert so strongly about Dionysius? Would not your mere nod gain credence with me? But your silence had brought a greater suspicion to me, because you are accustomed to cement friendships with your testimonials, and I heard that he had spoken otherwise with others about us.
sed prorsus ita esse ut scribis mihi persuades.
But you fully persuade me that it is exactly as you write.
itaque ego is in illum sum quem tu me esse vis.
Therefore, I am toward him just as you wish me to be.
§7.8.2diem tuum ego quoque ex epistula quadam tua quam incipiente febricula scripseras mihi notaveram et animadverteram posse pro re nata te non incommode ad me in Albanum venire iii Nonas Ianuar.
I too had noted your day from a certain letter of yours which you wrote when your feverishness was beginning, and I had observed that, as circumstances might dictate, you could come to me at my Alban villa not inconveniently on January 3.
sed, amabo te, nihil incommodo valetudinis feceris.
But, pray, do nothing to the detriment of your health.
quid enim est tantum in uno aut altero die?
For what is so great in one or two days?
§7.8.3Dolabellam video Liviae testamento cum duobus coheredibus esse in triente sed iuberi mutare nomen.
I see that Dolabella, by Livia's will, is heir to a third of the estate along with two co-heirs, but is ordered to change his name.
est πολιτικὸν σκέμμα rectumne sit nobili adulescenti mutare nomen mulieris testamento.
It is a political question whether it is right for a noble young man to change his name by a woman's will.
sed id φιλοσοφώτερον, cum sciemus quantum quasi sit in trientis triente.
But it will be a more philosophical inquiry when we know how much, so to speak, there is in a third of a third.
§7.8.4quod putasti fore ut ante quam istuc venirem Pompeium viderem, factum est ita; nam vi Kal. ad Lavernium me consecutus est.
As for your expectation that I would see Pompey before I came to your place, it has turned out so; for he caught up with me near Lavernium on December 25.
una Formias venimus et ab hora octava ad vesperum secreto conlocuti sumus.
We came to Formiae together, and from the eighth hour until evening we conversed in private.
quod quaeris ecquae spes pacificationis sit, quantum ex Pompei multo et accurato sermone perspexi, ne voluntas quidem est.
As to your question of whether there is any hope of peace, as far as I could see from Pompey's long and detailed talk, there is not even the desire for it.
sic enim existimat, si ille vel dimisso exercitu consul factus sit, σύγχυσιν τῆσ πολιτείασ fore, atque etiam putat eum, cum audierit contra se diligenter parari, consulatum hoc anno neglecturum ac potius exercitum provinciamque retenturum.
For he thinks that if that man became consul, even after disbanding his army, there would be a ruin of the constitution; and he also thinks that when Caesar hears that active preparations are being made against him, he will neglect the consulship this year and rather retain his army and province.
sin autem ille fureret, vehementer hominem contemnebat et suis et rei publicae copiis confidebat.
But if he should run mad, Pompey utterly despised the man and trusted in his own forces and those of the state.
quid quaeris? etsi mihi crebro ξυνὸσ Ἐνυάλιοσ occurrebat, tamen levabar cura virum fortem et peritum et plurimum auctoritate valentem audiens πολιτικῶσ de pacis simulatae periculis disserentem.
Need I say more? Although the saying "the war-god is common to all" frequently occurred to me, yet I was relieved of my anxiety on hearing a brave, experienced, and highly authoritative man discussing politically the dangers of a false peace.
habebamus autem in manibus Antoni contionem habitam x Kal. Ianuar. , in qua erat accusatio Pompei usque a toga pura, querela de damnatis, terror armorum.
Moreover, we had in our hands Antony's assembly speech delivered on December 21, in which there was an accusation of Pompey from his boyhood onward, a complaint about those condemned, and a threat of arms.
in quibus ille
"quid censes"
aiebat
"facturum esse ipsum, si in possessionem rei publicae venerit, cum haec quaestor eius infirmus et inops audeat dicere?"
quid multa? non modo non expetere pacem istam sed etiam timere visus est.
In these matters, Pompey said, "What do you think he himself will do, if he gets possession of the republic, when this weak and helpless quaestor of his dares to say such things?" Why say more? He seemed not only not to seek that peace, but even to fear it.
ex illa autem sententia †i† relinquendae urbis movet hominem, ut puto.
But that policy of abandoning the city disturbs the man, as I think.
mihi autem illud molestissimum est, quod solvendi sunt nummi Caesari et instrumentum triumphi eo conferendum.
To me, however, this is most annoying, that the money must be paid to Caesar and the equipment for my triumph must be diverted to that.
est enim ἄμορφον ἀντιπολιτευομένου χρεωφειλέτην esse.
For it is unseemly to be the debtor of a political opponent.
sed haec et multa alia coram.
But we will discuss these and many other things in person.