Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 44 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
What a wretched business about Alexio! It is incredible how much distress it has caused me, and, by Hercules, not chiefly on the account that most people assume when they ask me, "To what doctor will you now turn?" What need have I now of a doctor? Or, if I do need one, is there really such a scarcity of them? It is his affection toward me, his kindness and his charm, that I miss. And there is this besides: what is there that we should not dread, when a man so temperate, and so consummate a physician, can be struck down all at once by so great an illness? But against all of this there is a single consolation: we have been born on these terms, that we ought to refuse nothing that can befall a human being.
[2] About Antony I have already written to you before that I have not had a meeting with him. For he came to Misenum while I was at my place near Pompeii, and he departed from there before I learned that he had arrived. But by chance, while I was reading your letter, Hirtius was with me at my Puteolan villa. I read it to him and made my case to him. On the first point, he would grant me nothing; then, on the whole matter, he set me up as arbiter not only of this affair but of his entire consulship. With Antony, however, I shall proceed in such a way that he may see that, if he satisfies me in this business, I shall be wholly his in the future. I hope Dolabella is at home.
[3] Let us come back to our own people [the Liberators, Brutus and Cassius]. About them you indicate that you have good hope, on account of the moderate tone of the edicts. But I saw through Hirtius's whole frame of mind when, on the seventeenth day before the Kalends, he set out from my Puteolan villa for Naples to meet with Pansa. For I drew him aside and urged him toward peace. He could not, of course, deny that he wanted peace, but he said he feared the arms of our side no less than Antony's; that, after all, both sides have a guard about them not without reason; and that he himself dreaded the arms of both. In short? ouden hygies ["nothing sound" - i.e. nothing wholesome or trustworthy in him].
[4] About young Quintus I agree with you. To his father, at any rate, your charming letter was most welcome. As for Caerellia, I satisfied her easily; she did not seem to me to be greatly troubled, and even if she had been, I certainly should not have troubled myself. But that woman whom you write has been a vexation to you, after hearing of it from you, I am altogether astonished at. For as to my having praised her among friends, in the hearing of three of her sons and of your daughter, to ek toutou ["what comes of that"] - what is there in this? And again, why should I go about masked? Is the persona of old age itself not an ugly enough mask? As for Brutus's request that I come before the Kalends, he has written to me as well, and perhaps I shall do it. But I plainly do not know what he wants. For what counsel can I bring him, when I myself stand in need of counsel, and when he has provided better for his own immortality than for our peace and quiet? The rumor about the queen [Cleopatra] is dying down. About Flamma, I beg you, do what you can.
What a misfortune about Alexio! It has upset me more than you can believe, and not, I assure you, particularly on the score which most people seem to think it has, asking to what doctor I shall turn now. What do I want with a doctor now? And, if I do want one, is there such a dearth of them? It is his love for me, his kindness and charming manner that I miss. There is another thing, too. What have we not to fear, when so temperate a person and so skilful a physician can be overcome suddenly by such a disease? But for all these things there is one consolation: we are born under this condition, that we may not refuse anything that fate has in store for mortals.
As for Antony, I have told you before that I have not met him. For he came to Misenum when I was at Pompeii, and he left before I knew he was there. But by chance, when I was reading your letter, Hirtius was with me at Puteoli. I read it to him and pleaded with him. At first he would not make any concession worth counting, but in the end he said I should direct not only this matter but all his consulship. With Antony I shall put the matter so that he may see that, if he obliges me in this particular
matter, I shall be entirely his for the future. I hope Dolabella is at home.
Let us return to our heroes. You hint that you have good hopes for them in the moderate tone of the edicts. But, when Hirtius left me at Puteoli on the 16th of May to meet Pansa at Naples, his whole mind was revealed to me. For I took him aside and exhorted him to keep the peace. He could not, of course, say that he did not want peace, but he did say that he was as much afraid of armed action on our side as from Antony, and that after all both had reason for being on their guard, and for his part he was afraid of hostilities from both. In fact he is quite unreliable.
About young Quintus I agree with you. His father, at any rate, was most pleased with your nice letter. Caerellia I easily satisfied; she did not seem to me to bother herself much, and, if she had, I certainly should not have done so. As to the lady who you say is plaguing you, I wonder you listened to her at all. For, if I did compliment her before friends, when three of her own sons and your daughter were present, what is there in that?
Is not old age itself a mask ugly enough?
You say Brutus asks me to come before the 1st. He has written to me too, and perhaps I shall do so. But I really don't know what he wants. What advice can I give him, when I want advice myself, and when he has thought of his immortality rather than our peace of mind? The rumour about Cleopatra is dying out. As to Flamma, pray do what you can.
O factum male de Alexione! incredibile est quanta me molestia adfecerit, nec me hercule ex ea parte maxime quod plerique mecum, 'ad quem igitur te medicum conferes?' quid mihi iam medico? aut si opus est, tanta inopia est? amorem erga me, humanitatem suavitatemque desidero. etiam illud. quid est quod non pertimescendum sit cum hominem temperantem, summum medicum tantus improviso morbus oppresserit? sed ad haec omnia una consolatio est quod ea condicione nati sumus ut nihil quod homini accidere possit recusare debeamus. [2] de Antonio iam antea tibi scripsi non esse eum a me conventum. venit enim Misenum cum ego essem in Pompeiano. Inde ante profectus est quam ego eum venisse cognovi. sed casu, cum legerem tuas litteras, Hirtius erat apud me in Puteolano. ei legi et egi. primum quod attinet, nihil mihi concedebat, deinde ad summam arbitrum me statuebat non modo huius rei sed totius consulatus sui. Cum Antonio autem sic agemus ut perspiciat, si in eo negotio nobis satis fecerit, totum me futurum suum. Dolabellam spero domi esse. [3] redeamus ad nostros. de quibus tu bonam spem te significas habere propter edictorum humanitatem. ego autem perspexi, cum a me xvii Kal. de Puteolano Neapolim Pansae conveniendi causa proficisceretur Hirtius, omnem eius sensum. seduxi enim et ad pacem sum cohortatus. non poterat scilicet negare se velle pacem, sed non minus se nostrorum arma timere quam Antoni, et tamen utrosque non sine causa praesidium habere, se autem utraque arma metuere. quid quaeris? ou)de\n u(gie/j. [4] de Quinto filio tibi adsentior. patri quidem certe gratissimae bellae tuae litterae fuerunt. Caerelliae vero facile satis feci; nec valde laborare mihi visa est, et si illa, ego certe non laborarem. istam vero quam tibi molestam scribis esse auditam a te esse omnino demiror. nam quod eam conlaudavi apud amicos audientibus tribus filiis eius et filia tua, to\ e)k tou/tou quid est hoc? quid est au/tem cur ego pe/rsonatus a/mbulem? parumne foeda persona est ipsius senectutis? quod Brutus rogat ut ante Kalendas, ad me quoque scripsit et fortasse faciam. sed plane quid velit nescio. quid enim illi adferre consili possum, cum ipse egeam consilio et cum ille suae immortalitati melius quam nostro otio consuluerit? de regina rumor exstinguitur. de Flamma, obsecro te, si quid potes.
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What a wretched business about Alexio! It is incredible how much distress it has caused me, and, by Hercules, not chiefly on the account that most people assume when they ask me, "To what doctor will you now turn?" What need have I now of a doctor? Or, if I do need one, is there really such a scarcity of them? It is his affection toward me, his kindness and his charm, that I miss. And there is this besides: what is there that we should not dread, when a man so temperate, and so consummate a physician, can be struck down all at once by so great an illness? But against all of this there is a single consolation: we have been born on these terms, that we ought to refuse nothing that can befall a human being.
[2] About Antony I have already written to you before that I have not had a meeting with him. For he came to Misenum while I was at my place near Pompeii, and he departed from there before I learned that he had arrived. But by chance, while I was reading your letter, Hirtius was with me at my Puteolan villa. I read it to him and made my case to him. On the first point, he would grant me nothing; then, on the whole matter, he set me up as arbiter not only of this affair but of his entire consulship. With Antony, however, I shall proceed in such a way that he may see that, if he satisfies me in this business, I shall be wholly his in the future. I hope Dolabella is at home.
[3] Let us come back to our own people [the Liberators, Brutus and Cassius]. About them you indicate that you have good hope, on account of the moderate tone of the edicts. But I saw through Hirtius's whole frame of mind when, on the seventeenth day before the Kalends, he set out from my Puteolan villa for Naples to meet with Pansa. For I drew him aside and urged him toward peace. He could not, of course, deny that he wanted peace, but he said he feared the arms of our side no less than Antony's; that, after all, both sides have a guard about them not without reason; and that he himself dreaded the arms of both. In short? ouden hygies ["nothing sound" - i.e. nothing wholesome or trustworthy in him].
[4] About young Quintus I agree with you. To his father, at any rate, your charming letter was most welcome. As for Caerellia, I satisfied her easily; she did not seem to me to be greatly troubled, and even if she had been, I certainly should not have troubled myself. But that woman whom you write has been a vexation to you, after hearing of it from you, I am altogether astonished at. For as to my having praised her among friends, in the hearing of three of her sons and of your daughter, to ek toutou ["what comes of that"] - what is there in this? And again, why should I go about masked? Is the persona of old age itself not an ugly enough mask? As for Brutus's request that I come before the Kalends, he has written to me as well, and perhaps I shall do it. But I plainly do not know what he wants. For what counsel can I bring him, when I myself stand in need of counsel, and when he has provided better for his own immortality than for our peace and quiet? The rumor about the queen [Cleopatra] is dying down. About Flamma, I beg you, do what you can.
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 factum male de Alexione! incredibile est quanta me molestia adfecerit, nec me hercule ex ea parte maxime quod plerique mecum, 'ad quem igitur te medicum conferes?' quid mihi iam medico? aut si opus est, tanta inopia est? amorem erga me, humanitatem suavitatemque desidero. etiam illud. quid est quod non pertimescendum sit cum hominem temperantem, summum medicum tantus improviso morbus oppresserit? sed ad haec omnia una consolatio est quod ea condicione nati sumus ut nihil quod homini accidere possit recusare debeamus. [2] de Antonio iam antea tibi scripsi non esse eum a me conventum. venit enim Misenum cum ego essem in Pompeiano. Inde ante profectus est quam ego eum venisse cognovi. sed casu, cum legerem tuas litteras, Hirtius erat apud me in Puteolano. ei legi et egi. primum quod attinet, nihil mihi concedebat, deinde ad summam arbitrum me statuebat non modo huius rei sed totius consulatus sui. Cum Antonio autem sic agemus ut perspiciat, si in eo negotio nobis satis fecerit, totum me futurum suum. Dolabellam spero domi esse. [3] redeamus ad nostros. de quibus tu bonam spem te significas habere propter edictorum humanitatem. ego autem perspexi, cum a me xvii Kal. de Puteolano Neapolim Pansae conveniendi causa proficisceretur Hirtius, omnem eius sensum. seduxi enim et ad pacem sum cohortatus. non poterat scilicet negare se velle pacem, sed non minus se nostrorum arma timere quam Antoni, et tamen utrosque non sine causa praesidium habere, se autem utraque arma metuere. quid quaeris? ou)de\n u(gie/j. [4] de Quinto filio tibi adsentior. patri quidem certe gratissimae bellae tuae litterae fuerunt. Caerelliae vero facile satis feci; nec valde laborare mihi visa est, et si illa, ego certe non laborarem. istam vero quam tibi molestam scribis esse auditam a te esse omnino demiror. nam quod eam conlaudavi apud amicos audientibus tribus filiis eius et filia tua, to\ e)k tou/tou quid est hoc? quid est au/tem cur ego pe/rsonatus a/mbulem? parumne foeda persona est ipsius senectutis? quod Brutus rogat ut ante Kalendas, ad me quoque scripsit et fortasse faciam. sed plane quid velit nescio. quid enim illi adferre consili possum, cum ipse egeam consilio et cum ille suae immortalitati melius quam nostro otio consuluerit? de regina rumor exstinguitur. de Flamma, obsecro te, si quid potes.