Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -47 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
I am not offended with you for telling me the truth in your letter and
not even attempting, as you were wont, to console me under my burden
of public and personal woes, which you confess is impossible now. For
affairs are no longer in the position they were, when, if nothing else,
I thought I had companions and partners in my policy. For all those
in Achaia and in Asia, who petitioned for pardon and did not obtain
it, and even some of those who did, are said to be on the point of
sailing for Africa. So I have no one to share my fault except Laelius,
and even he is in a better position than I am in one respect, as he
has been taken back now. But about me I have no doubt that Caesar
has written to Balbus and Oppius: if the news had been good, I should
have heard from them and they would have spoken to you too. I should
like you to speak to them about it and to let me know what they say,
not that any safeguard given by him can have any certainty, but still
something can be foreseen and provided for. Though I am ashamed to look
anyone in the face, especially with such a son-in-law, still in this
disastrous crisis I see nothing else to wish for. Quintus is still
keeping on, as both Pansa and Hirtius have written to tell me; and he
is said too to be making for Africa with the rest. I will write to
Minucius at Tarentum, and send your letter: I will let you know whether
anything comes of it. I should have been surprised that
By the loyalist party.
Fufidianis praediis. Sed avide tamen te exspecto; quem videre, si
ullo modo potest (poscit enim res), pervelim. Iam extremum concluditur;
quod quale sit, ibi facile est, hic gravius existimare. Vale.
Sed avide tamen te _Wesenberg_: et advideo tamen _MSS._
quod quale sit, ibi facile est _Purser_: ibi facile est, quod
quale sit _MSS._
[1] A Murenae liberto nihil adhuc acceperam litterarum. P. Siser reddiderat eas quibus rescribo. de Servi patris litteris quod scribis, item Quintum in Syriam venisse quod ais esse qui nuntient, ne id quidem verum est. quod certiorem te vis fieri quo quisque in me animo sit aut fuerit eorum qui huc venerunt, neminem alieno intellexi. sed quantum id mea intersit existimare te posse certo scio. mihi cum omnia sint intolerabilia ad dolorem, tum maxime quod in eam causam venisse me video ut sola utilia mihi esse videantur quae semper nolui. P. Lentulum patrem Rhodi esse aiunt, Alexandreae filium, Rhodoque Alexandream C. Cassium profectum esse constat. [2] Quintus mihi per litteras satis facit multo asperioribus verbis quam cum gravissime accusabat. ait enim se ex litteris tuis intellegere tibi non placere quod ad multos de me asperius scripserit, itaque se paenitere quod animum tuum offenderit; sed se iure fecisse. deinde perscribit spurcissime quas ob causas fecerit. sed neque hoc tempore nec antea patefecisset odium suum in me, nisi omnibus rebus me esse oppressum videret. atque utinam vel nocturnis, quem ad modum tu scripseras, itineribus propius te accessissem! nunc nec ubi nec quando te sim visurus possum suspicari. [3] de coheredibus Fufidianis nihil fuit quod ad me scriberes; nam et aequum postulant et quicquid egisses recte esse actum putarem. [4] de fundo Frusinati redimendo iam pridem intellexisti voluntatem meam. etsi tum meliore loco res erant nostrae neque tam mihi desperatum iri videbatur, tamen in eadem sum voluntate. id quem ad modum fiat tu videbis. et velim, quod poteris, consideres ut sit unde nobis suppeditentur sumptus necessarii. si quas habuimus facultates, eas Pompeio tum cum id videbamur sapienter facere detulimus. itaque tum et a tuo vilico sumpsimus et aliunde mutuati sumus cum Quintus queritur per litteras sibi nos nihil dedisse, qui neque ab illo rogati sumus neque ipsi eam pecuniam aspeximus. sed velim videas quid sit quod confici possit quidque mihi de omnibus des consili; et causam nosti. [5] plura ne scribam dolore impedior. si quid erit quod ad quos scribendum meo nomine putes, velim ut soles facias, quotiensque habebis quoi des ad me litteras nolim praeter mittas. vale.
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I am not offended with you for telling me the truth in your letter and not even attempting, as you were wont, to console me under my burden of public and personal woes, which you confess is impossible now. For affairs are no longer in the position they were, when, if nothing else, I thought I had companions and partners in my policy. For all those in Achaia and in Asia, who petitioned for pardon and did not obtain it, and even some of those who did, are said to be on the point of sailing for Africa. So I have no one to share my fault except Laelius, and even he is in a better position than I am in one respect, as he has been taken back now. But about me I have no doubt that Caesar has written to Balbus and Oppius: if the news had been good, I should have heard from them and they would have spoken to you too. I should like you to speak to them about it and to let me know what they say, not that any safeguard given by him can have any certainty, but still something can be foreseen and provided for. Though I am ashamed to look anyone in the face, especially with such a son-in-law, still in this disastrous crisis I see nothing else to wish for. Quintus is still keeping on, as both Pansa and Hirtius have written to tell me; and he is said too to be making for Africa with the rest. I will write to Minucius at Tarentum, and send your letter: I will let you know whether anything comes of it. I should have been surprised that
By the loyalist party.
Fufidianis praediis. Sed avide tamen te exspecto; quem videre, si ullo modo potest (poscit enim res), pervelim. Iam extremum concluditur; quod quale sit, ibi facile est, hic gravius existimare. Vale.
Sed avide tamen te _Wesenberg_: et advideo tamen _MSS._
quod quale sit, ibi facile est _Purser_: ibi facile est, quod quale sit _MSS._
Latin / Greek Original
[1] A Murenae liberto nihil adhuc acceperam litterarum. P. Siser reddiderat eas quibus rescribo. de Servi patris litteris quod scribis, item Quintum in Syriam venisse quod ais esse qui nuntient, ne id quidem verum est. quod certiorem te vis fieri quo quisque in me animo sit aut fuerit eorum qui huc venerunt, neminem alieno intellexi. sed quantum id mea intersit existimare te posse certo scio. mihi cum omnia sint intolerabilia ad dolorem, tum maxime quod in eam causam venisse me video ut sola utilia mihi esse videantur quae semper nolui. P. Lentulum patrem Rhodi esse aiunt, Alexandreae filium, Rhodoque Alexandream C. Cassium profectum esse constat. [2] Quintus mihi per litteras satis facit multo asperioribus verbis quam cum gravissime accusabat. ait enim se ex litteris tuis intellegere tibi non placere quod ad multos de me asperius scripserit, itaque se paenitere quod animum tuum offenderit; sed se iure fecisse. deinde perscribit spurcissime quas ob causas fecerit. sed neque hoc tempore nec antea patefecisset odium suum in me, nisi omnibus rebus me esse oppressum videret. atque utinam vel nocturnis, quem ad modum tu scripseras, itineribus propius te accessissem! nunc nec ubi nec quando te sim visurus possum suspicari. [3] de coheredibus Fufidianis nihil fuit quod ad me scriberes; nam et aequum postulant et quicquid egisses recte esse actum putarem. [4] de fundo Frusinati redimendo iam pridem intellexisti voluntatem meam. etsi tum meliore loco res erant nostrae neque tam mihi desperatum iri videbatur, tamen in eadem sum voluntate. id quem ad modum fiat tu videbis. et velim, quod poteris, consideres ut sit unde nobis suppeditentur sumptus necessarii. si quas habuimus facultates, eas Pompeio tum cum id videbamur sapienter facere detulimus. itaque tum et a tuo vilico sumpsimus et aliunde mutuati sumus cum Quintus queritur per litteras sibi nos nihil dedisse, qui neque ab illo rogati sumus neque ipsi eam pecuniam aspeximus. sed velim videas quid sit quod confici possit quidque mihi de omnibus des consili; et causam nosti. [5] plura ne scribam dolore impedior. si quid erit quod ad quos scribendum meo nomine putes, velim ut soles facias, quotiensque habebis quoi des ad me litteras nolim praeter mittas. vale.