Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -44 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
I have thanked Vettienus; for nothing could have been kinder. Let
Dolabella give me what commissions he will, provided I have something,
even a message to Nicias. For, as you say, who will deny it? Can any
sane man doubt now that I am going away in despair, not on a mission?
You say that people, aye, even good citizens, are talking of desperate
political measures. I began to have my doubts on the day that I heard
that tyrant called "a most distinguished man." Afterwards, when I was
with you at Lanuvium and saw that our friends had precisely so much hope
of life as Antony gave them, I lost all hope. So, my dear Atticus, I
hope you will take what I am going to say with the same courage as I
write it. As I think the kind of death towards which the current of
affairs is setting is disgraceful and hold that we are practically
condemned to it by Antony, I have decided to escape from the toils, not
so much to escape as in hope of a better death. All this is Brutus'
fault.
You say Pompeius has been received at Carteia. So there will soon be an
army sent against him. Then which camp am I to choose? For Antony makes
neutrality impossible. That is weak, this is criminal. So let me hasten
away. But give me your counsel whether to sail from Brundisium or
Puteoli. Brutus does wisely to go, but it is sudden. I am rather upset
about it, for when shall I see him again? But such is life. You yourself
cannot see him. Heaven confound that dead man for ever touching
Buthrotum. But away with the past; let us see what has to be done.
Rationes Erotis, etsi ipsum nondum vidi, tamen et ex litteris eius et ex
eo, quod Tiro cognovit, prope modum cognitas habeo. Versuram scribis
esse faciendam mensum quinque, id est ad Kal. Nov., HS ¯CC¯; in eam
diem cadere nummos, qui a Quinto debentur. Velim igitur, quoniam Tiro
negat tibi placere me eius rei causa Romam venire, si ea te res nihil
offendet, videas, unde nummi sint, mihi feras expensum. Hoc video in
praesentia opus esse. Reliqua diligentius ex hoc ipso exquiram, in his
de mercedibus dotalium praediorum. Quae si fideliter Ciceroni
curabuntur, quamquam volo laxius, tamen ei prope modum nihil derit.
Equidem video mihi quoque opus esse viaticum; sed ei ex praediis, ut
cadet, ita solvetur, mihi autem opus est universo. Equidem, etsi mihi
videtur iste, qui umbras timet, ad caedem spectare, tamen nisi explicata
solutione non sum discessurus. Sitne autem explicata necne, tecum
cognoscam. Hanc putavi mea manu scribendam itaque feci. De Fadio, ut
scribis, utique alii nemini. Rescribas velim hodie.
duas accepi postridie Idus, alteram eo die datam, alteram Idibus. prius igitur superiori. de <D.> Bruto, cum scies. de consulum ficto timore cognoveram. Sicca enim filosto/rgwj ille quidem sed tumultuosius ad me etiam illam suspicionem pertulit. quid tu autem? ' ta\ me\n dido/mena --,? nullum enim verbum a Siregio . non placet. de Plaetono vicino tuo permoleste tuli quemquam prius audisse quam me. de Syro prudenter. L. Antonium per Marcum fratrem, ut arbitror, facillime deterrebis. Antroni vetui; sed nondum acceperas litteras, ne cuiquam nisi L. Fadio aedili. aliter enim nec caute nec iure fieri potest. quod scribis tibi deesse HS c_ quae Ciceroni curata sint, velim ab Erote quaeras ubi sit merces insularum. Arabioni de Sittio nihil irascor. ego de itinere nisi explicato L nihil cogito; quod idem tibi videri puto. [2] habes ad superiorem. nunc audi ad alteram. tu vero facis ut omnia quod Serviliae non dees, id est Bruto. de regina gaudeo te non laborare, teste m etiam tibi probari. Erotis rationes et ex Tirone cognovi et vocavi ipsum. gratissimum quod polliceris Ciceroni nihil defuturum; de quo mirabilia Messalla qui Lanuvio rediens ab illis venit ad me, et me hercule ipsius litterae sic et filosto/rgwj et eu)pinw=j scriptae ut eas vel in acroasi audeam legere. quo magis illi indulgendum puto. de Buciliano Sestium puto non moleste ferre. ego, si Tiro ad me, cogito in Tusculanum. tu vero, quicquid erit quod me scire par sit, statim.
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I have thanked Vettienus; for nothing could have been kinder. Let Dolabella give me what commissions he will, provided I have something, even a message to Nicias. For, as you say, who will deny it? Can any sane man doubt now that I am going away in despair, not on a mission? You say that people, aye, even good citizens, are talking of desperate political measures. I began to have my doubts on the day that I heard that tyrant called "a most distinguished man." Afterwards, when I was with you at Lanuvium and saw that our friends had precisely so much hope of life as Antony gave them, I lost all hope. So, my dear Atticus, I hope you will take what I am going to say with the same courage as I write it. As I think the kind of death towards which the current of affairs is setting is disgraceful and hold that we are practically condemned to it by Antony, I have decided to escape from the toils, not so much to escape as in hope of a better death. All this is Brutus' fault.
You say Pompeius has been received at Carteia. So there will soon be an army sent against him. Then which camp am I to choose? For Antony makes neutrality impossible. That is weak, this is criminal. So let me hasten away. But give me your counsel whether to sail from Brundisium or Puteoli. Brutus does wisely to go, but it is sudden. I am rather upset about it, for when shall I see him again? But such is life. You yourself cannot see him. Heaven confound that dead man for ever touching Buthrotum. But away with the past; let us see what has to be done.
Rationes Erotis, etsi ipsum nondum vidi, tamen et ex litteris eius et ex eo, quod Tiro cognovit, prope modum cognitas habeo. Versuram scribis esse faciendam mensum quinque, id est ad Kal. Nov., HS ¯CC¯; in eam diem cadere nummos, qui a Quinto debentur. Velim igitur, quoniam Tiro negat tibi placere me eius rei causa Romam venire, si ea te res nihil offendet, videas, unde nummi sint, mihi feras expensum. Hoc video in praesentia opus esse. Reliqua diligentius ex hoc ipso exquiram, in his de mercedibus dotalium praediorum. Quae si fideliter Ciceroni curabuntur, quamquam volo laxius, tamen ei prope modum nihil derit. Equidem video mihi quoque opus esse viaticum; sed ei ex praediis, ut cadet, ita solvetur, mihi autem opus est universo. Equidem, etsi mihi videtur iste, qui umbras timet, ad caedem spectare, tamen nisi explicata solutione non sum discessurus. Sitne autem explicata necne, tecum cognoscam. Hanc putavi mea manu scribendam itaque feci. De Fadio, ut scribis, utique alii nemini. Rescribas velim hodie.
Latin / Greek Original
duas accepi postridie Idus, alteram eo die datam, alteram Idibus. prius igitur superiori. de <D.> Bruto, cum scies. de consulum ficto timore cognoveram. Sicca enim filosto/rgwj ille quidem sed tumultuosius ad me etiam illam suspicionem pertulit. quid tu autem? ' ta\ me\n dido/mena --,? nullum enim verbum a Siregio . non placet. de Plaetono vicino tuo permoleste tuli quemquam prius audisse quam me. de Syro prudenter. L. Antonium per Marcum fratrem, ut arbitror, facillime deterrebis. Antroni vetui; sed nondum acceperas litteras, ne cuiquam nisi L. Fadio aedili. aliter enim nec caute nec iure fieri potest. quod scribis tibi deesse HS c_ quae Ciceroni curata sint, velim ab Erote quaeras ubi sit merces insularum. Arabioni de Sittio nihil irascor. ego de itinere nisi explicato L nihil cogito; quod idem tibi videri puto. [2] habes ad superiorem. nunc audi ad alteram. tu vero facis ut omnia quod Serviliae non dees, id est Bruto. de regina gaudeo te non laborare, teste m etiam tibi probari. Erotis rationes et ex Tirone cognovi et vocavi ipsum. gratissimum quod polliceris Ciceroni nihil defuturum; de quo mirabilia Messalla qui Lanuvio rediens ab illis venit ad me, et me hercule ipsius litterae sic et filosto/rgwj et eu)pinw=j scriptae ut eas vel in acroasi audeam legere. quo magis illi indulgendum puto. de Buciliano Sestium puto non moleste ferre. ego, si Tiro ad me, cogito in Tusculanum. tu vero, quicquid erit quod me scire par sit, statim.