Letter 27

Regarding the geography, I shall deliberate again and again. You ask me for two speeches; one I was reluctant to write down, since I had broken off in the middle; the other, so that I would not praise a man whom I did not love. But I shall see to that as well. In any case, something will come forth, so that I do not seem to you to have been entirely idle. What you write to me about Publius is quite delightful, and I would like you to track down every trace of it and bring me a full account when you come, and meanwhile write if you learn or suspect anything, especially what he intends to do about the embassy. For my part, before I read your letter, I was eager to go after the man — not, by Hercules, to postpone my court date with him (for I am wonderfully keen for litigation) — but it seemed to me that if there was anything popular in his having become a plebeian, he was going to lose it. "What then? You crossed over to the plebs so you could go pay your respects to Tigranes? Tell me, are the kings of Armenia not accustomed to return a patrician's greeting?" In short, I had sharpened myself to attack this embassy of his. But if he scorns it, and if, as you write, it stirs the bile of both the proposers and the augurs of the curiate law, the spectacle will be magnificent. To speak the honest truth, our Publius is being treated rather insultingly — first because, though he was once the only man in Caesar's house, now he cannot even be counted among twenty; then because one embassy was spoken of, another was given. That rich one for extracting money is being reserved for Drusus of Pisaurum, I believe, or for that glutton Vatinius; this lean courier's embassy is given to the man whose tribunate is being held in reserve for their convenience. Inflame the fellow, I beg you, as much as you can. The one hope of salvation lies in dissension among those men; and I have detected certain beginnings of it from Curio. Already Arrius is fuming that the consulship has been snatched from him; Megabocchus and this bloodthirsty set of young men are utterly hostile. Let that quarrel over the augurship come too — yes, let it come! I hope I shall often send you splendid letters about these matters. But I am eager to know what you mean by that obscure hint that even some of the five commissioners themselves are speaking out. What on earth is it? For if there is something to it, things are in a better state than I had thought. And I would have you understand that I do not ask this of you with a view to action, as though my spirit were itching to do something in politics. I have long been weary of steering, even when I was permitted to; but now, when I am forced to leave the ship with the helm not thrown aside but wrenched from my hands, I wish to watch their shipwreck from the shore. I wish, as your friend Sophocles says, "to hear beneath the roof the thick rain's patter with a mind at peace." About the wall, you will see what is needed. We shall correct the Castrician error, and yet Quintus had written to me about 201,000 sesterces. Terentia sends you her greetings. Cicero bids you give Aristodemus the same answer about himself that you gave about his brother, your sister's son. As for the Amaltheum, since you remind me, I shall not neglect it. Take care of your health.

I will give the geography further consideration. As to the two speeches you ask for, one I did not want to write down, because I had broken off in the middle, the other, because I had no desire to praise a man whom I did not like. But that too I will see about. Something shall appear anyhow, to convince you that I have not idled all my time away. I am highly delighted with the news about Publius, please investigate all the details thoroughly, and bring a full account with you when you come. Meantime, if you pick up any hints, or draw any inferences, write to me, especially as to what he is going to do about the embassy. For my part, before 1 read your letter, I wished the man would go, not, I assure you, through any desire to postpone his impeachment—for I am extraordinarily anxious to conduct the case—but because I thought that he would lose any popularity he had gained by turning plebeian. “Why did you transfer yourself to the plebs? Was it to pay a visit to Tigranes? Pray tell me: don’t the kings of Armenia return the visit of a patrician?” As you see, I had sharpened my wits up to rally him on the subject of his embassy. But if he rejects it with scorn, and, as you say, thereby rouses the indignation of the proposers and augurs of the bill of adoption, it will be a grand sight. To speak the honest truth, you know, our friend Publius is being treated with very scant courtesy. In the first place, though he was once the only man in domi Caesaris quandam unus vir fuerit, nunc ne in viginti quidem esse potuerit; deinde alia legatio dicta erat, alia data est. Illa opima ad exigendas pecunias Druso, ut opinor, Pisaurensi an epuloni Vatinio reservatur; haec ieiuna tabellarii legatio datur ei, cuius tribunatus ad istorum tempora reservatur. Incende hominem, amabo te, quod potes. Una spes est salutis istorum inter ipsos dissensio; cuius ego quaedam initia sensi ex Curione. Iam vero Arrius consulatum sibi ereptum fremit; Megabocchus et haec sanguinaria iuventus inimicissima est. Accedat vero, accedat etiam ista rixa auguratus. Spero me praeclaras de istis rebus epistulas ad te saepe missurum. Sed illud quid sit, scire cupio, quod iacis obscure iam etiam ex ipsis quinque viris loqui quosdam. Quidnam id est? Si est enim aliquid, plus est boni, quam putaram. Atque haec sic velim existimes non me abs te κατὰ τὸ πρακτικὸν quaerere, quod gestiat animus aliquid agere in re publica. Iam pridem gubernare me taedebat, etiam cum licebat; nunc vero cum cogar exire de navi non abiectis, sed ereptis gubernaculis, cupio istorum naufragia ex terra intueri, cupio, ut ait tuus amicus Sophocles, κἂν ὑπὸ στέγῃ πυκνῆς ἀκούειν ψακάδος εὑδούσῃ φρενί. De muro quid opus sit, videbis. Castricianum Caesar’s house, now he has not a footing even among twenty; and in the second place, one embassy is talked of, and another is given to him. That fat post for levying money is reserved for Drusus of Pisaurum, I suppose, or for the gourmand Vatinius, while this barren messenger’s job is given to him, and his tribunate too has to wait their convenience. Fire the fellow’s resentment please, as much as you can. My one hope of safety lies in their mutual disagreement: and from Curio I gather that there is a hint of such a thing. Arrius is beginning to rage at being robbed of his consulship: Megabocchus and the rest of that bloodthirsty band of youths are at daggers drawn with them. And God grant there may come a dispute about this augurship on the top. I hope I shall have occasion to send you some of my very best letters and plenty of them on these topics. But I am anxious to know the meaning of that dark hint of yours, that even some of the board of five commissioners are speaking their minds. What on earth can it be? If there really is anything in it, things are in a better way than I thought. Please don’t imagine that I ask the question with a view to action, because my soul is yearning to take part in politics. I have long been sick of holding the helm, even when I was allowed to do so: and now, when I have been marooned and the helm torn from my grasp without waiting for me to surrender it, my only desire is to watch their shipwreck from the dry land. I could wish, as your friend Sophocles says, “In peaceful slumber sunk To hear the pattering raindrops on the roof.” About the wall you will see what is necessary. I mendum nos corrigemus, et tamen ad me Quintus HS CCIↃↃ IↃↃ scripserat, nunc ad sororem tuam HS ¯XXX¯. Terentia tibi salutem dicit. Cicero tibi mandat, ut Aristodemo idem de se respondeas, quod de fratre suo, sororis tuae filio, respondisti. De Ἀμαλθείᾳ quod me admones, non neglegemus. Cura, ut valeas.

de geographia etiam atque etiam deliberabimus. orationes autem a me duas postulas; quarum alteram non libebat mihi scribere +qui absciram+, alteram, ne laudarem eum quem non amabam. sed id quoque videbimus. denique aliquid exstabit, ne tibi plane cessasse videamur. [2] de Publio quae ad me scribis sane mihi iucunda sunt, eaque etiam velim omnibus vestigiis indagata ad me adferas cum venies, et interea scribas si quid intelleges aut suspicabere, et maxime de legatione quid sit acturus. equidem ante quam tuas legi litteras, +in+ hominem ire cupiebam, non me hercule ut differrem cum eo vadimonium (nam mira sum alacritate ad litigandum), sed videbatur mihi, si quid esset in eo populare quod plebeius factus esset, id amissurus. 'quid enim? ad plebem transisti ut Tigranem ires salutatum? narra mihi, reges Armenii patricios resalutare non solent?' quid quaeris? acueram <me> ad exagitandam hanc eius legationem. quam si ille contemnit, et si, ut scribis, bilem id commovet et latoribus et auspicibus legis curiatae, spectaculum egregium. hercule verum ut loquamur, subcontumeliose tractatur noster Publius, primum qui, cum domi Caesaris quondam unus vir fuerit, nunc ne in viginti quidem esse potuerit; deinde alia legatio dicta erat, alia data est. illa opima ad exigendas pecunias Druso, ut opinor, Pisaurensi an epuloni Vatinio reservatur; haec ieiuna tabellari legatio datur ei cuius tribunatus ad istorum tempora reservatur. incende hominem, amabo te, quod potes. Vna spes est salutis istorum inter istos dissensio; cuius ego quaedam initia sensi ex Curione. iam vero Arrius consulatum sibi ereptum fremit; Megabocchus et haec sanguinaria iuventus inimicissima est. accedat vero, accedat etiam ista rixa auguratus. spero me praeclaras de istis rebus epistulas ad te saepe missurum. [4] sed illud quid sit scire cupio, quod iacis obscure iam etiam ex ipsis quinque viris loqui quosdam. quidnam id est? si est enim aliquid, plus est boni quam putaram. atque haec sic velim existimes non me abs te kata to praktikon quaerere, quod gestiat animus aliquid agere in re publica. iam pridem gubernare me taedebat, etiam cum licebat; nunc vero cum cogar exire de navi non abiectis sed ereptis gubernaculis, cupio istorum naufragia ex terra intueri, cupio, ut ait tuus amicus Sophocles, kan hupo stegei puknes akouein psakados heudousei phreni. [5] de muro quid opus sit videbis. Castricianum mendum nos corrigemus, et tamen ad me Quintus HS cci&;[c] I[c][c] scripserat, +non ad sororem tuam HS xxx. a.+ Terentia tibi salutem dicit. Cicero tibi mandat ut Aristodemo idem de se respondeas quod de fratre suo, sororis tuae filio, respondisti. de Amaltheiai quod me admones non neglegemus. cura ut valeas.