Letter 134

In the matter of Vennonius I agree with you. Labienus I consider a hero. There has been no public action of such distinction for a long time. If he has done nothing else, he has at least hurt Caesar's feelings. But I think he has served our main interests as well. I am delighted too with Piso. His judgement on his son-in-law should carry weight. However, you see the nature of our struggle. It is civil war, though it has not sprung from division among our citizens, but from daring of one abandoned citizen. He is strong in military forces, he attracts adherents by hopes and promises, he covets the whole universe. Rome is delivered to him stripped of defenders, stocked with supplies: one may Caesar. quod ab eo non metuas, qui illa templa et tecta non patriam, sed praedam putet? Quid autem sit acturus aut quo modo, nescio, sine senatu, sine magistratibus. Ne simulare quidem poterit quicquam πολιτικῶς. Nos autem ubi exsurgere poterimus aut quando? Quorum dux quam ἀστρατήγητος, tu quoque animadvertis, cui ne Picena quidem nota fuerint; quam autem sine consilio, res testis. Ut enim alia omittam decem annorum peccata, quae condicio non huic fugae praestitit? Nec vero, nunc quid cogitet, scio ac non desino per litteras sciscitari. Nihil esse timidius constat, nihil perturbatius. Itaque nec praesidium, cuius parandi causa ad urbem retentus est, nec locum ac sedem praesidii ullam video. Spes omnis in duabus insidiose retentis paene alienis legionibus. Nam dilectus adhuc quidem invitorum est et a pugnando abhorrentium. Condicionum autem amissum tempus est. Quid futurum sit, non video; commissum quidem a nobis certe est sive a nostro duce, ut e portu sine gubernaculis egressi tempestati nos traderemus. Itaque de Ciceronibus nostris dubito quid agam; nam mihi interdum amandandi videntur in Graeciam; de Tullia autem et Terentia, cum mihi barbarorum adventus ad urbem proponitur, omnia timeo; cum autem Dolabellae venit in mentem, paulum respiro. Sed velim consideres, quid faciendum putes primum πρὸς τὸ ἀσφαλές (aliter enim mihi de illis ac de me ipso consulendum est), deinde ad opiniones, ne reprehendamur, quod eas Romae velimus esse in communi bonorum fuga. Quin etiam tibi et Peducaeo (scripsit enim ad me), quid faciatis, videndum est. Is enim fear anything from a man who regards her temples and her homes not as his native land, but as his loot. What he will do, and how he will do it, in the absence of House and magistrates, I do not know. He will be unable even to pretend constitutional methods. But where can our party raise its head or when? You, too, remark how poor a soldier our leader is; why, he did not even know how things were in Picenum; and the crisis shows his lack of policy. Pass over other faults of the last ten years. What compromise were not better than this flight? I do not know what he is thinking of doing now, though I inquire by constant letters. It is agreed that his alarm and confusion has reached the limit. He was kept in Italy to garrison Rome, but no garrison or place to post a garrison can I see. We depend entirely on two legions that were kept here by a trick, and are practically disloyal. For so far the levy has found unwilling recruits, afraid of war. But the time of compromise is passed. The future is obscure. We, or our leader, have brought things to such a pass, that having put to sea without a rudder, we must trust to the mercy of the storm. So I hesitate what to do with the boys. Sometimes I think of sending them to Greece. As for Tullia and Terentia, when I picture the approach of the barbarians on Rome, I am terrified. But the thought of Dolabella is some small relief to my mind. Please consider my best course, in the first place with an eye to safety, for their safety stands on a different footing to mine, and then with regard to possible criticism, if I leave them in Rome, when the loyal are all in flight. Even you and Peducaeus must be careful what you do, as he writes to me. For your splendor est vestrum, ut eadem postulentur a vobis quae ab amplissimis civibus. Sed de hoc tu videbis, quippe cum de me ipso ac de meis te considerare velim. Reliquum est, ut, et quid agatur, quoad poteris, explores scribasque ad me, et quid ipse coniectura assequare, quod etiam a te magis exspecto. Nam acta omnibus nuntiantibus, a te exspecto futura. Μάντις δ' ἄριστος--. Loquacitati ignosces, quae et me levat ad te quidem scribentem et elicit tuas litteras. Aenigma Oppiorum ex Velia plane non intellexi; est enim numero Platonis obscurius. Aenigma--obscurius, _transferred by O. E. Schmidt from the beginning of XIIIa_. I understand it now, you call those pursy Oppii the bagmen of Velia. I was in doubt for a long time. But the riddle solved, the rest became clear, and tallied with Terentia's reckoning. I met L. Caesar at Menturnae on the morning of the 23rd of January with the most ridiculous commission. He is not a man, but a broom untied. I imagine that Caesar is mocking us by sending such a commissioner on so important business; but perhaps the fellow has no The Oppii were bankers. If _saccones_ is read, it must be taken as a jocular reference to money-bags. Some, however, read _succones_ "blood-suckers," suggesting an obscure play upon the words ὀπός (fig juice) and _sucus_. nisi forte non dedit, et hic sermone aliquo arrepto pro mandatis abusus est. Labienus, vir mea sententia magnus, Teanum venit a. d. VIIII Kal. Ibi Pompeium consulesque convenit. Qui sermo fuerit, et quid actum sit, scribam ad te, cum certum sciam. Pompeius a Teano Larinum versus profectus est a. d. VIII Kal. Eo die mansit Venafri. Iam aliquantum animi videtur nobis attulisse Labienus. Sed ego nondum habeo, quod ad te ex his locis scribam; ista magis exspecto, quid illim adferatur, quo pacto de Labieno ferat, quid agat Domitius in Marsis, Iguvi Thermus, P. Attius Cinguli, quae sit populi urbani voluntas, quae tua coniectura de rebus futuris. Haec velim crebro, et quid tibi de mulieribus nostris placeat, et quid acturus ipse sis, scribas. Si scriberem ipse, longior epistula fuisset, sed dictavi propter lippitudinem.

de Vennonianis rebus tibi adsentior. Labienum heroa iudico. facinus iam diu nullum civile praeclarius, qui, ut aliud nihil, hoc tamen profecit, dedit illi dolorem. sed etiam ad summam profectum aliquid puto. amo etiam Pisonem. cuius iudicium de genero suspicor visum iri grave. quamquam genus belli quod sit vides. ita civile est ut non ex civium dissensione sed ex unius perditi civis audacia natum sit. is autem valet exercitu, tenet multos spe et promissis, omnia omnium concupivit. huic tradita urbs est nuda praesidio, referta copiis. quid est quod ab eo non metuas qui illa templa et tecta non patriam sed praedam putet? quid autem sit acturus aut quo modo nescio, sine senatu, sine magistratibus. ne simulare quidem poterit quicquam politikos. nos autem ubi exsurgere poterimus aut quando? quorum dux quam astrategetos tu quoque animadvertis quoi ne Picena quidem nota fuerint; quam autem sine consilio res testis. ut enim alia omittam decem annorum peccata, quae condicio non huic fugae praestitit? [2] nec vero nunc quid cogitet scio ac non desino per litteras sciscitari. nihil esse timidius constat, nihil perturbatius. itaque nec praesidium cuius parandi causa ad urbem retentus est nec locum ac sedem praesidi ullam video. spes omnis in duabus insidiose retentis paene alienis legionibus. nam dilectus adhuc quidem invitorum est et a pugnando abhorrentium; condicionum autem amissum tempus est. quid futurum sit non video; commissum quidem a nobis certe est sive a nostro duce ut e portu sine gubernaculis egressi tempestati nos traderemus. [3] itaque de Ciceronibus nostris dubito quid agam; nam mihi interdum amandandi videntur in Graeciam; de Tullia autem et Terentia, cum mihi barbarorum adventus [ad urbem] proponitur, quinia timeo; cum autem Dolabellae venit in mentem, paulum respiro. sed velim consideres quid faciendum putes primum pros to asphales (aliter enim mihi de illis ac de me ipso consulendum est), deinde ad opiniones, ne reprehendamur quod eas Romae velimus esse in communi bonorum fuga. quin etiam tibi et Peducaeo (scripsit enim ad me) quid faciatis videndum est. is enim splendor est vestrum ut eadem postulentur a vobis quae ab amplissimis civibus. sed de hoc tu videbis, quippe cum de me ipso ac de meis te considerare velim. [4] reliquum est ut et quid agatur quoad poteris explores scribasque ad me et quid ipse coniectura adsequare; quod etiam a te magis exspecto. nam acta omnibus nuntiantibus a te exspecto futura. 'mantis d' aristos—.' loquacitati ignosces, quae et me levat ad te quidem scribentem et elicit tuas litteras. aenigma [Oppiorum ex Velia] plane non intellexi; est enim numero Platonis obscurius.