Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 47 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
You can learn what is happening here from the bearer of your letter. I kept him longer than I should have because every day I was expecting something new to happen. There was no reason to send him even now except the subject on which you ask for an answer: what I want done about July 1. Both courses are dangerous: risking so large a sum of money at such a dangerous time, and breaking with Dolabella, as you mention, while the political outcome is still uncertain.
So I leave this matter, like the others, to your kindness and to the judgment and wishes of poor Tullia. Her interests would have been better served if, at the beginning, I had discussed our safety and fortunes with you in person rather than by letter.
You say no trouble threatens me specially in this public disaster. There is a little consolation in that, but there are many circumstances peculiar to me, and you must see that they are very serious and could easily have been avoided. Still, they will be less serious if, as before, they are lightened by your care and management.
The money is with Egnatius. As far as I am concerned, let it stay there. Things cannot remain as they are for long, and I will soon know what is most necessary. Yet I am in need of everything, because the man I am with is also in great straits, and I have lent him a large sum, thinking that when things settle down it will bring me honor as well as profit.
As before, if there are people to whom you think I should write, please write for me. Give my greetings to your household. Take care of your health. Above all, as you say, make every careful provision that nothing is lacking for my daughter, on whose account you know I am deeply unhappy. June 13, at the camp.
What is happening here you may gather from the bearer of your letter. I have kept him longer than I should, because every day I am expecting something fresh to happen, and there was no reason for sending him even now, except the subject on which you ask for an answer, namely what I wish as to the first of July. Both courses are dangerous, both the risk of such a sum of money at such a dangerous time, and the breaking with Dolabella, which you mention, while the political issue is still uncertain. Accordingly I will leave this matter in particular like others
to your kind care, and to the consideration and desire of poor Tullia, whose interests would have been better consulted, if originally I had discussed our safety and fortunes with you in person rather than by letter.
You say there is no trouble threatening me especially in this public misfortune. There is a little consolation in that, but there are many circumstances special to me, which you must see are very serious and might easily have been avoided. However they will be less serious, if, as hitherto, they are lightened by your care and management.
The money is with Egnatius. Let it remain there, so far as I am concerned: for things cannot last long as they are, so that I shall soon know what is most necessary. However, I am in want of everything, because the man I am with too is in great straits and I have lent him a large sum of money, thinking that, when things settle down, that will bring me honour as well as profit. Please, as before, if there are any persons to whom you think I ought to write, do it for me. Pay my greetings to your family. Take care of your health. Above all, as you say, make every careful provision that nothing maybe wanting to my daughter, on whose account you know I am very unhappy.
June 13, at the camp.
[1] quid hic agatur scire poteris ex eo qui litteras attulit. quem diutius tenui quia cotidie aliquid novi exspectabamus; neque nunc mittendi tamen ulla causa fuit praeter eam de qua tibi rescribi voluisti, quod ad Kal. Quint. pertinet quid vellem. Vtrumque grave est et tam gravi tempore periculum tantae pecuniae et dubio rerum exitu ista quam scribis abruptio. qua re ut alia sic hoc vel maxime tuae (curae) benevolentiaeque permitto et illius consilio et voluntati; cui miserae consuluissem melius, si tecum olim coram potius quam per litteras de salute nostra fortunisque deliberavissem. [2] quod negas praecipuum mihi ullum (in communibus) incommodis impendere, etsi ista res (non) nihil habet consolationis, tamen etiam praecipua multa sunt quae tu profecto vides et gravissima esse et me facillime vitare potuisse. ea tamen erunt minora si, (ut) adhuc factum est, administratione diligentiaque tua levabuntur. [3] pecunia apud Egnatium est. sit a me ut est. neque enim hoc quod agitur videtur diuturnum esse posse, ut scire iam possim quid maxime opus sit; etsi egeo rebus omnibus, quod is quoque in angustiis est quicum sumus; cui magnam dedimus pecuniam mutuam opinantes nobis constitutis rebus eam rem etiam honori fore. tu ut antea fecisti, velim si qui erunt ad quos aliquid scribendum a me existimes ipse conficias. tuis salutem dic. cura ut valeas. in primis id quod scribis omnibus rebus cura et provide ne quid ei desit de qua scis me miserrimum esse. Idibus Iuniis ex castris.
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You can learn what is happening here from the bearer of your letter. I kept him longer than I should have because every day I was expecting something new to happen. There was no reason to send him even now except the subject on which you ask for an answer: what I want done about July 1. Both courses are dangerous: risking so large a sum of money at such a dangerous time, and breaking with Dolabella, as you mention, while the political outcome is still uncertain.
So I leave this matter, like the others, to your kindness and to the judgment and wishes of poor Tullia. Her interests would have been better served if, at the beginning, I had discussed our safety and fortunes with you in person rather than by letter.
You say no trouble threatens me specially in this public disaster. There is a little consolation in that, but there are many circumstances peculiar to me, and you must see that they are very serious and could easily have been avoided. Still, they will be less serious if, as before, they are lightened by your care and management.
The money is with Egnatius. As far as I am concerned, let it stay there. Things cannot remain as they are for long, and I will soon know what is most necessary. Yet I am in need of everything, because the man I am with is also in great straits, and I have lent him a large sum, thinking that when things settle down it will bring me honor as well as profit.
As before, if there are people to whom you think I should write, please write for me. Give my greetings to your household. Take care of your health. Above all, as you say, make every careful provision that nothing is lacking for my daughter, on whose account you know I am deeply unhappy. June 13, at the camp.
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] quid hic agatur scire poteris ex eo qui litteras attulit. quem diutius tenui quia cotidie aliquid novi exspectabamus; neque nunc mittendi tamen ulla causa fuit praeter eam de qua tibi rescribi voluisti, quod ad Kal. Quint. pertinet quid vellem. Vtrumque grave est et tam gravi tempore periculum tantae pecuniae et dubio rerum exitu ista quam scribis abruptio. qua re ut alia sic hoc vel maxime tuae (curae) benevolentiaeque permitto et illius consilio et voluntati; cui miserae consuluissem melius, si tecum olim coram potius quam per litteras de salute nostra fortunisque deliberavissem. [2] quod negas praecipuum mihi ullum (in communibus) incommodis impendere, etsi ista res (non) nihil habet consolationis, tamen etiam praecipua multa sunt quae tu profecto vides et gravissima esse et me facillime vitare potuisse. ea tamen erunt minora si, (ut) adhuc factum est, administratione diligentiaque tua levabuntur. [3] pecunia apud Egnatium est. sit a me ut est. neque enim hoc quod agitur videtur diuturnum esse posse, ut scire iam possim quid maxime opus sit; etsi egeo rebus omnibus, quod is quoque in angustiis est quicum sumus; cui magnam dedimus pecuniam mutuam opinantes nobis constitutis rebus eam rem etiam honori fore. tu ut antea fecisti, velim si qui erunt ad quos aliquid scribendum a me existimes ipse conficias. tuis salutem dic. cura ut valeas. in primis id quod scribis omnibus rebus cura et provide ne quid ei desit de qua scis me miserrimum esse. Idibus Iuniis ex castris.