Marcus Tullius Cicero→Unknown|c. -50 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
Imperator M. Cicero sends greetings to M. Caelius, curule aedile. At Side, the third day or the day before the Nones of Sextilis, 50.
The matter of the supplication could not have been handled more carefully or more wisely than it was by you with Curio; and indeed the business was concluded to my satisfaction, both in its speed and because the man who was hostile — your competitor and mine as well — gave his assent to the one who honored my achievements with divine praises. Therefore know that I have high hopes for what follows; prepare yourself for that. I am delighted that Dolabella is first praised by you, and then also loved by you. For as to the things you hope can be moderated by the good judgment of my Tullia, I know what letter of yours that is a response to. But what if you were to read my letter, which I then sent to Appius in reply to yours? But what can one do? Such is life. May the gods approve what has been done! I hope he will be a pleasing son-in-law to us, and your kindness will help us greatly in this matter. Public affairs trouble me deeply. I support Curio, I wish Caesar to be honorable, I could die for Pompey, but still nothing is dearer to me than the republic itself — in which you do not much exert yourself. For you seem to me to be pulled in two directions, because you are both a good citizen and a good friend. On leaving my province, I placed the quaestor Coelius in charge of it. "A boy!" you say. But a quaestor, a young man of noble birth, and following the example of nearly everyone. Nor was there anyone of higher rank available whom I could put in command. Pomptinus had departed long before; it could not be obtained from my brother Quintus; and yet if I had left him, my critics would say that I had not truly departed from my province after a year, as the senate had wished, since I had left a second self behind. Perhaps they would even add this: the senate had intended those men to govern provinces who had not previously held such command, and my brother had governed Asia for three years. In short, I am free from anxiety now; if I had left my brother, I would fear everything. Finally, it was not so much of my own initiative as following the example of two most powerful men, who embraced all the Cassii and Antonii, that I wished not so much to attract a young man as not to alienate him. You must approve this decision of mine, for it cannot be changed. About Ocella you had written rather little to me, and nothing appeared in the public records. Your exploits are so well known that even beyond the Taurus range the Matrinius affair has been heard of. As for me, unless the Etesian winds delay me, I shall see you all soon, as I hope.
XV. M. CICERO IMP. S. D. M. CAELIO AEDILI CURULI Sidae; iii aut prid. Non. Sext. 50
Non potuit accuratius agi nec prudentius quam est actum a te cum Curione de supplicatione; et hercule confecta res ex sententia mea est cum celeritate tum quod is qui erat iratus, competitor tuus et idem meus, adsensus est ei qui ornavit res nostras divinis laudibus. Qua re scito me sperare ea quae sequuntur; ad quae tu te para. Dolabellam a te gaudeo primum laudari, deinde etiam amari. Nam ea quae speras Tulliae meae prudentia temperari posse, scio cui tuae epistulae respondeant. Quid si meam legas quam ego tum ex tuis litteris misi ad Appium? sed quid agas? sic vivitur. Quod actum est di approbent! spero fore iucundum generum nobis, multumque in eo tua nos humanitas adiuvabit. Res publica me valde sollicitat. Faveo Curioni, Caesarem honestum esse cupio, pro Pompeio emori possum, sed tamen ipsa re publica nihil mihi est carius; in qua tu non valde te iactas. Districtus enim mihi videris esse, quod et bonus civis et bonus amicus es. Ego de provincia decedens quaestorem Coelium praeposui provinciae. 'Puerum' inquis. At quaestorem, at nobilem adulescentem, at omnium fere exemplo. Neque erat superiore honore usus quem praeficerem. Pomptinus multo ante discesserat, a Quinto fratre impetrari non poterat; quem tamen si reliquissem, dicerent iniqui non me plane post annum, ut senatus voluisset, de provincia decessisse quoniam alterum me reliquissem. Fortasse etiam illud adderent, senatum eos voluisse provinciis praeesse qui antea non praefuissent, fratrem meum triennium Asiae praefuisse. Denique nunc sollicitus non sum; si fratrem reliquissem, omnia timerem. Postremo non tam mea sponte quam potentissimorum duorum exemplo, qui omnis Cassios Antoniosque complexi sunt, hominem adulescentem non tam allicere volui quam alienare nolui. Hoc tu meum consilium laudes necesse est; mutari enim non potest. De Ocella parum ad me plane scripseras et in actis non erat. Tuae res gestae ita notae sunt ut trans montem Taurum etiam de Matrinio sit auditum. Ego, nisi quid me etesiae morabuntur, celeriter, ut spero, vos videbo.
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Imperator M. Cicero sends greetings to M. Caelius, curule aedile. At Side, the third day or the day before the Nones of Sextilis, 50.
The matter of the supplication could not have been handled more carefully or more wisely than it was by you with Curio; and indeed the business was concluded to my satisfaction, both in its speed and because the man who was hostile — your competitor and mine as well — gave his assent to the one who honored my achievements with divine praises. Therefore know that I have high hopes for what follows; prepare yourself for that. I am delighted that Dolabella is first praised by you, and then also loved by you. For as to the things you hope can be moderated by the good judgment of my Tullia, I know what letter of yours that is a response to. But what if you were to read my letter, which I then sent to Appius in reply to yours? But what can one do? Such is life. May the gods approve what has been done! I hope he will be a pleasing son-in-law to us, and your kindness will help us greatly in this matter. Public affairs trouble me deeply. I support Curio, I wish Caesar to be honorable, I could die for Pompey, but still nothing is dearer to me than the republic itself — in which you do not much exert yourself. For you seem to me to be pulled in two directions, because you are both a good citizen and a good friend. On leaving my province, I placed the quaestor Coelius in charge of it. "A boy!" you say. But a quaestor, a young man of noble birth, and following the example of nearly everyone. Nor was there anyone of higher rank available whom I could put in command. Pomptinus had departed long before; it could not be obtained from my brother Quintus; and yet if I had left him, my critics would say that I had not truly departed from my province after a year, as the senate had wished, since I had left a second self behind. Perhaps they would even add this: the senate had intended those men to govern provinces who had not previously held such command, and my brother had governed Asia for three years. In short, I am free from anxiety now; if I had left my brother, I would fear everything. Finally, it was not so much of my own initiative as following the example of two most powerful men, who embraced all the Cassii and Antonii, that I wished not so much to attract a young man as not to alienate him. You must approve this decision of mine, for it cannot be changed. About Ocella you had written rather little to me, and nothing appeared in the public records. Your exploits are so well known that even beyond the Taurus range the Matrinius affair has been heard of. As for me, unless the Etesian winds delay me, I shall see you all soon, as I hope.
Latin / Greek Original
XV. M. CICERO IMP. S. D. M. CAELIO AEDILI CURULI Sidae; iii aut prid. Non. Sext. 50
Non potuit accuratius agi nec prudentius quam est actum a te cum Curione de supplicatione; et hercule confecta res ex sententia mea est cum celeritate tum quod is qui erat iratus, competitor tuus et idem meus, adsensus est ei qui ornavit res nostras divinis laudibus. Qua re scito me sperare ea quae sequuntur; ad quae tu te para. Dolabellam a te gaudeo primum laudari, deinde etiam amari. Nam ea quae speras Tulliae meae prudentia temperari posse, scio cui tuae epistulae respondeant. Quid si meam legas quam ego tum ex tuis litteris misi ad Appium? sed quid agas? sic vivitur. Quod actum est di approbent! spero fore iucundum generum nobis, multumque in eo tua nos humanitas adiuvabit. Res publica me valde sollicitat. Faveo Curioni, Caesarem honestum esse cupio, pro Pompeio emori possum, sed tamen ipsa re publica nihil mihi est carius; in qua tu non valde te iactas. Districtus enim mihi videris esse, quod et bonus civis et bonus amicus es. Ego de provincia decedens quaestorem Coelium praeposui provinciae. 'Puerum' inquis. At quaestorem, at nobilem adulescentem, at omnium fere exemplo. Neque erat superiore honore usus quem praeficerem. Pomptinus multo ante discesserat, a Quinto fratre impetrari non poterat; quem tamen si reliquissem, dicerent iniqui non me plane post annum, ut senatus voluisset, de provincia decessisse quoniam alterum me reliquissem. Fortasse etiam illud adderent, senatum eos voluisse provinciis praeesse qui antea non praefuissent, fratrem meum triennium Asiae praefuisse. Denique nunc sollicitus non sum; si fratrem reliquissem, omnia timerem. Postremo non tam mea sponte quam potentissimorum duorum exemplo, qui omnis Cassios Antoniosque complexi sunt, hominem adulescentem non tam allicere volui quam alienare nolui. Hoc tu meum consilium laudes necesse est; mutari enim non potest. De Ocella parum ad me plane scripseras et in actis non erat. Tuae res gestae ita notae sunt ut trans montem Taurum etiam de Matrinio sit auditum. Ego, nisi quid me etesiae morabuntur, celeriter, ut spero, vos videbo.