Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 45 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Pollex did indeed turn up to me at Lanuvium on the day before the Ides, just as he had said he would by the Ides of August [August 13]; but he proved to be a plain thumb, not a forefinger. [A pun: in Latin pollex is the thumb, index the pointing forefinger; the messenger's name was Pollex, and Cicero jokes that he was no help in pointing things out.] [2] You will learn the rest from the man himself, then. I called on Balbus--for Lepta, anxious about his management of the public games, had brought me to him--and met him at that estate near Lanuvium which he had handed over to Lepidus. From him I had this first piece of news: "A little while ago I had received the letter in which he [Caesar] strongly insists on it before the Roman Games." I read the letter. There was much in it about my Cato, which he says that by reading it over and over he has been made more eloquent, while after reading Brutus's Cato he thought himself a fine speaker. [It was then that I learned from him about the entry on the inheritance of Cluvius--Vestorius being careless about it!] An unconditional entry on the inheritance, before witnesses, within sixty days. I was afraid the man would have to be summoned. Now he must be sent word to make the formal entry by my instruction. So that is Pollex again. I also discussed the Cluvian gardens with Balbus. Nothing could be more generous. For he said he would write to Caesar at once, and that Cluvius makes a bequest through Titus Hordeonius--to Terentia 50,000 sesterces, and for a tomb and many other purposes, but nothing to us. Find some fault with Vestorius, I beg you. What could be less to be approved than that Plotius the perfumer should send all the news to Balbus through his own slaves so long beforehand, while that man does not even send it to me through mine? About Cossinius I am grieved; I was fond of the man. [4] To Quintus I will assign whatever may be left over from my debt and from the purchases on account of which I think I shall even have to incur fresh debt. About the house at Arpinum I know nothing. There is no reason for you to find fault with Vestorius. For now, this letter being already sealed, our letter-carrier came in the night and brought from him a carefully written letter and a copy of the will.
Yesterday in the midst of all the noise I think I caught some remark of
yours about coming to Tusculum. I wish you would. I wish to goodness you
would: but at your convenience.
Lepta asks me to go to him, if there is any necessity: for Babullius is
dead. Caesar, I fancy, is heir to one-twelfth of his estate—though I
know nothing yet: but Lepta to a third. He is afraid he may not be
allowed to take the inheritance. It is absurd of course, but still he is
afraid. So, if he sends for me, I shall go at once: if not, not till it
is necessary. Send back Pollex, when you can.
I am sending you the funeral oration of Porcia corrected. I have hurried
about it, so that, if it should be sent to young Domitius or to Brutus,
this edition should be sent. If it is convenient, I should much like you
to see about it, and please send me the orations of M. Varro, and
Ollius, at any rate that of Ollius. I have read it, but I want to dip
into it again: for there are things in it that I can hardly believe I
read.
Pollex quidem, ut dixerat ad Idus Sextilis, ita mihi Lanuvi pridie Idus praesto fuit, sed plane pollex, non index. [2] cognosces igitur ex ipso. Balbum conveni--Lepta enim de sua munerum curatione laborans me ad eum perduxerat--in eo autem Lanuvino quod Lepido tradidit. ex eo hoc primum, 'Paulo ante acceperam eas litteras in quibus magno opere confirmat ante ludos Romanos.' legi epistulam. multa de meo Catone, quo saepissime legendo se dicit copiosiorem factum, Bruti Catone lecto se sibi visum disertum. <tum> ex eo cognovi cretionem Cluvi Vestorium neglegentem!) liberam cretionem testibus praesentibus sexaginta diebus. metuebam ne ille arcessendus esset. nunc mittendum est ut meo iussu cernat. idem igitur Pollex. etiam de hortis Cluvianis egi cum Balbo. nil liberalius. se enim statim ad Caesarem scripturum, Cluvium autem a T. Hordeonio legare et Terentiae HS i[c][c][c] et sepulcro multisque rebus, nihil a nobis. subaccusa, quaeso, Vestorium. quid minus probandum quam Plotium unguentarium per suos pueros omnia tanto ante Balbo, illum mi ne per meos quidem? de Cossinio doleo; dilexi hominem. [4] Quinto delegabo si quid aeri meo alieno superabit et emptionibus ex quibus mi etiam aes alienum faciendum puto. de domo Arpini nil scio. Vestorium nil est quod accuses. iam enim obsignata hac epistula noctu tabellarius noster venit et ab eo litteras diligenter scriptas attulit et exemplum testamenti.
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Pollex did indeed turn up to me at Lanuvium on the day before the Ides, just as he had said he would by the Ides of August [August 13]; but he proved to be a plain thumb, not a forefinger. [A pun: in Latin pollex is the thumb, index the pointing forefinger; the messenger's name was Pollex, and Cicero jokes that he was no help in pointing things out.] [2] You will learn the rest from the man himself, then. I called on Balbus--for Lepta, anxious about his management of the public games, had brought me to him--and met him at that estate near Lanuvium which he had handed over to Lepidus. From him I had this first piece of news: "A little while ago I had received the letter in which he [Caesar] strongly insists on it before the Roman Games." I read the letter. There was much in it about my Cato, which he says that by reading it over and over he has been made more eloquent, while after reading Brutus's Cato he thought himself a fine speaker. [It was then that I learned from him about the entry on the inheritance of Cluvius--Vestorius being careless about it!] An unconditional entry on the inheritance, before witnesses, within sixty days. I was afraid the man would have to be summoned. Now he must be sent word to make the formal entry by my instruction. So that is Pollex again. I also discussed the Cluvian gardens with Balbus. Nothing could be more generous. For he said he would write to Caesar at once, and that Cluvius makes a bequest through Titus Hordeonius--to Terentia 50,000 sesterces, and for a tomb and many other purposes, but nothing to us. Find some fault with Vestorius, I beg you. What could be less to be approved than that Plotius the perfumer should send all the news to Balbus through his own slaves so long beforehand, while that man does not even send it to me through mine? About Cossinius I am grieved; I was fond of the man. [4] To Quintus I will assign whatever may be left over from my debt and from the purchases on account of which I think I shall even have to incur fresh debt. About the house at Arpinum I know nothing. There is no reason for you to find fault with Vestorius. For now, this letter being already sealed, our letter-carrier came in the night and brought from him a carefully written letter and a copy of the will.
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
Pollex quidem, ut dixerat ad Idus Sextilis, ita mihi Lanuvi pridie Idus praesto fuit, sed plane pollex, non index. [2] cognosces igitur ex ipso. Balbum conveni--Lepta enim de sua munerum curatione laborans me ad eum perduxerat--in eo autem Lanuvino quod Lepido tradidit. ex eo hoc primum, 'Paulo ante acceperam eas litteras in quibus magno opere confirmat ante ludos Romanos.' legi epistulam. multa de meo Catone, quo saepissime legendo se dicit copiosiorem factum, Bruti Catone lecto se sibi visum disertum. <tum> ex eo cognovi cretionem Cluvi Vestorium neglegentem!) liberam cretionem testibus praesentibus sexaginta diebus. metuebam ne ille arcessendus esset. nunc mittendum est ut meo iussu cernat. idem igitur Pollex. etiam de hortis Cluvianis egi cum Balbo. nil liberalius. se enim statim ad Caesarem scripturum, Cluvium autem a T. Hordeonio legare et Terentiae HS i[c][c][c] et sepulcro multisque rebus, nihil a nobis. subaccusa, quaeso, Vestorium. quid minus probandum quam Plotium unguentarium per suos pueros omnia tanto ante Balbo, illum mi ne per meos quidem? de Cossinio doleo; dilexi hominem. [4] Quinto delegabo si quid aeri meo alieno superabit et emptionibus ex quibus mi etiam aes alienum faciendum puto. de domo Arpini nil scio. Vestorium nil est quod accuses. iam enim obsignata hac epistula noctu tabellarius noster venit et ab eo litteras diligenter scriptas attulit et exemplum testamenti.