Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 45 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
What a guest to have had on my hands! And yet ametameleton [Greek: not to be regretted]! For it went off most pleasantly. But when he had arrived at Philippus's place on the evening of the second day of the Saturnalia, the villa was so crammed with soldiers that there was scarcely a dining room free where Caesar himself could dine; two thousand men, no less. I was quite alarmed about what would happen the next day; and Barba Cassius came to my aid and posted guards. A camp was pitched in the field, and the villa was put under guard. On the third day of the Saturnalia he stayed at Philippus's until the seventh hour and admitted no one; going over his accounts, I suppose, with Balbus. Then he took a walk along the shore. After the eighth hour, into the bath. Then he heard about Mamurra; his expression did not change. He was anointed, he took his place at table. He was following an emetic regimen [Greek: emetiken], and so he both ate and drank adeos [Greek: without fear] and with enjoyment, lavishly indeed and elegantly served, and not that alone, but well cooked and seasoned, with good conversation and, if you want the truth, a thorough good time. [2] Besides this, his retinue, hoi peri auton [Greek: those about him], were entertained very generously in three dining rooms. The less distinguished freedmen and the slaves lacked for nothing; for the more distinguished ones I received in fine style. In short, I showed myself a proper man. Still, he was not the sort of guest to whom you would say, "Do come to me again on your way back, I beg you." Once is enough. Spoudaion ouden [Greek: nothing serious] in the conversation, much philologa [Greek: about literature]. What more is there to say? He was delighted and enjoyed himself. He said he would spend one day at Puteoli, the next at Baiae. There you have his entertainment, or rather his epistathmeian [Greek: billeting], which I called troublesome to me, but not disagreeable. I shall be here a little while, then off to my place at Tusculum. When he passed Dolabella's villa, the whole force of armed men ranged to the right and the left around his horse, and nowhere else. This I have from Nicias. Cicero
What a guest — burdensome, yet one I do not regret! For it was thoroughly delightful. But when he arrived at Philippus's house on the evening of the second day of the Saturnalia, the villa was so packed with soldiers that there was scarcely a dining room left for Caesar himself to dine in. Two thousand men, no less! I was frankly nervous about the next day, but Cassius Barba came to my rescue and posted guards. A camp was pitched in the open; the villa was put under guard. On the third day of the Saturnalia he stayed at Philippus's until the seventh hour — and admitted no one, going over his accounts with Balbus, I believe. Then he walked on the shore. After the eighth hour he bathed. Then he reclined at dinner. He ate and drank freely and well. The dinner was splendid and well served, and not only that but well cooked and seasoned, and with good conversation — in a word, agreeable. His retinue were lavishly entertained in three other dining rooms. The lesser freedmen and slaves lacked for nothing; the more important ones I entertained in style. In short, I showed myself a proper host. But he is not the kind of guest to whom you say "Do come again on your way back." Once is enough. We talked of nothing serious, much about literature. In short, he was pleased and enjoyed himself. He said he would spend one day at Puteoli and another at Baiae. There you have the story of his visit — or should I say his billeting — which, as I said, was burdensome but not disagreeable.
O hospitem mihi tam gravem a)metame/lhton ! fuit enim periucunde. sed cum secundis Saturnalibus ad Philippum vesperi venisset, villa ita completa a militibus est ut vix triclinium ubi cenaturus ipse Caesar esset vacaret; quippe hominum ci[c] ci[c]. sane sum commotus quid futurum esset postridie; ac mihi Barba Cassius subvenit, custodes dedit. castra in agro, villa defensa est. ille tertiis Saturnalibus apud Philippum ad h. vii nec quemquam admisit; rationes, opinor, cum Balbo. inde ambulavit in litore. post h. viii in balneum. tum audivit de Mamurra, vultum non mutavit. unctus est, accubuit. )Emetikh\n agebat. itaque et edit et bibit a)dew=j et iucunde, opipare sane et apparate nec id solum sed bene cocto et condito sermone bono et, si quaeris, libenter. [2] praeterea tribus tricliniis accepti oi( peri\ au)to\n valde copiose. libertis minus lautis servisque nihil defuit. nam lautiores eleganter accepi. quid multa? homines visi sumus. hospes tamen non is quoi diceres, 'amabo te, eodem ad me cum revertere.' semel satis est. Spoudai=on ou)de\n in sermone, filo/loga multa. quid quaeris? delectatus est et libenter fuit. Puteolis se aiebat unum diem fore, alterum ad Baias. habes hospitium sive e)pistaqmei/an Odiosam mihi, dixi, non molestam. ego paulisper hic, deinde in Tusculanum. Dolabellae villam cum praeteriret, omnis armatorum copia dextra sinistra ad equum nec usquam alibi. hoc ex Nicia. Cicero
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What a guest to have had on my hands! And yet ametameleton [Greek: not to be regretted]! For it went off most pleasantly. But when he had arrived at Philippus's place on the evening of the second day of the Saturnalia, the villa was so crammed with soldiers that there was scarcely a dining room free where Caesar himself could dine; two thousand men, no less. I was quite alarmed about what would happen the next day; and Barba Cassius came to my aid and posted guards. A camp was pitched in the field, and the villa was put under guard. On the third day of the Saturnalia he stayed at Philippus's until the seventh hour and admitted no one; going over his accounts, I suppose, with Balbus. Then he took a walk along the shore. After the eighth hour, into the bath. Then he heard about Mamurra; his expression did not change. He was anointed, he took his place at table. He was following an emetic regimen [Greek: emetiken], and so he both ate and drank adeos [Greek: without fear] and with enjoyment, lavishly indeed and elegantly served, and not that alone, but well cooked and seasoned, with good conversation and, if you want the truth, a thorough good time. [2] Besides this, his retinue, hoi peri auton [Greek: those about him], were entertained very generously in three dining rooms. The less distinguished freedmen and the slaves lacked for nothing; for the more distinguished ones I received in fine style. In short, I showed myself a proper man. Still, he was not the sort of guest to whom you would say, "Do come to me again on your way back, I beg you." Once is enough. Spoudaion ouden [Greek: nothing serious] in the conversation, much philologa [Greek: about literature]. What more is there to say? He was delighted and enjoyed himself. He said he would spend one day at Puteoli, the next at Baiae. There you have his entertainment, or rather his epistathmeian [Greek: billeting], which I called troublesome to me, but not disagreeable. I shall be here a little while, then off to my place at Tusculum. When he passed Dolabella's villa, the whole force of armed men ranged to the right and the left around his horse, and nowhere else. This I have from Nicias. Cicero
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
O hospitem mihi tam gravem a)metame/lhton ! fuit enim periucunde. sed cum secundis Saturnalibus ad Philippum vesperi venisset, villa ita completa a militibus est ut vix triclinium ubi cenaturus ipse Caesar esset vacaret; quippe hominum ci[c] ci[c]. sane sum commotus quid futurum esset postridie; ac mihi Barba Cassius subvenit, custodes dedit. castra in agro, villa defensa est. ille tertiis Saturnalibus apud Philippum ad h. vii nec quemquam admisit; rationes, opinor, cum Balbo. inde ambulavit in litore. post h. viii in balneum. tum audivit de Mamurra, vultum non mutavit. unctus est, accubuit. )Emetikh\n agebat. itaque et edit et bibit a)dew=j et iucunde, opipare sane et apparate nec id solum sed bene cocto et condito sermone bono et, si quaeris, libenter. [2] praeterea tribus tricliniis accepti oi( peri\ au)to\n valde copiose. libertis minus lautis servisque nihil defuit. nam lautiores eleganter accepi. quid multa? homines visi sumus. hospes tamen non is quoi diceres, 'amabo te, eodem ad me cum revertere.' semel satis est. Spoudai=on ou)de\n in sermone, filo/loga multa. quid quaeris? delectatus est et libenter fuit. Puteolis se aiebat unum diem fore, alterum ad Baias. habes hospitium sive e)pistaqmei/an Odiosam mihi, dixi, non molestam. ego paulisper hic, deinde in Tusculanum. Dolabellae villam cum praeteriret, omnis armatorum copia dextra sinistra ad equum nec usquam alibi. hoc ex Nicia. Cicero