Marcus Tullius Cicero→Quintus Cornificius|c. 43 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Africa|AI-assisted
Is that really so? Does no one bring a letter from me to you except litigants? There are certainly plenty of those. You have made everyone think that no one is effectively recommended to you without a letter from me. But which of your friends has ever told me of someone to whom I could entrust a letter without my giving one? And what greater pleasure do I have than writing to you or reading a letter from you, since I am kept from speaking with you face to face?
What troubles me more than anything is that I am so overwhelmed with business that I cannot write to you whenever I wish. I would have bombarded you not merely with letters but with whole volumes, though you should have challenged me first and given me something to answer. You are busy, certainly, but you have more leisure than I do. Or if you have no leisure either, do not throw modesty aside and vex me by demanding more frequent letters when you yourself write to me only at long intervals.
Even before this I was distracted by the most constant obligations, because I think the safety of the state demands all my thought and care. At this moment, however, I am far more distracted than ever. Just as an illness is more serious when patients who thought they had recovered suffer a relapse, so our distress is sharper now that, after winning a successful battle and almost ending the contest, we are struggling with the revival of the same war.
But enough of this. Be assured, my dear Cornificius, that I am not so weak-minded, not to say unfeeling, as to be capable of being surpassed by you in acts of kindness or affection. I never doubted your affection, but Chaerippus has nevertheless made it much clearer to me. What an excellent man he is. He always suited my taste, but now I find him thoroughly delightful. He conveyed to me not only your thoughts and words; he brought your every look vividly before my eyes.
So do not be afraid that I was annoyed with you for treating me as you treat everyone else. I did want a letter from you addressed exclusively to me, but never unreasonably, and always in a spirit of affection.
As for the money that you say you are spending and have spent on your army, I can do absolutely nothing to help you. The senate has been left helpless by the loss of both consuls, and the treasury is in incredible difficulty for money, since funds are being called in from every side to meet the promises made to the soldiers who have done such excellent service to the state. Even this, I think, cannot be done without a property tax.
The business of Attius Dionysius, I think, comes to nothing, since Tratorius said nothing to me about it. As for Publius Lucceius, I yield to you in no degree of zeal, for he is a close friend of mine. But when I asked the liquidators for a postponement, they satisfied me that they were prevented from granting it both by the agreement made and by their oath. In my opinion, therefore, Lucceius must appear. If he obeyed the letter I wrote to him, however, he ought to be at Rome by the time you read this.
As for the other matters you mention, especially money, you were writing without knowing of Pansa's death about certain grants you thought you might obtain from him through me. You would not have been disappointed in this if he had lived, for he was attached to you. But after his death I do not see what can be done.
As for Venuleius, Latinus, and Horatius, I commend your conduct very much. What you say next, however, I do not approve: that in order to soften the matter for them, you deprived your legates also of their lictors. In the outward marks of office, they should not be placed on the same level as men who deserve disgrace. I think those three men, under the senate's decree, should be compelled to leave the province if they do not depart voluntarily.
This is what I had to say in answer to the letter I received in duplicate. For the rest, be assured that my own political position is no dearer to me than yours.
DCCCXCIV (Fam. XII, 30) TO Q. CORNIFICIUS (IN AFRICA) ROME (JUNE) Is it really so? Does no one bring a letter from me to you except suitors? There are a good many of that sort certainly: for you have created the impression that no one is effectively recommended to you without a letter from me. But who among all your friends ever told me of anyone to whom I could intrust a letter without my doing so? Or what greater pleasure have I than writing to you or reading a letter from you, since I am debarred from talking to you? What troubles me more than anything is that I am so overwhelmed with business as not to have the power of writing to you whenever I choose. For I should have bombarded you, not with mere letters, but with whole volumes, with which, however, I ought to have been first challenged by you to respond. For though you are busy, yet you have more leisure than I have, or, if you haven't any leisure either, don't cast modesty to the winds and vex me by demanding more frequent letters, when you only write to me yourself at long intervals. For though I was before this distracted with the most constant engagements, arising from the fact that I consider the safety of the state to require my every thought and care, yet at this present moment I am much more distracted than ever. For as an illness is more serious when after imagining themselves cured invalids suffer a relapse, so is our distress more acute when, after fighting a successful battle and almost putting an end to the contest, we are struggling with a recrudescence of the same war. But enough of this. Assure yourself, my dear Cornificius , that I am not so feeble-minded, not to say unfeeling, as to be Capable of being surpassed by you in good offices or affection. I never doubted it indeed, but Chaerippus has all the same made your affection to me much more evident. What an excellent fellow! He always suited my taste, but now I find him quite delightful. It was not merely your sentiments and words that he conveyed to me: he brought vividly before me your every look. So don't be afraid of my having been annoyed with you for treating me as you do the rest of the world. I have indeed desired a letter from you addressed exclusively to myself, but it was never unreasonably, and always in an affectionate spirit. As to the money which you say you are spending and have spent on your army, I can do absolutely nothing to aid you, because the senate is made helpless by the loss of both consuls, and the treasury is in incredible straits for money, which is being called in on every side to satisfy the promises made to the soldiers who have done such excellent public service. Even this I think cannot be done without a property tax. That business of Attius Dionysius I think amounts to nothing, for Tratorius said nothing to me about it. As to Publius Lucceius I don't in any way yield to you in zealous interest: for he is a close friend of mine. But when I asked the liquidators for a postponement, they satisfied me that they were prevented from granting it both by the agreement that had been come to and by their oath. Wherefore in my opinion Lucceius must appear. However, if he has obeyed the letter I wrote to him, he ought to be at Rome by the time you read this. As to the other matters you mention, and especially as to money, you wrote in ignorance of Pansa 's death about certain grants which you thought that you might get from him through me. In which you would not have been disappointed had he been alive, for he was attached to you. But after his death I fail to see what can be done. As to Venuleius , Latinus , and Horatius , I much commend you. The next thing you say, however, I don't approve — that in order to soften the matter for them you have deprived your legates also of their lictors: for in outward marks of honour they ought not to be put on a level with men who deserve to be disgraced; and I think that those three men ought in virtue of the senate's decree, if they do not quit the province, to be compelled to do so. This is what I had to say in answer to the letter which I received in duplicate. For the rest, be assured that my own political position is not dearer to me than yours.
XXX. Scr. Romae exeunte mense Maio a.u.c. 711. CICERO CORNIFICIO SAL.
Itane? praeter litigatores nemo ad te meas litteras? Multae istae quidem; tu enim perfecisti, ut nemo sine litteris meis tibi se commendatum putaret; sed quis umquam tuorum mihi dixit esse, cui darem, quin dederim? aut quid mihi iucundius quam, quum coram tecum loqui non possim, aut scribere ad te aut tuas legere litteras? illud magis mihi solet esse molestum, tantis me impediri occupationibus, ut ad te scribendi meo arbitratu facultas nulla detur; non enim te epistulis, sed voluminibus lacesserem, quibus quidem me a te provocari oportebat; quamvis enim occupatus sis, otii tamen plus habes; aut, si ne tu quidem vacas, noli impudens esse nec mihi molestiam exhibere et a me litteras crebiores, quum tu mihi raro mittas, flagitare. Nam, quum antea distinebar maximis occupationibus, propterea quod omnibus curis rem publicam mihi tuendam putabam, tum hoc tempore multo distineor vehementius; ut enim gravius aegrotant ii, qui, quum levati morbo viderentur, in eum de integro inciderunt, sic vehementius nos laboramus, qui profligato bello ac paene sublato renovatum bellum gerere cogamur. Sed haec hactenus. Tu tibi, mi Cornifici, fac ut persuadeas non esse me tam imbecillo animo, ne dicam inhumano, ut a te vinci possim aut officiis aut amore. Non dubitabam equidem, verumtamen multo mihi notiorem amorem tuum effecit Chaerippus. O hominem semper illum quidem mihi aptum, nunc vero etiam suavem! vultus mehercule tuos mihi expressit omnes, non solum animum ac verba pertulit; itaque noli vereri, ne tibi suscensuerim, quod eodem exemplo ad me, quo ad ceteros: requisivi equidem proprias ad me unum litteras, sed neque vehementer et amanter. De sumptu, quem te in rem militarem facere et fecisse dicis, nihil sane possum tibi opitulari, propterea quod et orbus est senatus consulibus amissis et incredibiles angustiae pecuniae publicae, quae conquiritur undique, ut optime meritis militibus promissa solvantur, quod quidem fieri sine tributo posse non arbitror. De Attio Dionysio, nihil puto esse, quoniam mihi nihil dixit Tratorius. De P. Lucceio, nihil tibi concedo, quo studiosor eius sis, quam ego sum; est enim nobis necessarius; sed, a magistris quum contenderem de proferendo die, probarunt mihi sese, quo minus id facerent, et compromisso et iure iurando impediri; quare veniendum arbitror Lucceio: quamquam, si meis litteris obtemperavit, quum tu haec leges, illum Roame esse oportebit. Ceteris de rebus maximaeque de pecunia, quum Pansae mortem ignorares, scripsisti, quae per nos ab eo consequi te posse arbitrarere: quae te non fefellissent, si viveret, nam te diligebat; post mortem autem eius quid fieri posset non videbamus. De Venuleio, Latino, Horatio, valde laudo: illud non nimium probo, quod scribis, quo illi animo aequiore ferrent, te tuis etiam legatis lictores ademisse—honore enim digni cum ignominia dignis non erant comparandi.—, euosque, ex senatus consulto si non decedunt, cognendos, ut decedant, existimo. Haec fere ad eas litteras, quas eodem exemplo binas accepi: de reliquo, velim tibi persuadeas non esse mihi meam dignitatem tua cariorem. Cicero
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Is that really so? Does no one bring a letter from me to you except litigants? There are certainly plenty of those. You have made everyone think that no one is effectively recommended to you without a letter from me. But which of your friends has ever told me of someone to whom I could entrust a letter without my giving one? And what greater pleasure do I have than writing to you or reading a letter from you, since I am kept from speaking with you face to face?
What troubles me more than anything is that I am so overwhelmed with business that I cannot write to you whenever I wish. I would have bombarded you not merely with letters but with whole volumes, though you should have challenged me first and given me something to answer. You are busy, certainly, but you have more leisure than I do. Or if you have no leisure either, do not throw modesty aside and vex me by demanding more frequent letters when you yourself write to me only at long intervals.
Even before this I was distracted by the most constant obligations, because I think the safety of the state demands all my thought and care. At this moment, however, I am far more distracted than ever. Just as an illness is more serious when patients who thought they had recovered suffer a relapse, so our distress is sharper now that, after winning a successful battle and almost ending the contest, we are struggling with the revival of the same war.
But enough of this. Be assured, my dear Cornificius, that I am not so weak-minded, not to say unfeeling, as to be capable of being surpassed by you in acts of kindness or affection. I never doubted your affection, but Chaerippus has nevertheless made it much clearer to me. What an excellent man he is. He always suited my taste, but now I find him thoroughly delightful. He conveyed to me not only your thoughts and words; he brought your every look vividly before my eyes.
So do not be afraid that I was annoyed with you for treating me as you treat everyone else. I did want a letter from you addressed exclusively to me, but never unreasonably, and always in a spirit of affection.
As for the money that you say you are spending and have spent on your army, I can do absolutely nothing to help you. The senate has been left helpless by the loss of both consuls, and the treasury is in incredible difficulty for money, since funds are being called in from every side to meet the promises made to the soldiers who have done such excellent service to the state. Even this, I think, cannot be done without a property tax.
The business of Attius Dionysius, I think, comes to nothing, since Tratorius said nothing to me about it. As for Publius Lucceius, I yield to you in no degree of zeal, for he is a close friend of mine. But when I asked the liquidators for a postponement, they satisfied me that they were prevented from granting it both by the agreement made and by their oath. In my opinion, therefore, Lucceius must appear. If he obeyed the letter I wrote to him, however, he ought to be at Rome by the time you read this.
As for the other matters you mention, especially money, you were writing without knowing of Pansa's death about certain grants you thought you might obtain from him through me. You would not have been disappointed in this if he had lived, for he was attached to you. But after his death I do not see what can be done.
As for Venuleius, Latinus, and Horatius, I commend your conduct very much. What you say next, however, I do not approve: that in order to soften the matter for them, you deprived your legates also of their lictors. In the outward marks of office, they should not be placed on the same level as men who deserve disgrace. I think those three men, under the senate's decree, should be compelled to leave the province if they do not depart voluntarily.
This is what I had to say in answer to the letter I received in duplicate. For the rest, be assured that my own political position is no dearer to me than yours.
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
XXX. Scr. Romae exeunte mense Maio a.u.c. 711. CICERO CORNIFICIO SAL.
Itane? praeter litigatores nemo ad te meas litteras? Multae istae quidem; tu enim perfecisti, ut nemo sine litteris meis tibi se commendatum putaret; sed quis umquam tuorum mihi dixit esse, cui darem, quin dederim? aut quid mihi iucundius quam, quum coram tecum loqui non possim, aut scribere ad te aut tuas legere litteras? illud magis mihi solet esse molestum, tantis me impediri occupationibus, ut ad te scribendi meo arbitratu facultas nulla detur; non enim te epistulis, sed voluminibus lacesserem, quibus quidem me a te provocari oportebat; quamvis enim occupatus sis, otii tamen plus habes; aut, si ne tu quidem vacas, noli impudens esse nec mihi molestiam exhibere et a me litteras crebiores, quum tu mihi raro mittas, flagitare. Nam, quum antea distinebar maximis occupationibus, propterea quod omnibus curis rem publicam mihi tuendam putabam, tum hoc tempore multo distineor vehementius; ut enim gravius aegrotant ii, qui, quum levati morbo viderentur, in eum de integro inciderunt, sic vehementius nos laboramus, qui profligato bello ac paene sublato renovatum bellum gerere cogamur. Sed haec hactenus. Tu tibi, mi Cornifici, fac ut persuadeas non esse me tam imbecillo animo, ne dicam inhumano, ut a te vinci possim aut officiis aut amore. Non dubitabam equidem, verumtamen multo mihi notiorem amorem tuum effecit Chaerippus. O hominem semper illum quidem mihi aptum, nunc vero etiam suavem! vultus mehercule tuos mihi expressit omnes, non solum animum ac verba pertulit; itaque noli vereri, ne tibi suscensuerim, quod eodem exemplo ad me, quo ad ceteros: requisivi equidem proprias ad me unum litteras, sed neque vehementer et amanter. De sumptu, quem te in rem militarem facere et fecisse dicis, nihil sane possum tibi opitulari, propterea quod et orbus est senatus consulibus amissis et incredibiles angustiae pecuniae publicae, quae conquiritur undique, ut optime meritis militibus promissa solvantur, quod quidem fieri sine tributo posse non arbitror. De Attio Dionysio, nihil puto esse, quoniam mihi nihil dixit Tratorius. De P. Lucceio, nihil tibi concedo, quo studiosor eius sis, quam ego sum; est enim nobis necessarius; sed, a magistris quum contenderem de proferendo die, probarunt mihi sese, quo minus id facerent, et compromisso et iure iurando impediri; quare veniendum arbitror Lucceio: quamquam, si meis litteris obtemperavit, quum tu haec leges, illum Roame esse oportebit. Ceteris de rebus maximaeque de pecunia, quum Pansae mortem ignorares, scripsisti, quae per nos ab eo consequi te posse arbitrarere: quae te non fefellissent, si viveret, nam te diligebat; post mortem autem eius quid fieri posset non videbamus. De Venuleio, Latino, Horatio, valde laudo: illud non nimium probo, quod scribis, quo illi animo aequiore ferrent, te tuis etiam legatis lictores ademisse—honore enim digni cum ignominia dignis non erant comparandi.—, euosque, ex senatus consulto si non decedunt, cognendos, ut decedant, existimo. Haec fere ad eas litteras, quas eodem exemplo binas accepi: de reliquo, velim tibi persuadeas non esse mihi meam dignitatem tua cariorem. Cicero