Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 60 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
I think you have never before read a letter of mine that was not written in my own hand. From that you will be able to gather under how great a press of business I am held fast. For since I had no free time, and since for the sake of restoring my poor little voice it was necessary for me to take a walk, I have dictated these lines while walking. [2] First, then, I want you to know this: that our friend Sampsiceramus [Pompey] is bitterly regretting his position and longs to be restored to that place from which he has fallen; that he shares his grief with us and at times openly seeks a remedy, which I am able to find none of; and next, that all the leaders and partners of that faction are growing old without any opponent, and that there has never been a greater unanimity, whether of sentiment or of speech, on the part of all of them. We, however (for I know for certain that you wish to know this), take no part in any public counsels, and have given ourselves over entirely to forensic work and labor. From which - as may easily be understood - we are engaged in much recalling of the things we have done and in longing for them. But the kinsman of our ox-eyed lady [Clodius, brother of Clodia] is hurling and proclaiming threats that are far from trifling, and to Sampsiceramus he denies them, while to the rest he flaunts and parades them. For this reason, if you love me as much as you surely do love me, if you are asleep, wake up; if you are standing, step forward; if you are stepping forward, run; if you are running, fly to me. It is not credible how much store I set by your wisdom in counsel, and - what is the greatest thing - by your love and loyalty. The magnitude of the matter perhaps calls for a long speech, but the union of our hearts is content with brevity. It is of very great importance to us that you be at Rome, if not for the elections, then at least once that man has been declared [elected]. See that you keep well.
I don’t think you ever before read a letter of mine which I had not written myself. That will show you how I am plagued to death by business. As I haven’t a moment to spare, and must take some exercise to refresh my poor voice, I am dictating this as I walk.
Well, the first thing I have to tell you, is that our friend the Pasha is heartily sick of his position and wants to be restored to the place from which he fell. He confides his sorrows to me, and at times openly looks for a remedy; but for the life of me I cannot find any. Secondly, the whole of that party, both the principals and their followers, are losing their strength, though no one opposes them; and there
never was a greater unanimity of sentiment or of the popular expression of it than there is now.
As for me—for I am sure you want to hear about myself—I take no part in public deliberations and devote myself entirely to my law-court practice, which arouses, as you can easily conceive, many a memory of my past achievements and much regret for them. But our dear Juno’s brother is venting most alarming threats and, though he denies them to the Pasha, he openly parades them to others. So, if your affection is as real as I know it is, wake up, if you are sleeping, start moving, if you are standing still, run, if you are moving, and fly, if you are running. I set greater store than you can possibly believe by your advice and your wisdom, and, what is still more, by your love and your loyalty. The importance of the theme would perhaps demand a long disquisition; but our hearts are so united that a word is enough. It is of the highest importance to me that you should be in Rome after the elections, if you can’t get here before them. Take care of yourself.
numquam ante arbitror te epistulam meam legisse nisi mea manu scriptam. ex eo colligere poteris quanta occupatione distinear. nam cum vacui temporis nihil haberem, et cum recreandae voculae causa necesse esset mihi ambulare, haec dictavi ambulans. [2] primum igitur illud te scire volo, Sampsiceramum nostrum amicum vehementer sui status paenitere restituique in eum locum cupere ex quo decidit, doloremque suum impertire nobis et medicinam interdum aperte quaerere, quam ego possum invenire nullam; deinde omnis illius partis auctores ac socios nullo adversario consenescere, consensionem universorum nec voluntatis nec sermonis maiorem umquam fuisse. nos autem (nam id te scire cupere certo scio) publicis a consiliis nullis intersumus totosque nos ad forensem operam laboremque contulimus. ex quo, quod facile intellegi possit, in multa commemoratione earum rerum quas gessimus desiderioque versamur. sed boopidos nostrae consanguineus non mediocris terrores iacit atque denuntiat et Sampsiceramo negat, ceteris prae se fert et ostentat. quam ob rem si me amas tantum quantum profecto amas, si dormis expergiscere, si stas ingredere, si ingrederis curre, si curris advola. credibile non est quantum ego in consiliis prudentia tua, quodque maximum est, quantum in amore et fide ponam. magnitudo rei longam orationem fortasse desiderat, coniunctio vero nostrorum animorum brevitate contenta est. permagni nostra interest te, si comitiis non potueris, at declarato illo esse Romae. cura ut valeas.
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I think you have never before read a letter of mine that was not written in my own hand. From that you will be able to gather under how great a press of business I am held fast. For since I had no free time, and since for the sake of restoring my poor little voice it was necessary for me to take a walk, I have dictated these lines while walking. [2] First, then, I want you to know this: that our friend Sampsiceramus [Pompey] is bitterly regretting his position and longs to be restored to that place from which he has fallen; that he shares his grief with us and at times openly seeks a remedy, which I am able to find none of; and next, that all the leaders and partners of that faction are growing old without any opponent, and that there has never been a greater unanimity, whether of sentiment or of speech, on the part of all of them. We, however (for I know for certain that you wish to know this), take no part in any public counsels, and have given ourselves over entirely to forensic work and labor. From which - as may easily be understood - we are engaged in much recalling of the things we have done and in longing for them. But the kinsman of our ox-eyed lady [Clodius, brother of Clodia] is hurling and proclaiming threats that are far from trifling, and to Sampsiceramus he denies them, while to the rest he flaunts and parades them. For this reason, if you love me as much as you surely do love me, if you are asleep, wake up; if you are standing, step forward; if you are stepping forward, run; if you are running, fly to me. It is not credible how much store I set by your wisdom in counsel, and - what is the greatest thing - by your love and loyalty. The magnitude of the matter perhaps calls for a long speech, but the union of our hearts is content with brevity. It is of very great importance to us that you be at Rome, if not for the elections, then at least once that man has been declared [elected]. See that you keep well.
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
numquam ante arbitror te epistulam meam legisse nisi mea manu scriptam. ex eo colligere poteris quanta occupatione distinear. nam cum vacui temporis nihil haberem, et cum recreandae voculae causa necesse esset mihi ambulare, haec dictavi ambulans. [2] primum igitur illud te scire volo, Sampsiceramum nostrum amicum vehementer sui status paenitere restituique in eum locum cupere ex quo decidit, doloremque suum impertire nobis et medicinam interdum aperte quaerere, quam ego possum invenire nullam; deinde omnis illius partis auctores ac socios nullo adversario consenescere, consensionem universorum nec voluntatis nec sermonis maiorem umquam fuisse. nos autem (nam id te scire cupere certo scio) publicis a consiliis nullis intersumus totosque nos ad forensem operam laboremque contulimus. ex quo, quod facile intellegi possit, in multa commemoratione earum rerum quas gessimus desiderioque versamur. sed boopidos nostrae consanguineus non mediocris terrores iacit atque denuntiat et Sampsiceramo negat, ceteris prae se fert et ostentat. quam ob rem si me amas tantum quantum profecto amas, si dormis expergiscere, si stas ingredere, si ingrederis curre, si curris advola. credibile non est quantum ego in consiliis prudentia tua, quodque maximum est, quantum in amore et fide ponam. magnitudo rei longam orationem fortasse desiderat, coniunctio vero nostrorum animorum brevitate contenta est. permagni nostra interest te, si comitiis non potueris, at declarato illo esse Romae. cura ut valeas.