Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -49 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
[Sidenote: _Formiae, the evening of Feb. 9 or the morning of Feb. 10_,
B.C. _49_]
On the evening of the 9th of February, I got a letter from Philotimus,
declaring that Domitius has a reliable force, the cohorts from Picenum
under the command of Lentulus and Thermus have joined his army, Caesar
can be cut off and fears the contingency, and the hopes of loyalists
at Rome have been restored, and those of the other party dashed. I am
afraid this may be a dream; but still the news revived M'. Lepidus, L.
Torquatus and C. Cassius the tribune of the plebs--for they are with
me, that is at Formiae. I fear the truer version may be that we are now
all practically prisoners, that Pompey is leaving Italy, pursued it is
said by Caesar. What a bitter thought! Caesar pursue Pompey! What, to
slay him? Woe is me! And we do not all throw our bodies in the way! You
too are sorry about it. But what can we do? We are beaten, ruined and
utterly captive.
Still the perusal of Philotimus' letter has caused me to change my plan
about the women-folk. I wrote you I was sending them back to Rome: but
it has come into my mind that there would be a deal of talk, that I had
now come to a decision on the political situation; and that in despair
of success the return of the ladies of my house was as it were one step
towards my own return. As for myself, I agree with you that I should
not commit myself to the danger and uncertainty of flight, seeing that
it would avail nothing to State or Pompey, for whom I would dutifully
and gladly die. So I shall stay, though life--.
Quod quaeris, hic quid agatur, tota Capua et omnis hic dilectus iacet;
desperata res est, in fuga omnes sunt, nisi qui deus iuverit, ut
Pompeius istas Domiti copias cum suis coniungat. Sed videbamur omnia
biduo triduove scituri. Caesaris litterarum exemplum tibi misi; rogaras
enim. Cui nos valde satis facere multi ad me scripserunt; quod patior
facile, dum ut adhuc nihil faciam turpiter.
nisi qui deus iuverit _Tyrrell_: nisi quid eius fuerit _M_: nisi
quid eius modi fuerit _Ascensius_.
v Idus Febr. vesperi a Philotimo litteras accepi Domitium exercitum firmum habere, cohortis ex Piceno Lentulo et Thermo ducentibus cum Domiti exercitu coniunctas esse, Caesarem intercludi posse eumque id timere, bonorum animos recreatos Romae, improbos quasi perculsos. haec metuo equidem ne sint somnia, sed tamen M'. Lepidum, L. Torquatum, C. Cassium tribunum pl. (hi enim sunt nobiscum, id est in Formiano) Philotimi litterae ad vitam .revocaverunt. ego autem illa metuo ne veriora sint, nos omnis paene iam captos esse, Pompeium Italia cedere; quem quidem (o rem acerbam!) persequi Caesar dicitur. persequi Caesar Pompeium? quid? ut interficiat? O me miserum! et non omnes nostra corpora opponimus? in quo tu quoque ingemiscis. sed quid faciamus? victi, oppressi, capti plane sumus. [2] ego tamen Philotimi litteris lectis mutavi consilium de mulieribus. quas, ut scripseram ad te, Romam remittebam; sed mihi venit in mentem multum fore sermonem me iudicium iam de causa publica fecisse; qua desperata quasi hunc gradum mei reditus esse quod mulieres revertissent. de me autem ipso tibi adsentior, ne me dem incertae et periculosae fugae, cum rei publicae nihil prosim, nihil Pompeio; pro quo emori cum pie possum tum libenter. manebo igitur, etsi vivere—. [3] quod quaeris hic quid agatur, tota Capua et omnis hic dilectus iacet; desperata res est, in fuga omnes sunt, nisi qui deus iuverit ut Pompeius istas Domiti copias cum suis coniungat. sed videbamur omnia biduo triduove scituri. Caesaris litterarum exemplum tibi misi; rogaras enim. cui nos valde satis facere multi ad me scripserunt; quod patior facile, dum ut adhuc nihil faciam turpiter.
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[Sidenote: _Formiae, the evening of Feb. 9 or the morning of Feb. 10_, B.C. _49_]
On the evening of the 9th of February, I got a letter from Philotimus, declaring that Domitius has a reliable force, the cohorts from Picenum under the command of Lentulus and Thermus have joined his army, Caesar can be cut off and fears the contingency, and the hopes of loyalists at Rome have been restored, and those of the other party dashed. I am afraid this may be a dream; but still the news revived M'. Lepidus, L. Torquatus and C. Cassius the tribune of the plebs--for they are with me, that is at Formiae. I fear the truer version may be that we are now all practically prisoners, that Pompey is leaving Italy, pursued it is said by Caesar. What a bitter thought! Caesar pursue Pompey! What, to slay him? Woe is me! And we do not all throw our bodies in the way! You too are sorry about it. But what can we do? We are beaten, ruined and utterly captive.
Still the perusal of Philotimus' letter has caused me to change my plan about the women-folk. I wrote you I was sending them back to Rome: but it has come into my mind that there would be a deal of talk, that I had now come to a decision on the political situation; and that in despair of success the return of the ladies of my house was as it were one step towards my own return. As for myself, I agree with you that I should not commit myself to the danger and uncertainty of flight, seeing that it would avail nothing to State or Pompey, for whom I would dutifully and gladly die. So I shall stay, though life--.
Quod quaeris, hic quid agatur, tota Capua et omnis hic dilectus iacet; desperata res est, in fuga omnes sunt, nisi qui deus iuverit, ut Pompeius istas Domiti copias cum suis coniungat. Sed videbamur omnia biduo triduove scituri. Caesaris litterarum exemplum tibi misi; rogaras enim. Cui nos valde satis facere multi ad me scripserunt; quod patior facile, dum ut adhuc nihil faciam turpiter.
nisi qui deus iuverit _Tyrrell_: nisi quid eius fuerit _M_: nisi quid eius modi fuerit _Ascensius_.
Latin / Greek Original
v Idus Febr. vesperi a Philotimo litteras accepi Domitium exercitum firmum habere, cohortis ex Piceno Lentulo et Thermo ducentibus cum Domiti exercitu coniunctas esse, Caesarem intercludi posse eumque id timere, bonorum animos recreatos Romae, improbos quasi perculsos. haec metuo equidem ne sint somnia, sed tamen M'. Lepidum, L. Torquatum, C. Cassium tribunum pl. (hi enim sunt nobiscum, id est in Formiano) Philotimi litterae ad vitam .revocaverunt. ego autem illa metuo ne veriora sint, nos omnis paene iam captos esse, Pompeium Italia cedere; quem quidem (o rem acerbam!) persequi Caesar dicitur. persequi Caesar Pompeium? quid? ut interficiat? O me miserum! et non omnes nostra corpora opponimus? in quo tu quoque ingemiscis. sed quid faciamus? victi, oppressi, capti plane sumus. [2] ego tamen Philotimi litteris lectis mutavi consilium de mulieribus. quas, ut scripseram ad te, Romam remittebam; sed mihi venit in mentem multum fore sermonem me iudicium iam de causa publica fecisse; qua desperata quasi hunc gradum mei reditus esse quod mulieres revertissent. de me autem ipso tibi adsentior, ne me dem incertae et periculosae fugae, cum rei publicae nihil prosim, nihil Pompeio; pro quo emori cum pie possum tum libenter. manebo igitur, etsi vivere—. [3] quod quaeris hic quid agatur, tota Capua et omnis hic dilectus iacet; desperata res est, in fuga omnes sunt, nisi qui deus iuverit ut Pompeius istas Domiti copias cum suis coniungat. sed videbamur omnia biduo triduove scituri. Caesaris litterarum exemplum tibi misi; rogaras enim. cui nos valde satis facere multi ad me scripserunt; quod patior facile, dum ut adhuc nihil faciam turpiter.