Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 45 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
About Varro, it is not without reason that I am inquiring so carefully what you would prefer. Certain misgivings occur to me; but those when we meet face to face. As for you, I have woven you in [i.e. into the dialogue] asmenaitata [most gladly], and I shall do so all the more often. For from your most recent letter I learned for the first time that you do not object to it.
About Marcellus, Cassius had written to me earlier, and Servius gave me ta kata meros [the particulars, point by point]. What a bitter business! I return to my first point. I would rather my writings be nowhere than with you, but they should be made public only when it seems good to us both. I both clear your copyists of blame and do not accuse you; and yet I had written something different to you, namely that Caerellia had certain things which she could not have had except from you. As for Balbus, I understood that he had to be satisfied well enough; I only did not want it given either worn-out to Brutus or unfinished to Balbus. To Varro I shall send it, as soon as I have seen you, if it seems good to you. But what made me hesitate, you will learn when I have seen you.
As for the assigned debtors you mention, very good indeed. I am vexed that you are being worn out over Ovia's estate. About our friend Brutus, most odious; but life brings these things. The women, however, hardly behave with sufficient kindness in taking it with a hostile spirit, since he is obeying his duty in both respects. There was no reason for you to apply to Tullius my secretary; for I would have entrusted it to you if there had been any. For there is nothing deposited with him under the name of a vow, but there is a certain sum of mine with him. I have decided to apply that to this matter. And so I rightly told you where it was, and he rightly denied it to you. But let us set about this very thing at once. The Grove [Lucus] I do not really approve of for the people, since it is rather too deserted, but it has eulogian [a good name, good repute]. But this too as you shall judge, since you decide everything. I, as I have arranged, will be there; and would that you too on the same day! But if anything comes up (for there is much), then at any rate the day after. For to be crushed by the campaign-duty of co-heirs without you is sheer torment.
In two letters now there has been nothing to me about Attica. But that indeed I reckon as grounds for the best hope; that other thing I lay to the charge not of you but of her, that she does not even send her greetings. But do you give my warmest regards both to her and to Pilia, and do not, however, let her think I am angry. I have sent Caesar's letter, in case you had not read it.
What am I to make of this? Hermogenes Clodius tells me that Andromenes
said he saw my son at Corcyra. For I supposed you had heard of it. Then
didn't he give any letter even to him? Or perhaps he didn't see him. You
must let me know, please.
What answer am I to give you about Varro? You have the four parchment
rolls: and whatever you do I shall approve. It is not that "I fear the
Trojans." Why should I? But I am more afraid how he may regard it.
However, as you undertake the matter, I shall sleep in peace.
About the abatement I have answered your careful letter. You must get
the matter over, and that too without any hesitation or refusal. That
ought to be and must be done.
de Varrone non sine causa quid tibi placeat tam diligenter exquiro. occurrunt mihi quaedam. sed ea coram. te autem a)smenai/tata intexui faciamque id crebrius. proximis enim tuis litteris primum te id non nolle cognovi. [2] de Marcello scripserat ad me Cassius antea, ta\ kata\ me/roj Servius. O rem acerbam! ad prima redeo. scripta nostra nusquam malo esse quam apud te, sed ea tum foras dari cum utrique nostrum videbitur. ego et librarios tuos culpa libero neque te accuso et tamen aliud quiddam ad te scripseram, Caerelliam quaedam <habere quae nisi a te> habere non potuerit. Balbo quidem intellegebam sat faciendum fuisse, tantum nolebam aut obsoletum Bruto aut Balbo incohatum dari. Varroni, simul ac te videro, si tibi videbitur, mittam. quid autem dubitarim, cum videro te, scies . [4] attributos quod appellas valde probe. te de praedio Oviae exerceri moleste fero. de Bruto nostro perodiosum, sed vita fert. mulieres autem vix satis humane quae inimico animo ferant, cum <in> utraque officio pareat. Tullium scribam nihil fuit quod appellares; nam tibi mandassem si fuisset. nihil enim est apud eum positum nomine voti, sed est quiddam apud illum meum. id ego in hanc rem statui conferre. itaque et ego recte tibi dixi ubi esset, et tibi ille recte negavit. sed hoc quoque ipsum continuo adoriamur. Lucum hominibus non sane probo quod est desertior, sed habet eu)logi/an . verum hoc quoque ut censueris, quippe qui omnia. ego, ut constitui, adero, atque utinam tu quoque eodem die! sin quid (multa enim), utique postridie. etenim coheredes a quis sine te opprimi militia est . alteris iam litteris nihil ad me <de> Attica. sed id quidem in optima spe pono; illud accuso non te sed illam, ne salutem quidem. at tu et illi et Piliae plurimam, nec me tamen irasci indicaris. epistulam Caesaris misi, si minus legisses.
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About Varro, it is not without reason that I am inquiring so carefully what you would prefer. Certain misgivings occur to me; but those when we meet face to face. As for you, I have woven you in [i.e. into the dialogue] asmenaitata [most gladly], and I shall do so all the more often. For from your most recent letter I learned for the first time that you do not object to it.
About Marcellus, Cassius had written to me earlier, and Servius gave me ta kata meros [the particulars, point by point]. What a bitter business! I return to my first point. I would rather my writings be nowhere than with you, but they should be made public only when it seems good to us both. I both clear your copyists of blame and do not accuse you; and yet I had written something different to you, namely that Caerellia had certain things which she could not have had except from you. As for Balbus, I understood that he had to be satisfied well enough; I only did not want it given either worn-out to Brutus or unfinished to Balbus. To Varro I shall send it, as soon as I have seen you, if it seems good to you. But what made me hesitate, you will learn when I have seen you.
As for the assigned debtors you mention, very good indeed. I am vexed that you are being worn out over Ovia's estate. About our friend Brutus, most odious; but life brings these things. The women, however, hardly behave with sufficient kindness in taking it with a hostile spirit, since he is obeying his duty in both respects. There was no reason for you to apply to Tullius my secretary; for I would have entrusted it to you if there had been any. For there is nothing deposited with him under the name of a vow, but there is a certain sum of mine with him. I have decided to apply that to this matter. And so I rightly told you where it was, and he rightly denied it to you. But let us set about this very thing at once. The Grove [Lucus] I do not really approve of for the people, since it is rather too deserted, but it has eulogian [a good name, good repute]. But this too as you shall judge, since you decide everything. I, as I have arranged, will be there; and would that you too on the same day! But if anything comes up (for there is much), then at any rate the day after. For to be crushed by the campaign-duty of co-heirs without you is sheer torment.
In two letters now there has been nothing to me about Attica. But that indeed I reckon as grounds for the best hope; that other thing I lay to the charge not of you but of her, that she does not even send her greetings. But do you give my warmest regards both to her and to Pilia, and do not, however, let her think I am angry. I have sent Caesar's letter, in case you had not read it.
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
de Varrone non sine causa quid tibi placeat tam diligenter exquiro. occurrunt mihi quaedam. sed ea coram. te autem a)smenai/tata intexui faciamque id crebrius. proximis enim tuis litteris primum te id non nolle cognovi. [2] de Marcello scripserat ad me Cassius antea, ta\ kata\ me/roj Servius. O rem acerbam! ad prima redeo. scripta nostra nusquam malo esse quam apud te, sed ea tum foras dari cum utrique nostrum videbitur. ego et librarios tuos culpa libero neque te accuso et tamen aliud quiddam ad te scripseram, Caerelliam quaedam <habere quae nisi a te> habere non potuerit. Balbo quidem intellegebam sat faciendum fuisse, tantum nolebam aut obsoletum Bruto aut Balbo incohatum dari. Varroni, simul ac te videro, si tibi videbitur, mittam. quid autem dubitarim, cum videro te, scies . [4] attributos quod appellas valde probe. te de praedio Oviae exerceri moleste fero. de Bruto nostro perodiosum, sed vita fert. mulieres autem vix satis humane quae inimico animo ferant, cum <in> utraque officio pareat. Tullium scribam nihil fuit quod appellares; nam tibi mandassem si fuisset. nihil enim est apud eum positum nomine voti, sed est quiddam apud illum meum. id ego in hanc rem statui conferre. itaque et ego recte tibi dixi ubi esset, et tibi ille recte negavit. sed hoc quoque ipsum continuo adoriamur. Lucum hominibus non sane probo quod est desertior, sed habet eu)logi/an . verum hoc quoque ut censueris, quippe qui omnia. ego, ut constitui, adero, atque utinam tu quoque eodem die! sin quid (multa enim), utique postridie. etenim coheredes a quis sine te opprimi militia est . alteris iam litteris nihil ad me <de> Attica. sed id quidem in optima spe pono; illud accuso non te sed illam, ne salutem quidem. at tu et illi et Piliae plurimam, nec me tamen irasci indicaris. epistulam Caesaris misi, si minus legisses.