Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 50 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
When I landed at Piraeus on October 14, I immediately received your letter from my slave Acastus. I had been waiting for it a long time. When I saw the sealed letter, I was surprised by its brevity; when I opened it, I was surprised again by the confusion of the handwriting, since yours is usually so orderly and clear. In short, from the very way you wrote, and from your statement that you had reached Rome on September 19 with a fever, I realized what had happened.
I was deeply shaken, as I had every reason to be, and at once questioned Acastus. He said that both you and he thought it was nothing serious, and that he had heard the same from your household. The last line of the letter supported that view, since you wrote that you had only a slight fever at the time. Still, I loved you all the more, and admired you, because even then you had written to me in your own hand. Enough about this. Given your good sense and self-control, and since Acastus bids me trust it, I do trust that you are now as well as I could wish.
I am glad you received my letter from Turranius. Keep a very close watch, if you love me, on Philotimus' untimely zeal, that muddier of accounts. As for the legacy from Precius, which grieves me deeply because I loved the man, do not let Philotimus touch it at all, however small it is. You will say that I need money for the expenses of a triumph. On that point, as you advise, you will find me neither foolishly vain in seeking one nor stupidly proud in refusing it.
I understand from your letter that you had heard from Turranius that I had handed the province over to my brother. Did I fail to see the prudence of your letter? You wrote that you were suspending judgment. What room was there for hesitation, if there were any good reason to leave my brother, and such a brother, in charge? Your hesitation seemed to me not suspension of judgment but rejection. You warned me above all not to leave young Quintus behind. That was my own dream too. We saw exactly the same things, as if we had discussed them together. There was nothing else to do, and your long pause freed me from doubt. I think, though, that you have already received a fuller letter on this point.
I was going to send letter-carriers to you the next day; I think they will arrive before our Saufeius. Still, it would hardly have been right for him to come to you without a letter from me. As you promise, please write fully about my dear Tullia, which means about Dolabella, about the public situation, which I foresee in the greatest danger, about the censors, and especially about the statues and paintings, what is being done with them and whether the matter will be brought before the Senate. I send this on October 15, the day on which, as you write, Caesar is bringing four legions to Placentia. What, I ask you, is going to become of us? For the moment my station on the Acropolis at Athens pleases me best.
As soon as I landed in port on the 14th of Oct. I received your letter from my slave Acastus. I have been looking forward to it so long that I was surprised at its brevity, as I looked at the letter before breaking the seal. Again, when I opened it, I was startled at the illegibility of the scribble, for your hand is generally very fine and legible. In short I gathered from the style of writing that you had arrived in town, as you stated, on the 19th of Sept., suffering from an attack of fever. Much disturbed, as I was bound to be, I questioned my slave. He said that both he
and you thought that it was nothing serious and that he had gathered as much from your people. This view seemed to be supported by a remark at the end of your letter that at the time of writing you had a touch of fever. However I was greatly surprised and pleased at your writing to me in your own hand under the circumstances. So I will say no more. For I hope considering your careful and temperate life—and to be sure Acastus bids me be confident—that you are now as well as I could wish.
I am glad you got my letter from Turranius. Keep a very strict eye, as you love me, on the untimely designs of that cooker of accounts Philotimus. As to this legacy from Precius, which is a great sorrow to me—for I loved him indeed—don’t let the fellow lay a finger on it, small as it is. You will say that I want money for the outfit of my triumph. You shall see that following your advice I will not show foolish vanity in seeking a triumph, nor be phlegmatic enough to refuse it.
I gather from your letter that you heard from Turranius I had given over my province to my brother. Do you imagine that I overlooked the cautious tone of your letter? You wrote that you were doubtful. There could have been no reason for doubts, if there had been grounds for leaving a brother and such a brother in charge. I took your doubts for dogmatic rejection. You warn me on no account to leave the young Quintus. Your words repeat my dream. The same vision came to us both, as though we had talked it over. There was nothing else to be done, and your long doubt has relieved me of hesitation. But I fancy you must have already got a letter on this topic written in more detail.
I mean to send letter-carriers to you to-morrow, who I fancy will arrive before our friend Saufeius: but it was hardly proper that he should come to you without a letter from me. Please write me fully, as you promise, about my little daughter, that is about her husband Dolabella, about the political situation in which I foresee much trouble, about the censors, and above all about the business of statues and pictures, and whether the matter will come up before the Senate. The 15th of October is the date of this letter, a day on which you say Caesar is going to bring four legions to Placentia. I wonder what will be our fate. My present quarters on the Acropolis at Athens seem to me the best place.
In Piraeea cum exissem pridie Idus Octobr., accepi ab Acasto servo meo statim tuas litteras. quas quidem cum exspectassem iam diu, admiratus sum, ut vidi obsignatam epistulam, brevitatem eius, ut aperui, rursus sunchusin litterularum, quia solent tuae compositissimae et clarissimae esse, ac, ne multa, cognovi ex eo quod ita scripseras te Romam venisse a. d. xii Kal. Oct. cum febri. percussus vehementer nec magis quam debui, statim quaero ex Acasto. ille et tibi et sibi visum et ita se domi ex tuis audisse ut nihil esset incommode. id videbatur approbare quod erat in extremo, febriculam tum te habentem scripsisse. sed te amavi tamen admiratusque sum quod nihilo minus ad me tua manu scripsisses. qua re de hoc satis. spero enim, quae tua prudentia et temperantia est, hercule, ut me iubet Acastus, confido te iam ut volumus valere. [2] A Turranio te accepisse meas litteras gaudeo. paraphulaxon, si me amas, ten tou phuratou philotimian: autika gar. hanc, quae me hercule mihi magno dolori est (dilexi enim hominem), procura, quantulacumque est, Precianam hereditatem prorsus ille ne attingat. dices nummos mihi opus esse ad apparatum triumphi. in quo, ut praecipis, nec me kenon in expetendo cognosces nec atuphon in abiciendo. [3] intellexi ex tuis litteris te ex Turranio audisse a me provinciam fratri traditam. adeon ego non perspexeram prudentiam litterarum tuarum? epechein te scribebas. quid erat dubitatione dignum, si esset quicquam cur placeret fratrem et talem fratrem relinqui? athetesis ista mihi tua, non epoche videbatur. monebas de Q. Cicerone puero ut eum quidem neutiquam relinquerem. toumon oneiron emoi. eadem omnia quasi conlocuti essemus vidimus. non fuit faciendum aliter meque epichronia epoche tua dubitatione liberavit. sed puto te accepisse de hac re epistulam scriptam accuratius. [4] ego tabellarios postero die ad vos eram missurus; quos puto ante venturos quam nostrum Saufeium. sed eum sine meis litteris ad te venire vix rectum erat. tu mihi, ut polliceris, de Tulliola mea, id est de Dolabella, perscribes, de re publica quam praevideo in summis periculis, de censoribus, maximeque de signis, tabulis quid fiat, referaturne. Idibus Octobribus has dedi litteras, quo die, ut scribis, Caesar Placentiam legiones iiii. quaeso, quid nobis futurum est? in arce Athenis statio mea nunc placet. Cicero
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When I landed at Piraeus on October 14, I immediately received your letter from my slave Acastus. I had been waiting for it a long time. When I saw the sealed letter, I was surprised by its brevity; when I opened it, I was surprised again by the confusion of the handwriting, since yours is usually so orderly and clear. In short, from the very way you wrote, and from your statement that you had reached Rome on September 19 with a fever, I realized what had happened.
I was deeply shaken, as I had every reason to be, and at once questioned Acastus. He said that both you and he thought it was nothing serious, and that he had heard the same from your household. The last line of the letter supported that view, since you wrote that you had only a slight fever at the time. Still, I loved you all the more, and admired you, because even then you had written to me in your own hand. Enough about this. Given your good sense and self-control, and since Acastus bids me trust it, I do trust that you are now as well as I could wish.
I am glad you received my letter from Turranius. Keep a very close watch, if you love me, on Philotimus' untimely zeal, that muddier of accounts. As for the legacy from Precius, which grieves me deeply because I loved the man, do not let Philotimus touch it at all, however small it is. You will say that I need money for the expenses of a triumph. On that point, as you advise, you will find me neither foolishly vain in seeking one nor stupidly proud in refusing it.
I understand from your letter that you had heard from Turranius that I had handed the province over to my brother. Did I fail to see the prudence of your letter? You wrote that you were suspending judgment. What room was there for hesitation, if there were any good reason to leave my brother, and such a brother, in charge? Your hesitation seemed to me not suspension of judgment but rejection. You warned me above all not to leave young Quintus behind. That was my own dream too. We saw exactly the same things, as if we had discussed them together. There was nothing else to do, and your long pause freed me from doubt. I think, though, that you have already received a fuller letter on this point.
I was going to send letter-carriers to you the next day; I think they will arrive before our Saufeius. Still, it would hardly have been right for him to come to you without a letter from me. As you promise, please write fully about my dear Tullia, which means about Dolabella, about the public situation, which I foresee in the greatest danger, about the censors, and especially about the statues and paintings, what is being done with them and whether the matter will be brought before the Senate. I send this on October 15, the day on which, as you write, Caesar is bringing four legions to Placentia. What, I ask you, is going to become of us? For the moment my station on the Acropolis at Athens pleases me best.
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
In Piraeea cum exissem pridie Idus Octobr., accepi ab Acasto servo meo statim tuas litteras. quas quidem cum exspectassem iam diu, admiratus sum, ut vidi obsignatam epistulam, brevitatem eius, ut aperui, rursus sunchusin litterularum, quia solent tuae compositissimae et clarissimae esse, ac, ne multa, cognovi ex eo quod ita scripseras te Romam venisse a. d. xii Kal. Oct. cum febri. percussus vehementer nec magis quam debui, statim quaero ex Acasto. ille et tibi et sibi visum et ita se domi ex tuis audisse ut nihil esset incommode. id videbatur approbare quod erat in extremo, febriculam tum te habentem scripsisse. sed te amavi tamen admiratusque sum quod nihilo minus ad me tua manu scripsisses. qua re de hoc satis. spero enim, quae tua prudentia et temperantia est, hercule, ut me iubet Acastus, confido te iam ut volumus valere. [2] A Turranio te accepisse meas litteras gaudeo. paraphulaxon, si me amas, ten tou phuratou philotimian: autika gar. hanc, quae me hercule mihi magno dolori est (dilexi enim hominem), procura, quantulacumque est, Precianam hereditatem prorsus ille ne attingat. dices nummos mihi opus esse ad apparatum triumphi. in quo, ut praecipis, nec me kenon in expetendo cognosces nec atuphon in abiciendo. [3] intellexi ex tuis litteris te ex Turranio audisse a me provinciam fratri traditam. adeon ego non perspexeram prudentiam litterarum tuarum? epechein te scribebas. quid erat dubitatione dignum, si esset quicquam cur placeret fratrem et talem fratrem relinqui? athetesis ista mihi tua, non epoche videbatur. monebas de Q. Cicerone puero ut eum quidem neutiquam relinquerem. toumon oneiron emoi. eadem omnia quasi conlocuti essemus vidimus. non fuit faciendum aliter meque epichronia epoche tua dubitatione liberavit. sed puto te accepisse de hac re epistulam scriptam accuratius. [4] ego tabellarios postero die ad vos eram missurus; quos puto ante venturos quam nostrum Saufeium. sed eum sine meis litteris ad te venire vix rectum erat. tu mihi, ut polliceris, de Tulliola mea, id est de Dolabella, perscribes, de re publica quam praevideo in summis periculis, de censoribus, maximeque de signis, tabulis quid fiat, referaturne. Idibus Octobribus has dedi litteras, quo die, ut scribis, Caesar Placentiam legiones iiii. quaeso, quid nobis futurum est? in arce Athenis statio mea nunc placet. Cicero