Marcus Tullius Cicero→Servius Sulpicius Rufus|c. 50 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Achaea|Human translated
I have indeed an old guest-friendship with Lyso of Patrae, a bond I think should be honored scrupulously. But while that is the case with several others too, with no guest is there so great an intimacy, increased both by his many services and by daily association, so that nothing is closer than our familiarity. When he had been in Rome for nearly a year, living with me, as it were, although I had great hope that you would do, as indeed you did, what my letters and recommendation most carefully urged -- that you would protect his property and fortunes in his absence -- still, because everything was in the power of one man and because Lyso had been on our side and under our protection, every day I feared something. Nevertheless, by his own distinction and by the efforts of myself and the rest of his hosts, we obtained everything we wished from Caesar, as you will understand from the letters Caesar sent you. Now, far from relaxing our recommendation as though we had already obtained everything, I press you even more urgently to receive Lyso into your loyalty and friendship. When his fortune was uncertain, I dealt with you more timidly, fearing lest something happen that even you could not remedy. But now that his safety is assured, I ask with the greatest care for all your good offices. Rather than enumerate them one by one, I commend his entire household to you, including his young son, whom Gaius Maenius Gemellus, my client, adopted under Patraean laws when, having become a citizen of Patrae during the calamity of his exile, he wishes you to protect the right and case of that very inheritance. The chief point is that you receive Lyso, whom I have found to be the best and most grateful of men, into your circle of friends. If you do so, I have no doubt that in cherishing him and recommending others hereafter you will come to share my judgment and goodwill. While I earnestly wish this, I also fear that if you seem to have done somewhat less than fully for his sake, he may think I wrote carelessly rather than that you forgot me; for how highly you value me he has been able to learn both from my daily conversations and from your letters.
DXII (Fam. XIII, 19) TO SERVIUS SULPICIUS RUFUS (IN ACHAIA) ROME: WITH Lyso of Patrae I have indeed a long-standing tie of hospitality — a tie which, I think, ought to be conscientiously maintained. That is a position shared by many others: but I never was so intimate with any other foreigner, and that intimacy has been so much enhanced both by many services on his part and by an almost daily intercourse, that nothing could now be closer than ours is. He stayed a year at Rome almost living in my house, and though we were in great hopes that, in consequence of my letter and recommendation, you would take great pains in doing what you have actually done, namely, protect his property and fortune in his absence; yet, as everything was in the power of one man, and as Lyso had been engaged on our side and was under our protection, we were in daily dread of something happening. However, his own brilliant character, and the zeal of myself and others of his hosts, have secured all that we wished from Caesar , as you will learn from Caesar 's despatch to you. In view of this, I not only do not in any way abate the earnestness of my recommendation to you, on the ground of having now got everything we wanted, but I rather urge all the more strongly that you should admit him to your confidence and intimacy. When his position was less secure I pressed you on the point with rather less boldness, being afraid that something might happen to him of a nature beyond even your power to remedy. Now that his pardon is secured, I ask you with the greatest earnestness and anxiety to do all you can. Not to go into details, I commend his whole establishment to you, and among them his young son, whom. my client Cn. Maenius Gemellus , having been during his exile made a citizen of Patrae , adopted according to the laws of the town. Pray therefore support his legal claim to the inheritance. The main point is that you should admit Lyso , whom I have found to be a most excellent and grateful man, to your society and friendship. If you do so, I do not doubt that, in showing him affection and in afterwards recommending him to other people, you will come to the same conclusion about him and entertain the same feeling towards him that I do. I am very eager that you should do this, but I am also afraid lest, if you shall appear to have done less than the very best for him in some particular, he should think that I have not written earnestly enough, rather than that you have forgotten me. How much you value me he has had the opportunity of learning both from our everyday conversations and from your letters.
XIX. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 708. CICERO SERVIO SAL.
Cum Lysone Patrensi est mihi quidem hospitium vetus, quam ego necessitudinem sancte colendam puto; sed ea causa etiam cum aliis compluribus, familiaritas tanta nullo cum hospite, et ea quum officiis eius multis, tum etiam consuetudine quotidiana sic est aucta, ut nihil sit familiaritate nostra coniunctius. Is quum Romae annum prope ita fuisset, ut mecum viveret, etsi eramus in magna spe te meis litteris commendationeque diligentissime facturum id, quod fecisti, ut eius rem et fortunas absentis tuerere, tamen, quod in unius potestate erant omnia et quod Lyso fuerat in nostra causa nostrisque praesidiis, quotidie aliquid timebamus; effectum tamen est et ipsius splendore et nostro reliquorumque hospitum studio, ut omnia, quae vellemus, a Caesare impetrarentur, quod intelliges ex iis litteris, quas Caesar ad te dedit. Nunc non modo non remittimus tibi aliquid ex nostra commendatione, quasi adepti iam omnia, sed eo vehementius a te contendimus, ut Lysonem in fidem necessitudinemque tuam recipias: cuius dubia fortuna timidius tecum agebamus, verentes ne quid accideret eiusmodi, ut ne tu quidem mederi posses; explorata vero eius incolumitate omnia a te studia summo cura peto. Quae ne singula enumerem, totam tibi domum commendo, in his adolescentem filium eius, quem C. Maenius Gemellus, cliens meus, quum in calamitate exsilii sui Patrensis civis factus esset, Patrensium legibus adoptavit, ut eius ipsius hereditatis ius causamque tueare. Caput illud est, ut Lysonem, quem ego virum optimum gratissimumque cognovi, recipias in necessitudinem tuam; quod si feceris, non dubito, quin in eo diligendo ceterisque postea commendando idem, quod ego, sis iudicii et voluntatis habiturus. Quod quum fieri vehementer studeo, tum etiam illud vereor, ne, si minus cumulate videbere fecisse aliquid eius causa, me ille negligenter scripsisse putet, non te oblitum mei; quanti enim me faceres, quum ex sermonibus quotidianis meis, tum ex epistulis etiam tuis potuit cognoscere.
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I have indeed an old guest-friendship with Lyso of Patrae, a bond I think should be honored scrupulously. But while that is the case with several others too, with no guest is there so great an intimacy, increased both by his many services and by daily association, so that nothing is closer than our familiarity. When he had been in Rome for nearly a year, living with me, as it were, although I had great hope that you would do, as indeed you did, what my letters and recommendation most carefully urged -- that you would protect his property and fortunes in his absence -- still, because everything was in the power of one man and because Lyso had been on our side and under our protection, every day I feared something. Nevertheless, by his own distinction and by the efforts of myself and the rest of his hosts, we obtained everything we wished from Caesar, as you will understand from the letters Caesar sent you. Now, far from relaxing our recommendation as though we had already obtained everything, I press you even more urgently to receive Lyso into your loyalty and friendship. When his fortune was uncertain, I dealt with you more timidly, fearing lest something happen that even you could not remedy. But now that his safety is assured, I ask with the greatest care for all your good offices. Rather than enumerate them one by one, I commend his entire household to you, including his young son, whom Gaius Maenius Gemellus, my client, adopted under Patraean laws when, having become a citizen of Patrae during the calamity of his exile, he wishes you to protect the right and case of that very inheritance. The chief point is that you receive Lyso, whom I have found to be the best and most grateful of men, into your circle of friends. If you do so, I have no doubt that in cherishing him and recommending others hereafter you will come to share my judgment and goodwill. While I earnestly wish this, I also fear that if you seem to have done somewhat less than fully for his sake, he may think I wrote carelessly rather than that you forgot me; for how highly you value me he has been able to learn both from my daily conversations and from your letters.
Human translation - ToposText / Shuckburgh
Latin / Greek Original
XIX. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 708. CICERO SERVIO SAL.
Cum Lysone Patrensi est mihi quidem hospitium vetus, quam ego necessitudinem sancte colendam puto; sed ea causa etiam cum aliis compluribus, familiaritas tanta nullo cum hospite, et ea quum officiis eius multis, tum etiam consuetudine quotidiana sic est aucta, ut nihil sit familiaritate nostra coniunctius. Is quum Romae annum prope ita fuisset, ut mecum viveret, etsi eramus in magna spe te meis litteris commendationeque diligentissime facturum id, quod fecisti, ut eius rem et fortunas absentis tuerere, tamen, quod in unius potestate erant omnia et quod Lyso fuerat in nostra causa nostrisque praesidiis, quotidie aliquid timebamus; effectum tamen est et ipsius splendore et nostro reliquorumque hospitum studio, ut omnia, quae vellemus, a Caesare impetrarentur, quod intelliges ex iis litteris, quas Caesar ad te dedit. Nunc non modo non remittimus tibi aliquid ex nostra commendatione, quasi adepti iam omnia, sed eo vehementius a te contendimus, ut Lysonem in fidem necessitudinemque tuam recipias: cuius dubia fortuna timidius tecum agebamus, verentes ne quid accideret eiusmodi, ut ne tu quidem mederi posses; explorata vero eius incolumitate omnia a te studia summo cura peto. Quae ne singula enumerem, totam tibi domum commendo, in his adolescentem filium eius, quem C. Maenius Gemellus, cliens meus, quum in calamitate exsilii sui Patrensis civis factus esset, Patrensium legibus adoptavit, ut eius ipsius hereditatis ius causamque tueare. Caput illud est, ut Lysonem, quem ego virum optimum gratissimumque cognovi, recipias in necessitudinem tuam; quod si feceris, non dubito, quin in eo diligendo ceterisque postea commendando idem, quod ego, sis iudicii et voluntatis habiturus. Quod quum fieri vehementer studeo, tum etiam illud vereor, ne, si minus cumulate videbere fecisse aliquid eius causa, me ille negligenter scripsisse putet, non te oblitum mei; quanti enim me faceres, quum ex sermonibus quotidianis meis, tum ex epistulis etiam tuis potuit cognoscere.