§8.12C.1litteras abs te M. Calenius ad me attulit a. d. xiiii Kal. Martias; in quibus litteris scribis tibi in animo esse observare Caesarem et, si secundum mare ad me ire coepisset, confestim in Samnium ad me venturum, sin autem ille circum istaec loca commoraretur, te ei, si propius accessisset resistere velle.
Marcus Calenius brought me a letter from you on the fourteenth day before the Kalends of March; in which letter you write that you have it in mind to watch Caesar and, if he should begin to go towards me along the sea, to come to me immediately into Samnium, but if he should linger around those places of yours, you wish to resist him if he should approach closer.
te animo magno et forti istam rem agere existimo, sed diligentius nobis est videndum ne distracti pares esse adversario non possimus, cum ille magnas copias habeat et maiores brevi habiturus sit.
I think that you are doing that business with a great and brave spirit, but we must see more carefully lest, being dispersed, we cannot be a match for the enemy, since he has large forces and will soon have larger ones.
non enim pro tua prudentia debes illud solum animadvertere quot in praesentia cohortis contra te habeat Caesar sed quantas brevi tempore equitum et peditum copias contracturus sit.
For, in accordance with your prudence, you ought to observe not only how many cohorts Caesar has against you at present, but how large forces of cavalry and infantry he is going to collect in a short time.
cui rei testimonio sunt litterae quas Bussenius ad me misit; in quibus scribit, id quod ab aliis quoque mihi scribitur, praesidia Curionem quae in Umbria et Tuscis erant contrahere et ad Caesarem iter facere.
To this matter the letter which Bussenius sent to me is a testimony; in which he writes, what is also written to me by others, that Curio is collecting the garrisons which were in Umbria and Etruria and is making his march to Caesar.
quae si copiae in unum locum fuerint coactae, ut pars exercitus ad Albam mittatur, pars ad te accedat, ut non pugnet sed locis suis repugnet, haerebis neque solus cum ista copia tantam multitudinem sustinere poteris ut frumentatum eas.
If these forces should be collected into one place, so that part of the army is sent to Alba and part approaches you, so as not to fight but to resist in his own positions, you will be stuck, and you alone with your force will not be able to sustain such a multitude so as to go out to forage.
§8.12C.2quam ob rem te magno opere hortor ut quam primum cum omnibus copiis hoc venias.
Therefore, I greatly exhort you to come here as soon as possible with all your forces.
consules constituerunt idem facere.
The consuls have resolved to do the same.
ego M. Tuscilio ad te mandata dedi providendum esse ne duae legiones sine Picentinis cohortibus in conspectum Caesaris committerentur.
I gave instructions to Marcus Tuscilius for you that care must be taken lest the two legions should be committed into the sight of Caesar without the Picenian cohorts.
quam ob rem nolito commoveri, si audieris me regredi, si forte Caesar ad me veniet; cavendum enim puto esse ne implicatus haeream.
Therefore, do not be disturbed if you hear that I am retreating, if by chance Caesar should come towards me; for I think we must beware lest I be entangled and stuck.
nam neque castra propter anni tempus et militum animos facere possum neque ex omnibus oppidis contrahere copias expedit, ne receptum amittam.
For I can neither make a camp because of the season of the year and the spirits of the soldiers, nor is it expedient to collect forces from all the towns, lest I lose a retreat.
itaque non amplius XIIII cohortis Luceriam coegi.
Therefore, I have collected at Luceria no more than fourteen cohorts.
§8.12C.3consules praesidia omnia ad me deducturi sunt aut in Siciliam ituri nam aut exercitum firmum habere oportet quo confidamus perrumpere nos posse aut regiones eius modi obtinere e quibus repugnemus; id quod neutrum nobis hoc tempore contigit, quod et magnam partem Italiae Caesar occupavit et nos non habemus exercitum tam amplum neque tam magnum quam ille.
The consuls are going to bring all the garrisons to me or go to Sicily; for we ought either to have a strong army in which we may trust that we can break through, or to hold regions of such a kind from which we may resist; neither of which has happened to us at this time, because Caesar has occupied a large part of Italy and we do not have an army as ample nor as large as his.
itaque nobis providendum est ut summam rei publicae rationem habeamus.
Therefore, we must take care to have the highest regard for the republic.
etiam atque etiam te hortor ut cum omni copia quam primum ad me venias.
Again and again I exhort you to come to me as soon as possible with all your force.
possumus etiam nunc rem publicam erigere, si communi consilio negotium administrabimus; si distrahemur, infirmi erimus.
We can even now raise up the republic if we manage the business by common counsel; if we are dispersed, we shall be weak.
mihi hoc constitutum est.
This has been resolved by me.
his litteris scriptis Sicca abs te mihi litteras et mandata attulit.
After this letter was written, Sicca brought me a letter and instructions from you.
quod me hortare ut istuc veniam, id me facere non arbitror posse, quod non magno opere his legionibus confido.
As for your wishing to exhort me to come to your place, I do not think I can do that, because I do not greatly trust these legions.