Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 44 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
My messenger has returned from Brutus, bringing a letter from him and one from Cassius too. They badly want my advice, and Brutus asks which of two courses he should follow. Alas, I have not the faintest idea what to say. So I think I will keep silent, unless you think I should not. If anything occurs to you, please write.
Cassius, for his part, begs and beseeches me to make Hirtius as sound as possible. Do you think he is in his senses? It is fool's gold. I am sending you his letter. Balbus and Oppius tell me the same thing you do about the province to be assigned by the Senate to Brutus and Cassius. Hirtius says he will not attend - he is here at Tusculum - and he strongly advises me to stay away. He says this because of the danger there has been even for him. But even if there were no danger, I am so far from wanting to avoid giving Antony the suspicion that I do not rejoice in his prosperity that the very reason I would rather not go to Rome is to avoid seeing him.
Our friend Varro has sent me a letter from someone or other - I do not know who, since he erased the name - telling him that the veterans whose claims have been deferred, some of whom have been discharged, are using criminal language. They say that those who appear not to support their claims will be in great danger at Rome. What, I ask, can our comings and goings, our faces, and our conduct be among such men? If again, as you say, Lucius Antonius is attacking Decimus Brutus, and the others are attacking our friends, what am I to do and how am I to conduct myself? As things stand, I have decided to keep away from a city in which I not only held the highest distinction, but even preserved some standing under slavery. I have not quite decided to leave Italy; that is a question I will discuss with you. But I have decided not to go to Rome.
My messenger has returned from Brutus, bringing a letter from him and from Cassius too. They want my advice badly, and Brutus asks which of two courses he ought to pursue. Alas! I have not the remotest idea what to say. So I think I shall keep silent, unless you think I must not. If anything occurs to you, please write. Cassius, indeed, begs and beseeches me to make Hirtius as sound as possible. Do you think he is in his senses? It's fairy gold! I am sending his letter.
Balbus and Oppius tell me the same as you about the province to be assigned by the Senate to Brutus and Cassius, and Hirtius says he will not attend—he is here at Tusculum—and he strongly advises me to keep away. He does so on the strength of the danger which he says there has been even for him; but, even if there be no danger, I am so far from caring to avoid giving Antony a suspicion that I do not rejoice in his prosperity, that the very reason why I would rather not go to Rome is to avoid seeing him. But our friend Varro has sent me a letter from somebody or other—I don't know who, as he has erased the name—telling him that the veterans whose claims have been put off (for some of them have been disbanded) are using most criminal language, saying that those who seem not to favour their claims will be in great danger at Rome. What, I should like to know, can our goings and comings, our looks and our demeanour, be among them? If again, as you say,
L. Antonius is attacking D. Brutus, and the others attacking our friends, what am I to do and how am I to bear myself? As things are now I have made up my mind to keep away from a city in which I have not only been distinguished in the highest position, but have even maintained some position in servitude. I have not quite made up my mind to leave Italy, a question which I will discuss with you, so much as not to go to Rome.
a Bruto tabellarius rediit; attulit et ab eo et Cassio. consilium meum magno opere exquirunt, Brutus quidem utrum de duobus. O rem miseram! plane non habeo quid scribam. itaque silentio puto me usurum, nisi quid aliud tibi videtur; sin tibi quid venit in mentem, scribe, quaeso. Cassius vero vehementer orat ac petit ut Hirtium quam optimum faciam. sanum putas? o( qhsauro\j a)/nqrakej . epistulam tibi misi. [2] ut tu de provincia Bruti et Cassi per senatus consultum, ita scribit et Balbus et <Oppius>. Hirtius quidem se afuturum (etenim iam in Tusculano est) mihique ut absim vehementer auctor est, et ille quidem periculi causa quod sibi etiam fuisse dicit, ego autem, etiam ut nullum periculum sit, tantum abest ut Antoni suspicionem fugere nunc curem ne videar eius secundis rebus non delectari, ut mihi causa ea sit cur Romam venire nolim ne illum videam. [3] Varro autem noster ad me epistulam misit sibi a nescio quo missam (nomen enim delerat); in qua scriptum erat veteranos eos qui reiciantur (nam partem esse dimissam) improbissime loqui, ut magno periculo Romae sint futuri qui ab eorum partibus dissentire videantur. quis porro noster itus, reditus, vultus, incessus inter istos? quod si, ut scribis, L. Antonius in D. Brutum, reliqui in nostros, ego quid faciam aut quo me pacto geram? mihi vero deliberatum est, ut nunc quidem est, abesse ex ea urbe in qua non modo florui cum summa verum etiam servivi cum aliqua dignitate; nec tam statui ex Italia exire, de quo tecum deliberabo, quam istuc non venire.
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My messenger has returned from Brutus, bringing a letter from him and one from Cassius too. They badly want my advice, and Brutus asks which of two courses he should follow. Alas, I have not the faintest idea what to say. So I think I will keep silent, unless you think I should not. If anything occurs to you, please write.
Cassius, for his part, begs and beseeches me to make Hirtius as sound as possible. Do you think he is in his senses? It is fool's gold. I am sending you his letter. Balbus and Oppius tell me the same thing you do about the province to be assigned by the Senate to Brutus and Cassius. Hirtius says he will not attend - he is here at Tusculum - and he strongly advises me to stay away. He says this because of the danger there has been even for him. But even if there were no danger, I am so far from wanting to avoid giving Antony the suspicion that I do not rejoice in his prosperity that the very reason I would rather not go to Rome is to avoid seeing him.
Our friend Varro has sent me a letter from someone or other - I do not know who, since he erased the name - telling him that the veterans whose claims have been deferred, some of whom have been discharged, are using criminal language. They say that those who appear not to support their claims will be in great danger at Rome. What, I ask, can our comings and goings, our faces, and our conduct be among such men? If again, as you say, Lucius Antonius is attacking Decimus Brutus, and the others are attacking our friends, what am I to do and how am I to conduct myself? As things stand, I have decided to keep away from a city in which I not only held the highest distinction, but even preserved some standing under slavery. I have not quite decided to leave Italy; that is a question I will discuss with you. But I have decided not to go to Rome.
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
a Bruto tabellarius rediit; attulit et ab eo et Cassio. consilium meum magno opere exquirunt, Brutus quidem utrum de duobus. O rem miseram! plane non habeo quid scribam. itaque silentio puto me usurum, nisi quid aliud tibi videtur; sin tibi quid venit in mentem, scribe, quaeso. Cassius vero vehementer orat ac petit ut Hirtium quam optimum faciam. sanum putas? o( qhsauro\j a)/nqrakej . epistulam tibi misi. [2] ut tu de provincia Bruti et Cassi per senatus consultum, ita scribit et Balbus et <Oppius>. Hirtius quidem se afuturum (etenim iam in Tusculano est) mihique ut absim vehementer auctor est, et ille quidem periculi causa quod sibi etiam fuisse dicit, ego autem, etiam ut nullum periculum sit, tantum abest ut Antoni suspicionem fugere nunc curem ne videar eius secundis rebus non delectari, ut mihi causa ea sit cur Romam venire nolim ne illum videam. [3] Varro autem noster ad me epistulam misit sibi a nescio quo missam (nomen enim delerat); in qua scriptum erat veteranos eos qui reiciantur (nam partem esse dimissam) improbissime loqui, ut magno periculo Romae sint futuri qui ab eorum partibus dissentire videantur. quis porro noster itus, reditus, vultus, incessus inter istos? quod si, ut scribis, L. Antonius in D. Brutum, reliqui in nostros, ego quid faciam aut quo me pacto geram? mihi vero deliberatum est, ut nunc quidem est, abesse ex ea urbe in qua non modo florui cum summa verum etiam servivi cum aliqua dignitate; nec tam statui ex Italia exire, de quo tecum deliberabo, quam istuc non venire.