Marcus Tullius Cicero→Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus|c. 43 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Mutina|AI-assisted
There is no one with whom I am closer than Lucius Lamia. His services to me, and I will not call them mere courtesies, have been great and are very well known to the Roman people.
After discharging the aedileship with magnificent generosity, he is now seeking the praetorship, and everyone understands that he lacks neither standing nor popularity. But the canvass seems to have become so intense that I am anxious about everything and think I must carry Lamia's whole campaign myself.
I see easily how much you can help me in this matter, and I have no doubt how much you wish to do for my sake. So I ask you, my dear Brutus, to convince yourself that I can ask nothing of you more earnestly, and that you can do nothing more pleasing to me, than to help Lamia in his campaign with all your resources and all your zeal. I ask you urgently to do this.
DCCCLXXXV (Fam. XI, 17) TO DECIMUS BRUTUS (AT EPOREDIA) ROME (MAY-JUNE) THERE is no one with whom I am more intimate than Lucius Lamia . His — I won't call them attentions, but good services, to me are great, and are most thoroughly well known to the Roman people. After administering the aedileship with most splendid liberality, he is now a candidate for the praetorship, and everybody is aware that he is not deficient either in position or popularity. But there is such an energetic canvass going on that I am thoroughly alarmed about the whole business, and think myself bound to back up Lamia . How much help you can give me in that affair I have no difficulty in seeing, nor indeed have I any doubt of how much you are willing to do for my sake. Pray therefore, my dear Brutus , convince yourself that I can make no request of you with greater earnestness, and that you cannot oblige me more than by assisting Lamia in his canvass with all your influence and all your zeal. I warmly beg you to do so.
XVII. Scr. eodem tempopre, quo ep. XVI, a.u.c. 711. M. CICERO D. BRUTO S. D.
Lamia uno omnium familiarissime utor; magna eius in me, non dico officia, sed merita, eaque sunt populo Romano notissima: is magnificentissimo munere aedilitatis perfunctus petit praeturam, omnesque intelligunt nec dignitatem ei deesse nec gratiam; sed is ambitus excitari videtur, ut ego omnia pertimescam totamque petitionem Lamiae mihi sustinendam putem. In ea re quantum me possis adiuvare, facile perspicio, nec vero, quantum mea causa velis, dubito. Velim igitur, mi Brute, tibi persuadeas nihil me maiore studio a te petere, nihil te mihi gratius facere posse, quam si omnibus tuis opibus, omni studio Lamiam in petitione iuveris; quod ut facias, vehementer te rogo.
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There is no one with whom I am closer than Lucius Lamia. His services to me, and I will not call them mere courtesies, have been great and are very well known to the Roman people.
After discharging the aedileship with magnificent generosity, he is now seeking the praetorship, and everyone understands that he lacks neither standing nor popularity. But the canvass seems to have become so intense that I am anxious about everything and think I must carry Lamia's whole campaign myself.
I see easily how much you can help me in this matter, and I have no doubt how much you wish to do for my sake. So I ask you, my dear Brutus, to convince yourself that I can ask nothing of you more earnestly, and that you can do nothing more pleasing to me, than to help Lamia in his campaign with all your resources and all your zeal. I ask you urgently to do this.
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
XVII. Scr. eodem tempopre, quo ep. XVI, a.u.c. 711. M. CICERO D. BRUTO S. D.
Lamia uno omnium familiarissime utor; magna eius in me, non dico officia, sed merita, eaque sunt populo Romano notissima: is magnificentissimo munere aedilitatis perfunctus petit praeturam, omnesque intelligunt nec dignitatem ei deesse nec gratiam; sed is ambitus excitari videtur, ut ego omnia pertimescam totamque petitionem Lamiae mihi sustinendam putem. In ea re quantum me possis adiuvare, facile perspicio, nec vero, quantum mea causa velis, dubito. Velim igitur, mi Brute, tibi persuadeas nihil me maiore studio a te petere, nihil te mihi gratius facere posse, quam si omnibus tuis opibus, omni studio Lamiam in petitione iuveris; quod ut facias, vehementer te rogo.