Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -51 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
[Sidenote: _On the road from Synnada to Philomelium, between Aug. 9 and
11_, B.C. _51_]
Though the tax-farmers’ messengers are actually on their road and I am
travelling, still I think I must snatch a moment for fear you may
imagine I have forgotten your commission. So I sit down on the high road
to scribble you a summary of what really calls for a long epistle. You
must know that my arrival in this province, which is in a state of
lasting ruin and desolation, was expected eagerly. I got here on the
31st of July. I stayed three days at Laodicea, three at Apamea, and as
many at Synnas. Everywhere I heard the same tale. People could not
pay the poll-tax: they were forced to sell out their investments: groans
and lamentations in the towns, and awful conduct of one who is some kind
of savage beast rather than a man. All the people are, as you may
suppose, tired of life. However, the poor towns are relieved that they
have had to spend nothing on me, my legates, or a quaestor, or anyone.
For you must know that I not only refused to accept pay, or what is a
proper perquisite under the Julian law, but that none of us will take
firewood or anything beyond four beds and a roof; and in many places we
do not accept even a roof, but remain mostly under canvas. So
extraordinary
modum concursus fiunt ex agris, ex vicis, ex domibus omnibus. Mehercule
etiam adventu nostro reviviscunt. Iustitia, abstinentia, dementia tui
Ciceronis itaque opiniones omnium superavit. Appius, ut audivit nos
venire, in ultimam provinciam se coniecit Tarsum usque. Ibi forum agit.
De Partho silentium est, sed tamen concisos equites nostros a barbaris
nuntiabant ii, qui veniebant. Bibulus ne cogitabat quidem etiam nunc in
provinciam suam accedere; id autem facere ob eam causam dicebant, quod
tardius vellet decedere. Nos in castra properabamus, quae aberant bidui.
etsi in ipso itinere et via discedebant publicanorum tabellarii et eramus in cursu, tamen surripiendum aliquid putavi spati, ne me immemorem mandati tui putares. itaque subsedi in ipsa via, dum haec quae longiorem desiderant orationem summatim tibi perscriberem. [2] maxima exspectatione in perditam et plane eversam in perpetuum provinciam nos venisse scito pridie Kal. Sextilis, moratos triduum Laodiceae, triduum Apameae, totidem dies Synnade. . audivimus nihil aliud nisi imperata epikephalaia solvere non posse, onas omnium venditas, civitatum gemitus, ploratus, monstra quaedam non hominis sed ferae nescio cuius immanis. quid quaeris? taedet omnino eos vitae. [3] levantur tamen miserae civitates quod nullus fit sumptus in nos neque in legatos neque in quaestorem neque in quemquam. scito non modo nos foenum aut quod e lege Iulia dari solet non accipere sed ne ligna quidem, nec praeter quattuor lectos et tectum quemquam accipere quicquam, multis locis ne tectum quidem et in tabernaculo manere plerumque. itaque incredibilem in modum concursus fiunt ex agris, ex vicis, ex domibus omnibus. me hercule etiam adventa nostro reviviscunt. iustitia, abstinentia, clementia tui Ciceronis [itaque] opiniones omnium superavit. [4] Appius ut audivit nos venire, in ultimam provinciam se coniecit Tarsum usque. ibi forum agit. de Partho silentium est, sed tamen concisos equites nostros a barbaris nuntiabant ii qui veniebant. Bibulus ne cogitabat quidem etiam nunc in provinciam suam accedere; id autem facere ob eam causam dicebant quod tardius vellet decedere. nos in castra properabamus quae aberant tridui.
◆
[Sidenote: _On the road from Synnada to Philomelium, between Aug. 9 and 11_, B.C. _51_]
Though the tax-farmers’ messengers are actually on their road and I am travelling, still I think I must snatch a moment for fear you may imagine I have forgotten your commission. So I sit down on the high road to scribble you a summary of what really calls for a long epistle. You must know that my arrival in this province, which is in a state of lasting ruin and desolation, was expected eagerly. I got here on the 31st of July. I stayed three days at Laodicea, three at Apamea, and as many at Synnas. Everywhere I heard the same tale. People could not pay the poll-tax: they were forced to sell out their investments: groans and lamentations in the towns, and awful conduct of one who is some kind of savage beast rather than a man. All the people are, as you may suppose, tired of life. However, the poor towns are relieved that they have had to spend nothing on me, my legates, or a quaestor, or anyone. For you must know that I not only refused to accept pay, or what is a proper perquisite under the Julian law, but that none of us will take firewood or anything beyond four beds and a roof; and in many places we do not accept even a roof, but remain mostly under canvas. So extraordinary
modum concursus fiunt ex agris, ex vicis, ex domibus omnibus. Mehercule etiam adventu nostro reviviscunt. Iustitia, abstinentia, dementia tui Ciceronis itaque opiniones omnium superavit. Appius, ut audivit nos venire, in ultimam provinciam se coniecit Tarsum usque. Ibi forum agit. De Partho silentium est, sed tamen concisos equites nostros a barbaris nuntiabant ii, qui veniebant. Bibulus ne cogitabat quidem etiam nunc in provinciam suam accedere; id autem facere ob eam causam dicebant, quod tardius vellet decedere. Nos in castra properabamus, quae aberant bidui.
Latin / Greek Original
etsi in ipso itinere et via discedebant publicanorum tabellarii et eramus in cursu, tamen surripiendum aliquid putavi spati, ne me immemorem mandati tui putares. itaque subsedi in ipsa via, dum haec quae longiorem desiderant orationem summatim tibi perscriberem. [2] maxima exspectatione in perditam et plane eversam in perpetuum provinciam nos venisse scito pridie Kal. Sextilis, moratos triduum Laodiceae, triduum Apameae, totidem dies Synnade. . audivimus nihil aliud nisi imperata epikephalaia solvere non posse, onas omnium venditas, civitatum gemitus, ploratus, monstra quaedam non hominis sed ferae nescio cuius immanis. quid quaeris? taedet omnino eos vitae. [3] levantur tamen miserae civitates quod nullus fit sumptus in nos neque in legatos neque in quaestorem neque in quemquam. scito non modo nos foenum aut quod e lege Iulia dari solet non accipere sed ne ligna quidem, nec praeter quattuor lectos et tectum quemquam accipere quicquam, multis locis ne tectum quidem et in tabernaculo manere plerumque. itaque incredibilem in modum concursus fiunt ex agris, ex vicis, ex domibus omnibus. me hercule etiam adventa nostro reviviscunt. iustitia, abstinentia, clementia tui Ciceronis [itaque] opiniones omnium superavit. [4] Appius ut audivit nos venire, in ultimam provinciam se coniecit Tarsum usque. ibi forum agit. de Partho silentium est, sed tamen concisos equites nostros a barbaris nuntiabant ii qui veniebant. Bibulus ne cogitabat quidem etiam nunc in provinciam suam accedere; id autem facere ob eam causam dicebant quod tardius vellet decedere. nos in castra properabamus quae aberant tridui.