Marcus Tullius Cicero→Gaius Antonius Hybrida|c. 56 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome|AI-assisted
I had resolved to write you nothing except letters of recommendation, not because I thought such letters carried much weight with you, but so that those who asked me for them would not suppose that our friendship had grown weaker. But now Titus Pomponius is setting out for your province. He knows better than anyone what I feel and what I have done for you; he wants your friendship; and he is deeply attached to me. For his sake especially, and because I had no other way to satisfy him, I thought I should write something.
If I were asking you for very great services, no one should be surprised, for you have never lacked from me anything that touched your interests, your honor, or your standing. That you have made no return is something you yourself know best. That something of the opposite kind has come from you I have been told by many people. I say "been told," not "discovered," because I do not want to use the very word which, I hear, you often falsely attribute to me. But I would rather have you learn from Pomponius, who was hurt by it too, the report that reached my ears.
How loyal my feelings toward you have been, the senate and Roman people can testify. How grateful you have been to me, you may judge for yourself; how much you owe me, everyone else judges. At first affection led me to act as I did for you; afterward consistency did. Your future, believe me, needs from me far greater zeal, firmness, and labor than before. I will bear those labors with all the strength I have, unless it becomes clear that I am throwing away and wasting my efforts. But if I see that they are not valued, I will not let you, the very person helped by them, think me a fool for my pains.
Pomponius will be able to explain what all this means. In commending him to you, though I am sure you will do everything in your power for his own sake, I still ask this: if any affection for me remains in you, show it completely in Pomponius's business. You can do me no greater favor than that.
XVII (Fam. V, 5) TO C. ANTONIUS (IN MACEDONIA) ROME, JANUARY: M. Cicero wishes health to Gaius Antonius , son of Marcus, Imperator. Though I had resolved to write you nothing but formal letters of introduction (not because I felt that they had much weight with you, but to avoid giving those who asked me for them an idea that there had been any diminution in our friendship), yet since Titus Pomponius is starting for your province, who knows better than anyone else all that I feel and have done for you, who desires your friendship and is most devotedly attached to me, I thought I must write something, especially as I had no other way of satisfying Pomponius himself. Were I to ask from you services of the greatest moment, it ought not to seem surprising to anyone: for you have not wanted from me any that concerned your interests, honour, or position. That no return has been made by you for these you are the best witness: that something even of a contrary nature has proceeded from you I have been told by many. I say “told,” for I do not venture to say “discovered,” lest I should chance to use the word which people tell me is often falsely attributed to me by you. But the story which has reached my ears I would prefer your learning from Pomponius (who was equally hurt by it) rather than from my letter. How singularly loyal my feelings have been to you the senate and Roman people are both witnesses. How far you have been grateful to me you may yourself estimate: how much you owe me the rest of the world estimates. I was induced to do what I did for you at first by affection, and afterwards by consistency. Your future, believe me, stands in need of much greater zeal on my part, greater firmness and greater labour. These labours, unless it shall appear that I am throwing away and wasting my pains, I shall support with all the strength I have; but if I see that they are not appreciated, I shall not allow you — the very person benefited — to think me a fool for my pains. What the meaning of all this is you will be able to learn from Pomponius . In commending Pomponius to you, although I am sure you will do anything in your power for his own sake, yet I do beg that if you have any affection for me left, you will display it all in Pomponius 's business. You can do me no greater favour than that.
V. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 693. M. CICERO S. D. C. ANTONIO M. F. IMP.
Etsi statueram nullas ad te litteras mittere nisi commendaticias—non quo eas intelligerem satis apud te valere, sed ne iis, qui me rogarent, aliquid de nostra coniunctione imminutum esse ostenderem—, tamen, cum T. Pomponius, hono omnium meorum in te studiorum et officiorum maxime conscius, tui cupidus, nostri amantissimus, ad te proficisceretur, aliquid mihi scribendum putavi, praesertim cum aliter ipsi Pomponio satisfacere non possem. Ego si abs te summa officia desiderem, mirum nemini videri debeat; omnia enim a me in te profecta sunt, quae ad tuum commodium, quae ad honorem, quae ad dignitatem pertinerent: pro his rebus nullam mihi abs te relatam esse gratiam tu es optimus testis, contra etiam esse aliquid abs te profectum ex multis audivi; nam "comperisse" me non audeo dicere, ne forte id ipsum verbum ponam, quod abs te aiunt falso in me solere conferri; sed ea, quae ad me delata sunt, malo te ex Pomponio, cui non minus molesta fuerunt, quam ex meis litteris cognoscere. Meus in te animus quam singulari officio fuerit, et senatus et populus Romanus testis est: tu quam gratus erga me fueris, ipse existimare potes; quantum mihi debeas, ceteri existiment. Ego quae tua causa antea feci, voluntate sum adductus posteaque constantia; sed reliqua, mihi crede, multo maius meum studium maioremque gravitatem et laborem desiderant; quae ego si non profundere ac perdere videbor, omnibus meis viribus sustinebo; sin autem ingrata esse sentiam, non committam, ut tibi ipsi insanire videar. Ea quae sint et cuiusmodi, poteris ex Pomponio cognoscere. Atque ipsum tibi Pomponium ita commendo, ut, quamquam ipsius causa confido te facturum esse omnia, tamen abs te hoc petam, ut, si quid in te residet amoris erga me, id omne in Pomponii negotio ostendas: hoc mihi nihil gratius facere potes.
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I had resolved to write you nothing except letters of recommendation, not because I thought such letters carried much weight with you, but so that those who asked me for them would not suppose that our friendship had grown weaker. But now Titus Pomponius is setting out for your province. He knows better than anyone what I feel and what I have done for you; he wants your friendship; and he is deeply attached to me. For his sake especially, and because I had no other way to satisfy him, I thought I should write something.
If I were asking you for very great services, no one should be surprised, for you have never lacked from me anything that touched your interests, your honor, or your standing. That you have made no return is something you yourself know best. That something of the opposite kind has come from you I have been told by many people. I say "been told," not "discovered," because I do not want to use the very word which, I hear, you often falsely attribute to me. But I would rather have you learn from Pomponius, who was hurt by it too, the report that reached my ears.
How loyal my feelings toward you have been, the senate and Roman people can testify. How grateful you have been to me, you may judge for yourself; how much you owe me, everyone else judges. At first affection led me to act as I did for you; afterward consistency did. Your future, believe me, needs from me far greater zeal, firmness, and labor than before. I will bear those labors with all the strength I have, unless it becomes clear that I am throwing away and wasting my efforts. But if I see that they are not valued, I will not let you, the very person helped by them, think me a fool for my pains.
Pomponius will be able to explain what all this means. In commending him to you, though I am sure you will do everything in your power for his own sake, I still ask this: if any affection for me remains in you, show it completely in Pomponius's business. You can do me no greater favor than that.
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
V. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 693. M. CICERO S. D. C. ANTONIO M. F. IMP.
Etsi statueram nullas ad te litteras mittere nisi commendaticias—non quo eas intelligerem satis apud te valere, sed ne iis, qui me rogarent, aliquid de nostra coniunctione imminutum esse ostenderem—, tamen, cum T. Pomponius, hono omnium meorum in te studiorum et officiorum maxime conscius, tui cupidus, nostri amantissimus, ad te proficisceretur, aliquid mihi scribendum putavi, praesertim cum aliter ipsi Pomponio satisfacere non possem. Ego si abs te summa officia desiderem, mirum nemini videri debeat; omnia enim a me in te profecta sunt, quae ad tuum commodium, quae ad honorem, quae ad dignitatem pertinerent: pro his rebus nullam mihi abs te relatam esse gratiam tu es optimus testis, contra etiam esse aliquid abs te profectum ex multis audivi; nam "comperisse" me non audeo dicere, ne forte id ipsum verbum ponam, quod abs te aiunt falso in me solere conferri; sed ea, quae ad me delata sunt, malo te ex Pomponio, cui non minus molesta fuerunt, quam ex meis litteris cognoscere. Meus in te animus quam singulari officio fuerit, et senatus et populus Romanus testis est: tu quam gratus erga me fueris, ipse existimare potes; quantum mihi debeas, ceteri existiment. Ego quae tua causa antea feci, voluntate sum adductus posteaque constantia; sed reliqua, mihi crede, multo maius meum studium maioremque gravitatem et laborem desiderant; quae ego si non profundere ac perdere videbor, omnibus meis viribus sustinebo; sin autem ingrata esse sentiam, non committam, ut tibi ipsi insanire videar. Ea quae sint et cuiusmodi, poteris ex Pomponio cognoscere. Atque ipsum tibi Pomponium ita commendo, ut, quamquam ipsius causa confido te facturum esse omnia, tamen abs te hoc petam, ut, si quid in te residet amoris erga me, id omne in Pomponii negotio ostendas: hoc mihi nihil gratius facere potes.