Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -60 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
I am eager indeed, and have long been eager, to visit Alexandria and the rest of Egypt, and at the same time to withdraw from this surfeit that people have of me and to return with some longing felt for my absence. But at this time and with these men as the senders, "I feel shame before the Trojans and the long-robed Trojan women." For what will our leading men, if any remain, say? That I was led away from my position by some reward? "Polydamas will be the first to heap reproach upon me" — that Cato of ours, who alone is worth a hundred thousand to me. And what will the histories proclaim about me six hundred years hence? These I fear far more than the petty rumors of the men who live today. But I think we should wait and see. For if the commission is offered, the decision will rest somewhat in my power, and then we shall deliberate. Indeed, by Hercules, there is no small glory in declining it. Therefore, if Theophanes should happen to discuss anything with you, do not reject it outright.
On these matters I await your letter — what Arrius reports, how he bears being abandoned, and which men are being prepared as consuls, whether, as popular talk has it, Pompey and Crassus, or, as is written to me, Servius Sulpicius along with Gabinius — and whether there are any new laws, whether there is anything new at all, and since Nepos is departing, to whom the augurship will be offered. By that one thing alone I could be caught by those men. You see my fickleness! But why do I dwell on these things, which I desire to lay aside and with my whole mind and every care to devote myself to philosophy? This, I say, is my intention. I wish it had been so from the beginning. But now, since I have learned by experience how empty those things were that I thought splendid, I intend to settle accounts with all the Muses.
Nevertheless, write back to me more precisely about Curtius — who is now being prepared to take his place, what is happening with Publius Clodius, and everything, as you promise, write at your leisure. I would like you to write to me on what day you think you will leave Rome, so that I may inform you where I shall be. Send a letter at once about those matters on which I have written to you. For I am very eagerly awaiting your letter.
I am eager, and have long been eager to pay a visit to Alexandria and
the rest of Egypt, and also to get away from here, where people are sick
of seeing me, and return when they miss me a little: but
desiderio reverti; sed hoc tempore et his mittentibus
αἰδέομαι Τρῶας καὶ Τρῳάδας ἑλκεσιπέπλους.
Quid enim nostri optimates, si qui reliqui sunt, loquentur? an me aliquo
praemio de sententia esse deductum?
Πουλυδάμας μοι πρῶτος ἐλεγχείην ἀναθήσει,
Cato ille noster, qui mihi unus est pro centum milibus. Quid vero
historiae de nobis ad annos D C praedicarint? Quas quidem ego multo
magis vereor quam eorum hominum, qui hodie vivunt, rumusculos. Sed,
opinor, excipiamus et exspectemus. Si enim deferetur, erit quaedam
nostra potestas, et tum deliberabimus. Etiam hercule est in non
accipiendo non nulla gloria. Quare, si quid Θεοφάνης tecum forte
contulerit, ne omnino repudiaris.
De istis rebus exspecto tuas litteras, quid Arrius narret, quo animo se
destitutum ferat, et qui consules parentur, utrum, ut populi sermo,
Pompeius et Crassus an, ut mihi scribitur, cum Gabinio Servius
Sulpicius, et num quae novae leges et num quid novi omnino, et, quoniam
Nepos proficiscitur, cuinam auguratus deferatur; quo quidem uno ego ab
istis capi possum. Videte vilitatem meam. Sed quid ego haec, quae
cupio deponere et toto animo atque omni cura φιλοσοφεῖν? Sic, inquam, in
animo est; vellem ab initio, nunc vero, quoniam, quae putavi esse
praeclara,
considering the circumstances, and the people who are sending me.
“I fear the men and long-gowned dames of Troy.”
What will our conservative friends say, if there are any of them left?
That I have been bribed out of my opinions?
“The first to chide will be Polydamas,”
that friend of ours, Cato, who alone outweighs a hundred thousand in my
eyes. What would history be saying of me six hundred years hence? And
that is a thing I fear much more than the petty gossip of those who are
alive to-day. But I suppose I can only lie low and see what turns up. If
an offer is made to me, the decision will to some extent rest in my own
hands, and then I will consider the question. Upon my word there is some
little glory even in refusing: so, if Theophanes should happen to
consult you, don’t decline point blank.
This is what I am hoping to hear from you in your letter:—what Arrius
has to say for himself, and how he takes Caesar’s desertion of him,
whether popular report is right in speaking of Pompey and Crassus as the
favourites for the consulship, or a correspondent of mine who mentions
Gabinius and Servius Sulpicius, whether there are any new laws or any
news at all, and to whom the augurship will be offered, now that Nepos
is going away. That is the only bait with which they could catch me. You
see how cheap I am going. But this is a forbidden subject. I mean to
forget it, and devote myself heart and soul to philosophy. That, I
assure you, is my intention; and I only wish I had always practised it.
Now that I have sampled the vanity of what I once thought
expertus sum quam essent inania, cum omnibus Musis rationem habere
cogito. Tu tamen de Curtio ad me rescribe certius, et nunc quis in eius
locum paretur, et quid de P. Clodio fiat, et omnia, quem ad modum
polliceris, ἐπὶ σχολῆς scribe, et, quo die Roma te exiturum putes, velim
ad me scribas, ut certiorem te faciam, quibus in locis futurus sim,
epistulamque statim des de iis rebus, de quibus ad te scripsi. Valde
enim exspecto tuas litteras.
cupio equidem et iam pridem cupio Alexandream reliquamque Aegyptum visere et simul ab hac hominum satietate nostri discedere et cum aliquo desiderio reverti; sed hoc tempore et his mittentibus aideomai Troas kai Troiadas helkesipeplous quid enim nostri optimates, si qui reliqui sunt, loquentur? an me aliquo praemio de sententia esse deductum? Pouludamas moi protos elencheien anathesei, Cato ille noster qui mihi unus est pro centum milibus. quid vero historiae de nobis ad annos Dc praedicabunt? quas quidem ego multo magis vereor quam eorum hominum qui hodie vivunt rumusculos. sed, opinor, excipiamus et exspectemus. si enim deferetur, erit quaedam nostra potestas et tum deliberabimus. etiam hercule est in non accipiendo non nulla gloria. qua re si quid Theophanes tecum forte contulerit ne omnino repudiaris. [2] de istis rebus exspecto tuas litteras, quid Arrius narret, quo animo se destitutum ferat, et qui consules parentur, utrum, ut populi sermo, Pompeius et Crassus an, ut mihi scribitur, cum Gabinio Servius Sulpicius, et num quae novae leges et num quid novi omnino, et quoniam Nepos proficiscitur, cuinam auguratus deferatur; quo quidem uno ego ab istis capi possum. vide levitatem meam. sed quid ego haec quae cupio deponere et toto animo atque omni cura philosophein? sic inquam in animo est; vellem ab initio, nunc vero, quoniam quae putavi esse praeclara expertus sum quam essent inania, cum omnibus Musis rationem habere cogito. [3] tu tamen de Curtio ad me rescribe certius, et nunc quis in eius locum paretur, et quid de P. Clodio fiat, et omnia, quem ad modum polliceris, epi scholes scribe, et quo die Roma te exiturum putes velim ad me scribas, ut certiorem te faciam quibus in locis futurus sim, epistulamque statim des de iis rebus de quibus ad te scripsi. valde enim exspecto tuas litteras.
◆
I am eager indeed, and have long been eager, to visit Alexandria and the rest of Egypt, and at the same time to withdraw from this surfeit that people have of me and to return with some longing felt for my absence. But at this time and with these men as the senders, "I feel shame before the Trojans and the long-robed Trojan women." For what will our leading men, if any remain, say? That I was led away from my position by some reward? "Polydamas will be the first to heap reproach upon me" — that Cato of ours, who alone is worth a hundred thousand to me. And what will the histories proclaim about me six hundred years hence? These I fear far more than the petty rumors of the men who live today. But I think we should wait and see. For if the commission is offered, the decision will rest somewhat in my power, and then we shall deliberate. Indeed, by Hercules, there is no small glory in declining it. Therefore, if Theophanes should happen to discuss anything with you, do not reject it outright.
On these matters I await your letter — what Arrius reports, how he bears being abandoned, and which men are being prepared as consuls, whether, as popular talk has it, Pompey and Crassus, or, as is written to me, Servius Sulpicius along with Gabinius — and whether there are any new laws, whether there is anything new at all, and since Nepos is departing, to whom the augurship will be offered. By that one thing alone I could be caught by those men. You see my fickleness! But why do I dwell on these things, which I desire to lay aside and with my whole mind and every care to devote myself to philosophy? This, I say, is my intention. I wish it had been so from the beginning. But now, since I have learned by experience how empty those things were that I thought splendid, I intend to settle accounts with all the Muses.
Nevertheless, write back to me more precisely about Curtius — who is now being prepared to take his place, what is happening with Publius Clodius, and everything, as you promise, write at your leisure. I would like you to write to me on what day you think you will leave Rome, so that I may inform you where I shall be. Send a letter at once about those matters on which I have written to you. For I am very eagerly awaiting your letter.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
cupio equidem et iam pridem cupio Alexandream reliquamque Aegyptum visere et simul ab hac hominum satietate nostri discedere et cum aliquo desiderio reverti; sed hoc tempore et his mittentibus aideomai Troas kai Troiadas helkesipeplous quid enim nostri optimates, si qui reliqui sunt, loquentur? an me aliquo praemio de sententia esse deductum? Pouludamas moi protos elencheien anathesei, Cato ille noster qui mihi unus est pro centum milibus. quid vero historiae de nobis ad annos Dc praedicabunt? quas quidem ego multo magis vereor quam eorum hominum qui hodie vivunt rumusculos. sed, opinor, excipiamus et exspectemus. si enim deferetur, erit quaedam nostra potestas et tum deliberabimus. etiam hercule est in non accipiendo non nulla gloria. qua re si quid Theophanes tecum forte contulerit ne omnino repudiaris. [2] de istis rebus exspecto tuas litteras, quid Arrius narret, quo animo se destitutum ferat, et qui consules parentur, utrum, ut populi sermo, Pompeius et Crassus an, ut mihi scribitur, cum Gabinio Servius Sulpicius, et num quae novae leges et num quid novi omnino, et quoniam Nepos proficiscitur, cuinam auguratus deferatur; quo quidem uno ego ab istis capi possum. vide levitatem meam. sed quid ego haec quae cupio deponere et toto animo atque omni cura philosophein? sic inquam in animo est; vellem ab initio, nunc vero, quoniam quae putavi esse praeclara expertus sum quam essent inania, cum omnibus Musis rationem habere cogito. [3] tu tamen de Curtio ad me rescribe certius, et nunc quis in eius locum paretur, et quid de P. Clodio fiat, et omnia, quem ad modum polliceris, epi scholes scribe, et quo die Roma te exiturum putes velim ad me scribas, ut certiorem te faciam quibus in locis futurus sim, epistulamque statim des de iis rebus de quibus ad te scripsi. valde enim exspecto tuas litteras.