Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 56 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Of how busy I am, this will be proof enough: that this letter is in my secretary's hand. As for the frequency of your letters, I make no complaint, but most of them merely informed me where you were, or else simply indicated that all was well, which they did by the very fact of coming from you. In this category I was especially delighted by two that you sent from Buthrotum at almost the same time; for I wanted to know that you had had a comfortable crossing. But this steady stream of letters pleased me not so much by its richness as by its frequency. The one M. Paccius, your guest-friend, delivered to me was weighty and full of substance. To that one, then, I shall write a reply, and indeed this first: to Paccius I have shown, both by my words and by my actions, how much weight your recommendation carries. And so he is now among my closest friends, though he was not known to me before.
[2] Now I shall proceed to the rest. Varro, about whom you write to me, will be worked into some passage, provided only that there is a place for it. But you know the character of my dialogues. Just as in the work On the Orator, which you praise to the skies, no mention could be made by the participants in the discussion of anyone except a person whom they had known or heard of, so this discussion On the Republic, which I have undertaken, I have assigned to the characters of Africanus, Philus, Laelius, and Manilius. I have added the young men Q. Tubero, P. Rutilius, and the two sons-in-law of Laelius, Scaevola and Fannius. And so I was thinking, since in each book I use prefaces, as Aristotle does in those works he calls exoterikoi [exoteric, meant for a general audience], to contrive some way of naming that man of yours not without good cause; which I understand is what would please you. If only I can carry out what I have undertaken! For, as you are well aware, I have taken on a subject that is large and serious and requires a great deal of leisure, of which I am most acutely in want.
[3] As for the fact that in those books you praise you miss the character of Scaevola, I did not remove him without reason; I did the same thing that god of ours, Plato, did in his Republic. When Socrates had come down to the Piraeus to Cephalus, a wealthy and genial old man, the old man is present in the discussion for as long as that first conversation lasts; then, after he too has spoken most agreeably, he says he wishes to withdraw to a religious observance, and does not afterward return. I believe Plato thought it would scarcely be fitting if he were to keep a man of that age any longer in so lengthy a discussion. I judged that I had to be far more careful of this in the case of Scaevola, who was of the age and in the state of health in which you remember him to have been, and held such honors that it would hardly have seemed proper for him to spend several days at Crassus's Tusculan villa. Besides, the conversation of the first book was not foreign to Scaevola's interests, whereas the remaining books contain a technical discussion, as you know. In this I really did not want that jesting old man, as you knew him, to take part.
[4] As for what you write about Pilia's affair, I shall make it my concern. Indeed it is a splendid case, as you write, on the evidence of Aurelianus. And in this matter I shall even commend myself to my dear Tullia. I am not failing Vestorius; for I understand that this is gratifying to you, and I am seeing to it that he understands it too. But you know how it is: when one has two easygoing parties, nothing is more difficult.
[5] Now to the questions you ask about C. Cato. You know he was acquitted under the Junian and Licinian law; I assure you he will be acquitted under the Fufian law too, and to the satisfaction of his accusers no less than of his defenders. He has nonetheless been reconciled both with me and with Milo. Drusus has been put on trial by Lucretius. The day appointed for the challenging of jurors is the fifth before the Nones of Quintilis [July 3]. About Procilius the rumors are not good, but you know what courts are like. Hirrus is on good terms with Domitius. The decree of the senate that these consuls passed about the provinces, "whoever henceforth..." - it does not seem to me that it will hold force.
[6] As for your question about Messalla, I do not know what to write. I have never seen candidates so evenly matched. You know Messalla's resources. Triarius has put Scaurus on trial. If you ask me, no great wave of sympathy [sympatheia] has been stirred up for him; but still his aedileship is remembered not without favor, and the memory of his father carries weight with the country voters. The other two, the plebeians, are so evenly balanced that Domitius is strong and is helped by friends, yet not a little by a most gratifying entertainment [his gladiatorial games], while Memmius is commended by Caesar's soldiers and relies on Pompey's Gaul. If he does not prevail through these, people think there will be someone to push the elections off until Caesar's arrival, especially now that Cato has been acquitted.
[7] I have answered Paccius's letter. Now allow yourself to be scolded, if rightly. For you write in that letter which C. Decimius delivered to me, sent from Buthrotum, that you think you must go to Asia. To me, by Hercules, there seemed to be nothing in which it made the slightest bit of difference whether you handled the matter through agents or in person, such that you should be away from your own people so often and so far. But I would have preferred to take this up with you while the matter was still open; for then I should certainly have accomplished something. As it is, I shall suppress the scolding I had begun. If only it might prevail upon you to hasten your return! I write to you less often for this reason: that I have no certainty where you are or where you are going to be. Still, to this fellow, whoever he is - because it seemed that he would be seeing you - I thought a letter should be given. Since you think you will be going to Asia, I should like you to inform me by what date we may expect you, and what you have done about Eutychides.
The bare fact that my letter is by the hand of an amanuensis will show you how busy I am. I have nothing to grumble about as regards the frequency of your letters, but most of them merely told me where you were. That they were from you showed, too, that you were well. The two of this sort which gave me the most pleasure were those dated almost simultaneously from Buthrotum: for I was anxious to know whether you had a good crossing. But it is more the regularity of this constant supply of letters which has pleased me than the richness of their contents. The one that your guest M. Paccius delivered was of importance and full of matter: so I will answer that. The first thing is that I have shown Paccius, both by word and by deed, the weight a recommendation from you carries. Accordingly he is among my intimate friends now, though I did not know him before.
Now for the rest. You mention Varro: I will try and get him in somewhere, if I can find a place. But you know the style of my Dialogues: just as in those On the Orator, which you laud to the skies, I could not let the interlocutors mention anyone except persons they had known or heard of, so here too in the dialogue On the Republic which I have begun, I
have put the discussion in the mouths of Africanus, Philus, Laelius and Manilius, adding the youths Q. Tubero, P. Rutilius and the two sons-in-law of Laelius, Scaevola and Fannius. So I am thinking of contriving some way of mentioning him appropriately—for that I think is what you want—in one of the introductions. I am giving an introduction to each book, as Aristotle does in the work he called the Exoterics. And I only hope I may manage to get him in. For as you fully comprehend, I have set my hand to a subject of wide range and of some difficulty, which requires much leisure; and that is precisely what I have not got.
While praising those books, you miss the character of Scaevola from the scene. It was not without good reason that I removed him. Our god Plato did the same in his Republic. When Socrates called on that wealthy and cheery old soul Cephalus in the Piraeus, the old man takes part in the discussion during the introductory conversation; but after a very neat speech, he pleads that he wants to go to a divine service, and does not come back again. I fancy Plato thought it would have been inartistic to keep a man of that age any longer in so lengthy a discussion. I thought there was still more reason to be careful in the case of Scaevola, who was at the age and in the state of health in which you must remember he was, and was crowned with such honours that it would hardly have been proper for him to spend several days with Crassus at his villa at Tusculum. Besides, the talk in the first book was not unconnected with Scaevola’s pursuits: while the remaining books contained a technical discussion, as you know. In such I did not like the merry old man, you remember, to take a part.
In Pilia’s business I will be sure to do what you suggest: for, as you say, the point is quite clear on Aurelianus’ evidence. And it will give me a chance of glorifying myself in my Tullia’s eyes. I am supporting Vestorius: for I see you regard it as a favour, and I make him see it too. But you know the kind of man he is: frightfully difficult to get on with, even for two such easy-going people.
Now for your questions about C. Cato. You know he was acquitted under the Junian and Licinian law. The Fufian law will acquit him too, I assure you, and that as much to the relief of his accusers as of his supporters. However, he has made his peace with Milo and myself. Drusus is being prosecuted by Lucretius. The day for challenging the jury is fixed for the 3rd of July. About Procilius there are sinister rumours: but you know what juries are. Hirrus is on good terms with Domitius. The decree which these consuls have carried about the provinces, “whosoever henceforth,” etc., I do not think will have any effect.
I don’t know what to say to your question about Messalla: I have never seen candidates more evenly matched. You know Messalla’s support. Scaurus has been called into court by Triarius; without any great sympathy for him being aroused, if you want to know. However his aedileship recalls no unpleasant memories, and their remembrance of his father has some weight with the country voters. The other two plebeian candidates are about equal, as Domitius is strong in friends and his very popular gladiatorial exhibition will count for him too, while Memmius is popular with Caesar’s soldiers and relies on the support of Pompey’s Gaul. If that does not avail him,
it is thought some one will block the elections till Caesar’s return, especially since Cato’s acquittal.
There, I have answered the letter Paccius brought. Now you must let me scold you, if you deserve it. In the letter dated from Buthrotum which was delivered by C. Decimius, you say you think you will have to go to Asia. For the life of me I cannot see any reason why it should make the least little bit of difference whether you act by proxy or in person; nor why you should so often go to such out of the way places. But I wish I had tackled you about it before you had taken any steps: then I should certainly have had some influence. As it is, I will keep the rest of my scolding for another time. I only hope it may prevail on you to return quickly.
The reason why I write so seldom to you is that I do not know where you are or are going to be. But as there was some one or other who thought he might see you, I decided to give him this letter. Since you think of going to Asia, let me know when we may expect you back and what you have done about Eutychides.
occupationum mearum vel hoc signum erit quod epistula librari manu est. de epistularum frequentia te nihil accuso, sed pleraeque tantum modo mihi nuntiabant ubi esses, vel etiam significabant recte esse, quod erant abs te. quo in genere maxime delectarunt duae fere eodem tempore abs te Buthroto datae. scire enim volebam te commode navigasse. sed haec epistularum frequentia non tam ubertate sua quam crebritate delectavit. illa fuit gravis et plena rerum quam mihi M. Paccius, hospes tuus, reddidit. ad eam rescribam igitur et hoc quidem primum. paccio ratione et verbis et re ostendi quid tua commendatio ponderis haberet. itaque in intimis est meis, cum antea notus non fuisset. [2] nunc pergam ad cetera. Varro, de quo ad me scribis, includetur in aliquem locum, si modo erit locus. sed nosti genus dialogorum meorum. Vt in oratoriis, quos tu in caelum fers, non potuit mentio fieri cuiusquam ab iis qui disputant, nisi eius qui illis notus aut auditus esset, ita hanc ego de re publica quam institui disputationem in Africani personam et Phili et Laeli (et) Manili contuli. adiunxi adulescentis Q. Tuberonem, P. Rutilium, duo Laeli generos, Scaevolam et Fannium. itaque cogitabam, quoniam in singulis libris utor prohoemiis ut Aristoteles in iis quos exoterikous vocat, aliquid efficere ut non sine causa istum appellarem; id quod intellego tibi placere. Vtinam modo conata efficere possim! rem enim, quod te non fugit, magnam complexus sum et gravem et plurimi oti, quo ego maxime egeo. [3] quod in iis libris quos laudas personam desideras Scaevolae, non eam temere dimovi sed feci idem quod in politeiai deus ille noster Plato. Cum in Piraeum Socrates venisset ad Cephalum, locupletem et festivum senem, quoad primus ille sermo habetur, adest in disputando senex, deinde cum ipse quoque commodissime locutus esset, ad rem divinam dicit se velle discedere neque postea revertitur. credo Platonem vix putasse satis consonum fore si hominem id aetatis in tam longo sermone diutius retinuisset. multo ego magis hoc mihi cavendum putavi in Scaevola, qui et aetate et valetudine erat ea qua eum esse meministi et iis honoribus ut vix satis decorum videretur eum pluris dies esse in Crassi Tusculano. et erat primi libri sermo non alienus a Scaevolae studiis, reliqui libri technologian habent, ut scis. huic ioculatorem senem ilium, ut noras, interesse sane nolui. [4] de re Piliae quod scribis erit mihi curae. etenim est luculenta res Aureliani, ut scribis, indiciis. et in eo me etiam Tulliae meae venditabo. Vestorio non desum. gratum enim tibi id esse intellego et ut ille intellegat curo. sed scis qui? Cum habeat duo facilis nihil difficilius. [5] nunc ad ea (quae) quaeris de C. Catone. lege Iunia et Licinia scis absolutum; Fufia ego tibi nuntio absolutum iri neque patronis suis tam libentibus quam accusatoribus. is tamen et mecum et cum Milone in gratiam rediit. Drusus reus est factus a Lucretio. iudicibus reiciendis (dies est dictus) a. d. v Non. Quint. de Procilio rumores non boni, sed iudicia nosti. Hirrus cum Domitio in gratia est. senatus consultum quod hi consules de provinciis fecerunt QVICVMQVE POSTHAC — non mihi videtur esse valiturum. [6] de Messalla quod quaeris, quid scribam nescio. numquam ego vidi tam paris candidatos. Messallae copias nosti. Scaurum Triarius reum fecit. si quaeris, nulla est magno opere commota sumpatheia, sed tamen habet aedilitas eius memoriam non ingratam et est pondus apud rusticos in patris memoria. reliqui duo plebeii sic exaequantur ut Domitius valeat amicis adiuvetur tamen non (nihil) gratissimo munere, Memmius Caesaris commendetur militibus, Pompei Gallia nitatur. quibus si non valuerit, putant fore aliquem qui comitia in adventum Caesaris detrudat, Catone praesertim absoluto. [7] Paccianae epistulae respondi. nunc te obiurgari patere, si iure. scribis enim in ea epistula quam C. Decimius mihi reddidit Buthroto datam in Asiam tibi eundum esse te arbitrari. mihi me hercule nihil videbatur esse in quo tantulum interesset utrum per procuratores ageres an per te ipsum, ut a tuis totiens et tam longe abesses. sed haec mallem integra re tecum egissem, profecto enim aliquid egissem. nunc reprimam susceptam obiurgationem. Vtinam valeat ad celeritatem reditus tui! ego ad te propterea minus saepe scribo quod certum non habeo ubi sis aut ubi futurus sis; huic tamen nescio cui, quod videbatur isti (te) visurus esse, putavi dandas esse litteras. tu quoniam iturum te in Asiam esse putas, ad quae tempora te exspectemus facias me certiorem velim et de Eutychide quid egeris.
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Of how busy I am, this will be proof enough: that this letter is in my secretary's hand. As for the frequency of your letters, I make no complaint, but most of them merely informed me where you were, or else simply indicated that all was well, which they did by the very fact of coming from you. In this category I was especially delighted by two that you sent from Buthrotum at almost the same time; for I wanted to know that you had had a comfortable crossing. But this steady stream of letters pleased me not so much by its richness as by its frequency. The one M. Paccius, your guest-friend, delivered to me was weighty and full of substance. To that one, then, I shall write a reply, and indeed this first: to Paccius I have shown, both by my words and by my actions, how much weight your recommendation carries. And so he is now among my closest friends, though he was not known to me before.
[2] Now I shall proceed to the rest. Varro, about whom you write to me, will be worked into some passage, provided only that there is a place for it. But you know the character of my dialogues. Just as in the work On the Orator, which you praise to the skies, no mention could be made by the participants in the discussion of anyone except a person whom they had known or heard of, so this discussion On the Republic, which I have undertaken, I have assigned to the characters of Africanus, Philus, Laelius, and Manilius. I have added the young men Q. Tubero, P. Rutilius, and the two sons-in-law of Laelius, Scaevola and Fannius. And so I was thinking, since in each book I use prefaces, as Aristotle does in those works he calls exoterikoi [exoteric, meant for a general audience], to contrive some way of naming that man of yours not without good cause; which I understand is what would please you. If only I can carry out what I have undertaken! For, as you are well aware, I have taken on a subject that is large and serious and requires a great deal of leisure, of which I am most acutely in want.
[3] As for the fact that in those books you praise you miss the character of Scaevola, I did not remove him without reason; I did the same thing that god of ours, Plato, did in his Republic. When Socrates had come down to the Piraeus to Cephalus, a wealthy and genial old man, the old man is present in the discussion for as long as that first conversation lasts; then, after he too has spoken most agreeably, he says he wishes to withdraw to a religious observance, and does not afterward return. I believe Plato thought it would scarcely be fitting if he were to keep a man of that age any longer in so lengthy a discussion. I judged that I had to be far more careful of this in the case of Scaevola, who was of the age and in the state of health in which you remember him to have been, and held such honors that it would hardly have seemed proper for him to spend several days at Crassus's Tusculan villa. Besides, the conversation of the first book was not foreign to Scaevola's interests, whereas the remaining books contain a technical discussion, as you know. In this I really did not want that jesting old man, as you knew him, to take part.
[4] As for what you write about Pilia's affair, I shall make it my concern. Indeed it is a splendid case, as you write, on the evidence of Aurelianus. And in this matter I shall even commend myself to my dear Tullia. I am not failing Vestorius; for I understand that this is gratifying to you, and I am seeing to it that he understands it too. But you know how it is: when one has two easygoing parties, nothing is more difficult.
[5] Now to the questions you ask about C. Cato. You know he was acquitted under the Junian and Licinian law; I assure you he will be acquitted under the Fufian law too, and to the satisfaction of his accusers no less than of his defenders. He has nonetheless been reconciled both with me and with Milo. Drusus has been put on trial by Lucretius. The day appointed for the challenging of jurors is the fifth before the Nones of Quintilis [July 3]. About Procilius the rumors are not good, but you know what courts are like. Hirrus is on good terms with Domitius. The decree of the senate that these consuls passed about the provinces, "whoever henceforth..." - it does not seem to me that it will hold force.
[6] As for your question about Messalla, I do not know what to write. I have never seen candidates so evenly matched. You know Messalla's resources. Triarius has put Scaurus on trial. If you ask me, no great wave of sympathy [sympatheia] has been stirred up for him; but still his aedileship is remembered not without favor, and the memory of his father carries weight with the country voters. The other two, the plebeians, are so evenly balanced that Domitius is strong and is helped by friends, yet not a little by a most gratifying entertainment [his gladiatorial games], while Memmius is commended by Caesar's soldiers and relies on Pompey's Gaul. If he does not prevail through these, people think there will be someone to push the elections off until Caesar's arrival, especially now that Cato has been acquitted.
[7] I have answered Paccius's letter. Now allow yourself to be scolded, if rightly. For you write in that letter which C. Decimius delivered to me, sent from Buthrotum, that you think you must go to Asia. To me, by Hercules, there seemed to be nothing in which it made the slightest bit of difference whether you handled the matter through agents or in person, such that you should be away from your own people so often and so far. But I would have preferred to take this up with you while the matter was still open; for then I should certainly have accomplished something. As it is, I shall suppress the scolding I had begun. If only it might prevail upon you to hasten your return! I write to you less often for this reason: that I have no certainty where you are or where you are going to be. Still, to this fellow, whoever he is - because it seemed that he would be seeing you - I thought a letter should be given. Since you think you will be going to Asia, I should like you to inform me by what date we may expect you, and what you have done about Eutychides.
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
occupationum mearum vel hoc signum erit quod epistula librari manu est. de epistularum frequentia te nihil accuso, sed pleraeque tantum modo mihi nuntiabant ubi esses, vel etiam significabant recte esse, quod erant abs te. quo in genere maxime delectarunt duae fere eodem tempore abs te Buthroto datae. scire enim volebam te commode navigasse. sed haec epistularum frequentia non tam ubertate sua quam crebritate delectavit. illa fuit gravis et plena rerum quam mihi M. Paccius, hospes tuus, reddidit. ad eam rescribam igitur et hoc quidem primum. paccio ratione et verbis et re ostendi quid tua commendatio ponderis haberet. itaque in intimis est meis, cum antea notus non fuisset. [2] nunc pergam ad cetera. Varro, de quo ad me scribis, includetur in aliquem locum, si modo erit locus. sed nosti genus dialogorum meorum. Vt in oratoriis, quos tu in caelum fers, non potuit mentio fieri cuiusquam ab iis qui disputant, nisi eius qui illis notus aut auditus esset, ita hanc ego de re publica quam institui disputationem in Africani personam et Phili et Laeli (et) Manili contuli. adiunxi adulescentis Q. Tuberonem, P. Rutilium, duo Laeli generos, Scaevolam et Fannium. itaque cogitabam, quoniam in singulis libris utor prohoemiis ut Aristoteles in iis quos exoterikous vocat, aliquid efficere ut non sine causa istum appellarem; id quod intellego tibi placere. Vtinam modo conata efficere possim! rem enim, quod te non fugit, magnam complexus sum et gravem et plurimi oti, quo ego maxime egeo. [3] quod in iis libris quos laudas personam desideras Scaevolae, non eam temere dimovi sed feci idem quod in politeiai deus ille noster Plato. Cum in Piraeum Socrates venisset ad Cephalum, locupletem et festivum senem, quoad primus ille sermo habetur, adest in disputando senex, deinde cum ipse quoque commodissime locutus esset, ad rem divinam dicit se velle discedere neque postea revertitur. credo Platonem vix putasse satis consonum fore si hominem id aetatis in tam longo sermone diutius retinuisset. multo ego magis hoc mihi cavendum putavi in Scaevola, qui et aetate et valetudine erat ea qua eum esse meministi et iis honoribus ut vix satis decorum videretur eum pluris dies esse in Crassi Tusculano. et erat primi libri sermo non alienus a Scaevolae studiis, reliqui libri technologian habent, ut scis. huic ioculatorem senem ilium, ut noras, interesse sane nolui. [4] de re Piliae quod scribis erit mihi curae. etenim est luculenta res Aureliani, ut scribis, indiciis. et in eo me etiam Tulliae meae venditabo. Vestorio non desum. gratum enim tibi id esse intellego et ut ille intellegat curo. sed scis qui? Cum habeat duo facilis nihil difficilius. [5] nunc ad ea (quae) quaeris de C. Catone. lege Iunia et Licinia scis absolutum; Fufia ego tibi nuntio absolutum iri neque patronis suis tam libentibus quam accusatoribus. is tamen et mecum et cum Milone in gratiam rediit. Drusus reus est factus a Lucretio. iudicibus reiciendis (dies est dictus) a. d. v Non. Quint. de Procilio rumores non boni, sed iudicia nosti. Hirrus cum Domitio in gratia est. senatus consultum quod hi consules de provinciis fecerunt QVICVMQVE POSTHAC — non mihi videtur esse valiturum. [6] de Messalla quod quaeris, quid scribam nescio. numquam ego vidi tam paris candidatos. Messallae copias nosti. Scaurum Triarius reum fecit. si quaeris, nulla est magno opere commota sumpatheia, sed tamen habet aedilitas eius memoriam non ingratam et est pondus apud rusticos in patris memoria. reliqui duo plebeii sic exaequantur ut Domitius valeat amicis adiuvetur tamen non (nihil) gratissimo munere, Memmius Caesaris commendetur militibus, Pompei Gallia nitatur. quibus si non valuerit, putant fore aliquem qui comitia in adventum Caesaris detrudat, Catone praesertim absoluto. [7] Paccianae epistulae respondi. nunc te obiurgari patere, si iure. scribis enim in ea epistula quam C. Decimius mihi reddidit Buthroto datam in Asiam tibi eundum esse te arbitrari. mihi me hercule nihil videbatur esse in quo tantulum interesset utrum per procuratores ageres an per te ipsum, ut a tuis totiens et tam longe abesses. sed haec mallem integra re tecum egissem, profecto enim aliquid egissem. nunc reprimam susceptam obiurgationem. Vtinam valeat ad celeritatem reditus tui! ego ad te propterea minus saepe scribo quod certum non habeo ubi sis aut ubi futurus sis; huic tamen nescio cui, quod videbatur isti (te) visurus esse, putavi dandas esse litteras. tu quoniam iturum te in Asiam esse putas, ad quae tempora te exspectemus facias me certiorem velim et de Eutychide quid egeris.