§4.9.1Unde licet, non unde iuvat, Graecine, salutem §4.9.2mittit ab Euxinis hanc tibi Naso vadis, §4.9.3missaque di faciant Auroram occurrat ad illam, §4.9.4bis senos fasces quae tibi prima dabit: §4.9.5ut, quoniam sine me tanges Capitolia consul §4.9.6et fiam turbae pars ego nulla tuae, §4.9.7in domini subeat partes et praestet amici §4.9.8officium iusso littera nostra die. §4.9.9atque ego si fatis genitus melioribus essem §4.9.10et mea sincere curreret axe rota, §4.9.11quo nunc nostra manus per scriptum fungitur, esset §4.9.12lingua salutandi munere functa tui, §4.9.13gratatusque darem cum dulcibus oscula verbis, §4.9.14nec minus ille meus quam tuus esset honor. §4.9.15illa. confiteor, sic essem luce superbus, §4.9.16ut caperet fastus vix domus ulla meos: §4.9.17dumque latus sancti cingit tibi turba senatus, §4.9.18consulis ante pedes ire iuberer eques; §4.9.19et quamquam cuperem semper tibi proximus esse, §4.9.20gauderem lateris non habuisse locum, §4.9.21nec querulus, turba quamvis eliderer, essem: §4.9.22sed foret a populo tum mihi dulce premi, §4.9.23aspicerem gaudens, quantus foret agminis ordo, §4.9.24densaque quam longum turba teneret iter, §4.9.25quoque magis noris, quam me vulgaria tangant, §4.9.26spectarem, qualis purpura te tegeret. §4.9.27signa quoque in sella nossem formata curuli §4.9.28et totum Numidae sculptile dentis opus. §4.9.29at cum Tarpeias esses deductus in arces, §4.9.30dum caderet iussu victima sacra tuo, §4.9.31me quoque secreto grates sibi magnus agentem §4.9.32audisset media qui sedet aede deus; §4.9.33turaque mente magis plena quam lance dedissem, §4.9.34ter quater imperii laetus honore tui. §4.9.35hic ego praesentes inter numerarer amicos, §4.9.36mitia ius urbis si modo fata darent, §4.9.37quaeque mihi sola capitur nunc mente voluptas, §4.9.38tunc oculis etiam percipienda foret, §4.9.39non ita caelitibus visum est, et forsitan aequis; §4.9.40nam quid me poenae causa negata iuvet? §4.9.41mente tamen, quae sola loco non exulat, utar, §4.9.42praetextam fasces aspiciamque tuos. §4.9.43haec modo te populo reddentem iura videbit, §4.9.44et se secreto finget adesse tuis. §4.9.45nunc longi reditus hastae supponere lustri §4.9.46credet, et exacta cuncta locare fide: §4.9.47nunc facere in medio facundum verba senatu, §4.9.48publica quaerentem quid petat utilitas: §4.9.49nunc pro Caesaribus superis decernere grates, §4.9.50albave opimorum colla ferire boum. §4.9.51atque utinam, cum iam fueris potiora precatus, §4.9.52ut mihi placetur principis ira roges! §4.9.53surgat ad hanc vocem plena pius ignis ab ara, §4.9.54detque bonum voto lucidus omen apex. §4.9.55interea, qua parte licet, ne cuncta queramur, §4.9.56hic quoque te festum consule tempus agam. §4.9.57altera laetitiae est nec cedens causa priori, §4.9.58successor tanti frater honoris erit. §4.9.59nam tibi finitum summo, Graecine, Decembri §4.9.60imperium Iam suscipit ille die. §4.9.61quaeque est in vobis pietas, alterna feretis §4.9.62gaudia, tu fratris fascibus, ille tuis. §4.9.63sic tu bis fueris consul, bis consul et ille, §4.9.64inque domo binus conspicietur honor. §4.9.65qui quamquam est ingens, et nullum Martia summo §4.9.66altius imperium consule Roma videt, §4.9.67multiplicat tamen hunc gravitas auctoris honorem, §4.9.68et maiestatem res data dantis habet,
Graecinus, from where it is permitted, not from where it pleases, Naso sends you this greeting from the Euxine shallows, and may the gods grant that, having been sent, it meets that Dawn which will be the first to give you the twice six fasces: so that, since you as consul will touch the Capitoline without me and I shall be no part of your crowd, our letter may step into the role of its master and perform a friend's duty on the appointed day. And if I had been born under better fates and my wheel ran smoothly on its axle, that duty which my hand now performs through writing, my tongue would have performed as the duty of greeting you, and with sweet words I would have given kisses in congratulation, nor would that honor be less mine than yours. On that light, I confess, I would have been so proud that scarcely any house would hold my vanity: and while the crowd of the sacred senate surrounds your side, I, a knight, would be ordered to go before the feet of the consul; and although I would always desire to be closest to you, I, a knight, would rejoice not to have had the place at your side, nor would I be complaining, although I were crushed by the crowd: but it would then be sweet to me to be pressed by the people, I would look with joy at how great was the order of the procession, and how long a path the dense crowd occupied, and so that you might know all the more how much vulgar things touch me, I would watch what kind of purple covered you. I would also recognize the symbols carved on the curule chair and all the carved work of Numidian tooth. But when you had been led up to the Tarpeian citadels, while the sacred victim fell at your command, the great god who sits in the middle of the temple would have heard me too secretly offering thanks to him; and I would have given incense with a mind more full than the platter, three and four times glad in the honor of your office. Here I would be numbered among your present friends, if only mild fates gave me the right of the city, and the pleasure which is now captured by my mind alone would then have to be perceived by my eyes as well. It did not seem thus to the gods, and perhaps to just ones; for why should the cause of my punishment, if denied, help me? Yet I shall use my mind, which alone is not exiled from the place, and I shall behold your praetexta and your fasces. This mind will see you now returning laws to the people, and will secretly imagine itself to be present at your affairs. Now it will believe you are placing the revenues of a long lustrum under the spear, and leasing all things with exact good faith: now that you are making eloquent speeches in the midst of the senate, inquiring what public utility seeks: now that you are decreeing thanks on behalf of the celestial Caesars, or striking the white necks of choice oxen. And would that, when you have already prayed for more important things, you might ask that the anger of the prince be appeased towards me! May the pious fire rise from the full altar at this voice, and may the bright flame-tip give a good omen to the vow. Meanwhile, in the part that is permitted, lest we complain of all things, here too I shall spend the festive time of your consulship. There is another cause of joy, and not yielding to the prior, your brother will be the successor of so great an honor. For to you, Graecinus, the power having ended at the end of December, he already takes it up on the next day. and such is the pious affection in you both, you will bear alternate joys, you in your brother's fasces, he in yours. Thus you will have been consul twice, and he consul twice, and a double honor will be seen in the house. Which, although it is immense, and Martial Rome sees no power higher than the supreme consul, yet the authority of the giver multiplies this honor, and the thing given has the majesty of the giver.