Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 47 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
I was thinking of sending my son with Sallustius to Caesar. As for Tullia, I see no reason to keep her with me any longer when both of us are in such sorrow; so I will send her back to her mother as soon as she allows me. In return for the letter you wrote in a consoling style, please regard this as the only answer that, as you yourself know, was possible.
You tell me Oppius has spoken with you, and what you say agrees well enough with my suspicions of him. But I feel sure that party can never be convinced that their actions can possibly win my approval, whatever I may say. Still, I will be as moderate as I can, though I cannot understand what difference it makes to me if I do incur their hostility.
I see you have good reason not to be able to come to me, and I am very sorry it is so. There is no news that Caesar has left Alexandria. It is well known that no one at all has left that place since March 15, and that he has sent no letters since December 13. So you see the report about a letter dated February 9 was utterly false, though even if it had been true, it would not have mattered. I hear that Lucius Terentius has left Africa and come to Paestum. I would like to know what news he brings, how he got out, and what is happening in Africa; he is said to have been passed out through Nasidius' agency. Please write and tell me what it all means, if you find out. I will do as you say about the eighty. Farewell. June 14.
I am thinking of sending my son with Sallustius to Caesar. As for Tullia, I see no reason for keeping her with me any longer when both of us are in such sorrow: so I am going to send her back to her mother, as soon as she herself will allow me. In return for the letter which you wrote in a consolatory style, please consider that I have made the only answer, which, as you yourself know, was possible.
You tell me Oppius has had a talk with you: and what you say agrees well enough with my suspicions of him. But I feel sure that party can never be convinced that their actions can possibly win my approval, whatever I may say. However, I will be as moderate as I can: though, what difference it makes to me, if I do incur their enmity, I cannot conceive.
I see you have a good reason for not being able to come to me: and I am very sorry that is so. There is no news that Caesar has left Alexandria; and it is well known that no one at all has left that place since the 15th of March, and that he has despatched no letters since the 13th of December. So you see it was quite untrue about the letter dated Febr. 9,
though it would not have been of any importance, if it had been true. I hear L. Terentius has left Africa and come to Paestum. What news he brings, or how he got out, or what is happening in Africa, I should like to know. For he is said to have been passed out through the agency of Nasidius. What it all means, I wish you would write and tell me, if you find out. I will do as you say about the 80 guineas. Farewell.
June 14.
[1] ego cum Sallustio Ciceronem ad Caesarem mittere cogitabam; Tulliam autem non videbam esse causam cur diutius mecum tanto in communi maerore retinerem. itaque matri eam, cum primum per ipsam liceret, eram remissurus. Paeto, +que ad modum consolandis scripsisti+, putato ea me scripsisse quae tu ipse intellegis responderi potuisse. [2] quod Oppium tecum scribis locutum, non abhorret a mea suspicione eius oratio. sed non dubito quin istis persuaderi nullo modo possit ea quae faciant mihi probari posse, quoquo modo loquar. ego tamen utar moderatione qua potero; quamquam quid mea intersit ut eorum odium subeam non intellego. [3] te iusta causa impediri quo minus ad nos venias video, idque mihi valde molestum est. illum ab Alexandrea discessisse nemo nuntiat constatque ne profectum quidem illim quemquam post Idus Martias nec post Idus Decembr. ab illo datas ullas litteras. ex quo intellegis illud de litteris a. d. v Idus Febr. datis, quod inane esset etiam si verum esset, non verum esse. L. Terentium discessisse ex Africa scimus Paestumque venisse. quid is adferat aut quo modo exierit aut quid in Africa fiat scire velim. dicitur enim per Nasidium emissus esse. id quale sit velim, si inveneris, ad me scribas. de HS X_, ut scribis, faciam. vale. xvii Kal. Quintilis.
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I was thinking of sending my son with Sallustius to Caesar. As for Tullia, I see no reason to keep her with me any longer when both of us are in such sorrow; so I will send her back to her mother as soon as she allows me. In return for the letter you wrote in a consoling style, please regard this as the only answer that, as you yourself know, was possible.
You tell me Oppius has spoken with you, and what you say agrees well enough with my suspicions of him. But I feel sure that party can never be convinced that their actions can possibly win my approval, whatever I may say. Still, I will be as moderate as I can, though I cannot understand what difference it makes to me if I do incur their hostility.
I see you have good reason not to be able to come to me, and I am very sorry it is so. There is no news that Caesar has left Alexandria. It is well known that no one at all has left that place since March 15, and that he has sent no letters since December 13. So you see the report about a letter dated February 9 was utterly false, though even if it had been true, it would not have mattered. I hear that Lucius Terentius has left Africa and come to Paestum. I would like to know what news he brings, how he got out, and what is happening in Africa; he is said to have been passed out through Nasidius' agency. Please write and tell me what it all means, if you find out. I will do as you say about the eighty. Farewell. June 14.
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] ego cum Sallustio Ciceronem ad Caesarem mittere cogitabam; Tulliam autem non videbam esse causam cur diutius mecum tanto in communi maerore retinerem. itaque matri eam, cum primum per ipsam liceret, eram remissurus. Paeto, +que ad modum consolandis scripsisti+, putato ea me scripsisse quae tu ipse intellegis responderi potuisse. [2] quod Oppium tecum scribis locutum, non abhorret a mea suspicione eius oratio. sed non dubito quin istis persuaderi nullo modo possit ea quae faciant mihi probari posse, quoquo modo loquar. ego tamen utar moderatione qua potero; quamquam quid mea intersit ut eorum odium subeam non intellego. [3] te iusta causa impediri quo minus ad nos venias video, idque mihi valde molestum est. illum ab Alexandrea discessisse nemo nuntiat constatque ne profectum quidem illim quemquam post Idus Martias nec post Idus Decembr. ab illo datas ullas litteras. ex quo intellegis illud de litteris a. d. v Idus Febr. datis, quod inane esset etiam si verum esset, non verum esse. L. Terentium discessisse ex Africa scimus Paestumque venisse. quid is adferat aut quo modo exierit aut quid in Africa fiat scire velim. dicitur enim per Nasidium emissus esse. id quale sit velim, si inveneris, ad me scribas. de HS X_, ut scribis, faciam. vale. xvii Kal. Quintilis.