Marcus Caelius Rufus→Marcus Tullius Cicero|c. 50 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome|AI-assisted
When you were leaving, I promised to write you the most careful account of everything happening in the city. I have deliberately found someone to follow every detail so closely that I am afraid this fussy diligence may seem excessive to you.
I know how curious you are, and how welcome it is to everyone abroad to be told even the smallest things going on at home. Still, I ask one indulgence: do not condemn this service of mine as arrogance because I delegated the work to someone else. It is not that I do not find it delightful, busy as I am and, as you know, very lazy about writing letters, to keep your memory alive. The size of the packet I have sent will, I think, easily excuse me. I do not know what kind of leisure a man would need not only to write all this out, but even to notice it. It contains decrees of the senate, edicts, stories, and rumors.
If this sample happens not to please you, tell me, so that I do not create annoyance for you at my own expense. If anything more important happens in public affairs, something those hired hands cannot conveniently follow, I will myself write you carefully about how it was done, what people thought of it, and what hope is attached to it.
As things stand, there is nothing very much expected. Those rumors about admitting the Transpadani [people north of the Po] to the voting assemblies only stayed warm as far as Cumae; when I reached Rome I did not hear even the faintest whisper about it. Besides, Marcellus has so far brought forward nothing about successors for the Gallic provinces, and, as he told me himself, he has postponed that motion until June 1. He has certainly revived all the talk about him that was current when we were at Rome.
If you found Pompey, as you wanted to, write me fully how he seemed to you, what he said to you, and what wishes he professed. He usually thinks one thing and says another, and he is not clever enough to keep his real desire from showing.
About Caesar, frequent rumors reach us, not of war exactly, but only whisperers. One says he has lost his cavalry, which I think is certainly invented. Another says the seventh legion has been beaten, and that Caesar himself is besieged among the Bellovaci, cut off from the rest of his army. Nothing is certain yet, and these uncertain reports are not being thrown around publicly, but among a few people you know they are told as open secrets; Domitius hints at them with his hand over his mouth.
On May 24, the men under the Rostra - may it fall on their own heads - spread the report that you had died, that you had been killed on the road by Quintus Pompeius. Since I knew that Quintus Pompeius was taking a diet cure at Bauli and fasting so hard that I felt sorry for him, I was not disturbed. I only hoped that if any dangers were hanging over you, we might discharge them with this lie.
Your Plancus is at Ravenna. Caesar gave him a large present, but he is neither happy nor well supplied. Your books on the republic are thriving everywhere.
CXCI (Fam. VIII, 1) M. CAELIUS RUFUS TO CICERO (ON HIS JOURNEY TO CILICIA) ROME, 24 MAY-1 JUNE: As I promised you on the eve of your departure to write a full and careful account of all that went on in the city, I have taken pains to secure a man to describe everything so fully, that I fear his industry in this respect may appear to you somewhat overdone. Although you know your own curiosity, and how men abroad delight in being informed of even the most insignificant things that are going on at home, still in this point I must ask you for a favourable construction — that you should not hold me guilty of giving myself airs in thus performing the duty, because I have delegated this task to another. Not at all because it was not the most delightful thing possible to me — busy as I am and, as you know, the laziest man in the world at writing letters — to keep my memory of you fresh: but the size of the packet itself, which I am sending you, will, in my opinion, easily plead my excuse. It would have required considerable leisure not only to copy out all these details, but even to take notice of them: for the packet Contains all the decrees of the senate, edicts, gossip, and reports. If this specimen does not meet your wishes, let me know, that I may not spend money only to bore you. If anything of unusual importance occurs in public business, which these clerks cannot easily get at, I will myself carefully write you an account of how it was done, what was thought of it, and what is expected to be its result. For the present there is nothing which causes much anticipation. For those rumours as to the admission of the Transpadani to the comitia died out after reaching Cumae : when I got to Rome I didn't find that there was the slightest whisper about it. Besides, Marcellus has not as yet brought before the senate the subject of a successor to the Gallic provinces, and has (as he told me himself) postponed that motion to the 1st of June. He has gone far to bring up again the talk about him which was prevalent when we were in Rome . But pray if; as you wished to do, you have found Pompey at home, write me a full account of what you thought of him, what he said to you, and what wishes he professed to entertain — for he is accustomed to think one thing and say another, and yet is not clever enough to conceal his real aims. As to Caesar , there are frequent and rather ugly reports — at any rate, people keep arriving with mysterious whispers: one says that he has lost his cavalry, which, in my opinion, is without doubt an invention: another says that the seventh legion has had a drubbing, that he himself is besieged among the Bellovaci , and cut off from his main army. But neither is there anything known for certain as yet, nor are even these uncertain rumours publicly bruited abroad after all — they are mentioned as open secrets among the small clique with which you are acquainted; but Domitius , with his finger on his lips, hints at them. On the 24th of May, the quidnuncs of the Rostra , Confound them! spread a loud report that you had been assassinated on your journey by Q. Pompeius . Since I happened to know that Q. Pompeius was dieting himself at Bauli , and was fasting to such an extent that I was sorry for him, I was not agitated, and I only wished that we might compound by this lie for all dangers that might be threatening you. Your friend Plancus , for his part, is at Ravenna , and though he has been presented with a large douceur by Caesar , he is neither wealthy nor well set up. Your books on the Republic are in universal vogue.
I. Scr. Romae mense Maio (post IX Kal. Iun.) a.u.c. 703. CAELIUS CICERONI SAL.
Quod tibi discedens pollicitus sum me omnes res urbanas diligentissime tibi perscripturum, data opera paravi, qui sic omnia persequeretur, ut verear, ne tibi nimium arguta haec sedulitas vidatur. Tametsi tu scio quam sis curiosus et quam omnibus peregrinantibus gratum sit minimarum quoque rerum, quae domi gerantur, fieri certiores, tamen in hoc te deprecor, ne meum hoc officium arrogantiae condemnes, quod hunc laborem alteri delegavi, non quin mihi suavissimum sit et occupato et ad litteras scribendas, ut tu nosti, pigerrimo tuae memoriae dare operam, sed ipsum volumen, quod tibi misi, facile, ut ego arbitror, me excusat. Nescio cuius otii esset non modo perscribere haec, sed omnino animadvertere; omnia enim sunt ibi senatus consulta edicta, fabulae rumores; quod exemplum si forte minus te delectarit, ne molestiam tibi cum impensa mea exhibeam, fac me certiorem. Si quid in re publica maius actum erit, quod isti operarii minus commode persequi possint, et quemadmodum actum sit et quae existimatio secuta quaeque de eo spes sit, diligenter tibi ipsi perscribemus. Ut nunc est, nulla magno opere exspectatio est: nam et illi rumores de comitiis Transpadanorum Cumarum tenus caluerunt, Romam cum venissem, ne tenuissimam quidem auditionem de ea re accepi; praeterea Marcellus, quod adhuc nihil rettulit de successione provinciarum Galliarum et in Kalendas Iunias, ut mihi ipse dixit, eam distulit relationem, sane quam eos sermones expressit, qui de eo tum fuerant, cum Romae nos essemus. Tu si Pompeium, ut volebas, offendisti, qui tibi visus sit et quam orationem habuerit tecum quamque ostenderit voluntatem—solet enim aliud sentire et loqui neque tantum valere ingenio, ut non appareat, quid cupiat—, fac mihi perscribas. Quod ad Caesarem, crebri et non belli de eo rumores, sed susurratores dumtaxat, veniunt: alius equitem perdidisse, quod, opinor, certe fictum est; alius septimam legionem vapulasse, ipsum apud Bellovacos circumsederi interclusum ab reliquo exercitu neque adhuc certi quidquam est, neque haec incerta tamen vulgo iactantur, sed inter paucos, quos tu nosti, palam secreto narrantur; at Domitius, cum manus ad os apposuit. Te a. d. VIIII. Kal. Iunias subrostrani—quod illorum capiti sit!—dissiparant perisse: urbe ac foro toto maximus rumor fuit te a Q. Pompeio in itinere occisum. Ego, qui scirem Q. Pompeium Baulis embaeneticam facere et usque eo, ut ego misererer eius, esurire, non sum commotus et, hoc mendacio, si qua pericula tibi impenderent, ut defungeremur, optavi. Plancus quidem tuus Ravennae est, et magno congiario donatus a Caesare nec beatus nec bene instructus est. Tui politici libri omnibus vigent.
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When you were leaving, I promised to write you the most careful account of everything happening in the city. I have deliberately found someone to follow every detail so closely that I am afraid this fussy diligence may seem excessive to you.
I know how curious you are, and how welcome it is to everyone abroad to be told even the smallest things going on at home. Still, I ask one indulgence: do not condemn this service of mine as arrogance because I delegated the work to someone else. It is not that I do not find it delightful, busy as I am and, as you know, very lazy about writing letters, to keep your memory alive. The size of the packet I have sent will, I think, easily excuse me. I do not know what kind of leisure a man would need not only to write all this out, but even to notice it. It contains decrees of the senate, edicts, stories, and rumors.
If this sample happens not to please you, tell me, so that I do not create annoyance for you at my own expense. If anything more important happens in public affairs, something those hired hands cannot conveniently follow, I will myself write you carefully about how it was done, what people thought of it, and what hope is attached to it.
As things stand, there is nothing very much expected. Those rumors about admitting the Transpadani [people north of the Po] to the voting assemblies only stayed warm as far as Cumae; when I reached Rome I did not hear even the faintest whisper about it. Besides, Marcellus has so far brought forward nothing about successors for the Gallic provinces, and, as he told me himself, he has postponed that motion until June 1. He has certainly revived all the talk about him that was current when we were at Rome.
If you found Pompey, as you wanted to, write me fully how he seemed to you, what he said to you, and what wishes he professed. He usually thinks one thing and says another, and he is not clever enough to keep his real desire from showing.
About Caesar, frequent rumors reach us, not of war exactly, but only whisperers. One says he has lost his cavalry, which I think is certainly invented. Another says the seventh legion has been beaten, and that Caesar himself is besieged among the Bellovaci, cut off from the rest of his army. Nothing is certain yet, and these uncertain reports are not being thrown around publicly, but among a few people you know they are told as open secrets; Domitius hints at them with his hand over his mouth.
On May 24, the men under the Rostra - may it fall on their own heads - spread the report that you had died, that you had been killed on the road by Quintus Pompeius. Since I knew that Quintus Pompeius was taking a diet cure at Bauli and fasting so hard that I felt sorry for him, I was not disturbed. I only hoped that if any dangers were hanging over you, we might discharge them with this lie.
Your Plancus is at Ravenna. Caesar gave him a large present, but he is neither happy nor well supplied. Your books on the republic are thriving everywhere.
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 mense Maio (post IX Kal. Iun.) a.u.c. 703. CAELIUS CICERONI SAL.
Quod tibi discedens pollicitus sum me omnes res urbanas diligentissime tibi perscripturum, data opera paravi, qui sic omnia persequeretur, ut verear, ne tibi nimium arguta haec sedulitas vidatur. Tametsi tu scio quam sis curiosus et quam omnibus peregrinantibus gratum sit minimarum quoque rerum, quae domi gerantur, fieri certiores, tamen in hoc te deprecor, ne meum hoc officium arrogantiae condemnes, quod hunc laborem alteri delegavi, non quin mihi suavissimum sit et occupato et ad litteras scribendas, ut tu nosti, pigerrimo tuae memoriae dare operam, sed ipsum volumen, quod tibi misi, facile, ut ego arbitror, me excusat. Nescio cuius otii esset non modo perscribere haec, sed omnino animadvertere; omnia enim sunt ibi senatus consulta edicta, fabulae rumores; quod exemplum si forte minus te delectarit, ne molestiam tibi cum impensa mea exhibeam, fac me certiorem. Si quid in re publica maius actum erit, quod isti operarii minus commode persequi possint, et quemadmodum actum sit et quae existimatio secuta quaeque de eo spes sit, diligenter tibi ipsi perscribemus. Ut nunc est, nulla magno opere exspectatio est: nam et illi rumores de comitiis Transpadanorum Cumarum tenus caluerunt, Romam cum venissem, ne tenuissimam quidem auditionem de ea re accepi; praeterea Marcellus, quod adhuc nihil rettulit de successione provinciarum Galliarum et in Kalendas Iunias, ut mihi ipse dixit, eam distulit relationem, sane quam eos sermones expressit, qui de eo tum fuerant, cum Romae nos essemus. Tu si Pompeium, ut volebas, offendisti, qui tibi visus sit et quam orationem habuerit tecum quamque ostenderit voluntatem—solet enim aliud sentire et loqui neque tantum valere ingenio, ut non appareat, quid cupiat—, fac mihi perscribas. Quod ad Caesarem, crebri et non belli de eo rumores, sed susurratores dumtaxat, veniunt: alius equitem perdidisse, quod, opinor, certe fictum est; alius septimam legionem vapulasse, ipsum apud Bellovacos circumsederi interclusum ab reliquo exercitu neque adhuc certi quidquam est, neque haec incerta tamen vulgo iactantur, sed inter paucos, quos tu nosti, palam secreto narrantur; at Domitius, cum manus ad os apposuit. Te a. d. VIIII. Kal. Iunias subrostrani—quod illorum capiti sit!—dissiparant perisse: urbe ac foro toto maximus rumor fuit te a Q. Pompeio in itinere occisum. Ego, qui scirem Q. Pompeium Baulis embaeneticam facere et usque eo, ut ego misererer eius, esurire, non sum commotus et, hoc mendacio, si qua pericula tibi impenderent, ut defungeremur, optavi. Plancus quidem tuus Ravennae est, et magno congiario donatus a Caesare nec beatus nec bene instructus est. Tui politici libri omnibus vigent.