Marcus Tullius Cicero→Appius Claudius Pulcher|c. 51 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Cilicia|AI-assisted
If the republic itself could speak and tell you how it stands, you could not learn it more easily from its own mouth than from your freedman Phania. He is not only a man of sound judgment, but also, in the best sense, keenly curious. He will therefore explain everything to you. That suits me best, since it lets me keep this letter short, and it is also more prudent for me in view of other circumstances.
Still, although you can learn my goodwill toward you from Phania too, I think I ought to say something about it myself. Be assured of this: you are extremely dear to me, partly because of the many attractions of your character, your kindness, and your generous heart, and partly because I understand from your letter, and from what many people have said, that everything I have done toward you has been warmly appreciated by you.
Since that is so, I will try to make up for the great loss of time caused by the interruption in our relations through the liberality, frequency, and importance of my services. I think I shall do this willingly, since you wish it so, and not, as the phrase goes, "against Minerva's will." If I happen to obtain a statue of that goddess from your collection, by the way, I will not simply call her Pallas, but Appias.
Your freedman Cilix was not well known to me before, but when he delivered your kind and affectionate letter, he confirmed its courteous expressions by his own words. I was very pleased by what he said, especially when he described your feelings and the things you said about me every day. In short, within two days he became a close friend of mine, though without making me stop deeply missing Phania.
When you send Phania back to Rome, as I imagine you intend to do soon, please instruct him about everything you want handled or looked after by me.
I very strongly commend Lucius Valerius the lawyer to you, though not in his capacity as a lawyer, since I want to provide better safeguards for him than he provides for others. I am genuinely fond of the man. He is one of my closest and most intimate friends. In general he says nothing about you except in gratitude, but he also says that a letter from me will carry great weight with you. I ask you again and again: do not let him be mistaken.
CLXXX (Fam. III, 1) TO APPIUS CLAUDIUS PULCHER (IN CILICIA) ROME: Cicero to Appius , imperator. Could the Republic itself speak and tell you of its state, you would not learn it more easily from its own lips than from your freedman Phania : he is a man of such clear insight, as well as (in a good sense) of such keen curiosity! Wherefore he shall explain everything to you: for that will suit me best by enabling me to curtail my letter, and will be more prudent for me in view of other circumstances. But in regard to my good feeling towards you, though you can learn it from this same Phania , yet I think that I also have personally something I ought to say on the subject. For assure yourself of this — that you are exceedingly dear to me, from the many attractions of your character, your kindness, and the goodness of your heart, but also because from your letter, as well as from the remarks of many, I understand that all my conduct towards you has been most warmly appreciated by you. And since that is so, I will take means to make up for the great loss of time, which we have sustained from this interruption of our intercourse, by the liberality, the frequency, and the importance of my services; and that I think I shall do, since you would have it be so, by no means against the grain, or as the phrase is, “against the will of Minerva ” — a goddess by the way whom, if I shall chance to get possession of a statue of her from your stock, I shall not simply designate “ Pallas ,” but “Appias.” Your freedman Cilix was not well known to me before, but when he delivered me your kind and affectionate letter, he confirmed the courteous expressions of that letter by his own words. I was much gratified by his speech, when he described to me your feelings and the remarks which you were daily making about me. In short, within two days he became my intimate friend, without, how ever, my ceasing to regret Phania deeply. When you send the latter back to Rome , which I imagine you intend speedily to do, pray give him instructions as to all matters which you wish to be transacted or looked after by me. I commend L. Valerius the lawyer to you very strongly; not, however, in his capacity of lawyer: for I wish to take better precautions for him than he does for others. I am really fond of the man: he is one of my closest and most intimate friends. In a general way he expresses nothing but gratitude to you; but he also says that a letter from me will have very great influence with you. I beg you again and again that he may not find himself mistaken.
I. Scr. Romae exeunte a.u.c. 702. CICERO APPIO IMP. S. D.
Si ipsa res publica tibi narrare posset, quomodo sese haberet, non facilius ex ea cognoscere posses, quam ex liberto tuo Phania: ita est homo non modo prudens, verum etiam, quod iuvet, curiosus; quapropter ille tibi omnia explanabit, id enim mihi et ad brevitatem est aptius et ad reliquas res providentius. De mea autem benevolentia erga te, etsi potes ex eodem Phania cognoscere, tamen videnter, etiam aliquae meae partes: sic enim tibi persuade, carissimum te mihi esse cum propter multas suavitates ingenii, officii, humanitatis tuae, tum quod ex tuis litteris et ex multorum sermonibus intelligo omnia, quae a me profecta sunt in te, tibi accidisse gratissima; quod cum ita sit, perficiam profecto, ut longi temporis usuram, qua caruimus intermissa nostra consuetudine, et gratia et crebritate et magnitudine officiorum meorum sarciam, idque me, quoniam tu ita vis, puto non invita Minerva esse facturum, quam quidem ego, si forte de tuis sumpsero, non solum Pallãda , sed etiam ÉAppiãda nominabo. Cilix, libertus tuus, antea mihi minus fuit notus; sed, ut mihi reddidit a te litteras plenas et amoris et officii, mirifice ipse suo sermone subsecutus est humanitatem litterarum tuarum: iucunda mihi eius oratio fuit, cum de animo tuo, de sermonibus, quos de me haberes quotidie, mini narraret; quid quaeris? biduo factus est mihi familiaris, ita tamen, ut Phaniam valde sim desideraturus, quem cum Romam remittes, quod, ut putabamus, celeriter eras facturus, omnibus ei de rebus, quas agi, quas curari a me voles, mandata des velim. L. Valerium iureconsultum valde tibi commendo, sed ita etiam, si non est iure consultus, melius enim ei cavere volo, quam ipse aliis solet. Valde hominem diligo: est ex meis domesticis atque intimis familiaribus. Omnino tibi agit gratias, sed idem scribit meas litteras maximum apud te pondus habituras: id eum ne fallat, etiam atque etiam rogo.
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If the republic itself could speak and tell you how it stands, you could not learn it more easily from its own mouth than from your freedman Phania. He is not only a man of sound judgment, but also, in the best sense, keenly curious. He will therefore explain everything to you. That suits me best, since it lets me keep this letter short, and it is also more prudent for me in view of other circumstances.
Still, although you can learn my goodwill toward you from Phania too, I think I ought to say something about it myself. Be assured of this: you are extremely dear to me, partly because of the many attractions of your character, your kindness, and your generous heart, and partly because I understand from your letter, and from what many people have said, that everything I have done toward you has been warmly appreciated by you.
Since that is so, I will try to make up for the great loss of time caused by the interruption in our relations through the liberality, frequency, and importance of my services. I think I shall do this willingly, since you wish it so, and not, as the phrase goes, "against Minerva's will." If I happen to obtain a statue of that goddess from your collection, by the way, I will not simply call her Pallas, but Appias.
Your freedman Cilix was not well known to me before, but when he delivered your kind and affectionate letter, he confirmed its courteous expressions by his own words. I was very pleased by what he said, especially when he described your feelings and the things you said about me every day. In short, within two days he became a close friend of mine, though without making me stop deeply missing Phania.
When you send Phania back to Rome, as I imagine you intend to do soon, please instruct him about everything you want handled or looked after by me.
I very strongly commend Lucius Valerius the lawyer to you, though not in his capacity as a lawyer, since I want to provide better safeguards for him than he provides for others. I am genuinely fond of the man. He is one of my closest and most intimate friends. In general he says nothing about you except in gratitude, but he also says that a letter from me will carry great weight with you. I ask you again and again: do not let him be mistaken.
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
I. Scr. Romae exeunte a.u.c. 702. CICERO APPIO IMP. S. D.
Si ipsa res publica tibi narrare posset, quomodo sese haberet, non facilius ex ea cognoscere posses, quam ex liberto tuo Phania: ita est homo non modo prudens, verum etiam, quod iuvet, curiosus; quapropter ille tibi omnia explanabit, id enim mihi et ad brevitatem est aptius et ad reliquas res providentius. De mea autem benevolentia erga te, etsi potes ex eodem Phania cognoscere, tamen videnter, etiam aliquae meae partes: sic enim tibi persuade, carissimum te mihi esse cum propter multas suavitates ingenii, officii, humanitatis tuae, tum quod ex tuis litteris et ex multorum sermonibus intelligo omnia, quae a me profecta sunt in te, tibi accidisse gratissima; quod cum ita sit, perficiam profecto, ut longi temporis usuram, qua caruimus intermissa nostra consuetudine, et gratia et crebritate et magnitudine officiorum meorum sarciam, idque me, quoniam tu ita vis, puto non invita Minerva esse facturum, quam quidem ego, si forte de tuis sumpsero, non solum Pallãda , sed etiam ÉAppiãda nominabo. Cilix, libertus tuus, antea mihi minus fuit notus; sed, ut mihi reddidit a te litteras plenas et amoris et officii, mirifice ipse suo sermone subsecutus est humanitatem litterarum tuarum: iucunda mihi eius oratio fuit, cum de animo tuo, de sermonibus, quos de me haberes quotidie, mini narraret; quid quaeris? biduo factus est mihi familiaris, ita tamen, ut Phaniam valde sim desideraturus, quem cum Romam remittes, quod, ut putabamus, celeriter eras facturus, omnibus ei de rebus, quas agi, quas curari a me voles, mandata des velim. L. Valerium iureconsultum valde tibi commendo, sed ita etiam, si non est iure consultus, melius enim ei cavere volo, quam ipse aliis solet. Valde hominem diligo: est ex meis domesticis atque intimis familiaribus. Omnino tibi agit gratias, sed idem scribit meas litteras maximum apud te pondus habituras: id eum ne fallat, etiam atque etiam rogo.