Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Why was there any need to make such emphatic assurances about Dionysius? Would one nod from you not have been enough to convince me? Your silence had increased my suspicion, because you are usually the one who cements friendships with your testimonials, and because I was hearing that he spoke differently about us to different people. But you persuade me that matters are exactly as you write. So I shall be toward him exactly what you want me to be.
I too had noted your bad day from a letter of yours written when the fever was beginning, and I saw that, as things stood, you could come to me at the Alban villa on January 3 without much inconvenience. But please, I beg you, do nothing at the cost of your health. What difference can one day or two make?
I see that Dolabella, under Livia's will, receives a third share together with two coheirs, but is ordered to change his name. That is a political question: whether it is right for a young noble to change his name under a woman's will. We will examine it more philosophically when we know how much this third of a third amounts to.
Your expectation that I would see Pompey before coming to you proved correct. On December 25 he caught up with me near Lavernium. We came to Formiae together and spoke privately from about two o'clock until evening. You ask whether there is any hope of peace. So far as I could tell from Pompey's long and careful conversation, he does not even want it. He thinks that if Caesar becomes consul even after dismissing his army, the constitution will be thrown into confusion. He also thinks that once Caesar hears that careful preparations are being made against him, he will give up the consulship this year and instead keep his army and province. If Caesar goes mad, Pompey has complete contempt for him and confidence in his own resources and those of the republic.
What more can I say? The uncertainty of war kept coming into my mind; still, my anxiety was eased as I listened to a brave, experienced man of immense authority arguing like a statesman about the dangers of a false peace. We had in our hands Antony's public speech of December 21, attacking Pompey from the time he first put on the toga, complaining about condemned men, and threatening arms. Pompey said, "What do you think Caesar himself will do, if he comes into possession of the republic, when this weak and penniless quaestor of his dares to say such things?"
In short, Pompey seemed not only not to seek that peace, but actually to fear it. Yet I think the proposal to abandon the city is shaking him. What troubles me most is that I must pay money to Caesar and divert to that purpose the equipment for my triumph. It is an ugly thing for a political opponent to be his debtor. But this and much else when we meet.
There was no need for you to give such strong assurances about Dionysius. A hint from you would have satisfied me. But your silence gave me all the more reason for suspicion, because you are used to cement friendships with good-natured assurances, and because I heard that he used different language about us to others. However, your letter convinces me. So I behave to him exactly as you wish.
Your bad day too I had noted from a letter you wrote at the beginning of your feverishness, and I had calculated that under the circumstances you could conveniently meet me at the Alban villa on the 3rd of January. But please do nothing to affect your health. A day or two will make no difference.
Dolabella, I see, by Livia's will shares a third of her estate with two others, but is asked to change his name. It is a social problem whether it is proper for a young noble to change his name under a lady's will. But we can determine that on more scientific grounds, when we know to how much a third of a third amounts.
Your guess that I should meet Pompey before coming to Rome has come true. On the 25th he overtook me near the Lavernium. We reached Formiae together, and were closeted together from two o'clock till evening. For your query as to the chance of a peaceful settlement, so far as I could tell from Pompey's full and detailed discourse, he does not even want peace. Pompey thinks that the constitution will be subverted even if Caesar is elected consul without
an army; and he fancies that when Caesar hears of the energetic preparations against him, he will give up the idea of the consulship this year, and prefer to keep his army and his province. Still, if Caesar should play the fool, Pompey has an utter contempt for him, and firm confidence in his own and the state's resources. Well, although the "uncertainty of war" came constantly into my mind, I was relieved of anxiety as I listened to a soldier, a strategist, and a man of the greatest influence discoursing in a statesmanlike way on the risks of a hollow peace. We had before us a speech of Antony made on the 21st of December, which attacked Pompey from boyhood, complained about the condemnation of certain people and threatened war. Pompey's comment was "What do you suppose Caesar will do, if he becomes master of the state, when a wretched, insignificant subordinate dares to talk in this strain?" In a word, he appeared not only not to seek peace, but even to fear it. But I fancy the idea of leaving the city shakes his resolution. What annoys me most is that I have to pay up to Caesar, and devote to the purpose what I should have used for my triumph. It is bad form to owe money to a political opponent. But this and many other topics can wait till we meet.
quid opus est de Dionysio tam valde adfirmare? an mihi nutus tuus non faceret fidem? suspicionem autem eo mihi maiorem tua taciturnitas adtulerat, quod et tu soles conglutinare amicitias testimoniis tuis et illum aliter cum aliis de nobis locutum audiebam. sed prorsus ita esse ut scribis mihi persuades. itaque ego is in illum sum quem tu me esse vis. [2] diem tuum ego quoque ex epistula quadam tua quam incipiente febricula scripseras mihi notaveram et animadverteram posse pro re nata te non incommode ad me in Albanum venire iii Nonas Ianuar. sed, amabo te, nihil incommodo valetudinis feceris. quid enim est tantum in uno aut altero die? [3] Dolabellam video Liviae testamento cum duobus coheredibus esse in triente sed iuberi mutare nomen. est politikon skemma rectumne sit nobili adulescenti mutare nomen mulieris testamento. sed id philosophoteron dieukrinesomen, cum sciemus quantum quasi sit in trientis triente. [4] quod putasti fore ut ante quam istuc venirem Pompeium viderem, factum est ita; nam vi Kal. ad Lavernium (me) consecutus est. una Formias venimus et ab hora octava ad vesperum secreto conlocuti sumus. quod quaeris ecquae spes pacificationis sit, quantum ex Pompei multo et accurato sermone perspexi, ne voluntas quidem est. sic enim existimat, si ille vel dimisso exercitu consul factus sit, sunchusin tes politeias fore, atque etiam putat eum, cum audierit contra se diligenter parari, consulatum hoc anno neglecturum ac potius exercitum provinciamque retenturum. sin autem ille fureret, vehementer hominem contemnebat et suis et rei publicae copiis confidebat. quid quaeris? etsi mihi crebro xunos Enualios occurrebat, tamen levabar cura virum forte m et peritum et plurimum auctoritate valentem audiens politikos de pacis simulatae periculis disserentem. habebamus autem in manibus Antoni contionem habitam x Kal. Ianuar., in qua erat accusatio Pompei usque a toga pura, querela de damnatis, terror armorum. in quibus ille 'quid censes' aiebat 'facturum esse ipsum, si in possessionem rei publicae venerit, cum haec quaestor eius infirmus et inops audeat dicere?' quid multa? non modo non expetere pacem istam sed etiam timere visus est. ex illa autem sententia +i+ relinquendae urbis movet hominem, ut puto. mihi autem illud molestissimum est, quod solvendi sunt nummi Caesari et instrumentum triumphi eo conferendum. est enim amorphon antipoliteuomenou chreopheileten esse. sed haec et multa alia coram.
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Why was there any need to make such emphatic assurances about Dionysius? Would one nod from you not have been enough to convince me? Your silence had increased my suspicion, because you are usually the one who cements friendships with your testimonials, and because I was hearing that he spoke differently about us to different people. But you persuade me that matters are exactly as you write. So I shall be toward him exactly what you want me to be.
I too had noted your bad day from a letter of yours written when the fever was beginning, and I saw that, as things stood, you could come to me at the Alban villa on January 3 without much inconvenience. But please, I beg you, do nothing at the cost of your health. What difference can one day or two make?
I see that Dolabella, under Livia's will, receives a third share together with two coheirs, but is ordered to change his name. That is a political question: whether it is right for a young noble to change his name under a woman's will. We will examine it more philosophically when we know how much this third of a third amounts to.
Your expectation that I would see Pompey before coming to you proved correct. On December 25 he caught up with me near Lavernium. We came to Formiae together and spoke privately from about two o'clock until evening. You ask whether there is any hope of peace. So far as I could tell from Pompey's long and careful conversation, he does not even want it. He thinks that if Caesar becomes consul even after dismissing his army, the constitution will be thrown into confusion. He also thinks that once Caesar hears that careful preparations are being made against him, he will give up the consulship this year and instead keep his army and province. If Caesar goes mad, Pompey has complete contempt for him and confidence in his own resources and those of the republic.
What more can I say? The uncertainty of war kept coming into my mind; still, my anxiety was eased as I listened to a brave, experienced man of immense authority arguing like a statesman about the dangers of a false peace. We had in our hands Antony's public speech of December 21, attacking Pompey from the time he first put on the toga, complaining about condemned men, and threatening arms. Pompey said, "What do you think Caesar himself will do, if he comes into possession of the republic, when this weak and penniless quaestor of his dares to say such things?"
In short, Pompey seemed not only not to seek that peace, but actually to fear it. Yet I think the proposal to abandon the city is shaking him. What troubles me most is that I must pay money to Caesar and divert to that purpose the equipment for my triumph. It is an ugly thing for a political opponent to be his debtor. But this and much else when we meet.
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
quid opus est de Dionysio tam valde adfirmare? an mihi nutus tuus non faceret fidem? suspicionem autem eo mihi maiorem tua taciturnitas adtulerat, quod et tu soles conglutinare amicitias testimoniis tuis et illum aliter cum aliis de nobis locutum audiebam. sed prorsus ita esse ut scribis mihi persuades. itaque ego is in illum sum quem tu me esse vis. [2] diem tuum ego quoque ex epistula quadam tua quam incipiente febricula scripseras mihi notaveram et animadverteram posse pro re nata te non incommode ad me in Albanum venire iii Nonas Ianuar. sed, amabo te, nihil incommodo valetudinis feceris. quid enim est tantum in uno aut altero die? [3] Dolabellam video Liviae testamento cum duobus coheredibus esse in triente sed iuberi mutare nomen. est politikon skemma rectumne sit nobili adulescenti mutare nomen mulieris testamento. sed id philosophoteron dieukrinesomen, cum sciemus quantum quasi sit in trientis triente. [4] quod putasti fore ut ante quam istuc venirem Pompeium viderem, factum est ita; nam vi Kal. ad Lavernium (me) consecutus est. una Formias venimus et ab hora octava ad vesperum secreto conlocuti sumus. quod quaeris ecquae spes pacificationis sit, quantum ex Pompei multo et accurato sermone perspexi, ne voluntas quidem est. sic enim existimat, si ille vel dimisso exercitu consul factus sit, sunchusin tes politeias fore, atque etiam putat eum, cum audierit contra se diligenter parari, consulatum hoc anno neglecturum ac potius exercitum provinciamque retenturum. sin autem ille fureret, vehementer hominem contemnebat et suis et rei publicae copiis confidebat. quid quaeris? etsi mihi crebro xunos Enualios occurrebat, tamen levabar cura virum forte m et peritum et plurimum auctoritate valentem audiens politikos de pacis simulatae periculis disserentem. habebamus autem in manibus Antoni contionem habitam x Kal. Ianuar., in qua erat accusatio Pompei usque a toga pura, querela de damnatis, terror armorum. in quibus ille 'quid censes' aiebat 'facturum esse ipsum, si in possessionem rei publicae venerit, cum haec quaestor eius infirmus et inops audeat dicere?' quid multa? non modo non expetere pacem istam sed etiam timere visus est. ex illa autem sententia +i+ relinquendae urbis movet hominem, ut puto. mihi autem illud molestissimum est, quod solvendi sunt nummi Caesari et instrumentum triumphi eo conferendum. est enim amorphon antipoliteuomenou chreopheileten esse. sed haec et multa alia coram.