Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 51 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Until I settle somewhere, you should not expect long letters from me or letters always in my own hand. When there is time, I will provide both. For now we were making our way along a hot and dusty road. I wrote from Ephesus yesterday; I wrote this from Tralles. I expected to be in my province on August 1. If you love me, start moving the one-year calendar from that day.
Meanwhile, the news I wanted has been reaching me: first, quiet on the Parthian front; second, the tax-farmers' contracts settled; third, the mutiny of the soldiers quelled by Appius and their pay issued up to July 15.
Asia has received me wonderfully. My arrival cost no one, not even the smallest person, anything. I hope all my people are serving my good name. Still, I am very anxious, though we hope for the best. Everyone in my party has now arrived except your Tullius. My plan was to go straight to the army, give the remaining summer months to military affairs, and the winter to judicial work.
Since you know that I am no less curious about public affairs than you are, please write me everything that is happening and everything that is going to happen. Nothing could please me more, unless it is the thing that would please me most of all: that you finish the commissions I gave you, especially that inward household matter which you know is dearer to me than anything. You have a letter full of haste and dust. The next ones will be more careful.
You must not expect long letters from me nor always letters in my own handwriting, till I have settled down somewhere. When I have time, I will guarantee both. I am now engaged on a hot and dusty journey. I wrote yesterday from Ephesus; to-day
I write from Tralles. I expect to be in my province on the 1st of August. Let that day, if you love me, be notched as the first of my year of office. Meantime the following welcome news has reached me, that the Parthians are at peace; secondly that the contracts with the tax-farmers have been settled, and lastly that Appius has quelled a mutiny of his soldiers and paid them up to the 15th of July.
Asia has given me an astonishing welcome. My coming has cost no one a penny. I trust that my staff are cherishing my good name. I am very nervous: but I hope for the best. All of them have joined me except your friend Tullius. I intend to go straight to my army, to devote the remaining summer months to military matters, and the winter to judicial business.
As you know that I am as interested as you in political business, please write to me everything that is happening and is likely to happen. You can do me no greater service, except the greatest service of all, which is to carry out my commissions, particularly that household matter with which you know I am greatly concerned. This letter is full of dust and hurry: others shall be more in detail.
ante quam aliquo loco consedero, neque longas a me neque semper mea manu litteras exspectabis; cum autem erit spatium, utrumque praestabo. nunc iter conficiebamus aestuosa et pulverulenta via. dederam Epheso pridie; has dedi Trallibus. in provincia mea fore me putabam Kal. Sextilibus. ex ea die, si me amas, parapegma eniausion commoveto. interea tamen haec mihi quae vellem adferebantur, primum otium Parthicum, dein confectae pactiones publicanorum, postremo seditio militum sedata ab Appio stipendiumque eis usque ad Idus Quintilis persolutum. [2] nos Asia accepit admirabiliter. adventus noster nemini ne minimo quidem fuit sumptui. spero meos omnis servire laudi meae. tamen magno timore sum sed bene speramus. omnes iam nostri praeter Tullium tuum venerunt. erat mihi in animo recta proficisci ad exercitum, aestivos mensis reliquos rei militari dare, hibernos iuris dictioni. [3] tu velim, si me nihilo minus nosti curiosum in re publica quam te, scribas ad me omnia quae sint, quae futura sint. nihil mihi gratius facere potes; nisi tamen id erit mihi gratissimum, si quae tibi mandavi confeceris imprimisque illud endomuchon, quo mihi scis nihil esse carius. habes epistulam plenam festinationis et pulveris; reliquae subtiliores erunt.
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Until I settle somewhere, you should not expect long letters from me or letters always in my own hand. When there is time, I will provide both. For now we were making our way along a hot and dusty road. I wrote from Ephesus yesterday; I wrote this from Tralles. I expected to be in my province on August 1. If you love me, start moving the one-year calendar from that day.
Meanwhile, the news I wanted has been reaching me: first, quiet on the Parthian front; second, the tax-farmers' contracts settled; third, the mutiny of the soldiers quelled by Appius and their pay issued up to July 15.
Asia has received me wonderfully. My arrival cost no one, not even the smallest person, anything. I hope all my people are serving my good name. Still, I am very anxious, though we hope for the best. Everyone in my party has now arrived except your Tullius. My plan was to go straight to the army, give the remaining summer months to military affairs, and the winter to judicial work.
Since you know that I am no less curious about public affairs than you are, please write me everything that is happening and everything that is going to happen. Nothing could please me more, unless it is the thing that would please me most of all: that you finish the commissions I gave you, especially that inward household matter which you know is dearer to me than anything. You have a letter full of haste and dust. The next ones will be more careful.
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
ante quam aliquo loco consedero, neque longas a me neque semper mea manu litteras exspectabis; cum autem erit spatium, utrumque praestabo. nunc iter conficiebamus aestuosa et pulverulenta via. dederam Epheso pridie; has dedi Trallibus. in provincia mea fore me putabam Kal. Sextilibus. ex ea die, si me amas, parapegma eniausion commoveto. interea tamen haec mihi quae vellem adferebantur, primum otium Parthicum, dein confectae pactiones publicanorum, postremo seditio militum sedata ab Appio stipendiumque eis usque ad Idus Quintilis persolutum. [2] nos Asia accepit admirabiliter. adventus noster nemini ne minimo quidem fuit sumptui. spero meos omnis servire laudi meae. tamen magno timore sum sed bene speramus. omnes iam nostri praeter Tullium tuum venerunt. erat mihi in animo recta proficisci ad exercitum, aestivos mensis reliquos rei militari dare, hibernos iuris dictioni. [3] tu velim, si me nihilo minus nosti curiosum in re publica quam te, scribas ad me omnia quae sint, quae futura sint. nihil mihi gratius facere potes; nisi tamen id erit mihi gratissimum, si quae tibi mandavi confeceris imprimisque illud endomuchon, quo mihi scis nihil esse carius. habes epistulam plenam festinationis et pulveris; reliquae subtiliores erunt.