Letter 308

Your letter about dear Attica stung me to the quick; but it healed the wound again. For you consoled yourself in the same letter, and that I counted sufficient warrant for moderating my grief. You have given my speech for Ligarius a magnificent start. Henceforth, when I write anything, I shall leave it to you to advertise it. As to what you say about Varro, you know formerly I have written speeches or things of such a kind, that I could not introduce him; but afterwards, when I began these more literary works, Varro had already promised to dedicate a great and important work to me. Two years have passed and that slow coach, though always on the move, has not advanced an inch, while I was prepared to pay him back "full measure and more" for what he sent, if I could. For Hesiod adds "if you can." Now I have pledged my _De Finibus_, of which I Bruto, ut tibi placuit, despondimus, idque eum non nolle mihi scripsisti. Ergo illam Ἀκαδημικήν, in qua homines nobiles illi quidem, sed nullo modo philologi nimis acute loquuntur, ad Varronem transferamus. Etenim sunt Antiochia, quae iste valde probat. Catulo et Lucullo alibi reponemus, ita tamen, si tu hoc probas; deque eo mihi rescribas velim. De Brinniana auctione accepi a Vestorio litteras. Ait sine ulla controversia rem ad me esse conlatam. Romae videlicet aut in Tusculano me fore putaverunt a. d. VIII Kal. Quinct. Dices igitur vel amico tuo, S. Vettio, coheredi meo, vel Labeoni nostro, paulum proferant auctionem; me circiter Nonas in Tusculano fore. Cum Pisone Erotem habes. De Scapulanis hortis toto pectore cogitemus. Dies adest. XIII, XIV Under the influence of your letters about Varro I have taken the whole of my _Academica_ from its eminent interlocutors and transferred it to our friend: and from two books I have turned it into four. They are certainly finer than the first draft though a good deal has been cut out. But I should very much like you to tell me how you knew Varro wanted it: and one thing at any rate I want to know, who ab eo ζηλοτυπεῖσθαι nisi forte Brutum. Id hercle restabat. Sed tamen scire pervelim. Libri quidem ita exierunt, nisi forte me communis φιλαυτία decipit, ut in tali genere ne apud Graecos quidem simile quicquam. Tu illam iacturam feres aequo animo, quod illa, quae habes de Academicis, frustra descripta sunt. Multo tamen haec erunt splendidiora, breviora, meliora. Nunc autem ἀπορῶ, quo me vertam. Volo Dolabellae valde desideranti; non reperio, quid, et simul [Sidenote: _Iliad_, vi. 442; xxii. 100] "αἰδέομαι Τρῶας" neque, si aliquid, potero μέμψιν effugere. Aut cessandum igitur aut aliquid excogitandum. Sed quid haec levia curamus? Attica mea, obsecro te, quid agit? Quae me valde angit. Sed crebro regusto tuas litteras; in his acquiesco. Tamen exspecto novas. Brinni libertus, coheres noster, scripsit ad me velle, si mihi placeret, coheredes, se et Sabinum Albium, ad me venire. Id ego plane nolo. Hereditas tanti non est. Et tamen obire auctionis diem facile poterunt (est enim III Idus), si me in Tusculano postridie Nonas mane convenerint. Quodsi laxius volent proferre diem, poterunt vel biduum vel triduum, vel ut videbitur; nihil enim interest. Quare, nisi iam profecti sunt, retinebis homines. De Bruto, si quid egerit, de Caesare, si quid scies, si quid erit praeterea, scribes. was it of whom you noticed he was jealous: unless perhaps it was Brutus. Upon my word that is the only possible answer: but still I should much like to know. Unless I am deceived like most people by egotism, the books have turned out superior to anything of the kind even in Greek. You must not be annoyed at the loss you have incurred in having the part of the _Academica_ you have copied in vain. The new draft will be far finer, shorter, and better. But now I don't know where to turn. I want to do something for Dolabella, as he is very anxious for it. But I can't think of anything, and at the same time "I fear the Trojans," and even if I can think of something, I shall not escape criticism. So I must either be idle or rack my brains for something. But why do I bother about trifles like this? Pray tell me how dear Attica is. I am very anxious about her. But I keep dipping into your letter again and again, and that solaces me. Nevertheless I am looking forward to a fresh one. Brinnius' freedman, my co-heir, has written to me that the rest of the heirs want him and Sabinus Albius to come to me, if I am willing. I am all against that: it is more than the legacy is worth. However, they can easily manage to attend the auction, which is on the 13th, if they meet me at my place at Tusculum early on the 8th. But, if they want to put off the date still further, they can do so two or three days or as much as they like: it does not matter to me. So, unless the people have started already, stop them. If Brutus has done anything, or if you have any news about Caesar or anything else, let me know. XIV, XV

commodum discesseras heri cum Trebatius venit, paulo post Curtius, hic salutandi causa sed mansit invitatus. Trebatium nobiscum habemus. hodie mane Dolabella. multus sermo ad multum diem. nihil possum dicere e)ktene/steron , nihil filostorgo/teron . ventum est tamen ad Quintum. multa a)/fata , a)dih/ghta , sed unum eius modi quod nisi exercitus sciret, non modo Tironi dictare sed ne ipse quidem auderem scribere. . . . sed hactenus. Eu)kai/rwj ad me venit, cum haberem Dolabellam, Torquatus humanissimeque Dolabella quibus verbis secum egissem exposuit. Commodum enim egeram diligentissime; quae diligentia grata est visa Torquato. [2] a te exspecto si quid de Bruto. quamquam Nicias confectum putabat sed divortium non probari. quo etiam magis laboro idem quod tu. si quid est enim offensionis, haec res mederi potest. mihi Arpinum eundum est. nam et opus est constitui a nobis illa praediola et vereor ne exeundi potestas non sit cum Caesar venerit: de cuius adventu eam opinionem Dolabella habet quam tu coniecturam faciebas ex litteris Messallae. cum illuc venero intellexeroque quid negoti sit, tum ad quos dies rediturus sim scribam ad te.