§4.9.69iudiciis igitur liceat Flaccoque tibique §4.9.70talibus Augusti tempus in omne frui. §4.9.71quod tamen ab rerum cura propiore vacabit, §4.9.72vota precor votis addite vestra meis. §4.9.73et si quem dabit aura sinum, laxate rudentes, §4.9.74exeat e Stygiis ut mea navis aquis. §4.9.75praefuit his, Graecine, locis modo Flaccus, et illo §4.9.76ripa ferox Histri sub duce tuta fuit. §4.9.77hic tenuit Mysas gentes in pace fideli, §4.9.78hic arcu fisos terruit ense Getas, §4.9.79hic raptam Troesmin celeri virtute recepit, §4.9.80infecitque fero sanguine Danuvium. §4.9.81quaere loci faciem Scythicique incommoda caeli, §4.9.82et quam vicino terrear hoste roga: §4.9.83sintne litae tenues serpentis felle sagittae, §4.9.84fiat an humanum victima dira caput. §4.9.85mentiar, an coeat duratus frigore Pontus, §4.9.86et teneat glacies iugera multa freti, §4.9.87haec ubi narrant, quae sit mea fama require, §4.9.88quoque modo peragam tempora dura roga. §4.9.89nec sumus hic odio, nec scilicet esse meremur, §4.9.90nec cum fortuna mens quoque versa mea est. §4.9.91illa quies animi, quam tu laudare solebas, §4.9.92ille vetus solito perstat in ore pudor, §4.9.93sic ego sum longe, sic hic, ubi barbarus hostis, §4.9.94ut fera plus valeant legibus arma, facit, §4.9.95rem queat ut nullam tot iam, Graecine, per annos §4.9.96femina de nobis virve puerve queri. §4.9.97hoc facit ut misero faveant adsintque Tomitae: §4.9.98haec quoniam, tellus testificanda mihi est. §4.9.99illi me, quia velle vident, discedere malunt: §4.9.100respectu cupiunt hic tamen esse sui. §4.9.101nec mihi credideris: extant decreta, quibus nos §4.9.102laudat et inmunes publica cera facit, §4.9.103conveniens miseris et quamquam gloria non est, §4.9.104proxima dant nobis oppida munus idem. §4.9.105nec pietas ignota mea est: videt hospita terra §4.9.106in nostra sacrum Caesaris esse domo. §4.9.107stant pariter natusque pius coniunxque sacerdos, §4.9.108numina iam facto non leviora deo. §4.9.109neu desit pars ulla domus, stat uterque nepotum, §4.9.110hic aviae lateri proximus, ille patris. §4.9.111his ego do totiens cum ture precantia verba, §4.9.112Eoo quotiens surgit ab orbe dies. §4.9.113tota, licet quaeras, hoc me non fingere dicet §4.9.114officii testis Pontica terra mei. §4.9.115Pontica me tellus, quantis hae possumus ara, §4.9.116natalem ludis scit celebrare dei. §4.9.117nec minus hospitibus pietas est cognita talis, §4.9.118misit in has siquos longa Propontis aquas, §4.9.119is quoque, quo laevus fuerat sub praeside Pontus, §4.9.120audierit frater forsitan ista tuus. §4.9.121fortuna est impar animo, talique libenter §4.9.122exiguas carpo munere pauper opes. §4.9.123nec vestris damus haec oculis, procul urbe remoti. §4.9.124contenti tacita sed pietate sumus. §4.9.125et tamen haec tangent aliquando Caesaris aures. §4.9.126nil illi, toto quod fit in orbe, latet. §4.9.127tu certe scis haec, superis ascite, videsque, §4.9.128Caesar, ut est oculis subdita terra tuis. §4.9.129tu nostras audis inter convexa Iocatus §4.9.130sidera, sollicito quas damus ore, preces. §4.9.131perveniant istuc et carmina forsitan illa, §4.9.132quae de te misi caelite facta novo. §4.9.133auguror his igitur flecti tua numina, nec tu §4.9.134inmerito nomen mite Parentis habes.
Therefore, may it be permitted both for Flaccus and for you to enjoy such judgments of Augustus for all time. But what will be free from the closer care of affairs, I pray, add your vows to my vows. And if the breeze gives any swelling to the sail, loosen the ropes, so that my ship may go out from the Stygian waters. Graecinus, Flaccus was recently in charge of these places, and under that leader the fierce bank of the Hister was safe. Here he held the Mysian peoples in faithful peace, here with his sword he terrified the Getae who trusted in their bow, here with swift valor he recovered the captured Troesmis, and stained the Danube with fierce blood. Inquire about the appearance of the place and the discomforts of the Scythian sky, and ask him how much I am terrified by the neighboring enemy: whether the thin arrows are smeared with the gall of a serpent, or whether a human head is made a dreadful victim. Whether I am lying, or whether the Pontus, hardened by cold, freezes, and the ice holds many acres of the sea. When they relate these things, ask what my reputation is, and ask in what manner I spend my harsh times. Nor am I hated here, nor indeed do I deserve to be, nor has my mind also been turned with my fortune. That peace of mind, which you used to praise, that old modesty persists in my usual countenance. Thus I am far away, thus here, where the barbarous enemy makes fierce weapons more powerful than laws, I behave so that for so many years now, Graecinus, no woman, man, or boy can complain of anything about me. This makes the Tomitae favor and assist wretched me: since these things, this land must be testified by me. They prefer me to depart, because they see I want to: yet they desire me to be here out of respect for themselves. Nor should you believe me: there exist decrees, by which the public tablet praises us and makes us immune from tax. Although it is not a glory suitable for the wretched, the neighboring towns give us the same gift. Nor is my piety unknown: the hospitable land sees that the sacred image of Caesar is in our house. There stand likewise the pious son and the priestess wife, deities no lighter than the god already made. And lest any part of the house be missing, there stands both of the grandsons, this one closest to the grandmother's side, that one to the father's. To these I give so many times praying words with incense, as often as the day rises from the Eastern world. The whole Pontic land, if you inquire, as a witness of my duty, will say that I do not feign this. The Pontic land knows that I, with what great games we can at this altar, celebrate the birthday of the god. Nor is such piety less known to guests, if the long Propontis has sent anyone into these waters. He too, from which governor the left Pontus had been under, your brother, has perhaps heard those things. Fortune is unequal to my mind, and poor, I gladly enjoy slender wealth by the duty of such a gift. Nor do we present these to your eyes, far removed from the city, but we are content with silent piety. And yet these will someday touch the ears of Caesar. Nothing that happens in the whole world is hidden from him. You certainly know these, Caesar, admitted to the gods, and see how the earth is subjected to your eyes. Placed among the curved stars, you hear our prayers, which we offer with an anxious mouth. Perhaps those poems also may reach that place, which I sent, made about you, the new deity. Therefore I augur that your divinity is bent by these, nor do you undeservedly hold the gentle name of Parent.