Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -66 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
How great a grief I have received, and how great a benefit I have been deprived of, both in public life and in private, by the death of our dear Lucius, you above all can judge from our long familiarity. For all the pleasures that can come to a person from the kindness and character of another, all these came to me from him. Therefore I do not doubt that this is painful to you as well, since you are moved by my grief and have yourself lost a kinsman and friend adorned with every virtue and dutiful service, one who loved you both of his own accord and through my commendation.
As to what you write to me about your sister, she herself will be your witness how great a concern it has been to me that the disposition of my brother Quintus toward her should be what it ought to be. When I judged him to be somewhat offended, I sent him a letter in which I soothed him as a brother, advised him as a younger man, and rebuked him as one in the wrong. And so, from what he has often written to me since then, I am confident that all is as it should be and as we would wish.
Regarding the sending of letters, you accuse me without cause. For I was never informed by our Pomponia that there was anyone to whom I could give a letter; moreover, it did not happen that I had anyone setting out for Epirus, nor had we yet heard that you were in Athens. As for the Acutilian business that you had entrusted to me, I had settled it as soon as I came to Rome after your departure. But it turned out that no dispute was necessary, and that I, who have judged there to be sufficient good sense in you, preferred that Peducaeus give you advice by letter rather than myself. For since I had given my ears to Acutilius for many days—whose manner of speaking I believe is known to you—I did not think it burdensome to write to you about his complaints, since I had considered it a light matter to listen to them, even though it was somewhat tedious. But know that from you yourself, who accuse me, only one letter has been delivered to me, though you have had both more leisure for writing and greater opportunity for sending.
As to what you write, that even if someone's feelings toward you were rather offended, it would be proper for me to win him back—I understand what you mean, and I have not neglected it, but he is affected in a strangely particular way. For my part, I have not omitted saying what needed to be said on your behalf; but how far I should press the matter, I thought I ought to determine according to your wishes. If you write these out to me fully, you will see that I have wished to be neither more zealous than you yourself were, nor shall I be more negligent than you would wish.
Regarding the Tadius affair, Tadius spoke with me and said you had written that there was nothing more to worry about, since the inheritance had been acquired by usucapion. We were surprised that you did not know that nothing can be acquired by usucapion from a legal guardianship, under which the girl is said to be.
I am glad the Epirote purchase pleases you. The things I have commissioned from you, and whatever you judge would suit our Tusculan estate, I would ask you, as you write, to attend to—so far as you can do so without inconvenience to yourself. For it is in that one place alone that I find rest from all my troubles and labors.
We expect my brother Quintus any day now. Terentia has severe pains in her joints. She loves you and your sister and your mother most dearly, and sends you her warmest greetings—as does our little Tullia, our darling. Take care of your health, and love me, and be assured that you are loved by me as a brother.
You, who know me so well, can guess better than anyone the grief I have
felt at the death of my cousin Lucius and the loss it means to me both
in my public and in my private life. He has always
alterius et moribus homini accidere possunt, ex illo accidebant. Quare
non dubito, quin tibi quoque id molestum sit, cum et meo dolore moveare
et ipse omni virtute officioque ornatissimum tuique et sua sponte et meo
sermone amantem adfinem amicumque amiseris.
Quod ad me scribis de sorore tua, testis erit tibi ipsa, quantae mihi
curae fuerit, ut Quinti fratris animus in eam esset is, qui esse
deberet. Quem cum esse offensiorem arbitrarer, eas litteras ad eum misi,
quibus et placarem ut fratrem et monerem ut minorem et obiurgarem ut
errantem. Itaque ex iis, quae postea saepe ab eo ad me scripta sunt,
confido ita esse omnia, ut et oporteat et velimus.
De litterarum missione sine causa abs te accusor. Numquam enim a
Pomponia nostra certior sum factus esse, cui dare litteras possem, porro
autem neque mihi accidit, ut haberem, qui in Epirum proficisceretur,
nequedum te Athenis esse audiebamus. De Acutiliano autem negotio quod
mihi mandaras, ut primum a tuo digressu Romam veni, confeceram; sed
accidit, ut et contentione nihil opus esset, et ut ego, qui in te satis
consilii statuerim esse, mallem Peducaeum tibi consilium per litteras
quam me dare. Etenim, cum multos dies aures meas Acutilio dedissem,
cuius sermonis genus tibi notum esse arbitror, non mihi grave duxi
scribere ad te de illius querimoniis, cum eas audire, quod erat
subodiosum, leve putassem. Sed abs te ipso, qui me accusas, unas mihi
scito litteras redditas esse, cum et otii ad scribendum plus et
facultatem dandi maiorem habueris.
Quod scribis, etiamsi cuius animus in te esset
been kindness itself to me, and has rendered me every service a friend
could. I am sure you too will feel it, partly out of sympathy with me,
and partly because you will miss a dear and valued friend and relative,
who was attached to you of his own accord and at my prompting.
You mention your sister. She herself will tell you the pains I have
taken to make my brother Quintus behave as he should to her. When I
thought he was a little annoyed, I wrote to him trying to smooth matters
down with him as a brother, to give him good advice as my junior and to
remonstrate with him as in error. Judging by all the letters I have had
from him since, I trust things are as they should be and as we wish them
to be.
You have no reason to complain of lack of letters from me, as Pomponia
has never let me know when there was a messenger to give them to.
Besides it has so happened that I have not had anyone starting for
Epirus and have not yet heard of your arrival at Athens. Acutilius’
business I settled according to your directions, as soon as ever I got
to Rome after your departure: but, as it happened, there was no hurry,
and, knowing I could trust your good judgement, I preferred Peducaeus to
advise you by letter rather than myself. It was not the bother of
writing you an account of his grievances that I shirked. I spent several
days listening to him, and you know his way of talking; and I did not
mind, though it was a bit of a bore. Though you grumble at me, I’ve only
had one letter from you, let me tell you, and you have had more time to
write and a better chance of sending letters than I’ve had.
You say, “if so and so is a little annoyed with
offensior, a me recolligi oportere, teneo, quid dicas, neque id neglexi,
sed est miro quodam modo adfectus. Ego autem, quae dicenda fuerunt de
te, non praeterii; quid autem contendendum esset, ex tua putabam
voluntate me statuere oportere. Quam si ad me perscripseris, intelleges
me neque diligentiorem esse voluisse, quam tu esses, neque
neglegentiorem fore, quam tu velis.
De Tadiana re mecum Tadius locutus est te ita scripsisse, nihil esse
iam, quod laboraretur, quoniam hereditas usu capta esset. Id mirabamur
te ignorare, de tutela legitima, in qua dicitur esse puella, nihil usu
capi posse. Epiroticam emptionem gaudeo tibi placere. Quae tibi mandavi,
et quae tu intelleges convenire nostro Tusculano, velim, ut scribis,
cures, quod sine molestia tua facere poteris. Nam nos ex omnibus
molestiis et laboribus uno illo in loco conquiescimus. Quintum fratrem
cotidie exspectamus. Terentia magnos articulorum dolores habet. Et te et
sororem tuam et matrem maxime diligit salutemque tibi plurimam ascribit
et Tulliola, deliciae nostrae. Cura, ut valeas et nos ames et tibi
persuadeas te a me fraterne amari.
Quantum dolorem acceperim et quanto fructu sim privatus et forensi et domestico Luci fratris nostri morte, in primis pro nostra consuetudine tu existimare potes. Nam mihi omnia, quae iucunda ex humanitate alterius et moribus homini accidere possunt, ex illo accidebant. Quare non dubito, quin tibi quoque id molestum sit, cum et meo dolore moveare et ipse omni virtute officioque ornatissimum tuique et sua sponte et meo sermone amantem adfinem amicumque amiseris. Quod ad me scribis de sorore tua, testis erit tibi ipsa, quantae mihi curae fuerit, ut Quinti fratris animus in eam esset is, qui esse deberet. Quem cum esse offensiorem arbitrarer, eas litteras ad eum misi quibus et placarem ut fratrem et monerem ut minorem et obiurgarem ut errantem. Itaque ex iis, quae postea saepe ab eo ad me scripta sunt, confido ita esse omnia, ut et oporteat et velimus. De litterarum missione sine causa abs te accusor. Numquam enim a Pomponia nostra certior sum factus esse, cui dare litteras possem, porro autem neque mihi accidit, ut haberem, qui in Epirum proficisceretur, nequedum te Athenis esse audiebamus. De Acutiliano autem negotio quod mihi mandaras, ut primum a tuo digressu Romam veni, confeceram; sed accidit, ut et contentione nihil opus esset, et ut ego, qui in te satis consilii statuerim esse, mallem Peducaeum tibi consilium per litteras quam me dare. Etenim, cum multos dies aures meas Acutilio dedissem, cuius sermonis genus tibi notum esse arbitror, non mihi grave duxi scribere ad te de illius querimoniis, cum eas audire, quod erat subodiosum, leve putassem. Sed abs te ipso, qui me accusas, unas mihi scito litteras redditas esse, cum et otii ad scribendum plus et facultatem dandi maiorem habueris. Quod scribis, etiamsi cuius animus in te esset offensior, a me recolligi oportere, teneo, quid dicas, neque id neglexi, sed est miro quodam modo adfectus. Ego autem, quae dicenda fuerunt de te, non praeterii; quid autem contendendum esset, ex tua putabam voluntate me statuere oportere. Quam si ad me perscripseris, intelleges me neque diligentiorem esse voluisse, quam tu esses, neque neglegentiorem fore, quam tu velis. De Tadiana re mecum Tadius locutus est te ita scripsisse, nihil esse iam, quod laboraretur, quoniam hereditas usu capta esset. Id mirabamur te ignorare, de tutela legitima, in qua dicitur esse puella, nihil usu capi posse. Epiroticam emptionem gaudeo tibi placere. Quae tibi mandavi, et quae tu intelleges convenire nostro Tusculano, velim, ut scribis, cures, quod sine molestia tua facere poteris. Nam nos ex omnibus molestiis et laboribus uno illo in loco conquiescimus. Quintum fratrem cotidie exspectamus. Terentia magnos articulorum dolores habet. Et te et sororem tuam et matrem maxime diligit salutemque tibi plurimam ascribit et Tulliola, deliciae nostrae. Cura, ut valeas et nos ames et tibi persuadeas te a me fraterne amari.
◆
How great a grief I have received, and how great a benefit I have been deprived of, both in public life and in private, by the death of our dear Lucius, you above all can judge from our long familiarity. For all the pleasures that can come to a person from the kindness and character of another, all these came to me from him. Therefore I do not doubt that this is painful to you as well, since you are moved by my grief and have yourself lost a kinsman and friend adorned with every virtue and dutiful service, one who loved you both of his own accord and through my commendation.
As to what you write to me about your sister, she herself will be your witness how great a concern it has been to me that the disposition of my brother Quintus toward her should be what it ought to be. When I judged him to be somewhat offended, I sent him a letter in which I soothed him as a brother, advised him as a younger man, and rebuked him as one in the wrong. And so, from what he has often written to me since then, I am confident that all is as it should be and as we would wish.
Regarding the sending of letters, you accuse me without cause. For I was never informed by our Pomponia that there was anyone to whom I could give a letter; moreover, it did not happen that I had anyone setting out for Epirus, nor had we yet heard that you were in Athens. As for the Acutilian business that you had entrusted to me, I had settled it as soon as I came to Rome after your departure. But it turned out that no dispute was necessary, and that I, who have judged there to be sufficient good sense in you, preferred that Peducaeus give you advice by letter rather than myself. For since I had given my ears to Acutilius for many days—whose manner of speaking I believe is known to you—I did not think it burdensome to write to you about his complaints, since I had considered it a light matter to listen to them, even though it was somewhat tedious. But know that from you yourself, who accuse me, only one letter has been delivered to me, though you have had both more leisure for writing and greater opportunity for sending.
As to what you write, that even if someone's feelings toward you were rather offended, it would be proper for me to win him back—I understand what you mean, and I have not neglected it, but he is affected in a strangely particular way. For my part, I have not omitted saying what needed to be said on your behalf; but how far I should press the matter, I thought I ought to determine according to your wishes. If you write these out to me fully, you will see that I have wished to be neither more zealous than you yourself were, nor shall I be more negligent than you would wish.
Regarding the Tadius affair, Tadius spoke with me and said you had written that there was nothing more to worry about, since the inheritance had been acquired by usucapion. We were surprised that you did not know that nothing can be acquired by usucapion from a legal guardianship, under which the girl is said to be.
I am glad the Epirote purchase pleases you. The things I have commissioned from you, and whatever you judge would suit our Tusculan estate, I would ask you, as you write, to attend to—so far as you can do so without inconvenience to yourself. For it is in that one place alone that I find rest from all my troubles and labors.
We expect my brother Quintus any day now. Terentia has severe pains in her joints. She loves you and your sister and your mother most dearly, and sends you her warmest greetings—as does our little Tullia, our darling. Take care of your health, and love me, and be assured that you are loved by me as a brother.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Quantum dolorem acceperim et quanto fructu sim privatus et forensi et domestico Luci fratris nostri morte, in primis pro nostra consuetudine tu existimare potes. Nam mihi omnia, quae iucunda ex humanitate alterius et moribus homini accidere possunt, ex illo accidebant. Quare non dubito, quin tibi quoque id molestum sit, cum et meo dolore moveare et ipse omni virtute officioque ornatissimum tuique et sua sponte et meo sermone amantem adfinem amicumque amiseris. Quod ad me scribis de sorore tua, testis erit tibi ipsa, quantae mihi curae fuerit, ut Quinti fratris animus in eam esset is, qui esse deberet. Quem cum esse offensiorem arbitrarer, eas litteras ad eum misi quibus et placarem ut fratrem et monerem ut minorem et obiurgarem ut errantem. Itaque ex iis, quae postea saepe ab eo ad me scripta sunt, confido ita esse omnia, ut et oporteat et velimus. De litterarum missione sine causa abs te accusor. Numquam enim a Pomponia nostra certior sum factus esse, cui dare litteras possem, porro autem neque mihi accidit, ut haberem, qui in Epirum proficisceretur, nequedum te Athenis esse audiebamus. De Acutiliano autem negotio quod mihi mandaras, ut primum a tuo digressu Romam veni, confeceram; sed accidit, ut et contentione nihil opus esset, et ut ego, qui in te satis consilii statuerim esse, mallem Peducaeum tibi consilium per litteras quam me dare. Etenim, cum multos dies aures meas Acutilio dedissem, cuius sermonis genus tibi notum esse arbitror, non mihi grave duxi scribere ad te de illius querimoniis, cum eas audire, quod erat subodiosum, leve putassem. Sed abs te ipso, qui me accusas, unas mihi scito litteras redditas esse, cum et otii ad scribendum plus et facultatem dandi maiorem habueris. Quod scribis, etiamsi cuius animus in te esset offensior, a me recolligi oportere, teneo, quid dicas, neque id neglexi, sed est miro quodam modo adfectus. Ego autem, quae dicenda fuerunt de te, non praeterii; quid autem contendendum esset, ex tua putabam voluntate me statuere oportere. Quam si ad me perscripseris, intelleges me neque diligentiorem esse voluisse, quam tu esses, neque neglegentiorem fore, quam tu velis. De Tadiana re mecum Tadius locutus est te ita scripsisse, nihil esse iam, quod laboraretur, quoniam hereditas usu capta esset. Id mirabamur te ignorare, de tutela legitima, in qua dicitur esse puella, nihil usu capi posse. Epiroticam emptionem gaudeo tibi placere. Quae tibi mandavi, et quae tu intelleges convenire nostro Tusculano, velim, ut scribis, cures, quod sine molestia tua facere poteris. Nam nos ex omnibus molestiis et laboribus uno illo in loco conquiescimus. Quintum fratrem cotidie exspectamus. Terentia magnos articulorum dolores habet. Et te et sororem tuam et matrem maxime diligit salutemque tibi plurimam ascribit et Tulliola, deliciae nostrae. Cura, ut valeas et nos ames et tibi persuadeas te a me fraterne amari.