Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
On March 24 I sent you a copy of Balbus' letter to me and Caesar's letter to him. Look what happened: on the same day I received a letter from Capua from Quintus Pedius, saying that Caesar had written to him on March 14 in this form:
"Pompey is holding himself inside the town. We have our camp at the gates. We are attempting a great work, one that will take many days because of the depth of the sea. Still, there is nothing we would rather do. From both horns of the harbor we are throwing out moles, so that we may either force him to move the troops he has at Brundisium across as soon as possible, or prevent him from leaving."
Where is that peace about which Balbus had written that he was tormenting himself? Could anything be harsher, anything crueler? And someone was reporting, on good authority, that Caesar was saying he was pursuing vengeance for Gnaeus Carbo, Marcus Brutus, and all those against whom Sulla had been cruel with Pompey as his partner; that Curio under his leadership was doing nothing that Pompey had not done under Sulla's; that those for whom earlier laws had not imposed exile were being restored by him as an act of ambition, while Pompey had restored from exile traitors to the country; that Caesar complained about Milo being expelled by violence, but would harm no one except those who bore arms against him.
This was told by a certain Baebius, who left Curio on March 13, a man who is not foolish, but also not someone who could invent such a thing. I plainly do not know what to do. I do think Gnaeus has set out from there. Whatever the truth is, we shall know in two days. From you, not even by Anteros, not a line. No wonder. What is there to write? Still, I let no day pass.
After the letter had been written, letters from Lepta were delivered to me from Capua before dawn, dated March 15: Pompey had embarked from Brundisium, and Caesar would be at Capua on March 26.
I sent you on the 26th of March a copy of Balbus' letter to me and of Caesar's letter to him. Then that very day from Capua I got a letter from Q. Pedius saying that Caesar had written to him on the 14th in the following terms:
"Pompey confines himself to the town. My camp is at the gates. I am attempting a big job which will take many days on account of the depth of the sea: yet I have no better course. From both wings of the harbour I am building a mole, so that I may either compel him to transship the forces he has here as soon as possible, or prevent him from getting out at all."
Where is the peace about which Balbus wrote that he was tormenting himself? Could anything be more bitter, more cruel? Moreover some one told me with authority that Caesar said in conversation he was the avenger of Cn. Carbo, M. Brutus, and all those on whom Sulla with Pompey to help him wreaked his cruelty: Curio under his leadership was doing nothing but what Pompey had done under Sulla's leadership: what he wanted was the restoration of those not punished with exile under the earlier laws, while Pompey had restored those who had
been traitors: he resents Pompey's violent banishment of Milo, but would only harm those who bear arms against him. This tale was told me by one Baebius, who came from Curio on the 13th, a man who is no fool, but not smart enough to invent such a tale. I am quite at a loss what to do. From Brundisium, I fancy Pompey must have set out. Whatever has happened, we shall know in a few days. I haven't a letter from you not even by Anteros, and no wonder. What is there to write about? Still I do not omit one day.
When this was written a letter came to me before daylight from Lepta dated Capua the 15th of March. Pompey has embarked from Brundisium. Caesar is due at Capua on the 26th.
[1] miseram ad te viiii K. exemplum epistulae Balbi ad me et Caesaris ad eum. ecce tibi eodem die Capua litteras accepi ab Q. Pedio Caesarem ad se pridie Idus Martias hoc exemplo: Pompeius se oppido tenet. nos ad portas castra habemus. conamur opus magnum et multorum dierum propter altitudinem maris. sed tamen nihil est quod potius faciamus. ab utroque portus cornu moles iacimus, ut aut illum quam primum traicere quod habet Brundisi copiarum cogamus aut exitu prohibeamus. [2] Vbi est illa pax de qua Balbus scripserat torqueri se? ecquid acerbius, ecquid crudelius? atque eum loqui quidam authentikos narrabat Cn. Carbonis, M. Bruti se poenas persequi omniumque eorum in quos Sulla crudelis hoc socio fuisset; nihil Curionem se duce facere quod non hic Sulla duce fecisset; + ad ambitionem+ , quibus exsili poena superioribus legibus non fuisset, ab illo patriae proditores de exsilio reductos esse; queri de Milone per vim expulso; neminem tamen se violaturum nisi qui arma contra. haec Baebius quidam a Curione iii id. profectus, homo non infans sed + quis ulli+ non dicat. plane nescio quid agam. illim equidem Gnaeum profectum puto. quicquid est biduo sciemus. A te nihil ne Anteros quidem litterarum; nec mirum. quid enim est quod scribamus? ego tamen nullum diem praetermitto. [3] scripta epistula litterae mihi ante lucem a Lepta Capua redditae sunt Idib. Mart. Pompeium a Brundisio conscendisse, at Caesarem a. d. vii Kal. Aprilis Capuae fore.
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On March 24 I sent you a copy of Balbus' letter to me and Caesar's letter to him. Look what happened: on the same day I received a letter from Capua from Quintus Pedius, saying that Caesar had written to him on March 14 in this form:
"Pompey is holding himself inside the town. We have our camp at the gates. We are attempting a great work, one that will take many days because of the depth of the sea. Still, there is nothing we would rather do. From both horns of the harbor we are throwing out moles, so that we may either force him to move the troops he has at Brundisium across as soon as possible, or prevent him from leaving."
Where is that peace about which Balbus had written that he was tormenting himself? Could anything be harsher, anything crueler? And someone was reporting, on good authority, that Caesar was saying he was pursuing vengeance for Gnaeus Carbo, Marcus Brutus, and all those against whom Sulla had been cruel with Pompey as his partner; that Curio under his leadership was doing nothing that Pompey had not done under Sulla's; that those for whom earlier laws had not imposed exile were being restored by him as an act of ambition, while Pompey had restored from exile traitors to the country; that Caesar complained about Milo being expelled by violence, but would harm no one except those who bore arms against him.
This was told by a certain Baebius, who left Curio on March 13, a man who is not foolish, but also not someone who could invent such a thing. I plainly do not know what to do. I do think Gnaeus has set out from there. Whatever the truth is, we shall know in two days. From you, not even by Anteros, not a line. No wonder. What is there to write? Still, I let no day pass.
After the letter had been written, letters from Lepta were delivered to me from Capua before dawn, dated March 15: Pompey had embarked from Brundisium, and Caesar would be at Capua on March 26.
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] miseram ad te viiii K. exemplum epistulae Balbi ad me et Caesaris ad eum. ecce tibi eodem die Capua litteras accepi ab Q. Pedio Caesarem ad se pridie Idus Martias hoc exemplo: Pompeius se oppido tenet. nos ad portas castra habemus. conamur opus magnum et multorum dierum propter altitudinem maris. sed tamen nihil est quod potius faciamus. ab utroque portus cornu moles iacimus, ut aut illum quam primum traicere quod habet Brundisi copiarum cogamus aut exitu prohibeamus. [2] Vbi est illa pax de qua Balbus scripserat torqueri se? ecquid acerbius, ecquid crudelius? atque eum loqui quidam authentikos narrabat Cn. Carbonis, M. Bruti se poenas persequi omniumque eorum in quos Sulla crudelis hoc socio fuisset; nihil Curionem se duce facere quod non hic Sulla duce fecisset; + ad ambitionem+ , quibus exsili poena superioribus legibus non fuisset, ab illo patriae proditores de exsilio reductos esse; queri de Milone per vim expulso; neminem tamen se violaturum nisi qui arma contra. haec Baebius quidam a Curione iii id. profectus, homo non infans sed + quis ulli+ non dicat. plane nescio quid agam. illim equidem Gnaeum profectum puto. quicquid est biduo sciemus. A te nihil ne Anteros quidem litterarum; nec mirum. quid enim est quod scribamus? ego tamen nullum diem praetermitto. [3] scripta epistula litterae mihi ante lucem a Lepta Capua redditae sunt Idib. Mart. Pompeium a Brundisio conscendisse, at Caesarem a. d. vii Kal. Aprilis Capuae fore.