Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Although I thought that by the time you read this letter I would already know what had happened at Brundisium - Gnaeus left Canusium on February 21, and I was writing this on March 6, fourteen days after he moved from Canusium - still I was tortured by the expectation of each hour and amazed that not even a rumor had been brought. There was a strange silence. But perhaps these are empty anxieties, and by now the facts must be known.
What troubles me is that I still cannot discover where our Publius Lentulus is, or where Domitius is. I am trying to find out so that I may more easily know what they are going to do, whether they are going to Pompey, and, if they are, by what route and when.
I hear that the city is already full of aristocrats, including Sosius and Lupus, whom our Gnaeus previously thought would come to Brundisium before he could hold court. From here, however, people are going in crowds; even Manius Lepidus, with whom I used to spend the day, was thinking of going tomorrow.
I was lingering at Formiae so that I could hear news more quickly. Then I wanted to go to Arpinum; from there I would take the route to the upper sea by whatever way was least likely to meet people, with the lictors removed or perhaps dismissed altogether. I hear that good men, who both now and often before have been a great safeguard to the republic, do not approve of my delay, and that much is being said about me, and harshly too, at their early banquets.
So let us withdraw, then, and, to be good citizens, bring war against Italy by land and sea. Let us again kindle against ourselves the hatred of the wicked, which had already died out, and follow the counsels of Lucceius and Theophanes. Scipio, after all, is either setting out for Syria by lot, or honorably going with his son-in-law, or fleeing an angry Caesar. The Marcelli would have stayed if they had not feared Caesar's sword. Appius has the same fear, and the additional fear of recent enmities. Apart from him and Gaius Cassius, the rest are legates; Faustus is proquaestor. I alone am free to do either.
My brother adds to the difficulty. It was not fair for him to be a partner in this fortune, and Caesar will be even angrier at him, but I cannot persuade him to stay. I will grant this to Pompey, to whom I owe it. No one else moves me: not the talk of good men, since there are none; not the cause, which has been managed timidly and will be managed wickedly. To one man, one man alone, I grant this - and not even to him as someone asking it, nor as someone, as he says, pursuing his own cause, but the public cause. I would very much like to know what you are thinking about crossing into Epirus.
Although, when you read this letter, I think I shall know what has been done at Brundisium, since Pompey left Canusium on the 21st of February and I am writing this on the 6th of March, fourteen days after his departure from Canusium, still I am in agonies of suspense as to what each hour may bring, and I am astonished that I do not even get a rumour. There is a strange hush. But perhaps this is much ado about nothing, when we must know all about it soon enough. But it does worry me that so far I have been unable to discover the whereabouts of my friend Lentulus and of Domitius. I want to know, that I may be able to find out what they are going to do, whether they are going to Pompey, and, if so, by what route and on what date.
Town, I am told, is now crammed full with our party. Sosius and Lupus, who, Pompey thought, would reach Brundisium before himself, are, it appears, sitting as magistrates. From here there is a general move: even M'. Lepidus, with whom I used to spend the day, thinks of starting to-morrow. I am lingering in my villa at Formiae to get news the sooner. Then I intend to go to Arpinum: from Arpinum I proceed to the Adriatic, choosing the least frequented route and leaving behind or even dismissing my lictors. For I am told that certain
loyalists, who now and formerly have been a bulwark of the Republic, do not like my staying in Italy, and that they sit half the day over their festive boards making caustic remarks about me.
So I must depart, and, to be a good citizen, wage war on Italy, kindle against myself again the hatred of the disloyal which had died down, and follow the plans of Lucceius and Theophanes. For Scipio can be said to set out for Syria, his allotted province, or to accompany his son-in-law, which is an honourable excuse, or to flee from Caesar's anger. The Marcelli would of course have stayed, had they not feared the sword of Caesar. Appius has the same reason for alarm, and additional reason through a fresh quarrel. Except Appius and C. Cassius all the others hold military commands, Faustus being proquaestor. I am the only one who could go or stay as I like. Besides there is my brother, whom it is not fair to involve in my trouble. With him Caesar will be even more angry, but I cannot induce him to stay behind. This sacrifice I will make to Pompey, as loyalty bids. For no one else influences me, neither talk of loyalists—for there are none—nor our cause, which has been conducted in panic and will be conducted in disgrace. To one man, one only, I make this sacrifice, though he does not even ask it and though the battle he is fighting is, as he says, not his own but the State's, I should much like to know what you think about crossing into Epirus.
[1] etsi cum tu has litteras legeres putabam fore ut scirem iam quid Brundisi actum esset (nam Canusio viiii Kal. profectus erat Gnaeus; haec autem scribebam pridie Nonas xiiii die post quam ille Canusio moverat), tamen angebar singularum horarum exspectatione mirabarque nihil adlatum esse ne rumoris quidem; nam erat mirum silentium. sed haec fortasse kenospouda sunt, quae tamen iam sciantur necesse est; [2] illud molestum me adhuc investigare non posse ubi P. Lentulus noster sit, ubi Domitius. quaero autem, quo facilius scire possim quid acturi sint, iturine ad Pompeium et, si sunt, qua quandove ituri sint. Vrbem quidem iam refertam esse optimatium audio, Sosium et Lupum quos Gnaeus noster ante putabat Brundisium venturos esse quam se ius dicere. hinc vero vulgo vadunt; etiam M'. Lepidus quocum diem conterere solebam cras cogitabat. [3] nos autem in Formiano morabamur, quo citius audiremus; deinde Arpinum volebamus; inde iter qua maxime apanteton esset ad mare superum remotis sive omnino missis lictoribus. audio enim bonis viris qui et nunc et saepe antea magno praesidio rei publicae fuerunt hanc cunctationem nostram non probari multaque (in) me et severe in conviviis tempestivis quidem disputari. cedamus igitur et, ut boni cives simus, bellum Italiae terra marique inferamus et odia improborum rursus in nos quae iam exstincta erant incendamus et Luccei consilia ac Theophani persequamur. [4] nam Scinio vel in Syriam proficiscitur sorte vel cum genero honeste vel Caesarem fugit iratum. Marcelli quidem, nisi gladium Caesaris timuissent, manerent. Appius est eodem in timore et inimicitiarum recentium etiam. praeter hunc et C. Cassium reliqui legati, Faustus pro quaestore; ego unus cui utrumvis licet. frater accedit quem socium huius fortunae esse non erat aequum cui magis etiam Caesar irascetur, sed impetrare non possum ut maneat. dabimus hoc Pompeio quoi debemus. nam me quidem alius nemo movet, non sermo bonorum qui nulli sunt, non causa quae acta timide est, agetur improbe. Vni, uni hoc damus ne id quidem roganti nec suam causam, ut ait, agenti sed publicam. tu quid cogites de transeundo in Epirum scire sane velim.
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Although I thought that by the time you read this letter I would already know what had happened at Brundisium - Gnaeus left Canusium on February 21, and I was writing this on March 6, fourteen days after he moved from Canusium - still I was tortured by the expectation of each hour and amazed that not even a rumor had been brought. There was a strange silence. But perhaps these are empty anxieties, and by now the facts must be known.
What troubles me is that I still cannot discover where our Publius Lentulus is, or where Domitius is. I am trying to find out so that I may more easily know what they are going to do, whether they are going to Pompey, and, if they are, by what route and when.
I hear that the city is already full of aristocrats, including Sosius and Lupus, whom our Gnaeus previously thought would come to Brundisium before he could hold court. From here, however, people are going in crowds; even Manius Lepidus, with whom I used to spend the day, was thinking of going tomorrow.
I was lingering at Formiae so that I could hear news more quickly. Then I wanted to go to Arpinum; from there I would take the route to the upper sea by whatever way was least likely to meet people, with the lictors removed or perhaps dismissed altogether. I hear that good men, who both now and often before have been a great safeguard to the republic, do not approve of my delay, and that much is being said about me, and harshly too, at their early banquets.
So let us withdraw, then, and, to be good citizens, bring war against Italy by land and sea. Let us again kindle against ourselves the hatred of the wicked, which had already died out, and follow the counsels of Lucceius and Theophanes. Scipio, after all, is either setting out for Syria by lot, or honorably going with his son-in-law, or fleeing an angry Caesar. The Marcelli would have stayed if they had not feared Caesar's sword. Appius has the same fear, and the additional fear of recent enmities. Apart from him and Gaius Cassius, the rest are legates; Faustus is proquaestor. I alone am free to do either.
My brother adds to the difficulty. It was not fair for him to be a partner in this fortune, and Caesar will be even angrier at him, but I cannot persuade him to stay. I will grant this to Pompey, to whom I owe it. No one else moves me: not the talk of good men, since there are none; not the cause, which has been managed timidly and will be managed wickedly. To one man, one man alone, I grant this - and not even to him as someone asking it, nor as someone, as he says, pursuing his own cause, but the public cause. I would very much like to know what you are thinking about crossing into Epirus.
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
[1] etsi cum tu has litteras legeres putabam fore ut scirem iam quid Brundisi actum esset (nam Canusio viiii Kal. profectus erat Gnaeus; haec autem scribebam pridie Nonas xiiii die post quam ille Canusio moverat), tamen angebar singularum horarum exspectatione mirabarque nihil adlatum esse ne rumoris quidem; nam erat mirum silentium. sed haec fortasse kenospouda sunt, quae tamen iam sciantur necesse est; [2] illud molestum me adhuc investigare non posse ubi P. Lentulus noster sit, ubi Domitius. quaero autem, quo facilius scire possim quid acturi sint, iturine ad Pompeium et, si sunt, qua quandove ituri sint. Vrbem quidem iam refertam esse optimatium audio, Sosium et Lupum quos Gnaeus noster ante putabat Brundisium venturos esse quam se ius dicere. hinc vero vulgo vadunt; etiam M'. Lepidus quocum diem conterere solebam cras cogitabat. [3] nos autem in Formiano morabamur, quo citius audiremus; deinde Arpinum volebamus; inde iter qua maxime apanteton esset ad mare superum remotis sive omnino missis lictoribus. audio enim bonis viris qui et nunc et saepe antea magno praesidio rei publicae fuerunt hanc cunctationem nostram non probari multaque (in) me et severe in conviviis tempestivis quidem disputari. cedamus igitur et, ut boni cives simus, bellum Italiae terra marique inferamus et odia improborum rursus in nos quae iam exstincta erant incendamus et Luccei consilia ac Theophani persequamur. [4] nam Scinio vel in Syriam proficiscitur sorte vel cum genero honeste vel Caesarem fugit iratum. Marcelli quidem, nisi gladium Caesaris timuissent, manerent. Appius est eodem in timore et inimicitiarum recentium etiam. praeter hunc et C. Cassium reliqui legati, Faustus pro quaestore; ego unus cui utrumvis licet. frater accedit quem socium huius fortunae esse non erat aequum cui magis etiam Caesar irascetur, sed impetrare non possum ut maneat. dabimus hoc Pompeio quoi debemus. nam me quidem alius nemo movet, non sermo bonorum qui nulli sunt, non causa quae acta timide est, agetur improbe. Vni, uni hoc damus ne id quidem roganti nec suam causam, ut ait, agenti sed publicam. tu quid cogites de transeundo in Epirum scire sane velim.