Letter 138

Your welcome letter I received with delight. I thought of sending the boys to Greece when Pompey's cum fuga ex Italia quaeri videbatur. Nos enim Hispaniam peteremus; illis hoc aeque commodum non erat. Tu ipse cum Sexto etiam nunc mihi videris Romae recte esse posse; etenim minime amici Pompeio nostro esse debetis. Nemo enim umquam tantum de urbanis praediis detraxit. Videsne me etiam iocari? Scire iam te oportet, L. Caesar quae response referat a Pompeio, quas ab eodem ad Caesarem ferat litteras. Scriptae enim et datae ita sunt, ut proponerentur in publico. In quo accusavi mecum ipse Pompeium, qui, cum scriptor luculentus esset, tantas res atque eas, quae in omnium manus venturae essent, Sestio nostro scribendas dederit. Itaque nihil umquam legi scriptum σηστιωδέστερον. Perspici tamen ex litteris Pompei potest nihil Caesari negari omniaque ei cumulate, quae postulet, dari. Quae ille amentissimus fuerit nisi acceperit, praesertim cum impudentissime postulaverit. Quis enim tu es, qui dicas: "Si in Hispaniam profectus erit, si praesidia dimiserit"? Tamen conceditur minus honeste nunc quidem violata iam ab illo re publica illatoque bello, quam si olim de ratione habenda impetrasset. Et tamen vereor, ut his ipsis contentus sit. Nam, cum ista mandata dedisset L. Caesari, debuit esse paulo quietior, dum responsa referrentur; dicitur autem nunc esse acerrimus. Trebatius quidem scribit se ab illo VIIII Kal. Febr. flight from Italy seemed likely. For I myself should have gone to Spain, but it would not have been so suitable for them. I fancy you and Sextus may well stay in Rome even now; for you are not in the least bound to be Pompey's friends: no one has ever depreciated city property so much as Pompey. I must have my joke still, you see. You should know already the reply that Pompey is sending by Lucius Caesar, and the nature of his letter to Caesar; for it was written and sent on purpose to be published. Mentally I blamed Pompey who, though a clear writer himself, gave Sestius the task of drawing up documents of such importance, which were to come into every one's hands. Accordingly I have never seen anything more Sestian in its style. Still it is plain from the letter that nothing can be denied to Caesar, and that the whole bulk of his demands are to be granted. He will be utterly mad to reject the terms, particularly when his demands are most impudent. Pray, who are you, Caesar, to insist "Provided Pompey go to Spain, provided he dismiss his garrisons"? Still the demand is being granted, but it has cost us more loss of dignity now that he has outraged the sanctity of the state and waged war against it, than if he had obtained his previous request to be admitted a candidate. And yet I fear he may want more. For when he entrusted his ultimatum to L. Caesar, he should have kept a little quiet until he received a reply. But he is said now to be more energetic than ever. Cf. Catullus xliv for comments on Sestius' style. Sestius was defended by Cicero in 56 B.C. with a speech which is extant. Trebatius indeed writes to me that Caesar requested rogatum esse, ut scriberet ad me, ut essem ad urbem, nihil ei me gratius facere posse. Haec verbis plurimis. Intellexi ex dierum ratione, ut primum de discessu nostro Caesar audisset, laborare eum coepisse, ne omnes abessemus. Itaque non dubito, quin ad Pisonem, quin ad Servium scripserit; illud admiror, non ipsum ad me scripsisse, non per Dolabellam, non per Caelium egisse. Quamquam non aspernor Trebati litteras; a quo me unice diligi scio. Rescripsi ad Trebatium (nam ad ipsum Caesarem, qui mihi nihil scripsisset, nolui), quam illud hoc tempore esset difficile; me tamen in praediis meis esse neque dilectum ullum neque negotium suscepisse. In quo quidem manebo, dum spes pacis erit; sin bellum geretur, non deero officio nec dignitati meae pueros ὑπεκθέμενος in Graeciam. Totam enim Italiam flagraturam bello intellego. Tantum mali est excitatum partim ex improbis, partim ex invidis civibus. Sed haec paucis diebus ex illius ad nostra responsa responsis intellegentur quorsum evasura sint. Tum ad te scribam plura, si erit bellum; sin otium aut etiam indutiae, te ipsum, ut spero, videbo. otium aut _Tyrrell and Purser_: autem _MSS._ Ego IIII Nonas Febr., quo die has litteras dedi, in Formiano, quo Capua redieram, mulieres exspectabam. Quibus quidem scripseram tuis litteris admonitus, ut Romae manerent. Sed audio maiorem quendam in urbe timorem esse. Capuae Nonis Febr. esse volebam, quia consules iusserant. Quicquid huc erit a Pompeio allatum, statim ad te scribam tuasque de istis rebus litteras exspectabo. him on the 22nd of January to write and beg me to remain near the city; that would win me his best thanks. All this at great length. I calculated from the date, that as soon as he heard of my departure Caesar began to be concerned lest we should all go from town. So I have no doubt he wrote to Piso and to Servius. One thing surprises me that he did not write to me himself, or approach me through Dolabella or Caelius. However, I am not offended at a letter from Trebatius, who is my particular wellwisher. I would not reply to Caesar himself, as he had not written to me; but I wrote to Trebatius how difficult such a course would be at this juncture, but that I was staying on my country estates, and had not undertaken any part in the levy or any business. To this I will stand so long as there is any prospect of peace; but, if it comes to war, I shall act as becomes my duty and rank, after stowing away my boys to Greece. For all Italy, I gather, will blaze with war. Such a catastrophe is caused partly by disloyalty, partly by jealousy amongst her citizens. The outcome will be known in a few days from Caesar's answer to our letter. Then, if it be war, I will write again: if it be peace or a respite, I shall hope to see you. On the 2nd of February, the date of this letter, I await my women-folk in my place at Formiae, whence I have returned from Capua. I wrote to them on your advice to stay in Rome. But I hear that panic has rather increased there. I want to be at Capua on the 5th of February, as the consuls have ordered. Any news we get here from Pompey I will let you know at once, and I shall look to letters from you for news from the city.

tuae litterae mihi gratae iucundaeque sunt. de pueris in Graeciam transportandis tum cogitabam cum fuga ex Italia quaeri videbatur. nos enim Hispaniam peteremus; illis hoc aeque commodum non erat. tu ipse cum Sexto etiam nunc mihi videris Romae recte esse posse; etenim minime amici Pompeio nostro esse debetis. nemo enim umquam tantum de urbanis praediis detraxit. videsne me etiam iocari? [2] scire iam te oportet L. Caesar quae responsa referat a Pompeio, quas ab eodem ad Caesarem ferat litteras. scriptae enim et datae ita sunt ut proponerentur in publico. in quo accusavi mecum ipse Pompeium qui, cum scriptor luculentus esset, tantas res atque eas quae in omnium manus venturae essent Sestio nostro scribendas dederit. itaque nihil umquam legi scriptum sestiodesteron. perspici tamen ex litteris Pompei potest nihil Caesari negari omniaque ei cumulate quae postulet dari. quae ille amentissimus fuerit nisi acceperit, praesertim cum impudentissime postulaverit. quis enim tu es qui dicas, 'si in Hispaniam profectus erit, si praesidia dimiserit'? tamen conceditur: minus honeste nunc quidem violata iam ab illo re publica illatoque bello quam si olim de ratione habenda impetrasset. et tamen vereor ut his ipsis contentus sit. nam cum ista mandata dedisset L. Caesari, debuit esse paulo quietior dum responsa referrentur; dicitur autem nunc esse acerrimus. [3] Trebatius quidem scribit se ab illo viiii Kal. Febr. rogatum esse ut scriberet ad me ut essem ad urbem; nihil ei me gratius facere posse. haec verbis plurimis. intellexi ex dierum ratione, ut primum de discessu nostro Caesar audisset, laborare eum coepisse ne omnes abessemus. itaque non dubito quin ad Pisonem, quin ad Servium scripserit; illud admiror non ipsum ad me scripsisse, non per Dolabellam, non per Caelium egisse. quamquam non aspernor Trebati litteras, a quo me unice diligi scio. [4] rescripsi ad Trebatium (nam ad ipsum Caesarem qui mihi nihil scripsisset nolui) quam illud hoc tempore esset difficile; me tamen in praediis meis esse neque dilectum ullum neque negotium suscepisse. in quo quidem manebo dum spes pacis erit; sin bellum geretur, non deero officio nec dignitati meae, pueros hupekthemenos in Graeciam. totam enim Italiam flagraturam bello intellego. tantum mali (est) excitatum partim ex improbis, partim ex invidis civibus. sed haec paucis diebus ex illius ad nostra responsa responsis intellegentur quorsum evasura sint. tum ad te scribam plura, si erit bellum; sin +autem+ etiam indutiae, te ipsum, ut spero, videbo. [5] ego iiii Nonas Febr., quo die has litteras dedi, in Formiano, quo Capua redieram, mulieres exspectabam. quibus quidem scripseram tuis litteris admonitus ut Romae manerent. sed audio maiorem quendam in urbe timorem esse. Capuae Nonis Febr. esse volebam, quia consules iusserant. quicquid huc erit a Pompeio adlatum, statim ad te scribam tuasque de istis rebus litteras exspectabo.