Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 51 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Although the tax-farmers' messengers were leaving while I was actually on the road, and we were in motion, I thought I had to steal a little time so you would not think I had forgotten your commission. So I sat down right on the road to write you, in summary, about matters that really call for a longer letter.
You should know that I arrived on July 31 in a province ruined and utterly overturned for the long term, and that my arrival was awaited with the greatest expectation. We stayed three days at Laodicea, three at Apamea, and the same number at Synnada. We heard nothing but this: people could not pay the imposed head-taxes, everyone had sold his assets, the cities were groaning and weeping, and the behavior of some monstrous creature, not a man but a savage beast, was beyond belief. What more can I say? They are simply tired of life.
Still, the wretched cities are relieved because no expense is being imposed for me, my legates, my quaestor, or anyone else. You should know that we accept not only no hay and none of what is normally allowed under the Julian law, but not even firewood. No one accepts anything except four beds and a roof; in many places we do not even accept a roof, but usually stay in tents. So there are unbelievable gatherings from the fields, villages, and every household. By Hercules, they are coming back to life at my arrival. The justice, restraint, and mercy of your Cicero have surpassed everyone's expectations.
When Appius heard that I was coming, he threw himself to the farthest edge of the province, all the way to Tarsus. There he is holding court. There is silence about the Parthian, though people arriving here report that our cavalry has been cut to pieces by the barbarians. Bibulus was not even thinking yet of entering his province. People said he was doing this because he wanted to leave it later. We were hurrying to the camp, which was two days away.
[Sidenote: _On the road from Synnada to Philomelium, between Aug. 9 and
11_, B.C. _51_]
Though the tax-farmers’ messengers are actually on their road and I am
travelling, still I think I must snatch a moment for fear you may
imagine I have forgotten your commission. So I sit down on the high road
to scribble you a summary of what really calls for a long epistle. You
must know that my arrival in this province, which is in a state of
lasting ruin and desolation, was expected eagerly. I got here on the
31st of July. I stayed three days at Laodicea, three at Apamea, and as
many at Synnas. Everywhere I heard the same tale. People could not
pay the poll-tax: they were forced to sell out their investments: groans
and lamentations in the towns, and awful conduct of one who is some kind
of savage beast rather than a man. All the people are, as you may
suppose, tired of life. However, the poor towns are relieved that they
have had to spend nothing on me, my legates, or a quaestor, or anyone.
For you must know that I not only refused to accept pay, or what is a
proper perquisite under the Julian law, but that none of us will take
firewood or anything beyond four beds and a roof; and in many places we
do not accept even a roof, but remain mostly under canvas. So
extraordinary
modum concursus fiunt ex agris, ex vicis, ex domibus omnibus. Mehercule
etiam adventu nostro reviviscunt. Iustitia, abstinentia, dementia tui
Ciceronis itaque opiniones omnium superavit. Appius, ut audivit nos
venire, in ultimam provinciam se coniecit Tarsum usque. Ibi forum agit.
De Partho silentium est, sed tamen concisos equites nostros a barbaris
nuntiabant ii, qui veniebant. Bibulus ne cogitabat quidem etiam nunc in
provinciam suam accedere; id autem facere ob eam causam dicebant, quod
tardius vellet decedere. Nos in castra properabamus, quae aberant bidui.
etsi in ipso itinere et via discedebant publicanorum tabellarii et eramus in cursu, tamen surripiendum aliquid putavi spati, ne me immemorem mandati tui putares. itaque subsedi in ipsa via, dum haec quae longiorem desiderant orationem summatim tibi perscriberem. [2] maxima exspectatione in perditam et plane eversam in perpetuum provinciam nos venisse scito pridie Kal. Sextilis, moratos triduum Laodiceae, triduum Apameae, totidem dies Synnade. . audivimus nihil aliud nisi imperata epikephalaia solvere non posse, onas omnium venditas, civitatum gemitus, ploratus, monstra quaedam non hominis sed ferae nescio cuius immanis. quid quaeris? taedet omnino eos vitae. [3] levantur tamen miserae civitates quod nullus fit sumptus in nos neque in legatos neque in quaestorem neque in quemquam. scito non modo nos foenum aut quod e lege Iulia dari solet non accipere sed ne ligna quidem, nec praeter quattuor lectos et tectum quemquam accipere quicquam, multis locis ne tectum quidem et in tabernaculo manere plerumque. itaque incredibilem in modum concursus fiunt ex agris, ex vicis, ex domibus omnibus. me hercule etiam adventa nostro reviviscunt. iustitia, abstinentia, clementia tui Ciceronis [itaque] opiniones omnium superavit. [4] Appius ut audivit nos venire, in ultimam provinciam se coniecit Tarsum usque. ibi forum agit. de Partho silentium est, sed tamen concisos equites nostros a barbaris nuntiabant ii qui veniebant. Bibulus ne cogitabat quidem etiam nunc in provinciam suam accedere; id autem facere ob eam causam dicebant quod tardius vellet decedere. nos in castra properabamus quae aberant tridui.
◆
Although the tax-farmers' messengers were leaving while I was actually on the road, and we were in motion, I thought I had to steal a little time so you would not think I had forgotten your commission. So I sat down right on the road to write you, in summary, about matters that really call for a longer letter.
You should know that I arrived on July 31 in a province ruined and utterly overturned for the long term, and that my arrival was awaited with the greatest expectation. We stayed three days at Laodicea, three at Apamea, and the same number at Synnada. We heard nothing but this: people could not pay the imposed head-taxes, everyone had sold his assets, the cities were groaning and weeping, and the behavior of some monstrous creature, not a man but a savage beast, was beyond belief. What more can I say? They are simply tired of life.
Still, the wretched cities are relieved because no expense is being imposed for me, my legates, my quaestor, or anyone else. You should know that we accept not only no hay and none of what is normally allowed under the Julian law, but not even firewood. No one accepts anything except four beds and a roof; in many places we do not even accept a roof, but usually stay in tents. So there are unbelievable gatherings from the fields, villages, and every household. By Hercules, they are coming back to life at my arrival. The justice, restraint, and mercy of your Cicero have surpassed everyone's expectations.
When Appius heard that I was coming, he threw himself to the farthest edge of the province, all the way to Tarsus. There he is holding court. There is silence about the Parthian, though people arriving here report that our cavalry has been cut to pieces by the barbarians. Bibulus was not even thinking yet of entering his province. People said he was doing this because he wanted to leave it later. We were hurrying to the camp, which was two days away.
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
etsi in ipso itinere et via discedebant publicanorum tabellarii et eramus in cursu, tamen surripiendum aliquid putavi spati, ne me immemorem mandati tui putares. itaque subsedi in ipsa via, dum haec quae longiorem desiderant orationem summatim tibi perscriberem. [2] maxima exspectatione in perditam et plane eversam in perpetuum provinciam nos venisse scito pridie Kal. Sextilis, moratos triduum Laodiceae, triduum Apameae, totidem dies Synnade. . audivimus nihil aliud nisi imperata epikephalaia solvere non posse, onas omnium venditas, civitatum gemitus, ploratus, monstra quaedam non hominis sed ferae nescio cuius immanis. quid quaeris? taedet omnino eos vitae. [3] levantur tamen miserae civitates quod nullus fit sumptus in nos neque in legatos neque in quaestorem neque in quemquam. scito non modo nos foenum aut quod e lege Iulia dari solet non accipere sed ne ligna quidem, nec praeter quattuor lectos et tectum quemquam accipere quicquam, multis locis ne tectum quidem et in tabernaculo manere plerumque. itaque incredibilem in modum concursus fiunt ex agris, ex vicis, ex domibus omnibus. me hercule etiam adventa nostro reviviscunt. iustitia, abstinentia, clementia tui Ciceronis [itaque] opiniones omnium superavit. [4] Appius ut audivit nos venire, in ultimam provinciam se coniecit Tarsum usque. ibi forum agit. de Partho silentium est, sed tamen concisos equites nostros a barbaris nuntiabant ii qui veniebant. Bibulus ne cogitabat quidem etiam nunc in provinciam suam accedere; id autem facere ob eam causam dicebant quod tardius vellet decedere. nos in castra properabamus quae aberant tridui.