Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 47 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Camillus has written to me saying that you spoke with him about the subject on which I suggested you consult him. Now I am expecting a letter from you, though I do not see how the thing can be changed if it is not as it ought to be. When I received a letter from him, I looked for one from you too, though I suppose you did not know the courier was going. I only hope you are well, since you said you had some sort of illness.
A man named Agusius came from Rhodes on July 8. He tells me young Quintus set out to go to Caesar on May 29, and that Philotimus arrived at Rhodes the day before with a letter for me. You will hear Agusius himself, but he is traveling rather slowly, so I arranged to give this to someone going faster. I do not know what is in that letter, but my brother Quintus offers me warm congratulations. For my part, after my great mistake, I cannot even imagine anything that could possibly be endurable for me.
I beg you to think of my poor girl, both regarding the point about which I wrote recently - making some arrangement to avoid destitution - and regarding the will itself. I wish I had attended to the other matter too before, but I was afraid of everything. In this very bad business, there was nothing better than a divorce. I should have done something like a man, whether on account of his cancellation of debts, his night attacks on houses, Metella, or all his sins together. I would not have lost the money, and I would have shown some spirit. I remember your letter, of course, but I remember the circumstances too. Still, anything would have been better than this.
Now he seems to be giving notice of divorce himself, for I have heard about the statue of Clodius. To think that a son-in-law of mine, of all people, should do something like that, or abolish debts. So I agree with you: we must serve notice of divorce on him. Perhaps he will ask for the third installment of the dowry. Consider whether we should wait for some move from him or act first. If I can possibly manage it, even by night journeys, I will try to see you. Please write to me about this and anything else it may interest me to know. Farewell.
Camillus has written to me saying that you have spoken to him on the subject about which I suggested you should consult with him. Now I am expecting a letter from you: only I don't see how the thing is to be changed, if it is not as it ought to be. But, when I got a letter from him, I looked for one from you, though I suppose you did not know the post was going. I only hope you are well: for you said you had an attack of some kind of illness.
A man of the name of Agusius came from Rhodes on the 8th of July. He tells me young Quintus set out to go to Caesar on May 29th, and Philotimus arrived at Rhodes the day before with a letter for me. You will hear Agusius himself: but he is travelling rather slowly. So I arranged to give this to some one who was going more quickly. What there is in that letter, I don't know, but my brother Quintus offers me hearty congratulations. For my part after my great mistake I cannot even imagine anything that can possibly be endurable to me. I beg you to
think of my poor girl, both as regards the point about which I wrote lately—making some arrangement to avoid destitution—and also as regards the will itself. The other thing too I wish I had attended to before; but I was afraid of everything. In this very bad business there was nothing better than a divorce. I should have done something like a man, either on the score of his cancelling of debts or his night attacks on houses, or Metella or all his sins together: I should not have lost the money, and I should have shown some manly spirit. I remember of course your letter, but I remember the circumstances too: still anything would have been better than this. Now he seems to be giving notice of divorce himself; for I have heard about the statue of Clodius. To think that a son-in-law of mine above all people should do such a thing as that, or abolish debts! So I agree with you we must serve a notice of divorce on him. Perhaps he will ask for the third instalment of the dowry. So consider whether we should wait for a move of his or act first. If I can possibly manage it, even by night journeys, I will try to see you. Please write to me about this and anything else it may interest me to know. Farewell.
[1] quod ad te scripseram ut cum Camillo communicares, de eo Camillus mihi scripsit (te) secum locutum. tuas litteras exspectabam; nisi illud quidem mutari, si aliter est et oportet, non video posse. sed cum ab illo accepissem litteras, desideravi tuas (etsi putabam te certiorem factum non esse), modo valeres; scripseras enim te quodam valetudinis genere temptari. [2] Agusius quidam Rhodo venerat viii Idus Quint. is nuntiabat Quintum filium ad Caesarem profectum iiii Kal. Iun., Philotimum Rhodum pridie eum diem venisse, habere ad me litteras. ipsum Agusium audies. sed tardius iter faciebat. eo feci ut [eo] celeriter eunti darem. quid sit in iis litteris nescio, sed mihi valde Quintus frater gratulatur. equidem in meo tanto peccato nihil ne cogitatione quidem adsequi possum quod mihi tolerabile possit esse. [3] te oro ut de hac misera cogites et illud de quo ad te proxime scripsi, ut aliquid conficiatur ad inopiam propulsandam, et etiam de ipso testamento. illud quoque vellem antea sed omnia timuimus. Melius quidem in pessimis nihil fuit discidio. aliquid fecissemus ut viri vel tabularum novarum nomine vel nocturnarum expugnationum vel Metellae vel omnium malorum; nec res perisset et videremur aliquid doloris virilis habuisse. memini omnino tuas litteras sed et tempus illud; etsi quidvis praestitit. nunc quidem ipse videtur denuntiare; audimus enim de statua Clodi. generumne nostrum potissimum vel hoc vel tabulas novas? placet mihi igitur et item tibi nuntium remitti. petet fortasse tertiam pensionem. considera igitur tumne cum ab ipso nascetur an prius. ego si ullo modo potuero, vel nocturnis itineribus experiar ut te videam. tu et haec et si quid erit quod intersit mea scire scribas velim. vale.
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Camillus has written to me saying that you spoke with him about the subject on which I suggested you consult him. Now I am expecting a letter from you, though I do not see how the thing can be changed if it is not as it ought to be. When I received a letter from him, I looked for one from you too, though I suppose you did not know the courier was going. I only hope you are well, since you said you had some sort of illness.
A man named Agusius came from Rhodes on July 8. He tells me young Quintus set out to go to Caesar on May 29, and that Philotimus arrived at Rhodes the day before with a letter for me. You will hear Agusius himself, but he is traveling rather slowly, so I arranged to give this to someone going faster. I do not know what is in that letter, but my brother Quintus offers me warm congratulations. For my part, after my great mistake, I cannot even imagine anything that could possibly be endurable for me.
I beg you to think of my poor girl, both regarding the point about which I wrote recently - making some arrangement to avoid destitution - and regarding the will itself. I wish I had attended to the other matter too before, but I was afraid of everything. In this very bad business, there was nothing better than a divorce. I should have done something like a man, whether on account of his cancellation of debts, his night attacks on houses, Metella, or all his sins together. I would not have lost the money, and I would have shown some spirit. I remember your letter, of course, but I remember the circumstances too. Still, anything would have been better than this.
Now he seems to be giving notice of divorce himself, for I have heard about the statue of Clodius. To think that a son-in-law of mine, of all people, should do something like that, or abolish debts. So I agree with you: we must serve notice of divorce on him. Perhaps he will ask for the third installment of the dowry. Consider whether we should wait for some move from him or act first. If I can possibly manage it, even by night journeys, I will try to see you. Please write to me about this and anything else it may interest me to know. Farewell.
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] quod ad te scripseram ut cum Camillo communicares, de eo Camillus mihi scripsit (te) secum locutum. tuas litteras exspectabam; nisi illud quidem mutari, si aliter est et oportet, non video posse. sed cum ab illo accepissem litteras, desideravi tuas (etsi putabam te certiorem factum non esse), modo valeres; scripseras enim te quodam valetudinis genere temptari. [2] Agusius quidam Rhodo venerat viii Idus Quint. is nuntiabat Quintum filium ad Caesarem profectum iiii Kal. Iun., Philotimum Rhodum pridie eum diem venisse, habere ad me litteras. ipsum Agusium audies. sed tardius iter faciebat. eo feci ut [eo] celeriter eunti darem. quid sit in iis litteris nescio, sed mihi valde Quintus frater gratulatur. equidem in meo tanto peccato nihil ne cogitatione quidem adsequi possum quod mihi tolerabile possit esse. [3] te oro ut de hac misera cogites et illud de quo ad te proxime scripsi, ut aliquid conficiatur ad inopiam propulsandam, et etiam de ipso testamento. illud quoque vellem antea sed omnia timuimus. Melius quidem in pessimis nihil fuit discidio. aliquid fecissemus ut viri vel tabularum novarum nomine vel nocturnarum expugnationum vel Metellae vel omnium malorum; nec res perisset et videremur aliquid doloris virilis habuisse. memini omnino tuas litteras sed et tempus illud; etsi quidvis praestitit. nunc quidem ipse videtur denuntiare; audimus enim de statua Clodi. generumne nostrum potissimum vel hoc vel tabulas novas? placet mihi igitur et item tibi nuntium remitti. petet fortasse tertiam pensionem. considera igitur tumne cum ab ipso nascetur an prius. ego si ullo modo potuero, vel nocturnis itineribus experiar ut te videam. tu et haec et si quid erit quod intersit mea scire scribas velim. vale.