Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 44 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
A curse on Lucius Antonius if he is making trouble for the Buthrotians. I have drawn up a deposition, and it shall be signed whenever you like. If the aedile Lucius Fadius asks for the money belonging to the people of Arpinum, pay it back to him in full. In another letter I mentioned the thousand to be paid to Statius. If Fadius asks for it, I want it paid to him, but to no one else. I think it was deposited with me. I have written to Eros to pay it.
I detest Cleopatra, and Ammonius, the voucher for her promises, knows that I have good reason. Her promises were all matters connected with learning and not at all beneath my dignity, so I could have mentioned them even in a public speech. Sara, besides being a scoundrel, is also, as I have noticed, insolent toward me. I have seen him in my house once, and only once; when I politely asked what he wanted, he said he wanted Atticus. As for the insolence of the queen herself when she was in her villa across the river, I cannot speak of it without deep indignation. So: no dealings with them. They do not credit me with any spirit, or even any feeling.
I see that my departure from Italy is being delayed by Eros' handling of my affairs. Although, from the balances he made on April 5, I ought to have plenty of cash, I have to borrow, and I think the income from those profitable properties is being set aside for the shrine. I have given Tiro instructions about this and am sending him to Rome for that purpose. I did not want to add to your worries.
The more modest my son's demands are, the more I am concerned for him. He did not mention this point to me, the very person to whom he should above all have mentioned it, but in a letter to Tiro he said I had sent him nothing since April 1, the end of his financial year. Now I know that you, with your usual kindness, have always agreed and indeed thought that my dignity, among other things, requires him to be treated not only liberally, but even with generous and extravagant liberality. So I would like you to see that he has a bill of exchange for his annual allowance payable at Athens. I would not trouble you if I could manage it through anyone else. Eros, of course, will pay you. That is why I have sent Tiro. Please see to it and let me know if you have any view about the matter.
Hang L. Antonius if he is obnoxious to the Buthrotians. I have drawn up a deposition, which shall be signed whenever you like. If the aedile L. Fadius asks for the money belonging to the people of Arpinum, pay it him back in full. In another letter I mentioned the 1,000 guineas to be paid to Statius. Well, if Fadius asks for them, I wish them to be paid to him, but to no one else. I think it was deposited with me. I have written to Eros to pay it.
I detest Cleopatra; and the voucher for her promises, Ammonius, knows I have good reason to do so. Her promises were all things that had to do with learning and not derogatory to my dignity, so I could have mentioned them even in a public speech. Sara, besides being a knave, I have noticed is also impertinent to me. Once, and only once, have I
seen him in my house; and then, when I asked politely what he wanted, he said he wanted Atticus. But the insolence of the queen herself, when she was in her villa across the river, I cannot mention without great indignation. So no dealings with them. They don't credit me with any spirit or even any feelings at all.
My departure from Italy I see is hindered by Eros' management of my affairs. For, although from the balances he made on April 5 I ought to have plenty of cash, I have to borrow, and I think the receipts from those paying concerns are set aside for the shrine. But I have given Tiro orders about this, and am sending him to Rome on purpose. I did not want to add to your worries. The more moderate in his demands my son is, the more am I concerned about him. For he has not mentioned this point to me, the person of all others to whom of course he ought to have mentioned it; but in a letter to Tiro he said I had sent him nothing since April 1, which was the end of his financial year. Now I know that you, with your usual amiability, have always agreed and indeed thought that among other things my dignity demanded that he should be treated not only liberally, but even with excessive and extravagant liberality. So I should like you to see that he has a bill of exchange for his annual allowance payable at Athens. I would not trouble you, if I could manage it through anyone else. Eros, of course, will pay you. That is why I have sent Tiro. Please see about it and let me know if you have any views on the point.
L. Antonio male sit, si quidem Buthrotiis molestus est! ego testimonium composui quod cum voles obsignabitun nummos Arpinatium, si L. Fadius aedilis petet, vel omnis reddito. ego ad te alia epistula scripsi <de> HS C_X_ quae Statio curarentur. si ergo petet Fadius, ei volo reddi, praeter Fadium nemini. apud me item puto depositum id scripsi ad Erotem ut redderet. [2] reginam odi. id me iure facere scit sponsor promissorum eius Ammonius, quae quidem erant filo/loga et dignitatis meae ut vel in contione dicere auderem. Saran autem, praeterquam quod nefarium hominem, cognovi praeterea in me contumacem. semel eum omnino domi meae vidi. cum filofro/nwj ex eo quaererem quid opus esset, Atticum se dixit quaerere. superbiam autem ipsius reginae, cum esset trans Tiberim in hortis, commemorare sine magno dolore non possum. nihil igitur cum istis; nec tam animum me quam stomachum habere arbitrantur. [3] profectionem meam, ut video, Erotis dispensatio impedit. nam cum ex reliquis quae Nonis Aprilibus fecit abundare debeam, cogor mutuari, quodque ex istis fructuosis rebus receptum est, id ego ad illud fanum sepositum putabam. sed haec Tironi mandavi quem ob eam causam Romam misi; te nolui impeditum impedire. [4] Cicero noster quo modestior est eo me magis commovet. ad me enim de hac re nihil scripsit ad quem nimirum potissimum debuit; scripsit hoc autem ad Tironem, sibi post Kalend. Aprilis (sic enim annuum tempus confici) nihil datum esse. tibi pro tua natura semper placuisse teque existimasse id etiam ad dignitatem meam pertinere eum non modo perliberaliter a nobis sed etiam ornate cumulateque tractari. qua re velim cures (nec tibi essem molestus, si per alium hoc agere possem) ut permutetur Athenas quod sit in annuum sumptum ei. scilicet Eros numerabit. eius rei causa Tironem misi. curabis igitur et ad me si quid tibi de eo videbitur scribes.
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A curse on Lucius Antonius if he is making trouble for the Buthrotians. I have drawn up a deposition, and it shall be signed whenever you like. If the aedile Lucius Fadius asks for the money belonging to the people of Arpinum, pay it back to him in full. In another letter I mentioned the thousand to be paid to Statius. If Fadius asks for it, I want it paid to him, but to no one else. I think it was deposited with me. I have written to Eros to pay it.
I detest Cleopatra, and Ammonius, the voucher for her promises, knows that I have good reason. Her promises were all matters connected with learning and not at all beneath my dignity, so I could have mentioned them even in a public speech. Sara, besides being a scoundrel, is also, as I have noticed, insolent toward me. I have seen him in my house once, and only once; when I politely asked what he wanted, he said he wanted Atticus. As for the insolence of the queen herself when she was in her villa across the river, I cannot speak of it without deep indignation. So: no dealings with them. They do not credit me with any spirit, or even any feeling.
I see that my departure from Italy is being delayed by Eros' handling of my affairs. Although, from the balances he made on April 5, I ought to have plenty of cash, I have to borrow, and I think the income from those profitable properties is being set aside for the shrine. I have given Tiro instructions about this and am sending him to Rome for that purpose. I did not want to add to your worries.
The more modest my son's demands are, the more I am concerned for him. He did not mention this point to me, the very person to whom he should above all have mentioned it, but in a letter to Tiro he said I had sent him nothing since April 1, the end of his financial year. Now I know that you, with your usual kindness, have always agreed and indeed thought that my dignity, among other things, requires him to be treated not only liberally, but even with generous and extravagant liberality. So I would like you to see that he has a bill of exchange for his annual allowance payable at Athens. I would not trouble you if I could manage it through anyone else. Eros, of course, will pay you. That is why I have sent Tiro. Please see to it and let me know if you have any view about the matter.
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
L. Antonio male sit, si quidem Buthrotiis molestus est! ego testimonium composui quod cum voles obsignabitun nummos Arpinatium, si L. Fadius aedilis petet, vel omnis reddito. ego ad te alia epistula scripsi <de> HS C_X_ quae Statio curarentur. si ergo petet Fadius, ei volo reddi, praeter Fadium nemini. apud me item puto depositum id scripsi ad Erotem ut redderet. [2] reginam odi. id me iure facere scit sponsor promissorum eius Ammonius, quae quidem erant filo/loga et dignitatis meae ut vel in contione dicere auderem. Saran autem, praeterquam quod nefarium hominem, cognovi praeterea in me contumacem. semel eum omnino domi meae vidi. cum filofro/nwj ex eo quaererem quid opus esset, Atticum se dixit quaerere. superbiam autem ipsius reginae, cum esset trans Tiberim in hortis, commemorare sine magno dolore non possum. nihil igitur cum istis; nec tam animum me quam stomachum habere arbitrantur. [3] profectionem meam, ut video, Erotis dispensatio impedit. nam cum ex reliquis quae Nonis Aprilibus fecit abundare debeam, cogor mutuari, quodque ex istis fructuosis rebus receptum est, id ego ad illud fanum sepositum putabam. sed haec Tironi mandavi quem ob eam causam Romam misi; te nolui impeditum impedire. [4] Cicero noster quo modestior est eo me magis commovet. ad me enim de hac re nihil scripsit ad quem nimirum potissimum debuit; scripsit hoc autem ad Tironem, sibi post Kalend. Aprilis (sic enim annuum tempus confici) nihil datum esse. tibi pro tua natura semper placuisse teque existimasse id etiam ad dignitatem meam pertinere eum non modo perliberaliter a nobis sed etiam ornate cumulateque tractari. qua re velim cures (nec tibi essem molestus, si per alium hoc agere possem) ut permutetur Athenas quod sit in annuum sumptum ei. scilicet Eros numerabit. eius rei causa Tironem misi. curabis igitur et ad me si quid tibi de eo videbitur scribes.