Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 60 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Many things distress me, both from the great upheaval in the commonwealth and from those dangers that are aimed at me personally, and there are six hundred of them; but nothing is more troublesome to me than that Statius has been set free. "Not to respect my authority - and let authority go - not even my displeasure!" Nor do I know what to do, nor is there as much in the matter as there is talk about it. Yet I cannot even be angry with those whom I love deeply; I only grieve, and indeed wonderfully so. As for the rest, in great affairs, the threats of Clodius and the contests that are set before me touch me only moderately; for I seem to myself able either to meet them with the highest dignity or to avoid them with no trouble. You will perhaps say: "Enough of dignity, as the saying goes, like an oak [a proverbial 'enough already']; have a care, if you love me, for your safety." Oh, wretched me! Why are you not here? Surely nothing would escape you; whereas I perhaps am too sharp-sighted [or: too short-sighted] and overly attached to what is honorable.
(2) Know that there has never been anything so infamous, so disgraceful, so equally offensive to all classes, ranks, and ages as this present state of affairs, more so, by Hercules, than I would have wished, not to say than I would have supposed. These popular leaders have now taught even moderate men to hiss. Bibulus is in the heavens, and I do not know on what account, but he is praised as though "one man by delaying restored the state to us." Pompey, my beloved - which is the cause of my deepest grief - has himself brought himself down. They hold no one by goodwill; I fear it may be necessary for them to use fear. I, however, neither fight against that cause, on account of that friendship, nor do I approve of it, lest I should disapprove of everything I did before; I follow a middle course. The sentiment of the people has been seen most clearly at the theater and the shows; for at the gladiatorial games both the master [Gabinius] and his advocates were torn to pieces with hisses; at the games of Apollo the tragic actor Diphilus made an insolent attack upon our Pompey: "By our misery you are Great" - he was compelled to say it a thousand times; "The time will come when you will bitterly bewail that same virtue of yours" he spoke amid the shouting of the whole theater, and likewise the rest. For these verses are of such a kind that they seem to have been written for the occasion by an enemy of Pompey: "If neither laws nor customs compel -", and the rest were spoken with great uproar and shouting. When Caesar entered, the applause having died away, Curio the younger followed him in. He was applauded as Pompey used to be applauded when the commonwealth was safe. Caesar took it badly. A letter was said to be flying to Pompey at Capua. They were hostile to the knights who had stood up and applauded Curio, enemies to everyone; they were threatening the Roscian law, even the grain law. The situation was thoroughly disturbed. For my own part, I should have preferred that what had been undertaken by them should be passed over in silence, but I fear that may not be permitted. Men do not endure what nevertheless seems it ought to be endured; but by now there is one voice of all, strengthened more by hatred than by any protection.
(4) Our friend Publius, moreover, threatens me, and is hostile. A business is impending, to which you will of course fly. I seem to myself to have that consular army of mine, of all good men, even of men tolerably good, as a most steadfast support. Pompey shows a regard for me that is no slight one; he likewise affirms that that man [Clodius] will not say a word against me; in which matter he does not deceive me, but is himself deceived. On the death of Cosconius I was invited into his place. That was to be called into the place of a dead man. Nothing would have been more disgraceful to me in men's eyes, nor indeed anything more foreign to that very tranquillity [I seek]. For those men [the commissioners] are objects of envy among good men, while I, among the wicked, would have kept my own unpopularity and taken on another's besides. Caesar wishes me to be his legate.
(5) This is a more honorable way of avoiding the danger; but I do not reject this. What then is it? I prefer to fight. Nothing, however, is certain. Again I say, "Would that you were here!" But nevertheless, if it shall be necessary, we will send for you. What else? What? This, I think. We are certain that all is lost; for why do we go on living so long? But I have written these things in haste and, by Hercules, timidly. Hereafter I will write to you, if I have someone thoroughly trustworthy to whom I may give it, either everything plainly, or, if I write obscurely, you will nevertheless understand. In those letters I will make myself Laelius and you Furius; the rest shall be in riddles. Here I cultivate Caecilius and attend on him diligently. I hear that the edicts of Bibulus have been sent to you. At them our Pompey burns with grief and anger.
I have many causes for anxiety, both from the troubled state of the constitution and from the innumerable personal dangers which threaten me. But nothing annoys me more than Statius’ manumission:
But what I am to do, I don’t know; and the matter is more talk than anything. I can never be angry with those I really love: I can only feel sorrow, and very deep sorrow too. My other cares are for important matters. Clodius’ threats and the struggle I have to face do not affect me much: for I think I can face the music with dignity or avoid the danger without unpleasantness. Perhaps you will say: “Hang dignity. It’s prehistoric. For mercy’s sake look after your safety,” Alas! Why aren’t you here? You would notice everything: while I perhaps am blinded by my passion for high ideals. Nothing was ever so scandalous, so disgraceful, and so objectionable to every rank and class of men young or old as this present state of affairs, far more so than I expected, nay upon my soul it is more so than I could wish. The popular party have taught even the
moderate men to hiss. Bibulus is exalted to the sky, though I don’t know why. However he is as much bepraised as though
To my infinite sorrow, my pet, Pompey, has shattered his own reputation. They have no hold on anyone by affection: and I am afraid they may find it necessary to try the effect of fear. I do not quarrel with them on account of my friendship for him, though I refrain from showing approval not to stultify all my previous actions. I keep to the high-road. The popular feeling can be seen best in the theatre and at public exhibitions. For at the gladiatorial show both the leader and his associates were overwhelmed with hisses: at the games in honour of Apollo the actor Diphilus made an impertinent attack on Pompey, “By our misfortunes thou art Great,” which was encored again and again. “A time will come when thou wilt rue that might” he declaimed amid the cheers of the whole audience, and so on with the rest. For indeed the verses do look as though they had been written for the occasion by an enemy of Pompey: “If neither law nor custom can constrain,” etc. was received with a tremendous uproar and outcry. At Caesar’s entry the applause dwindled away; but young Curio who followed was applauded as Pompey used to be when the constitution was still sound. Caesar was much annoyed: and it is said a letter flew post haste to Pompey at Capua.
They are annoyed with the knights who stood up and clapped Curio, and their hand is against every man’s. They are threatening the Roscian law and even the corn law. Things are in a most disturbed condition. I used to think it would be best silently to ignore their doings, but I am afraid that will be impossible. The public cannot put up with things, and yet it looks as though they would have to put up with them. The whole people speak now with one voice, but the unanimity has no foundation but common hate.
Anyhow our friend Publius is threatening me and making hostile advances: there is trouble ahead, and you must fly to the rescue. I think I have at my back the same firm bodyguard of all the sound men and even the moderately sound, as I had in my consulship. The affection Pompey shows me is more than ordinary. He declares Clodius will not say a word against me: but there he is deceiving himself not me. I have been asked to fill Cosconius’ place now he is dead. That would be stepping into a dead man’s shoes, with a vengeance! I should disgrace myself utterly in the world’s eyes: and nothing could be more opposed to the state of safety you keep talking of. For that board is unpopular with the loyal party, and so I should keep my unpopularity with the disloyal and take up another’s burden too. Caesar wants me to go as his lieutenant. That would be a more honourable way of getting out of danger. But I don’t want to shirk it, for the very good reason that I prefer fighting. However nothing is settled, I repeat, I wish you were here. However,
if it is necessary. I will send for you. Anything else? One thing, I think: I am sure the country is lost. It is no use mincing matters any longer.
However I have written this in a hurry, and, I may say, in a fright too. Some time I will give you a clear account, if I find a very trusty messenger; or, if I veil my meaning, you will manage to understand it. In these letters I will call myself Laelius and you Furius: and convey the rest in riddles. Here I am cultivating Caecilius and paying him elaborate attention. I hear Bibulus’ edicts have been sent to you. Pompey is blazing with wrath and indignation at them.
Multa me sollicitant et ex rei publicae tanto motu et ex iis periculis quae mihi ipsi intenduntur et sescenta sunt; sed mihi nihil est molestius quam Statium manu missum; "nec meum imperium, ac mitto imperium, non simultatem meam Reuerteri saltem"! nec quid faciam scio neque tantum est in re quantus est sermo. ego autem ne irasci possum quidem iis quos ualde amo; tantum doleo ac mirifice quidem. cetera in magnis rebus, minae Clodii contentionesque mihi proponuntur modice me tangunt; etenim uel subire eas uideor mihi summa cum dignitate uel declinare nulla cum molestia posse. dices fortasse: 'dignitatis á¼Î»Î¹Ï tamquam δÏÏ ÏÏ, saluti, si me amas, consule.' Îe miserum! cur non ades? nihil profecto te praeteriret; ego fortasse ÏÏ ÏλÏÏÏÏ et nimium Ïῳ Ïαλῳ ÏÏοÏÏÎÏονθα. (2) Scito nihil umquam fuisse tam infame, tam turpe, tam peraeque omnibus generibus, ordinibus, aetatibus offensum quam hunc statum qui nunc est, magis me hercule quam uellem non modo quam putarem. populares isti iam etiam modestos homines sibilare docuerunt. Bibulus in caelo est nec qua re scio, sed ita laudatur quasi Vnus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem. Pompeius, nostri amores, quod mihi summo dolori est, ipse se adflixit. neminem tenent uoluntate; ne me tu necesse sit iis uti uereor. ego autem neque pugno cum illa causa propter illam amicitiam neque approbo, ne omnia improbem quae antea gessi; utor uia. populi sensus maxime theatro et spectaculis perspectus est; nam gladiatoribus qua dominus qua aduocati sibilis conscissi; ludis Apollinaribus Diphilus tragoedus in nostrum Pompeium petulanter inuectus est; nostra miseria tu es magnus - miliens coactus est dicere; Eandem uirtutem istam ueniet tempus cum grauiter gemes totius theatri clamore dixit itemque cetera. nam et eius modi sunt ii uersus uti in tempus ab inimico Pompei scripti esse uideantur: si neque leges neque mores cogunt -, et cetera magno cum fremitu et clamore sunt dicta. Caesar cum uenisset mortuo plausu, Curio filius est insecutus. huic ita plausum est ut salua re publica Pompeio plaudi solebat. tulit Caesar grauiter. Litterae Capuam ad Pompeium uolare dicebantur. inimici erant equitibus qui Curioni stantes plauserant, hostes omnibus; Rosciae legi, etiam frumentariae minitabantur. sane res erat perturbata. equidem malueram quod erat susceptum ab illis silentio transiri, sed uereor ne non liceat. non ferunt homines quod uidetur esse tamen ferendum; sed est iam una uox omnium magis odio firmata quam praesidio. (4) noster autem Publius mihi minitatur, inimicus est. impendet negotium, ad quod tu scilicet aduolabis. uideor mihi nostrum illum consularem exercitum bonorum omnium, etiam sat bonorum habere firmissimum. Pompeius significat studium erga me non mediocre; idem adfirmat uerbum de me illum non esse facturum; in quo non me ille fallit sed ipse fallitur. Cosconio mortuo sum in eius locum inuitatus. id erat uocari in locum mortui. nihil me turpius apud homines fuisset neque uero ad istam ipsam á¼ÏιÏάλειαν quicquam alienius. sunt enim illi apud bonos inuidiosi, ego apud improbos meam retinuissem inuidiam, alienam adsumpsissem. Caesar me sibi uult esse legatum. (5) Honestior declinatio haec periculi; sed ego hoc non repudio. quid ergo est? pugnare malo. nihil tamen certi. iterum dico 'utinam adesses!' sed tamen si erit necesse, arcessemus. quid aliud? quid? hoc opinor. certi sumus perisse omnia; quid enim á¼ÏÏιζÏμεθα tam diu? sed haec scripsi properans et me hercule timide. posthac ad te aut, si perfidelem habebo cui dem, scribam plane omnia aut, si obscure scribam, tu tamen intelleges. in iis epistulis me Laelium, te Furium faciam; cetera erunt á¼Î½ á¼Î¹Î½Î¹Î³Î¼Î¿á¿Ï. hic Caecilium colimus et obseruamus diligenter. edicta Bibuli audio ad te missa. Iis ardet dolore et ira noster Pompeius.
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Many things distress me, both from the great upheaval in the commonwealth and from those dangers that are aimed at me personally, and there are six hundred of them; but nothing is more troublesome to me than that Statius has been set free. "Not to respect my authority - and let authority go - not even my displeasure!" Nor do I know what to do, nor is there as much in the matter as there is talk about it. Yet I cannot even be angry with those whom I love deeply; I only grieve, and indeed wonderfully so. As for the rest, in great affairs, the threats of Clodius and the contests that are set before me touch me only moderately; for I seem to myself able either to meet them with the highest dignity or to avoid them with no trouble. You will perhaps say: "Enough of dignity, as the saying goes, like an oak [a proverbial 'enough already']; have a care, if you love me, for your safety." Oh, wretched me! Why are you not here? Surely nothing would escape you; whereas I perhaps am too sharp-sighted [or: too short-sighted] and overly attached to what is honorable.
(2) Know that there has never been anything so infamous, so disgraceful, so equally offensive to all classes, ranks, and ages as this present state of affairs, more so, by Hercules, than I would have wished, not to say than I would have supposed. These popular leaders have now taught even moderate men to hiss. Bibulus is in the heavens, and I do not know on what account, but he is praised as though "one man by delaying restored the state to us." Pompey, my beloved - which is the cause of my deepest grief - has himself brought himself down. They hold no one by goodwill; I fear it may be necessary for them to use fear. I, however, neither fight against that cause, on account of that friendship, nor do I approve of it, lest I should disapprove of everything I did before; I follow a middle course. The sentiment of the people has been seen most clearly at the theater and the shows; for at the gladiatorial games both the master [Gabinius] and his advocates were torn to pieces with hisses; at the games of Apollo the tragic actor Diphilus made an insolent attack upon our Pompey: "By our misery you are Great" - he was compelled to say it a thousand times; "The time will come when you will bitterly bewail that same virtue of yours" he spoke amid the shouting of the whole theater, and likewise the rest. For these verses are of such a kind that they seem to have been written for the occasion by an enemy of Pompey: "If neither laws nor customs compel -", and the rest were spoken with great uproar and shouting. When Caesar entered, the applause having died away, Curio the younger followed him in. He was applauded as Pompey used to be applauded when the commonwealth was safe. Caesar took it badly. A letter was said to be flying to Pompey at Capua. They were hostile to the knights who had stood up and applauded Curio, enemies to everyone; they were threatening the Roscian law, even the grain law. The situation was thoroughly disturbed. For my own part, I should have preferred that what had been undertaken by them should be passed over in silence, but I fear that may not be permitted. Men do not endure what nevertheless seems it ought to be endured; but by now there is one voice of all, strengthened more by hatred than by any protection.
(4) Our friend Publius, moreover, threatens me, and is hostile. A business is impending, to which you will of course fly. I seem to myself to have that consular army of mine, of all good men, even of men tolerably good, as a most steadfast support. Pompey shows a regard for me that is no slight one; he likewise affirms that that man [Clodius] will not say a word against me; in which matter he does not deceive me, but is himself deceived. On the death of Cosconius I was invited into his place. That was to be called into the place of a dead man. Nothing would have been more disgraceful to me in men's eyes, nor indeed anything more foreign to that very tranquillity [I seek]. For those men [the commissioners] are objects of envy among good men, while I, among the wicked, would have kept my own unpopularity and taken on another's besides. Caesar wishes me to be his legate.
(5) This is a more honorable way of avoiding the danger; but I do not reject this. What then is it? I prefer to fight. Nothing, however, is certain. Again I say, "Would that you were here!" But nevertheless, if it shall be necessary, we will send for you. What else? What? This, I think. We are certain that all is lost; for why do we go on living so long? But I have written these things in haste and, by Hercules, timidly. Hereafter I will write to you, if I have someone thoroughly trustworthy to whom I may give it, either everything plainly, or, if I write obscurely, you will nevertheless understand. In those letters I will make myself Laelius and you Furius; the rest shall be in riddles. Here I cultivate Caecilius and attend on him diligently. I hear that the edicts of Bibulus have been sent to you. At them our Pompey burns with grief and anger.
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
Multa me sollicitant et ex rei publicae tanto motu et ex iis periculis quae mihi ipsi intenduntur et sescenta sunt; sed mihi nihil est molestius quam Statium manu missum; "nec meum imperium, ac mitto imperium, non simultatem meam Reuerteri saltem"! nec quid faciam scio neque tantum est in re quantus est sermo. ego autem ne irasci possum quidem iis quos ualde amo; tantum doleo ac mirifice quidem. cetera in magnis rebus, minae Clodii contentionesque mihi proponuntur modice me tangunt; etenim uel subire eas uideor mihi summa cum dignitate uel declinare nulla cum molestia posse. dices fortasse: 'dignitatis á¼Î»Î¹Ï tamquam δÏÏ ÏÏ, saluti, si me amas, consule.' Îe miserum! cur non ades? nihil profecto te praeteriret; ego fortasse ÏÏ ÏλÏÏÏÏ et nimium Ïῳ Ïαλῳ ÏÏοÏÏÎÏονθα. (2) Scito nihil umquam fuisse tam infame, tam turpe, tam peraeque omnibus generibus, ordinibus, aetatibus offensum quam hunc statum qui nunc est, magis me hercule quam uellem non modo quam putarem. populares isti iam etiam modestos homines sibilare docuerunt. Bibulus in caelo est nec qua re scio, sed ita laudatur quasi Vnus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem. Pompeius, nostri amores, quod mihi summo dolori est, ipse se adflixit. neminem tenent uoluntate; ne me tu necesse sit iis uti uereor. ego autem neque pugno cum illa causa propter illam amicitiam neque approbo, ne omnia improbem quae antea gessi; utor uia. populi sensus maxime theatro et spectaculis perspectus est; nam gladiatoribus qua dominus qua aduocati sibilis conscissi; ludis Apollinaribus Diphilus tragoedus in nostrum Pompeium petulanter inuectus est; nostra miseria tu es magnus - miliens coactus est dicere; Eandem uirtutem istam ueniet tempus cum grauiter gemes totius theatri clamore dixit itemque cetera. nam et eius modi sunt ii uersus uti in tempus ab inimico Pompei scripti esse uideantur: si neque leges neque mores cogunt -, et cetera magno cum fremitu et clamore sunt dicta. Caesar cum uenisset mortuo plausu, Curio filius est insecutus. huic ita plausum est ut salua re publica Pompeio plaudi solebat. tulit Caesar grauiter. Litterae Capuam ad Pompeium uolare dicebantur. inimici erant equitibus qui Curioni stantes plauserant, hostes omnibus; Rosciae legi, etiam frumentariae minitabantur. sane res erat perturbata. equidem malueram quod erat susceptum ab illis silentio transiri, sed uereor ne non liceat. non ferunt homines quod uidetur esse tamen ferendum; sed est iam una uox omnium magis odio firmata quam praesidio. (4) noster autem Publius mihi minitatur, inimicus est. impendet negotium, ad quod tu scilicet aduolabis. uideor mihi nostrum illum consularem exercitum bonorum omnium, etiam sat bonorum habere firmissimum. Pompeius significat studium erga me non mediocre; idem adfirmat uerbum de me illum non esse facturum; in quo non me ille fallit sed ipse fallitur. Cosconio mortuo sum in eius locum inuitatus. id erat uocari in locum mortui. nihil me turpius apud homines fuisset neque uero ad istam ipsam á¼ÏιÏάλειαν quicquam alienius. sunt enim illi apud bonos inuidiosi, ego apud improbos meam retinuissem inuidiam, alienam adsumpsissem. Caesar me sibi uult esse legatum. (5) Honestior declinatio haec periculi; sed ego hoc non repudio. quid ergo est? pugnare malo. nihil tamen certi. iterum dico 'utinam adesses!' sed tamen si erit necesse, arcessemus. quid aliud? quid? hoc opinor. certi sumus perisse omnia; quid enim á¼ÏÏιζÏμεθα tam diu? sed haec scripsi properans et me hercule timide. posthac ad te aut, si perfidelem habebo cui dem, scribam plane omnia aut, si obscure scribam, tu tamen intelleges. in iis epistulis me Laelium, te Furium faciam; cetera erunt á¼Î½ á¼Î¹Î½Î¹Î³Î¼Î¿á¿Ï. hic Caecilium colimus et obseruamus diligenter. edicta Bibuli audio ad te missa. Iis ardet dolore et ira noster Pompeius.