Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -45 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
As you are going to look at the garden to-day, I shall of course hear
from you to-morrow what you think of it; and about Faberius, when he has
come. About the letter to Caesar, I give you my word of honour I cannot;
it is not the shame of the thing that prevents me, though that is just
what ought. Ah, how shameful is flattery, when life alone is a disgrace!
But, as I was beginning to say, it is not the shame of it that prevents
me—I only wish it were, for then I should be the man I ought to be—but I
cannot think of anything to write. Just consider the subjects of the
letters of advice addressed to Alexander by men of eloquence and
learning. Here was a youth fired by a desire for the truest glory and
desiring to have some advice given him on the subject of eternal fame,
and they exhort him to follow honour. There is plenty to say on that:
but what can I say? However, from hard material I had rough hewn
something that seemed to me to take shape. Because there were a few
touches in it a little better than the actual facts past or present,
fault is found with them; and I don't regret it a bit. For, if the
letter had reached its destination, believe me, I should have regretted
it. Why, don't you
vides ipsum illum Aristoteli discipulum summo ingenio, summa modestia,
posteaquam rex appellatus sit, superbum, crudelem, immoderatum fuisse?
Quid? tu hunc de pompa Quirini contubernalem his nostris moderatis
epistulis laetaturum putas? Ille vero potius non scripta desideret quam
scripta non probet. Postremo ut volet. Abiit illud, quod tum me
stimulabat, cum tibi dabam πρόβλημα Ἀρχιμήδειον. Multo mehercule magis
nunc opto casum illum, quem tum timebam, vel quem libebit.
Nisi quid te aliud impediet, mi optato veneris. Nicias a Dolabella magno
opere arcessitus (legi enim litteras), etsi invito me, tamen eodem me
auctore, profectus est.
Hoc manu mea. Cum quasi alias res quaererem de philologis e Nicia,
incidimus in Talnam. Ille de ingenio nihil nimis, modestum et frugi. Sed
hoc mihi non placuit. Se scire aiebat ab eo nuper petitam Cornificiam,
Q. filiam, vetulam sane et multarum nuptiarum; non esse probatum
mulieribus, quod ita reperirent, rem non maiorem ¯DCCC¯. Hoc putavi te
scire oportere.
de Vergili parte valde probo. sic ages igitur. et quidem id erit primum, proximum Clodiae. quod si neutrum, metuo ne turbem et inruam in Drusum. intemperans sum in eius rei cupiditate quam nosti. itaque revolvor identidem in Tusculanum. quidvis enim potius quam ut non hac aestate absolvatur. [2] ego, ut tempus est nostrum, locum habeo nullum ubi facilius esse possim quam Asturae. sed quia qui mecum sunt, credo, quod maestitiam meam non ferunt, domum properant, etsi poteram remanere, tamen, ut scripsi tibi, proficiscar hinc ne relictus videar. quo autem? Lanuvio conor equidem in Tusculanum. sed faciam te statim certiorem. tu litteras conficies. equidem credibile non est quantum scribam, quin etiam noctibus; nihil enim somni. heri etiam effeci epistulam ad Caesarem; tibi enim placebat. quam non fuit malum scribi, si forte opus esse putares; ut quidem nunc est, nihil sane est necesse mittere. sed id quidem, ut tibi videbitur. mittam tamen ad te exemplum fortasse Lanuvio, nisi forte Romam. sed cras scies.
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As you are going to look at the garden to-day, I shall of course hear from you to-morrow what you think of it; and about Faberius, when he has come. About the letter to Caesar, I give you my word of honour I cannot; it is not the shame of the thing that prevents me, though that is just what ought. Ah, how shameful is flattery, when life alone is a disgrace! But, as I was beginning to say, it is not the shame of it that prevents me—I only wish it were, for then I should be the man I ought to be—but I cannot think of anything to write. Just consider the subjects of the letters of advice addressed to Alexander by men of eloquence and learning. Here was a youth fired by a desire for the truest glory and desiring to have some advice given him on the subject of eternal fame, and they exhort him to follow honour. There is plenty to say on that: but what can I say? However, from hard material I had rough hewn something that seemed to me to take shape. Because there were a few touches in it a little better than the actual facts past or present, fault is found with them; and I don't regret it a bit. For, if the letter had reached its destination, believe me, I should have regretted it. Why, don't you
vides ipsum illum Aristoteli discipulum summo ingenio, summa modestia, posteaquam rex appellatus sit, superbum, crudelem, immoderatum fuisse? Quid? tu hunc de pompa Quirini contubernalem his nostris moderatis epistulis laetaturum putas? Ille vero potius non scripta desideret quam scripta non probet. Postremo ut volet. Abiit illud, quod tum me stimulabat, cum tibi dabam πρόβλημα Ἀρχιμήδειον. Multo mehercule magis nunc opto casum illum, quem tum timebam, vel quem libebit.
Nisi quid te aliud impediet, mi optato veneris. Nicias a Dolabella magno opere arcessitus (legi enim litteras), etsi invito me, tamen eodem me auctore, profectus est.
Hoc manu mea. Cum quasi alias res quaererem de philologis e Nicia, incidimus in Talnam. Ille de ingenio nihil nimis, modestum et frugi. Sed hoc mihi non placuit. Se scire aiebat ab eo nuper petitam Cornificiam, Q. filiam, vetulam sane et multarum nuptiarum; non esse probatum mulieribus, quod ita reperirent, rem non maiorem ¯DCCC¯. Hoc putavi te scire oportere.
Latin / Greek Original
de Vergili parte valde probo. sic ages igitur. et quidem id erit primum, proximum Clodiae. quod si neutrum, metuo ne turbem et inruam in Drusum. intemperans sum in eius rei cupiditate quam nosti. itaque revolvor identidem in Tusculanum. quidvis enim potius quam ut non hac aestate absolvatur. [2] ego, ut tempus est nostrum, locum habeo nullum ubi facilius esse possim quam Asturae. sed quia qui mecum sunt, credo, quod maestitiam meam non ferunt, domum properant, etsi poteram remanere, tamen, ut scripsi tibi, proficiscar hinc ne relictus videar. quo autem? Lanuvio conor equidem in Tusculanum. sed faciam te statim certiorem. tu litteras conficies. equidem credibile non est quantum scribam, quin etiam noctibus; nihil enim somni. heri etiam effeci epistulam ad Caesarem; tibi enim placebat. quam non fuit malum scribi, si forte opus esse putares; ut quidem nunc est, nihil sane est necesse mittere. sed id quidem, ut tibi videbitur. mittam tamen ad te exemplum fortasse Lanuvio, nisi forte Romam. sed cras scies.