Marcus Tullius Cicero→Servius Sulpicius Rufus|c. 50 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Achaea|Human translated
Manius Curius, who does business at Patrae, is dear to me for many great reasons. For I have an ancient friendship with him, formed from the moment he first entered public life. At Patrae, both several times before and most recently in this most wretched war, his entire house was open to me, and I would have used it, had the need arisen, as freely as my own. The greatest bond between us, however, is a kind of more sacred connection: he is the most intimate friend of our dear Atticus, and he respects and loves him above all others. If you have perhaps already come to know him, I think I am doing this too late; for his humanity and attentiveness are such that I believe he has already recommended himself to you by his own merits. But if that is the case, I most earnestly ask that to whatever goodwill you have already shown him before this letter of mine, the greatest possible addition may be made by my recommendation. But if he has not presented himself to you sufficiently because of his own modesty, or you do not yet know him well enough, or whatever the reason that he might need a stronger recommendation, I commend him to you in such a way that I could not recommend anyone with greater zeal or more just reasons. And I shall do what those who recommend honestly and without ulterior motives ought to do: I shall guarantee to you, or rather I do guarantee and take it upon myself, that the character of Manius Curius is such, and his integrity and humanity are such, that you will judge him, once you know him, worthy both of your friendship and of so careful a recommendation. You will certainly do me the greatest favor if I learn that this letter has carried as much weight with you as I trusted it would when writing it.
DX (Fam. XIII, 17) TO SERVIUS SULPICIUS RUFUS (IN ACHAIA) ROME: Manius Curius , who has a bank at Patrae has given me many weighty reasons for being attached to him. My friendship with him is of very old standing, dating from his first entrance into public life: and at Patrae on many previous occasions, and particularly during the late unhappy war, his house was put entirely at my disposal, and if there had been any occasion, I should have used it as my own. But my strongest tie to him is of what I may call a more sacred, obligation- is that he is a very close friend of my friend Atticus , and distinguishes him above everybody by his attentions and affection. If you are by any chance already acquainted with him, I think that I am too late in doing what I am now doing. For he is so cultivated and polite a man, that I should regard him as already sufficiently recommended to you by his own Character. Yet, if this is so, I beg you earnestly that any inclination, which you have already conceived for him before getting my letter, may be enhanced to the highest possible degree by my recommendation. But if; owing to his retiring character, he has not put himself in your way or you have not yet become sufficiently acquainted with him, or if there is any reason of any sort for his wanting a warmer recommendation, I hereby recommend him to you, with a zeal as great and for reasons as sound as I could have for recommending anyone in the world. And I shall be acting in this as those are bound to act who recommend conscientiously and disinterestedly: for I shall be pledging my word to you, or rather I do hereby pledge my word and take upon me to promise, that the character of Manius Curius , and his culture no less than his honesty, are of such a nature that, if once he becomes known to you, you will think him deserving of your friendship and of such an earnest recommendation. I, at any rate, shall be exceedingly gratified, if I find that this letter has had the weight with you which, as I write, I feel confident that it will have.
XVII. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 708. M. CICERO S. D. SER. SULPICIO.
M'. Curius, qui Patris negotiatur, multis et magnis de causis a me diligitur: nam et amicitia pervetus mihi cum eo est, ut primum in forum venit, instituta, et Patris quum aliquoties antea, tum proxime hoc miserrimo bello domus eius tota mihi patuit, qua, si opus fuisset, tam essem usus quam mea; maximum autem mihi vinculum cum eo est quasi sanctioris cuiusdam necessitudinis, quod est Attici nostri familiarissimus eumque unum praeter ceteros observat ac diligit. Quem si tu iam forte cognosti, puto me hoc, quod facio, facere serius; ea est enim humanitate et observantia, ut eum tibi iam ipsum per se commendatum putem; quod tamen si ita est, magno opere a te quaeso, ut ad eam voluntatem, si quam in illum ante has meas litteras contulisti, quam maximus potest mea commendatione cumulus accedat: sin autem propter verecundiam suam minus se tibi obtulit aut nondum eum satis habes cognitum aut quae causa est, cur maioris commendationis indigeat, sic tibi eum commendo, ut neque maiore studio quemquam neque iustioribus de causis commendare possim, faciamque id, quod debent facere ii, qui religiose et sine ambitione commendant: spondebo enim tibi vel potius spondeo in meque recipio eos esse M'. Curii mores eamque quum probitatem, tum etiam humanitatem, ut eum et amicitia tua et tam accurata commendatione, si tibi sit cognitus, dignum sis existimaturus. Mihi certe gratissimum feceris, si intellexero has litteras tantum, quantum scribens confidebam, apud te pondus habuisse.
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Manius Curius, who does business at Patrae, is dear to me for many great reasons. For I have an ancient friendship with him, formed from the moment he first entered public life. At Patrae, both several times before and most recently in this most wretched war, his entire house was open to me, and I would have used it, had the need arisen, as freely as my own. The greatest bond between us, however, is a kind of more sacred connection: he is the most intimate friend of our dear Atticus, and he respects and loves him above all others. If you have perhaps already come to know him, I think I am doing this too late; for his humanity and attentiveness are such that I believe he has already recommended himself to you by his own merits. But if that is the case, I most earnestly ask that to whatever goodwill you have already shown him before this letter of mine, the greatest possible addition may be made by my recommendation. But if he has not presented himself to you sufficiently because of his own modesty, or you do not yet know him well enough, or whatever the reason that he might need a stronger recommendation, I commend him to you in such a way that I could not recommend anyone with greater zeal or more just reasons. And I shall do what those who recommend honestly and without ulterior motives ought to do: I shall guarantee to you, or rather I do guarantee and take it upon myself, that the character of Manius Curius is such, and his integrity and humanity are such, that you will judge him, once you know him, worthy both of your friendship and of so careful a recommendation. You will certainly do me the greatest favor if I learn that this letter has carried as much weight with you as I trusted it would when writing it.
Human translation - ToposText / Shuckburgh
Latin / Greek Original
XVII. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 708. M. CICERO S. D. SER. SULPICIO.
M'. Curius, qui Patris negotiatur, multis et magnis de causis a me diligitur: nam et amicitia pervetus mihi cum eo est, ut primum in forum venit, instituta, et Patris quum aliquoties antea, tum proxime hoc miserrimo bello domus eius tota mihi patuit, qua, si opus fuisset, tam essem usus quam mea; maximum autem mihi vinculum cum eo est quasi sanctioris cuiusdam necessitudinis, quod est Attici nostri familiarissimus eumque unum praeter ceteros observat ac diligit. Quem si tu iam forte cognosti, puto me hoc, quod facio, facere serius; ea est enim humanitate et observantia, ut eum tibi iam ipsum per se commendatum putem; quod tamen si ita est, magno opere a te quaeso, ut ad eam voluntatem, si quam in illum ante has meas litteras contulisti, quam maximus potest mea commendatione cumulus accedat: sin autem propter verecundiam suam minus se tibi obtulit aut nondum eum satis habes cognitum aut quae causa est, cur maioris commendationis indigeat, sic tibi eum commendo, ut neque maiore studio quemquam neque iustioribus de causis commendare possim, faciamque id, quod debent facere ii, qui religiose et sine ambitione commendant: spondebo enim tibi vel potius spondeo in meque recipio eos esse M'. Curii mores eamque quum probitatem, tum etiam humanitatem, ut eum et amicitia tua et tam accurata commendatione, si tibi sit cognitus, dignum sis existimaturus. Mihi certe gratissimum feceris, si intellexero has litteras tantum, quantum scribens confidebam, apud te pondus habuisse.