Letter 128

"Dionysius, an excellent fellow--as I too have found him--a good scholar and your very stanch friend, arrived in Rome on the 16th of December, and gave me a letter from you." That's all you say about Dionysius in your letter. You do not add "and he expressed his gratitude to you." Yet certainly he ought to have done so, and, if he had, you would have added it with your usual good nature. I cannot make a _volte face_ about him, owing to the character I gave him in the former letter. Let us call him then an honest fellow. He has done me one kindness at any rate in giving me this further chance to know him thoroughly. Philogenes is correct in what he wrote: he duly settled his debt. I wanted him to use the money as long as he could; so he has used it for 14 months. I hope Pomptinus is getting well. You mention his entrance into town. I am somewhat anxious as to what it means: he would not have entered the city except for some good reason. As the 2nd of January is a holiday, I don't wish to reach Pompey's Alban villa on that date for fear I should be a nuisance to his household. I shall go there on the 3rd, and then visit the city on the 4th. I forget on what day the fever will attack you again; but I would not have you stir to the damage of your health. As for my triumph, unless Caesar has been secretly intriguing through his tribune partisans, all else seems smooth and easy. My mind is absolutely at ease, and I regard the whole business with indifference, especially as many people tell me that Pompey and his advisers me mittere, quod imperium habeam. Id est Ἀβδηριτικόν. Nec enim senatus decrevit, nec populus iussit me imperium in Sicilia habere. Sin hoc res publica ad Pompeium refert, qui me magis quam privatum aliquem mittat? Itaque, si hoc imperium mihi molestum erit, utar ea porta, quam primam videro. Nam, quod scribis mirificam exspectationem esse mei neque tamen quemquam bonorum aut satis bonorum dubitare, quid facturus sim, ego, quos tu bonos esse dicas, non intellego. Ipse nullos novi, sed ita, si ordines bonorum quaerimus; nam singulares sunt boni viri. Verum in dissensionibus ordines bonorum et genera quaerenda sunt. Senatum bonum putas, per quem sine imperio provinciae sunt (numquam enim Curio sustinuisset, si cum eo agi coeptum esset; quam sententiam senatus sequi noluit; ex quo factum est, ut Caesari non succederetur), an publicanos, qui numquam firmi, sed nunc Caesari sunt amicissimi, an faeneratores an agricolas, quibus optatissimum est otium? nisi eos timere putas, ne sub regno sint, qui id numquam, dum modo otiosi essent, recusarunt. Quid ergo? exercitum retinentis, cum legis dies transierit, rationem haberi placet? Mihi vero ne absentis quidem; sed, cum id datum est, illud una datum est. Annorum enim decem imperium et ita latum placet? Placet igitur etiam me expulsum et agrum Campanum have determined to send me to Sicily, because I still have military powers. That is a muddle-headed plan. For neither has the House decreed, nor the people authorized me to have military power in Sicily. If the state delegates the appointment to Pompey, why should he send me rather than any unofficial person? So, if this military power is going to be a nuisance, I shall get rid of it by entering the first city gate I see. As for your news that there is a wonderful interest in my arrival and that none of the "right or right enough party" doubt as to my future action, I don't understand your phrase "the right party." I don't know of such a party, that is if we look for a class; of course there are individuals. But in political splits it is classes and parties we want. Do you think the Senate is "right," when it has left our provinces without military rule? For Curio could never have held out, if there had been negotiations with him--a proposal rejected by the House, which left Caesar without a successor. Is it the tax-collectors, who have never been loyal and are now very friendly with Caesar? Or is it the financiers or the farmers, whose chief desire is peace? Do you suppose they will fear a king, when they never declined one so long as they were left in peace? Well then, do I approve of the candidature of a man who keeps his army beyond the legal term? No, not even of his candidature in absence. But when the one privilege was granted, the other went with it. Do I then approve of the extension of his military power for ten years, and that carried as it was carried? Then I should have to approve of my own banishment, the throwing away of the Campanian land on the people, the adoption Abdera was the classical Gotham. perisse et adoptatum patricium a plebeio, Gaditanum a Mytilenaeo, et Labieni divitiae et Mamurrae placent et Balbi horti et Tusculanum. Sed horum omnium fons unus est. Imbecillo resistendum fuit, et id erat facile; nunc legiones XI, equitatus tantus, quantum volet, Transpadani, plebes urbana, tot tribuni pl., tam perdita iuventus, tanta auctoritate dux, tanta audacia. Cum hoc aut depugnandum est aut habenda e lege ratio. "Depugna," inquis, "potius quam servias." Ut quid? si victus eris, proscribare, si viceris, tamen servias? "Quid ergo," inquis, "facturus es?" Idem quod pecudes, quae dispulsae sui generis sequuntur greges. Ut bos armenta sic ego bonos viros aut eos, quicumque dicentur boni, sequar, etiamsi ruent. Quid sit optimum male contractis rebus, plane video. Nemini est enim exploratum, cum ad arma ventum sit, quid futurum sit, at illud omnibus, si boni victi sint, nec in caede principum clementiorem hunc fore quam Cinna fuerit, nec moderatiorem quam Sulla in pecuniis locupletum. Συμπολιτεύομαί σοι iam dudum et facerem diutius, nisi me lucerna desereret. Ad summam "DIC, M. TVLLI." Adsentior Cn. Pompeio, id est T. Pomponio. Alexim, humanissimum puerum, nisi forte dum ego absum, adulescens factus est (id enim agere videbatur), salvere iubeas velim. of a patrician by a plebeian, of that gentleman of Gades by the man of Mytilene. And I should have to approve of the wealth of Labienus and Mamurra and the gardens and Tusculan estate of Balbus. But the source of all these evils is one. We ought to have resisted him when he was weak: that would have been easy. Now there are eleven legions, cavalry as much as he wants, the northern tribes across the Po, the city riff-raff, all the tribunes of the people, the young profligates, a leader of such influence and daring. We must either fight him or allow his candidature according to the law. "Fight," say you, "rather than be slaves." The result will be proscription if beaten and slavery even if one wins. "What shall I do then?" What the cattle do, who when scattered follow flocks of their own kind. As an ox follows the herd, so shall I follow the "right party," or whoever are said to be the "right party," even if they rush to destruction. The best course in our straits is clear to me. No one can tell the issue of war: but every one can tell that, if the right party are beaten, Caesar will not be more merciful than Cinna in slaying the nobility, nor more moderate than Sulla in robbing the rich. I have discussed _la haute politique_ long enough, and I would do so longer, had not my lamp gone out. The end is "Your vote, Marcus Tullius." I vote with Pompey, that is with Titus Pomponius. Balbus of Gades was adopted by Theophanes of Mytilene, who had himself received the citizenship from Pompey. Please remember me to Alexis, a very clever boy, unless perhaps in my absence he has become a man, as he threatened to do.

'Dionysius, vir optimus, ut mihi quoque est perspectus, et doctissimus tuique amantissimus, Romam venit xv Kalend. Ian. et litteras a te mihi reddidit.' tot enim verba sunt de Dionysio in epistula tua, illud +putato+ non adscribis, 'et tibi gratias egit.' atqui certe ille agere debuit et, si esset factum, quae tua est humanitas, adscripsisses. mihi autem nulla de eo palinoidia datur propter superioris epistulae testimonium. sit igitur sane bonus vir. hoc enim ipsum bene fecit quod mihi sui cognoscendi penitus etiam istam facultatem dedit. Philogenes recte ad te scripsit; curavit enim quod debuit. Eum ego uti ea pecunia volui quoad liceret; itaque usus est menses xliii. Pomptinum cupio valere et, quod scribis in urbem introisse, vereor quid sit; nam id nisi gravi de causa non fecisset. ego quoniam iiii Non. Ian. compitalicius dies est, nolo eo die in Albanum venire, (ne) molestus familiae veniam. iii non. Ian. igitur; inde ad urbem pridie Nonas. tua lepsis quem in diem incurrat nescio, sed prorsus te commoveri incommodo valetudinis tuae nolo. [4] de honore nostro nisi quid occulte Caesar per suos tribunos molitus erit, cetera videntur esse tranquilla; tranquillissimus autem animus meus qui totum istuc aequi boni facit et eo magis quod iam a multis audio constitutum esse Pompeio et eius consilio in Siciliam me mittere quod imperium habeam. id est Abderitikon. nec enim senatus decrevit nec populus iussit me imperium in Sicilia habere. sin hoc res publica ad Pompeium refert, qui me magis quam privatum aliquem mittat? itaque si hoc imperium mihi molestum erit, utar ea porta quam primum videro. nam quod scribis mirificam exspectationem esse mei neque tamen quemquam bonorum aut sat bonorum dubitare quid facturus sim, ego quos tu bonos esse dicas non intellego. ipse nullos novi, sed ita, si ordines bonorum quaerimus; nam singulares sunt boni viri. verum in dissensionibus ordines bonorum et genera quaerenda sunt. senatum bonum putas per quem sine imperio provinciae sunt (numquam enim Curio sustinuisset, si cum eo agi coeptum esset; quam sententiam senatus sequi noluit; ex quo factum est ut Caesari non succederetur), an publicanos qui numquam firmi sed nunc Caesari sunt amicissimi, an faeneratores, an agricolas quibus optatissimum est otium? nisi eos timere putas ne sub regno sint qui id numquam, dum modo otiosi essent, recusarunt. quid ergo? [6] exercitum retinentis cum legis dies transierit rationem haberi placet? mihi vero ne absentis quidem; sed cum id datum est, illud una datum est. annorum enim decem imperium et ita latum (placet)? placet igitur etiam me expulsum et agrum Campanum perisse et adoptatum patricium a plebeio, Gaditanum a Mytilenaeo, et Labieni divitiae et Mamurrae placent et Balbi horti et Tusculanum. sed horum omnium fons unus est. imbecillo resistendum fuit et id erat facile; nunc legiones XI, equitatus tantus quantum volet, Transpadani, plebes urbana, tot tribuni pl., tam perdita iuventus, tanta auctoritate dux, tanta audacia. Cum hoc aut depugnandum est aut habenda e lege ratio. [7] 'depugna' inquis 'potius quam servias.' ut quid? si victus eris, proscribare, si viceris, tamen servias? 'quid ergo' inquis 'facturus es?' idem quod pecudes quae dispulsae sui generis sequuntur greges. ut bos armenta sic ego bonos viros aut eos quicumque dicentur boni sequar, etiam si ruent. quid sit optimum male contractis rebus plane video. nemini est enim exploratum cum ad arma ventum sit quid futurum sit, at illud omnibus, si boni victi sint, nec in caede principum clementiorem hunc fore quam Cinna fuerit nec moderatiorem quam Sulla in pecuniis locupletum. empoliteuomai soi iam dudum et facerem diutius, nisi me lucerna desereret. ad summam 'DIC, M. TVLLI.' adsentior Cn. Pompeio, id est T. Pomponio. Alexim, humanissimum puerum, nisi forte dum ego absum adulescens factus est (id enim agere videbatur), salvere iubeas velim.