Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -49 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
[1] I am truly glad, by Hercules, that your letters indicate how strongly you approve of what was done at Corfinium. I shall gladly follow your advice, and all the more gladly because I had already resolved of my own accord to show the greatest possible leniency in my victory. Let us try to win everyone back in this way and enjoy a lasting victory, since others have not been able to escape hatred by cruelty nor to maintain their victory for long — except for Lucius Sulla alone, whom I do not intend to imitate. Let this be a new method of conquering: to fortify ourselves with mercy and generosity. How this may be done, certain ideas occur to me and many more can be devised. I ask you to think about these matters. I captured Gnaeus Domitius, Lentulus Spinther, Libo, and Lucius Domitius and released them. What Pompey had decided to do with the money deposited with him at Corfinium, I gave back, even though it had already been delivered to me. For I want nothing more than to be true to my nature, and for them to be true to theirs.
[1] gaudeo me hercule vos significare litteris quam valde probetis ea quae apud Corfinium sunt gesta. consilio vestro utar libenter et hoc libentius quod mea sponte facere constitueram ut quam lenissimum me praeberem et Pompeium darem operam ut reconciliarem. temptemus hoc modo si possimus omnium voluntates reciperare et diuturna victoria uti, quoniam reliqui crudelitate odium effugere non potuerunt neque victoriam diutius tenere praeter unum L. Sullam quem imitaturus non sum. haec nova sit ratio vincendi ut misericordia et liberalitate nos muniamus. id quem ad modum fieri possit non nulla mi in mentem veniunt et multa reperiri possunt. de his rebus rogo vos ut cogitationem suscipiatis. N. Magium Pompei praefectum deprehendi. [2] scilicet meo instituto usus sum et eum statim missum feci. iam duo praefecti fabrum Pompei in meam potestatem venerunt et a me missi sunt. si volent grati esse, debebunt Pompeium hortari ut malit mihi esse amicus quam iis qui et illi et mihi semper fuerunt inimicissimi, quorum artificiis effectum est ut res publica in hunc statum perveniret.
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[1] I am truly glad, by Hercules, that your letters indicate how strongly you approve of what was done at Corfinium. I shall gladly follow your advice, and all the more gladly because I had already resolved of my own accord to show the greatest possible leniency in my victory. Let us try to win everyone back in this way and enjoy a lasting victory, since others have not been able to escape hatred by cruelty nor to maintain their victory for long — except for Lucius Sulla alone, whom I do not intend to imitate. Let this be a new method of conquering: to fortify ourselves with mercy and generosity. How this may be done, certain ideas occur to me and many more can be devised. I ask you to think about these matters. I captured Gnaeus Domitius, Lentulus Spinther, Libo, and Lucius Domitius and released them. What Pompey had decided to do with the money deposited with him at Corfinium, I gave back, even though it had already been delivered to me. For I want nothing more than to be true to my nature, and for them to be true to theirs.
Latin / Greek Original
[1] gaudeo me hercule vos significare litteris quam valde probetis ea quae apud Corfinium sunt gesta. consilio vestro utar libenter et hoc libentius quod mea sponte facere constitueram ut quam lenissimum me praeberem et Pompeium darem operam ut reconciliarem. temptemus hoc modo si possimus omnium voluntates reciperare et diuturna victoria uti, quoniam reliqui crudelitate odium effugere non potuerunt neque victoriam diutius tenere praeter unum L. Sullam quem imitaturus non sum. haec nova sit ratio vincendi ut misericordia et liberalitate nos muniamus. id quem ad modum fieri possit non nulla mi in mentem veniunt et multa reperiri possunt. de his rebus rogo vos ut cogitationem suscipiatis. N. Magium Pompei praefectum deprehendi. [2] scilicet meo instituto usus sum et eum statim missum feci. iam duo praefecti fabrum Pompei in meam potestatem venerunt et a me missi sunt. si volent grati esse, debebunt Pompeium hortari ut malit mihi esse amicus quam iis qui et illi et mihi semper fuerunt inimicissimi, quorum artificiis effectum est ut res publica in hunc statum perveniret.