Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 66 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Know that, in the consulship of Lucius Julius Caesar and Gaius Marcius Figulus, I have been blessed with a little son, and that Terentia is well. From you, for so long, not a line of writing! I have written to you carefully before about my own affairs. At this time we are thinking of defending Catiline, our rival candidate. We have the jurors we want, with the full goodwill of the prosecutor. I hope that, if he is acquitted, he will be more closely joined to us in the matter of the canvass; but if it should turn out otherwise, we shall bear it with good grace. We have need of your arrival in good time; for there is absolutely a very strong general opinion that your friends, men of noble rank, will be opposed to my candidacy for office. To win over their goodwill toward me, I see that you will be of the greatest use to me. Therefore, in the month of January, as you have determined, see to it that you are at Rome.
I beg to inform you that on the very day that L. Julius Caesar and C.
Marcius Figulus were elected to the consulship I was blessed with a baby
boy; and Terentia is doing well. It is ages since I had a letter from
you! I have written before and told you all my affairs. At the present
minute I am thinking about defending my fellow candidate Catiline. We
can have any jury we like with the greatest good will of the prosecutor.
I hope, if Catiline is acquitted, it will make us better friends in our
canvassing: but, if it does not, I shall take it quietly.
I badly want you back soon: for there is a widespread opinion that some
friends of yours among the upper ten are opposed to my election, and I
can see that you will be of the greatest assistance to me in winning
their good will. So be sure you come back to town in January, as you
proposed.
L. Iulio Caesare, C. Marcio Figulo consulibus filiolo me auctum scito salva Terentia. Abs te tam diu nihil litterarum! Ego de meis ad te rationibus scripsi antea diligenter. hoc tempore Catilinam, competitorem nostrum, defendere cogitamus. Iudices habemus, quos volumus, summa accusatoris voluntate. Spero, si absolutus erit, coniunctiorem illum nobis fore in ratione petitionis; sin aliter acciderit, humaniter feremus. Tuo adventu nobis opus est maturo; nam prorsus summa hominum est opinio tuos familiares nobiles homines adversarios honori nostro fore. Ad eorum voluntatem mihi conciliandam maximo te mihi usui fore video. Quare Ianuario mense, ut constituisti, cura ut Romae sis.
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Know that, in the consulship of Lucius Julius Caesar and Gaius Marcius Figulus, I have been blessed with a little son, and that Terentia is well. From you, for so long, not a line of writing! I have written to you carefully before about my own affairs. At this time we are thinking of defending Catiline, our rival candidate. We have the jurors we want, with the full goodwill of the prosecutor. I hope that, if he is acquitted, he will be more closely joined to us in the matter of the canvass; but if it should turn out otherwise, we shall bear it with good grace. We have need of your arrival in good time; for there is absolutely a very strong general opinion that your friends, men of noble rank, will be opposed to my candidacy for office. To win over their goodwill toward me, I see that you will be of the greatest use to me. Therefore, in the month of January, as you have determined, see to it that you are at Rome.
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
L. Iulio Caesare, C. Marcio Figulo consulibus filiolo me auctum scito salva Terentia. Abs te tam diu nihil litterarum! Ego de meis ad te rationibus scripsi antea diligenter. hoc tempore Catilinam, competitorem nostrum, defendere cogitamus. Iudices habemus, quos volumus, summa accusatoris voluntate. Spero, si absolutus erit, coniunctiorem illum nobis fore in ratione petitionis; sin aliter acciderit, humaniter feremus. Tuo adventu nobis opus est maturo; nam prorsus summa hominum est opinio tuos familiares nobiles homines adversarios honori nostro fore. Ad eorum voluntatem mihi conciliandam maximo te mihi usui fore video. Quare Ianuario mense, ut constituisti, cura ut Romae sis.