Letter 36

Your letter about the Campanian land was delivered to me on the evening before the Kalends of May, after I had dined and was already falling asleep. What can I say? At first it stung me so sharply that it drove away my sleep — though more from reflection than from distress. As I lay thinking, roughly the following occurred to me. First, from what you had written in your earlier letter — that you had heard from an intimate of his that something would be brought forward which no one would disapprove of — I had feared something greater. This did not seem to me to be of that kind. Then, to console myself: all expectation of agrarian largesse seems to have been channeled into the Campanian land, which, even at ten iugera per person, cannot support more than five thousand settlers. The entire remaining multitude must necessarily be alienated from them. Furthermore, if there is anything that could more violently inflame the spirits of the loyal men — who I can already see are stirred up — this is certainly it, and all the more so because, with the customs duties of Italy abolished and the Campanian land distributed, what domestic revenue remains besides the five percent tax? That tax, it seems to me, would perish at a single little assembly amid the cheers of our lackeys. As for our friend Gnaeus, I truly no longer know what he is thinking. "For he no longer blows on small, slender pipes, but on savage bellowing horns" — and yet he has actually been brought to this point. For until now he had been reasoning cleverly as follows: that he approved of Caesar's laws, but that Caesar himself ought to answer for their execution; that the agrarian law was acceptable to him, and whether it could have been vetoed or not was no concern of his; that regarding the king of Alexandria, he had thought the matter should finally be settled; that whether Bibulus was watching the heavens at the time was not something he needed to inquire into; that regarding the tax-collectors, he had wished to oblige that order; and that what would have happened if Bibulus had come down to the forum at that moment, he could not have foreseen. But now, Sampsiceramus, what will you say? That you established a revenue for us on Mount Antilibanus and took away the Campanian land? How, pray, will you maintain this? "I will hold you down," he says, "with Caesar's army." By Hercules, it is not so much that army that restrains me as the ungrateful spirits of those men who are called the loyal party, who have never returned to me any fruit or gratitude — not only of rewards, but not even of conversation. If I were to rouse myself in that direction, I would certainly soon find some path of resistance. But as things stand, I have resolved on this: since there is so great a dispute between your friend Dicaearchus and my friend Theophrastus — your man placing the life of action far above all others, while mine champions the life of contemplation — I should seem to have obliged them both. For I think I have satisfied Dicaearchus abundantly enough; I now look to the other school, which not only permits me to rest but reproaches me for not having always been at rest. Therefore let us devote ourselves, my dear Titus, to those noble studies and return at last to the place from which we ought never to have departed. As to what you write about my brother Quintus's letter — to me as well it was "a lion in front, but behind —." I do not know what to say. For in the opening lines he so laments his continued stay abroad that he could move anyone, yet then he relaxes again and asks me to revise and publish his annals. But I would like you to take note of the matter you mention about the transit duty. He says he referred the matter to the senate on the advice of his council. Evidently he had not yet read my letter, in which I wrote to him, after thoroughly consulting and investigating the question, that the duty was not owed. If any Greeks from Asia have already come to Rome on account of this matter, I would like you to see them and, if you think fit, explain to them my view of the affair. If I can manage to withdraw so that an excellent case is not lost in the senate, I will satisfy the tax-collectors; but with them — to speak frankly with you — in this matter I prefer to serve all of Asia and the businessmen, for it greatly concerns them too. This is what I feel we very much need. But you will judge that. And the quaestors — pray tell, are they also raising difficulties about the cistophorus? For if nothing else is forthcoming, when we have tried everything, I will not even despise that last resort. We shall see you at Arpinum and receive you with country hospitality, since you have scorned our seaside place.

As I was taking a nap after dinner on the last of April, your letter about the Campanian land arrived. Well, at first it startled me so that it banished all desire to sleep, though it was thought rather than uneasiness that kept me awake. The result of my cogitations was something of this sort. First, when you said in your last letter you had heard from a great friend of Caesar’s that some proposal was going to be made to which no one could object, I had feared some sweeping measure; but this I don’t consider anything of the kind. Secondly—and that is some consolation to me—all hope of agrarian distribution seems to have been diverted to the Campanian land. Supposing that the allotments are about 6 acres apiece, that land will not hold more than 5,000 people; so they have to offend all the rest of the masses. Besides, if anything is calculated to arouse a fiercer pitch of indignation in the minds of the conservatives, who are obviously getting roused already, this is the very thing that will; all the more so because there won’t be any home tax left except the 5 per cent., now that the customs duties have been abolished, if the Campanian land is distributed: and that, I fancy, it would take only one petty harangue assisted by the cheers of our lacqueys to abolish. What on earth our friend Gnaeus is thinking of in letting himself be carried so far, I cannot tell: He blows no more on slender pipe of reed, But fierce unmodulated trumpet-blasts. haec ἐσοφίζετο, se leges Caesaris probare, actiones ipsum praestare debere; agrariam legem sibi placuisse, potuerit intercedi necne, nihil ad se pertinere; de rege Alexandrino placuisse sibi aliquando confici, Bibulus de caelo tum servasset necne, sibi quaerendum non fuisse; de publicanis voluisse se illi ordini commodare, quid futurum fuerit, si Bibulus tum in forum descendisset, se divinare non potuisse. Nunc vero, Sampsicerame, quid dices? vectigal te nobis in monte Antilibano constituisse, agri Campani abstulisse? Quid? hoc quem ad modum obtinebis? “Oppressos vos,” inquit, “tenebo exercitu Caesaris.” Non mehercule me tu quidem tam isto exercitu quam ingratis animis eorum hominum, qui appellantur boni, qui mihi non mode praemiorum, sed ne sermonum quidem umquam fructum ullum aut gratiam rettulerunt. Quodsi in eam me partem incitarem, profecto iam aliquam reperirem resistendi viam. Nunc prorsus hoc statui, ut, quoniam tanta controversia est Dicaearcho, familiari tuo, cum Theophrasto, amico meo, ut ille tuus τὸν πρακτικὸν βίον longe omnibus anteponat, hic autem τὸν θεωρητικόν, utrique a me mos gestus esse videatur. Puto enim me Dicaearcho adfatim satis fecisse; respicio nunc ad hanc familiam, quae mihi non modo, ut requiescam, permittit, sed reprehendit, quia non semper quierim. Quare incumbamus, o noster Tite, ad illa praeclara studia et For up to now he has chopped logic about the matter, saying that he approved of Caesar’s laws, but it was for Caesar to see to their passing: that the agrarian law was sound enough to his mind, but whether it could be vetoed by a tribune or not did not matter to him: he thought it was high time the question was settled with the king of Alexandria: whether Bibulus had been watching for omens or not at that particular moment was no business of his: as for the tax-gatherers, they were a class that he wished to oblige: what was going to happen, if Bibulus came down to the forum on that occasion, he could not have prophesied. But now what has the Pasha got to say for himself? That he imposed a tax on Antilibanus and took it off the Campanian land? Well, I don’t see how he will make it good. “I will keep you in check with Caesar’s army,” he says. No, not me at least; that army will not restrain me so much as the ungrateful minds of the so-called constitutionalists, who have not repaid my services even by thanks, much less by more substantial rewards. But, if I were really to rouse myself to energy against that party, I would certainly find some means of resisting them. As it is, since there is such an endless controversy between your intimate Dicaearchus and my friend Theophrastus, Dicaearchus giving the preference to a practical life, Theophrastus to a contemplative, I have set my mind on making it clear that I have humoured them both. I take it I have fully satisfied Dicaearchus: now I am turning my eye to the other school, which not only gives me permission to take my ease now, but blames me for ever having done anything else. So, my dear Titus, let me throw myself heart and soul into those excellent studies, eo, unde discedere non oportuit, aliquando revertamur. Quod de Quinti fratris epistula scribis, ad me quoque fuit πρόσθε λέων, ὄπιθεν δὲ—quid dicam, nescio; nam ita deplorat primis versibus mansionem suam, ut quemvis movere possit, ita rursus remittit, ut me roget, ut annales suos emendem et edam. Illud tamen, quod scribis, animadvertas velim de portorio circumvectionis; ait se de consilii sententia rem ad senatum reiecisse. Nondum videlicet meas litteras legerat, quibus ad eum re consulta et explorata perscripseram non deberi. Velim, si qui Graeci iam Romam ex Asia de ea causa venerunt, videas et, si tibi videbitur, iis demonstres, quid ego de ea re sentiam. Si possum discedere, ne causa optuma in senatu pereat, ego satis faciam publicanis; εἰ δὲ μή (vere tecum loquar), in hac re malo universae Asiae et negotiatoribus; nam eorum quoque vehementer interest. Hoc ego sentio valde nobis opus esse. Sed tu id videbis. Quaestores autem, quaeso, num etiam de cistophoro dubitant? Nam, si aliud nihil erit, cum erimus omnia experti, ego ne illud quidem contemnam, quod extremum est. Te in Arpinati videbimus et hospitio agresti accipiemus, quoniam maritumum hoc contempsisti. and at length seek the home that I ought never to have left. As for your complaints about my brother Quintus’ letter, to me, too, it seemed “a lion before, behind”—heaven knows what. For the groans in the first lines about his long absence would touch anybody’s heart: then afterwards he calms down sufficiently to ask me to touch up and edit his journal. Please pay some attention to the point you mention about the dues on goods transferred from port to port. He says he referred it to the Senate by the advice of his assessors. Evidently he had not read my letter, in which I told him after careful consideration and research that no tax was legally due. If any Greeks have come from Asia to Rome about it, please see them, and, it you think fit, tell them my opinion. If I can recant, I will do as the tax collectors wish, rather than see the good cause worsted in the House: but, if not, I candidly confess I prefer the interests of the whole of Asia and the merchants, for I feel it is really a matter of great importance to them. I think, however, it is a case of necessity for us. But you will see to it. Are the quaestors, then, still debating about the currency? If there is no escape from it in spite of all our efforts, I shouldn’t turn up my nose at the Asiatic coins as the last resource. I shall see you at Arpinum, and give you a country welcome, since you have despised this at the seaside.

cenato mihi et iam dormitanti pridie K; Maias epistula est illa reddita in qua de agro Campano scribis. quid quaeris? primo ita me pupugit ut somnum mihi ademerit, sed id cogitatione magis quam molestia; cogitanti autem haec fere succurrebant. primum ex eo quod superioribus litteris scripseras, ex familiari te illius audisse prolatum iri aliquid quod nemo improbaret, maius aliquid timueram. hoc mihi eius modi non videbatur. deinde ut me egomet consoler, omnis exspectatio largitionis agrariae in agrum Campanum videtur esse derivata, qui ager; ut dena iugera sint, non amplius homines quinque milia potest sustinere; reliqua omnis multitudo ab illis abalienetur necesse est. praeterea si ulla res est quae bonorum animos quos iam video esse commotos vehementius possit incendere, haec certe est et eo magis quod portoriis Italiae sublatis, agro Campano diviso, quod vectigal superest domesticum praeter vicensimam? quae mihi videtur una contiuncula clamore pedisequorum nostrorum esse peritura. [2] Gnaeus quidem noster iam plane quid cogitet nescio . phusai gar ou smikroisin auliskois eti, all' agriais phusaisi phorbeias ater qui quidem etiam istuc adduci potuerit. nam adhuc haec esophizeto, se leges Caesaris probare, actiones ipsum praestare debere; agrariam legem sibi placuisse, potuerit intercedi necne nihil ad se pertinere; de rege Alexandrino placuisse sibi aliquando confici; Bibulus de caelo tum servasset necne sibi quaerendum non fuisse; de publicanis voluisse illi ordini commodare; quid futurum fuerit si Bibulus tum in forum descendisset se divinare non potuisse. nunc vero, Sampsicerame, quid dices? vectigal te nobis in monte Antilibano constituisse, agri Campani abstulisse? quid? hoc quem ad modum obtinebis? 'oppressos vos' inquit 'tenebo exercitu Caesaris.' non me hercule me tu quidem tam isto exercitu quam ingratis animis eorum hominum qui appellantur boni, qui mihi non modo praemiorum sed ne sermonum quidem umquam fructum ullum aut gratiam rettulerunt. [3] quod si in eam me partem incitarem, profecto iam aliquam reperirem resistendi viam. nunc prorsus hoc statui, ut, quoniam tanta controversia est Dicaearcho familiari tuo cum Theophrasto amico meo ut ille tuus ton praktikon bion longe omnibus anteponat, hic autem ton theoretikon utrique a me mos gestus esse videatur. puto enim me Dicaearcho adfatim satis fecisse; respicio nunc ad hanc familiam quae mihi non modo ut requiescam permittit, sed reprehendit quia non semper quierim. qua re incumbamus, o noster Tite, ad illa praeclara studia et eo unde discedere non oportuit aliquando revertamur. [4] quod de Quinti fratris epistula scribis, ad me quoque fuit prosthe leon, opithen de—. quid dicam nescio; nam ita deplorat primis versibus mansionem suam ut quemvis movere possit, ita rursus remittit ut me roget ut annalis suos emendem et edam. illud tamen quod scribis animadvertas velim de portorio circumvectionis; ait se de consili sententia rem ad senatum reiecisse. nondum videlicet meas litteras legerat quibus ad eum re consulta et explorata perscripseram non deberi. velim si qui Graeci iam Romam ex Asia de ea causa venerunt videas et, si tibi videbitur, iis demonstres quid ego de ea re sentiam. si possum discedere, ne causa optima in senatu pereat, ego satis faciam publicanis; ei de me (vere tecum loquar), in hac re malo universae Asiae et negotiatoribus; nam eorum quoque vehementer interest. hoc ego sentio valde nobis opus esse. sed tu id videbis. quaestores autem, quaeso, num etiam de cistophoro dubitant? nam si aliud nihil erit, cum erimus omnia experti, ego ne illud quidem contemnam quod extremum est; te in Arpinati videbimus et hospitio agresti accipiemus, quoniam maritimum hoc contempsisti.