§9.10.5sequitur χρησμὸσ vi K. Februarias,
"ego si Pompeius manet in Italia nec res ad pactionem venit, longius bellum puto fore; sin Italiam relinquit, ad posterum bellum ἄσπονδον strui existimo. "
huius igitur belli ego particeps et socius et adiutor esse cogor quod et ἄσπονδον est et cum civibus? deinde vii Idus Febr.
There follows an oracle on the twenty-seventh of January: "If Pompey remains in Italy and the matter does not come to an agreement, I think the war will be longer; but if he leaves Italy, I believe a war without truce is being prepared for the future." Am I then forced to be a participant, ally, and helper in this war, which is both without truce and against fellow citizens?
, cum iam plura audires de Pompei consilio, concludis epistulam quandam hoc modo,
"ego quidem tibi non sim auctor, si Pompeius Italiam relinquit, te quoque profugere.
Then on the seventh of February, when you already heard more of Pompey's plan, you conclude a certain letter in this way: "I indeed would not advise you, if Pompey leaves Italy, to flee as well.
summo enim periculo facies nec rei publicae proderis; quoi quidem posterius poteris prodesse, si manseris. "
quem φιλόπατριν ac πολιτικὸν hominis prudentis et amici tali admonitu non moveret auctoritas?
For you will do so at the greatest risk, and you will not benefit the republic; to which indeed you will be able to be of benefit later, if you remain." What patriot and statesman would not be moved by the authority of a wise man and a friend with such an admonition?
§9.10.6deinceps iii Idus Febr. iterum mihi respondes consulenti sic,
"quod quaeris a me fugamne defendam an moram utiliorem putem, ego vero in praesentia subitum discessum et praecipitem profectionem cum tibi tum ipsi Gnaeo inutilem et periculosam puto et satius esse existimo vos dispertitos et in speculis esse; sed medius fidius turpe nobis puto esse de fuga cogitare.
Next, on the eleventh of February, you answer me again as I consult you, thus: "As to your question to me whether I advocate flight or think delay more useful, for the present indeed I think a sudden departure and headlong journey useless and dangerous both to you and to Gnaeus himself, and I believe it is better for you to be scattered and on the watch; but, by Hercules, I think it is shameful for us to think of flight." Our Gnaeus thought of this shameful thing two years ago.
"
hoc turpe Gnaeus noster biennio ante cogitavit. ita sullaturit animus eius et proscripturit iam diu.
So much has his mind been itching to act like Sulla and eager for proscription for a long time.
inde, ut opinor, cum tu ad me quaedam γενικώτερον scripsisses et ego mihi a te significari putassem ut Italia cederem, detestaris hoc diligenter xi K. Mart. ,
"ego vero nulla epistula significavi, si Gnaeus Italia cederet, ut tu una cederes, aut si significavi, non dico fui inconstans sed demens. "
in eadem epistula alio loco,
"nihil relinquitur nisi fuga, cui te socium neutiquam puto esse oportere nec umquam putavi. " §9.10.7totam autem hanc deliberationem evolvis accuratius in litteris viii Kal. Mart. datis,
"si M'. Lepidus et L. Volcacius remanent, manendum puto, ita ut, si salvus sit Pompeius et constiterit alicubi, hanc νέκυιαν relinquas et te in certamine vinci cum illo facilius patiaris quam cum hoc in ea quae perspicitur futura colluvie regnare. "
multa disputas huic sententiae convenientia.
Then, as I suppose, when you had written to me in rather general terms, and I had thought you were signaling me to leave Italy, you carefully rejected this on the nineteenth of February: "I indeed by no letter signaled that, if Gnaeus departed from Italy, you should depart with him; or if I did signal, I do not say I was inconsistent, but mad." In the same letter, in another place: "Nothing is left but flight, to which I think you ought by no means to be a companion, nor have I ever thought so." But you unroll this whole deliberation more carefully in the letter sent on the twenty-second of February: "If Manius Lepidus and Lucius Volcacius remain, I think you should remain, on the condition that, if Pompey is safe and settles somewhere, you leave this gathering of the dead and more easily allow yourself to be defeated with him in the struggle than to rule with this man in that mixture of filth which is clearly seen to be coming." You argue many things in agreement with this opinion.
inde ad extremum,
"quid si"
inquis
"Lepidus et Volcacius discedunt? plane ἀπορῶ.
Then, at the end, "What if," you say, "Lepidus and Volcacius depart? I am completely at a loss.
quod evenerit igitur et quod egeris id στερκτέον putabo. "
si tum dubitaras, nunc certe non dubitas istis manentibus.
Therefore, whatever happens and whatever you do, I shall think it should be accepted." If you doubted then, now certainly you do not doubt, since they are remaining.
§9.10.8deinde in ipsa fuga v Kal. Martias,
"interea non dubito quin in Formiano mansurus sis.
Then in the very midst of the flight, on the twenty-fifth of February: "Meanwhile, I do not doubt that you will remain in your Formian villa.
commodissime enim τὸ μέλλον ibi καραδοκήσεισ. "
atque K. Mart. , cum ille quintum iam diem Brundisi esset,
"tum poterimus deliberare non scilicet integra re sed certe minus infracta quam si una proieceris te. "
deinde iiii Non. Martias, ὑπὸ τὴν λῆψιν cum breviter scriberes, tamen ponis hoc,
"cras scribam plura et ad omnia; hoc tamen dicam, non paenitere me consili de tua mansione, et quamquam magna sollicitudine, tamen quia minus mali puto esse quam in illa profectione, maneo in sententia et gaudeo te mansisse. "
For there you will await the future most conveniently." And on the first of March, when he had already been at Brundisium for five days: "Then we will be able to deliberate, not indeed with the matter untouched, but certainly less broken than if you had thrown yourself along with him." Then on the fourth of March, when you were writing briefly just before an attack of fever, you nevertheless put this: "Tomorrow I will write more and reply to everything; yet this I will say: I do not regret my advice about your staying, and although with great anxiety, yet because I think there is less evil than in that departure, I remain in my opinion and rejoice that you have remained." And when I was already distressed and feared lest some disgrace had been committed by me, on the fifth of March: "Still, I am not displeased that you are not together with Pompey.
§9.10.9cum vero iam angerer et timerem ne quid a me dedecoris esset admissum, iii Nonas Mart. ,
"tamen te non esse una cum Pompeio non fero moleste. postea, si opus fuerit, non erit difficile, et illi, quoquo tempore fiet, erit ἀσμένιστον; sed hoc ita dico si hic qua ratione initium fecit eadem cetera aget, sincere, temperate, prudenter, valde videro et consideratius utilitati nostrae consuluero. " §9.10.10vii Idus Martias scribis Peducaeo quoque nostro probari quod quierim, cuius auctoritas multum apud me valet.
Later, if it is necessary, it will not be difficult, and to him, at whatever time it happens, it will be welcome; but I say this only if this man acts in other matters as he did in the beginning, sincerely, temperately, and prudently, I shall watch carefully and consult our interest more considerately." On the ninth of March, you write that our friend Peducaeus also approves of my keeping quiet, whose authority has great weight with me.
his ego tuis scriptis me consolor ut nihil a me adhuc delictum putem.
I comfort myself with these writings of yours, so that I think I have done nothing wrong so far.
tu modo auctoritatem tuam defendito; adversus me nihil opus est sed consciis egeo aliis.
You only defend your authority; there is no need against me, but I need other witnesses.
ego si nihil peccavi, reliqua tuebor.
If I have done nothing wrong, I will preserve the rest.
ad ea tute hortare et me omnino tua cogitatione adiuva.
To those things do encourage me, and help me entirely with your thought.
hic nihildum de reditu Caesaris audiebatur.
Nothing was heard here yet of Caesar's return.
ego his litteris hoc tamen profeci, perlegi omnis tuas et in eo acquievi.
I have achieved at least this by this letter, that I have read through all of yours and found rest in it.