Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
After I had sent you a letter, one from Pompey was delivered to me. The rest of it concerned events in Picenum, as Vibullius had reported them to him, and Domitius' levy - things you already know, though they were not as encouraging in Pompey's letter as Philotimus had written to me. I would have sent you Pompey's own letter, but my brother's servant was suddenly setting out. I will send it tomorrow.
At the end of that letter Pompey added in his own hand: "I think you should come to Luceria. Nowhere will you be safer." I took this to mean that he has written off these towns and the coast as abandoned. I was not surprised that a man who had left the head itself should show no tenderness toward the remaining limbs.
I wrote back at once and sent one of my own reliable attendants. I said I was not asking where I would be safest; if he wanted me to come to Luceria for his sake or for the republic's, I would come immediately. I urged him to hold the coast if he wanted grain supplies to reach him from the provinces. I saw that I was writing in vain. Still, just as earlier I put my opinion on record about holding the city, so now I recorded it about not abandoning Italy.
I see the preparations being made: all forces are to be drawn together at Luceria, and even that place is not meant to be stable; from Luceria itself, if we are pressed, flight is being prepared. So do not wonder that I come reluctantly into a cause in which there has never been any plan for peace or victory, only for shameful and ruinous flight. Yet I must go, so that whatever chance brings, I may face it with those who are called the good men rather than seem to disagree with the good.
And yet I already see that before long the city will be full of "good men," that is, of elegant and wealthy men, and fuller still when these towns have been abandoned. I would be among them myself if I did not have these most troublesome lictors. Nor would I be ashamed to share the company of Manius Lepidus, Lucius Volcatius, and Servius Sulpicius, none of whom is more foolish than Lucius Domitius or more changeable than Appius Claudius.
Pompey alone moves me, and by his kindness to me, not by his authority. What authority does he have in this cause? When we all feared Caesar, Pompey loved him; after Pompey himself began to fear him, he thinks everyone ought to be Caesar's enemy. Still, we will go to Luceria. Perhaps my arrival will not please him, since I will not be able to conceal that I disapprove of what has been done so far. If I could sleep, I would not batter you with such long letters. If you suffer from the same cause, I would be glad if you repaid me in kind.
After I sent you my letter, I got one from Pompey. The rest of it was about what has happened in Picenum, as reported to him by Vibullius in a note, and about Domitius' levy. That you know already: but in this letter things were not so grand as in Philotimus' letter. I would have sent you Pompey's note itself, but my brother's man set out in a hurry, so I will send it to-morrow. Pompey added a P.S. in his own hand, "I think you should come to Luceria. You won't be safer anywhere else." I understood him to mean that he counts as lost the towns here and the coast. I don't wonder that a man who has given up the head should throw away the limbs. I sent a reply by return, by the hands of a sure messenger, that I was not concerned about where I should be safest, and that I would come to Luceria immediately, if his or the public interest demanded it. I entreated him to hold the coast, if he wanted supplies of corn from the provinces. I saw I was writing in vain: but I wanted to put on record now my opinion about not abandoning Italy, as I had done before about holding Rome. Evidently all forces are to be collected at Luceria, and not even there as a permanent base, but as a starting point for flight, if hard pressed.
So you need not wonder, if I am reluctant to embark on a cause, which has no policy for peace or victory, but always a policy of disastrous and disgraceful flight. I must go to face whatever fortune bring, with so-called loyalists rather than seem to disagree with real loyalists. Yet I see Rome will soon be crammed with loyalists, I mean with men of wealth and fortune, crammed full, when the towns have been abandoned. I would be among them, were it not for these tiresome lictors. I should not be ashamed of the company of M'. Lepidus, L. Volcacius, Ser. Sulpicius, not one of whom is a bigger fool than L. Domitius, nor a bigger trimmer than Ap. Claudius. Only Pompey weighs with me, for his past kindnesses, not for his public influence. For what influence has he in this case? When we were all afraid of Caesar, he cherished him. After he has begun to fear Caesar, he thinks all should be Caesar's enemies. Still I shall go to Luceria. Perhaps he will not be pleased to meet me, for I shall not be able to disguise my disgust at what he has done so far. If I could sleep, I would not bother you with such long letters. If you suffer from the same complaint, I shall be glad if you will pay me back in the same coin.
Cum ad te litteras dedissem, redditae mihi litterae sunt a Pompeio: cetera de rebus in Piceno gestis quae ad se Vibullius scripsisset, de dilectu Domiti, quae sunt vobis nota nec tamen tam laeta erant in iis litteris quam ad me Philotimus scripserat. ipsam tibi epistulam misissem sed iam subito fratris puer proficiscebatur. cras igitur mittam. sed in ea Pompei epistula erat in extremo ipsius manu, 'tu censeo Luceriam venias. nusquam eris tutius.' id ego in eam partem accepi, haec oppida atque oram maritimam illum pro derelicto habere, nec sum miratus eum qui caput ipsum reliquisset reliquis membris non parcere. [2] ei statim rescripsi hominemque certum misi de comitibus meis, nec non quaerere ubi tutissimo essem; si me vellet sua aut rei publicae causa Luceriam venire, statim esse venturum; hortatusque sum ut oram maritimam retineret, si rem frumentariam sibi ex provinciis suppeditari vellet. hoc me frustra scribere videbam; sed uti in urbe retinenda tunc, sic nunc in Italia non relinquenda testificabar sententiam meam. sic enim parari video ut Luceriam omnes copiae contrahantur et ne is quidem locus (sit) stabilis sed ex eo ipso, si urgeamur, paretur fuga. quo minus mirere, si invitus in eam causam descendo in qua neque pacis neque victoriae ratio quaesita sit umquam sed semper flagitiosae et calamitosae fugae, eundum, ut quemcumque fors tulerit casum subeam potius cum iis qui dicuntur esse boni quam videar a bonis dissentire. etsi prope diem video bonorum, id est lautorum et locupletum, urbem refertam fore, municipiis vero his relictis refertissimam. quo ego in numero essem, si hos lictores molestissimos non haberem, nec me M'. Lepidi, L. Volcaci, Ser. Sulpici comitum paeniteret, quorum nemo nec stultior est quam L. Domitius nec inconstantior quam Ap. Claudius. [4] Vnus Pompeius me movet beneficio, non auctoritate. quam enim ille habeat auctoritatem in hac causa? qui, cum omnes Caesarem metuebamus, ipse eum diligebat, postquam ipse metuere coepit, putat omnis hostis illi esse oportere. ibimus tamen Luceriam. nec eum fortasse delectabit noster adventus; dissimulare enim non potero mihi quae adhuc acta sint displicere. ego si somnum capere possem, tam longis te epistulis non obtunderem. tu, si tibi eadem causa est, me remunerere sane velim.
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After I had sent you a letter, one from Pompey was delivered to me. The rest of it concerned events in Picenum, as Vibullius had reported them to him, and Domitius' levy - things you already know, though they were not as encouraging in Pompey's letter as Philotimus had written to me. I would have sent you Pompey's own letter, but my brother's servant was suddenly setting out. I will send it tomorrow.
At the end of that letter Pompey added in his own hand: "I think you should come to Luceria. Nowhere will you be safer." I took this to mean that he has written off these towns and the coast as abandoned. I was not surprised that a man who had left the head itself should show no tenderness toward the remaining limbs.
I wrote back at once and sent one of my own reliable attendants. I said I was not asking where I would be safest; if he wanted me to come to Luceria for his sake or for the republic's, I would come immediately. I urged him to hold the coast if he wanted grain supplies to reach him from the provinces. I saw that I was writing in vain. Still, just as earlier I put my opinion on record about holding the city, so now I recorded it about not abandoning Italy.
I see the preparations being made: all forces are to be drawn together at Luceria, and even that place is not meant to be stable; from Luceria itself, if we are pressed, flight is being prepared. So do not wonder that I come reluctantly into a cause in which there has never been any plan for peace or victory, only for shameful and ruinous flight. Yet I must go, so that whatever chance brings, I may face it with those who are called the good men rather than seem to disagree with the good.
And yet I already see that before long the city will be full of "good men," that is, of elegant and wealthy men, and fuller still when these towns have been abandoned. I would be among them myself if I did not have these most troublesome lictors. Nor would I be ashamed to share the company of Manius Lepidus, Lucius Volcatius, and Servius Sulpicius, none of whom is more foolish than Lucius Domitius or more changeable than Appius Claudius.
Pompey alone moves me, and by his kindness to me, not by his authority. What authority does he have in this cause? When we all feared Caesar, Pompey loved him; after Pompey himself began to fear him, he thinks everyone ought to be Caesar's enemy. Still, we will go to Luceria. Perhaps my arrival will not please him, since I will not be able to conceal that I disapprove of what has been done so far. If I could sleep, I would not batter you with such long letters. If you suffer from the same cause, I would be glad if you repaid me in kind.
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
Cum ad te litteras dedissem, redditae mihi litterae sunt a Pompeio: cetera de rebus in Piceno gestis quae ad se Vibullius scripsisset, de dilectu Domiti, quae sunt vobis nota nec tamen tam laeta erant in iis litteris quam ad me Philotimus scripserat. ipsam tibi epistulam misissem sed iam subito fratris puer proficiscebatur. cras igitur mittam. sed in ea Pompei epistula erat in extremo ipsius manu, 'tu censeo Luceriam venias. nusquam eris tutius.' id ego in eam partem accepi, haec oppida atque oram maritimam illum pro derelicto habere, nec sum miratus eum qui caput ipsum reliquisset reliquis membris non parcere. [2] ei statim rescripsi hominemque certum misi de comitibus meis, nec non quaerere ubi tutissimo essem; si me vellet sua aut rei publicae causa Luceriam venire, statim esse venturum; hortatusque sum ut oram maritimam retineret, si rem frumentariam sibi ex provinciis suppeditari vellet. hoc me frustra scribere videbam; sed uti in urbe retinenda tunc, sic nunc in Italia non relinquenda testificabar sententiam meam. sic enim parari video ut Luceriam omnes copiae contrahantur et ne is quidem locus (sit) stabilis sed ex eo ipso, si urgeamur, paretur fuga. quo minus mirere, si invitus in eam causam descendo in qua neque pacis neque victoriae ratio quaesita sit umquam sed semper flagitiosae et calamitosae fugae, eundum, ut quemcumque fors tulerit casum subeam potius cum iis qui dicuntur esse boni quam videar a bonis dissentire. etsi prope diem video bonorum, id est lautorum et locupletum, urbem refertam fore, municipiis vero his relictis refertissimam. quo ego in numero essem, si hos lictores molestissimos non haberem, nec me M'. Lepidi, L. Volcaci, Ser. Sulpici comitum paeniteret, quorum nemo nec stultior est quam L. Domitius nec inconstantior quam Ap. Claudius. [4] Vnus Pompeius me movet beneficio, non auctoritate. quam enim ille habeat auctoritatem in hac causa? qui, cum omnes Caesarem metuebamus, ipse eum diligebat, postquam ipse metuere coepit, putat omnis hostis illi esse oportere. ibimus tamen Luceriam. nec eum fortasse delectabit noster adventus; dissimulare enim non potero mihi quae adhuc acta sint displicere. ego si somnum capere possem, tam longis te epistulis non obtunderem. tu, si tibi eadem causa est, me remunerere sane velim.