Marcus Tullius Cicero→Quintus Lepta|c. 48 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Cilicia|Human translated
As soon as I received a letter from your Seleucus, I immediately inquired of Balbus by letter what was in the law. He wrote back that those who were currently practicing as auctioneers were forbidden to be on town councils, but those who had been auctioneers in the past were not forbidden. So let your friends and mine be of good cheer; for it would have been intolerable if, when those who practice haruspicy today are admitted to the senate at Rome, those who at some time practiced as auctioneers should not be allowed to be decurions in the municipalities. There is no news from Spain; however, it is agreed that Pompeius has a large army. For Caesar himself sent his people a copy of Paciaecus's letter, in which it was stated that there were eleven legions. Messalla had also written to Quintus Salassus that Publius Curtius's brother had been killed on Pompeius's order before the army, because he had conspired with certain Spaniards to seize Pompeius and bring him to Caesar if he came to some town or other for the purpose of obtaining grain. As for your business -- your being surety for Pompeius -- if Galba, your co-surety, a man not at all negligent in financial matters, returns, I shall not cease conferring with him to see if something can be worked out; he seemed to me to be confident about it. I am very glad that you approve so highly of my Orator. I am indeed persuaded that whatever judgment I have had about speaking, I have put into that book. If it is such as you describe in your letter, then I too am something; but if not, I do not object to having as much taken from the reputation of my judgment as is taken from that book. I hope our young Lepta is already beginning to take pleasure in writings of this kind; although the maturity of age is lacking, it is nonetheless useful to fill his ears with such voices. I have been kept in Rome entirely by the delivery of my daughter Tullia; but although she is, as I hope, sufficiently recovered, I am still detained while I exact the first installment from Dolabella's agents. And by Hercules, I am not so much a traveler now as I used to be: my buildings give me pleasure, and my leisure. Now my house is one that yields to none of my villas, and my leisure is greater than in any most deserted region. And so not even my literary works are impeded; I am engaged in them without any interruption. Therefore, I think, you will see me here sooner than I shall see you there. Let our delightful Lepta study Hesiod and have on his lips "half is more than the whole" and the rest.
DXXXIII (Fam. VI, 18) TO QUINTUS LEPTA ROME (JANUARY) Immediately on the receipt of the letter from your servant Seleucus I sent a note to Balbus asking him what the provision of the law was. He answered that auctioneers in actual business were excluded from being municipal counsellors, retired auctioneers were not excluded. Wherefore certain friends of yours and mine need not be alarmed, for it would have been intolerable, while those who were now acting as haruspices were put on the roll of the senate at Rome , all who had ever been auctioneers should be excluded from becoming counsellors in the municipal towns. There is no news from Spain. However, it is ascertained to be true that Pompey has a great army: for Caesar has himself sent me a copy of a despatch from Paciaecus , in which the number was reckoned as eleven legions. Messalla has also written to Quintus Salassus to say that his brother Publius Curtius has been put to death by Pompey 's order in the presence of the army, for having, as he alleged, made a compact with certain Spaniards , that if Pompey entered a particular town to get corn, they should arrest him and take him to Caesar . As to your business in regard to your being a guarantee for Pompey , when your fellow guarantor Galba — a man generally very careful in money matters-comes back to town, I will at once consult with him to see whether anything can be done, as he seems inclined to have confidence in me. I am much delighted that you approve so highly of my Orator. My own view of it is that I have put into that book all the critical power I possessed in the art of speaking. If the book is such as you say that you think it to be, then I too am somewhat. If not, then I do not decline to allow the same deduction to be made from my reputation for critical judgment as is to be made from the book. I am desirous that our dear Lepta should take pleasure in such writings. Though his age is not yet ripe for them, yet it is not unprofitable that his ears should ring with the sound of such language. I am kept at Rome in any case by Tullia 's confinement; but when she gets as well again as I can wish, I am still detained till I can get the first instalment of the dowry out of Dolabella 's agents. Besides, by Hercules , I am not so much of a traveller as I used to be. My building and my leisure satisfy me entirely. My town house is now equal to any one of my villas: my leisure is more complete than the loneliest spot in the world could supply. So I am not hindered even in my literary employments, in which I am plunged without interruption. Wherefore I think that I shall see you here before you see me there. Let our dearest Lepta learn his Hesiod by heart, and have ever on his lips: “On virtue's threshold god sets sweat and toil.” 372
XVIII. Scr. Romae mense Ianuario a.u.c. 709. CICERO LEPTAE
Simulatque accepi a Seleuco tuo litteras, statim quaesivi e Balbo per codicillos, quid esset in lege: rescripsit eos, qui facerent praeconium, vetari esse in decurionibus, qui fecissent, non vetari. Quare bono animo sint et tui et mei familiares; neque enim erat ferendum, cum, qui hodie haruspicinam facerent, in senatum Romae legerentur, eos, qui aliquando praeconium fecissent, in municipiis decuriones esse non licere. De Hispaniis novi nihil: magnum tamen exercitum Pompeium habere constat, nam Caesar ipse ad suos misit exemplum Paciaeci litterarum, in quo erat illas XI. esse legiones; scripserat etima Messalla Q. Salasso P. Curtium fratrem eius iussu Pompeii inspectante exercitu interfectum, quod consensisset cum Hispanis quibusdam, si in oppidum nescio quod Pompeius rei frumentariae causa venisset, eum comprehendere ad Caesaremque deducere. De tuo negotio, quod sponsor es pro Pompeio, si Galba consponsor tuus redierit, homo in re familiari non parum diligens, non desinam cum illo communicare, si quid expediri possit, quod videbatur mihi ille confidere. Oratorem meum tanto opere a te probari vehementer gaudeo; mihi quidem sic persuadeo, me, quidquid habuerim iudicii de dicendo, in illum librum contulisse: qui si est talis, qualem tibi videri scribis, ego quoque aliquid sum; sin aliter, non recuso, quin, quantum de illo libro, tantundem de mei iudicii fama detrahatur. Leptam nostrum cupio delectari iam talibus scriptis: etsi abest maturitas aetatis, tamen personare aures eius huiusmodi vocibus non est inutile. Me Romae tenuit omnino Tulliae meae partus; sed, cum ea, quemadmodum spero, satis firma sit, teneor tamen, dum a Dolabellae procuratoribus exigam primam pensionem, et mehercule non tam sum peregrinator iam, quam solebam: aedificia mea me delectabant et otium; nunc domus est, quae nulli mearum villarum cedat, otium omni desertissima regione maius. Itaque ne litterae quidem meae impediuntur, in quibus sine ulla interpellatione versor; quare, ut arbitror, prius hic te nos, quam istic tu nos videbis. Lepta suavissimus edicat Hesiodum et habeat in ore tw d' *retw þdr«ta et cetera.
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As soon as I received a letter from your Seleucus, I immediately inquired of Balbus by letter what was in the law. He wrote back that those who were currently practicing as auctioneers were forbidden to be on town councils, but those who had been auctioneers in the past were not forbidden. So let your friends and mine be of good cheer; for it would have been intolerable if, when those who practice haruspicy today are admitted to the senate at Rome, those who at some time practiced as auctioneers should not be allowed to be decurions in the municipalities. There is no news from Spain; however, it is agreed that Pompeius has a large army. For Caesar himself sent his people a copy of Paciaecus's letter, in which it was stated that there were eleven legions. Messalla had also written to Quintus Salassus that Publius Curtius's brother had been killed on Pompeius's order before the army, because he had conspired with certain Spaniards to seize Pompeius and bring him to Caesar if he came to some town or other for the purpose of obtaining grain. As for your business -- your being surety for Pompeius -- if Galba, your co-surety, a man not at all negligent in financial matters, returns, I shall not cease conferring with him to see if something can be worked out; he seemed to me to be confident about it. I am very glad that you approve so highly of my Orator. I am indeed persuaded that whatever judgment I have had about speaking, I have put into that book. If it is such as you describe in your letter, then I too am something; but if not, I do not object to having as much taken from the reputation of my judgment as is taken from that book. I hope our young Lepta is already beginning to take pleasure in writings of this kind; although the maturity of age is lacking, it is nonetheless useful to fill his ears with such voices. I have been kept in Rome entirely by the delivery of my daughter Tullia; but although she is, as I hope, sufficiently recovered, I am still detained while I exact the first installment from Dolabella's agents. And by Hercules, I am not so much a traveler now as I used to be: my buildings give me pleasure, and my leisure. Now my house is one that yields to none of my villas, and my leisure is greater than in any most deserted region. And so not even my literary works are impeded; I am engaged in them without any interruption. Therefore, I think, you will see me here sooner than I shall see you there. Let our delightful Lepta study Hesiod and have on his lips "half is more than the whole" and the rest.
Human translation - ToposText / Shuckburgh
Latin / Greek Original
XVIII. Scr. Romae mense Ianuario a.u.c. 709. CICERO LEPTAE
Simulatque accepi a Seleuco tuo litteras, statim quaesivi e Balbo per codicillos, quid esset in lege: rescripsit eos, qui facerent praeconium, vetari esse in decurionibus, qui fecissent, non vetari. Quare bono animo sint et tui et mei familiares; neque enim erat ferendum, cum, qui hodie haruspicinam facerent, in senatum Romae legerentur, eos, qui aliquando praeconium fecissent, in municipiis decuriones esse non licere. De Hispaniis novi nihil: magnum tamen exercitum Pompeium habere constat, nam Caesar ipse ad suos misit exemplum Paciaeci litterarum, in quo erat illas XI. esse legiones; scripserat etima Messalla Q. Salasso P. Curtium fratrem eius iussu Pompeii inspectante exercitu interfectum, quod consensisset cum Hispanis quibusdam, si in oppidum nescio quod Pompeius rei frumentariae causa venisset, eum comprehendere ad Caesaremque deducere. De tuo negotio, quod sponsor es pro Pompeio, si Galba consponsor tuus redierit, homo in re familiari non parum diligens, non desinam cum illo communicare, si quid expediri possit, quod videbatur mihi ille confidere. Oratorem meum tanto opere a te probari vehementer gaudeo; mihi quidem sic persuadeo, me, quidquid habuerim iudicii de dicendo, in illum librum contulisse: qui si est talis, qualem tibi videri scribis, ego quoque aliquid sum; sin aliter, non recuso, quin, quantum de illo libro, tantundem de mei iudicii fama detrahatur. Leptam nostrum cupio delectari iam talibus scriptis: etsi abest maturitas aetatis, tamen personare aures eius huiusmodi vocibus non est inutile. Me Romae tenuit omnino Tulliae meae partus; sed, cum ea, quemadmodum spero, satis firma sit, teneor tamen, dum a Dolabellae procuratoribus exigam primam pensionem, et mehercule non tam sum peregrinator iam, quam solebam: aedificia mea me delectabant et otium; nunc domus est, quae nulli mearum villarum cedat, otium omni desertissima regione maius. Itaque ne litterae quidem meae impediuntur, in quibus sine ulla interpellatione versor; quare, ut arbitror, prius hic te nos, quam istic tu nos videbis. Lepta suavissimus edicat Hesiodum et habeat in ore tw d' *retw þdr«ta et cetera.