Marcus Tullius Cicero→Gaius Scribonius Curio|c. 50 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome|AI-assisted
News had not yet arrived that you were approaching Italy when I sent Sextus Villius, a close friend of my Milo, to you with this letter. Still, since your arrival was thought to be near, and since it was known that you had already set out from Asia toward Rome, the importance of the matter made us unafraid of sending too soon. I was extremely eager for this letter to reach you as quickly as possible.
Curio, if the obligations between us lay only on my side, and if they were as great as you usually proclaim them rather than as I measure them, I would be more hesitant to ask you for anything large. For a modest man finds it hard to ask a great favor from someone whom he thinks he has benefited, lest he seem to demand rather than request what he seeks, and to count it as repayment rather than kindness.
But your services to me were known to everyone, and were made especially conspicuous and great by the extraordinary nature of my crisis. Since it belongs to a generous spirit, when one owes much, to wish to owe even more to the same person, I did not hesitate to ask you by letter for what is, to me, the greatest and most necessary thing in the world. I was not afraid that I could not bear the weight of your countless services to me, especially since I trust that there is no kindness of yours that my heart cannot make room for in receiving, or enlarge and brighten in returning.
I have fixed and placed all my zeal, all my labor, care, energy, thought, indeed my whole mind, on Milo's consulship. I have decided that in this matter I must seek not only the fruit of duty but also the honor of loyalty. I do not think anyone was ever as concerned for his own safety and fortunes as I am for his election, on which I have resolved that all my interests rest.
I understand that if you choose, you alone can be so great a help to him that we will need nothing else. We have the enthusiasm of good citizens, won during his tribunate because of his support for my cause, as I hope you understand. We have the favor of the crowd because of the magnificence of his public games and the generosity of his nature. We have the support of the young men and of those influential in voting because of his exceptional charm, or diligence, in that field. We have my own canvassing, which, if not powerful, is at least approved, just, owed, and perhaps for that reason influential.
What we need is a leader and sponsor, someone to manage the winds I have described, a kind of pilot. If we had to choose one man from the whole world, we could find no one to compare with you.
So if you can judge me mindful, grateful, and a good man, even from the fact that I work so intensely for Milo; if, finally, you think me worthy of your services, this is what I ask of you: come to the rescue of my anxiety and my honor, or, to speak more truly, almost my safety, and devote your energy to it.
As for Titus Annius himself, I promise you this: if you choose to embrace the man, you will have no one of greater spirit, seriousness, consistency, or goodwill toward you. As for me, you will add so much distinction and dignity to my standing that I will easily recognize the same man in the protection of my honor who once protected my safety.
If I did not know that you can see the spirit in which I write this, how much duty I carry, and how hard I must labor in Milo's candidacy not only with every effort but almost in battle, I would write more. As it is, I commend and hand over the whole affair, the whole cause, and myself entirely to you.
Hold this one thing fixed: if I obtain this from you, I will owe you almost more than I owe Milo himself. My own safety, in which he especially helped me, was not as dear to me as the joy I will feel in loyally repaying his favor. I trust that through your effort alone I can achieve that.
CLXXVI (Fam. II, 6) TO C. SCRIBONIUS CURIO (ARRIVED IN ITALY) ROME (?JULY) News had not yet reached me of your arrival in Italy when I sent Sext. Villius , an intimate of my friend Milo , with this letter to you. But nevertheless, since your arrival was thought to be approaching, and it was ascertained that you had already started from Asia Rome -wards, the importance of my subject made me dismiss any fear of being premature in sending you this letter, for I was exceedingly anxious that it should reach you as soon as possible. If the obligations, Curio , had only been on your side, and as great as they are usually proclaimed by you rather than as valued by me, I should have been more shy of coming to you for any request of importance which I might have to make. For it is very disagreeable to a modest man to ask a great favour from one whom he thinks under an obligation to himself, lest he should seem rather to demand than to ask what he is seeking, and to regard it more in the light of a debt than of a favour. But since your kindnesses to me were known to the whole world, or rather I should say were made especially prominent and valuable by the very novelty of my circumstances; and since it is the mark of a generous heart to be willing, when much is owed, to reckon the debt at its highest; I did not hesitate to prefer to you by letter a petition for what was of the highest importance and most vital consequence to me of anything in the world. For I was not afraid of being unable to support your kindnesses to me, even though they were beyond calculation: especially as I felt confident that there was no amount of favour for which my heart was incapable of finding room when receiving it, or for which in repayment it could not make a full and brilliant return. I have concentrated and embarked all my zeal, all my efforts, all the care and industry of which I am capable, my every thought, in fact, my whole heart and soul, on securing Milo 's consulship; and I have made up my mind that in this matter I ought to look not merely for the profit arising from an act of kindness, but also for the credit of disinterested affection. Nor do I think that anyone was ever so anxious about his own personal safety and his own fortunes as I am for his election, on which I have made up my mind that all my interests depend. To him I see clearly that, if you choose, you can render such substantial help that we need ask for nothing else. We have on our side all these advantages: the favour of the loyalists won since his tribunate on account of his supporting me (as I hope you understand); that of the common multitude on account of the splendour of his gladiatorial exhibitions and the liberality of his disposition; the favour of the young men and of those influential in securing votes, won by his own eminent powers of captivation, shall I call it? or his diligence in that department; lastly, my own electoral support, which, if it is not very powerful, is at any rate regarded as only right, due and proper, and on that account is perhaps influential also. What we want is a leader, and what I may call a controller, or, so to speak, a pilot of those winds which I have described: and if we had to select one such out of the whole world, we should have no one to compare with you. Wherefore, if (as I am sure you can) you can regard me as a grateful, as an honest man, from the mere fact that I am thus eagerly exerting myself for Milo , if, in fine, you think me worthy of your kindness, I do ask you this favour — that you come to the rescue of this anxiety of mine and this crisis in my reputation, or, to put it with greater truth, that you will devote your zeal to what is all but a question of life and death to me. As to Titus Annius himself, I promise you this much — that if you resolve to embrace his cause, you will never have anyone of greater spirit, solidity, firmness, or affection to yourself. While to me you will have given so much additional honour and prestige, that I shall have no difficulty in acknowledging you to have been as effective in supporting my reputation as you were in securing my safety. Did I not know that you must be fully aware, while writing this letter to you, under what a weight of obligation I am labouring, how strongly I am bound to work in this election for Milo , not only with every kind of exertion, but even with downright fighting, I should have written at greater length. As it is, I hand over and commit the business, the cause, and myself wholly and entirely into your hands. Of one thing be sure: if I obtain this help from you, I shall owe you almost more than I owe Milo himself; for my personal safety, in which I have been conspicuously aided by him, has not been as dear to me as the sacred duty of returning the favour will be delightful. That object I feel confident that your aid, and yours alone, will enable me to secure.
VI. M. CICERO S. D. C. CURIONI Romae; Quint. 53(?)
Nondum erat auditum te ad Italiam adventare cum Sex. Villium, Milonis mei familiarem, cum his ad te litteris misi. Sed tamen, cum appropinquare tuus adventus putaretur et te iam ex Asia Romam versus profectum esse constaret, magnitudo rei fecit ut non vereremur ne nimis cito mitteremus, cum has quam primum ad te perferri litteras magno opere vellemus. Ego, si mea in te essent officia solum, Curio, tanta quanta magis a te ipso praedicari quam a me ponderari solent, verecundius a te, si quae magna res mihi petenda esset, contenderem. Grave est enim homini pudenti petere aliquid magnum ab eo de quo se bene meritum putet, ne id quod petat exigere magis quam rogare et in mercedis potius quam benefici loco numerare videatur. Sed quia tua in me [vel] nota omnibus vel ipsa novitate meorum temporum clarissima et maxima beneficia exstiterunt estque animi ingenui, cui multum debeas, eidem plurimum velle debere, non dubitavi id a te per litteras petere quod mihi omnium esset maximum maximeque necessarium. Neque enim sum veritus ne sustinere tua in me vel innumerabilia [officia] non possem, cum praesertim confiderem nullam esse gratiam tuam quam non vel capere animus meus in accipiendo vel in remunerando cumulare atque illustrare posset. Ego omnia mea studia, omnem operam, curam, industriam, cogitationem, mentem denique omnem in Milonis consulatu fixi et locavi statuique in eo me non offici solum fructum sed etiam pietatis laudem debere quaerere. Neque vero cuiquam salutem ac fortunas suas tantae curae fuisse umquam puto quantae mihi sit honos eius, in quo omnia mea posita esse decrevi. Huic te unum tanto adiumento esse, si volueris, posse intellego ut nihil sit praeterea nobis requirendum. Habemus haec omnia, bonorum studium conciliatum ex tribunatu propter nostram, ut spero te intellegere, causam, vulgi ac multitudinis propter magnificentiam munerum liberalitatemque naturae, iuventutis et gratiosorum in suffragiis studia propter ipsius excellentem in eo genere vel gratiam vel diligentiam, nostram suffragationem, si minus potentem, at probatam tamen et iustam et debitam et propterea fortasse etiam gratiosam. Dux nobis et auctor opus est et eorum ventorum quos proposui moderator quidam et quasi gubernator. Qui si ex omnibus unus optandus esset, quem tecum conferre possemus non haberemus. Quam ob rem, si me memorem, si gratum, si bonum virum vel ex hoc ipso quod tam vehementer de Milone laborem existimare potes, si dignum denique tuis beneficiis iudicas, hoc a te peto, ut subvenias huic meae sollicitudini et huic meae laudi vel, ut verius dicam, prope saluti tuum studium dices. De ipso T. Annio tantum tibi polliceor, te maioris animi, gravitatis, constantiae benevolentiaeque erga te, si complecti hominem volueris, habiturum esse neminem. Mihi vero tantum decoris, tantum dignitatis adiunxeris ut eundem te facile agnoscam fuisse in laude mea qui fueris in salute. Ego, ni te videre scirem qua mente haec scriberem, quantum offici sustinerem, quanto opere mihi esset in hac petitione Milonis omni non modo contentione sed etiam dimicatione elaborandum, plura scriberem. nunc tibi omnem rem atque causam meque totum commendo atque trado. unum hoc sic habeto, si a te hanc rem impetraro, me paene plus tibi quam ipsi Miloni debiturum. non enim mihi tam mea salus cara fuit, in qua praecipue sum ab illo adiutus, quam pietas erit in referenda gratia iucunda. eam autem unius tuo studio me adsequi posse confido.
◆
News had not yet arrived that you were approaching Italy when I sent Sextus Villius, a close friend of my Milo, to you with this letter. Still, since your arrival was thought to be near, and since it was known that you had already set out from Asia toward Rome, the importance of the matter made us unafraid of sending too soon. I was extremely eager for this letter to reach you as quickly as possible.
Curio, if the obligations between us lay only on my side, and if they were as great as you usually proclaim them rather than as I measure them, I would be more hesitant to ask you for anything large. For a modest man finds it hard to ask a great favor from someone whom he thinks he has benefited, lest he seem to demand rather than request what he seeks, and to count it as repayment rather than kindness.
But your services to me were known to everyone, and were made especially conspicuous and great by the extraordinary nature of my crisis. Since it belongs to a generous spirit, when one owes much, to wish to owe even more to the same person, I did not hesitate to ask you by letter for what is, to me, the greatest and most necessary thing in the world. I was not afraid that I could not bear the weight of your countless services to me, especially since I trust that there is no kindness of yours that my heart cannot make room for in receiving, or enlarge and brighten in returning.
I have fixed and placed all my zeal, all my labor, care, energy, thought, indeed my whole mind, on Milo's consulship. I have decided that in this matter I must seek not only the fruit of duty but also the honor of loyalty. I do not think anyone was ever as concerned for his own safety and fortunes as I am for his election, on which I have resolved that all my interests rest.
I understand that if you choose, you alone can be so great a help to him that we will need nothing else. We have the enthusiasm of good citizens, won during his tribunate because of his support for my cause, as I hope you understand. We have the favor of the crowd because of the magnificence of his public games and the generosity of his nature. We have the support of the young men and of those influential in voting because of his exceptional charm, or diligence, in that field. We have my own canvassing, which, if not powerful, is at least approved, just, owed, and perhaps for that reason influential.
What we need is a leader and sponsor, someone to manage the winds I have described, a kind of pilot. If we had to choose one man from the whole world, we could find no one to compare with you.
So if you can judge me mindful, grateful, and a good man, even from the fact that I work so intensely for Milo; if, finally, you think me worthy of your services, this is what I ask of you: come to the rescue of my anxiety and my honor, or, to speak more truly, almost my safety, and devote your energy to it.
As for Titus Annius himself, I promise you this: if you choose to embrace the man, you will have no one of greater spirit, seriousness, consistency, or goodwill toward you. As for me, you will add so much distinction and dignity to my standing that I will easily recognize the same man in the protection of my honor who once protected my safety.
If I did not know that you can see the spirit in which I write this, how much duty I carry, and how hard I must labor in Milo's candidacy not only with every effort but almost in battle, I would write more. As it is, I commend and hand over the whole affair, the whole cause, and myself entirely to you.
Hold this one thing fixed: if I obtain this from you, I will owe you almost more than I owe Milo himself. My own safety, in which he especially helped me, was not as dear to me as the joy I will feel in loyally repaying his favor. I trust that through your effort alone I can achieve that.
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
VI. M. CICERO S. D. C. CURIONI Romae; Quint. 53(?)
Nondum erat auditum te ad Italiam adventare cum Sex. Villium, Milonis mei familiarem, cum his ad te litteris misi. Sed tamen, cum appropinquare tuus adventus putaretur et te iam ex Asia Romam versus profectum esse constaret, magnitudo rei fecit ut non vereremur ne nimis cito mitteremus, cum has quam primum ad te perferri litteras magno opere vellemus. Ego, si mea in te essent officia solum, Curio, tanta quanta magis a te ipso praedicari quam a me ponderari solent, verecundius a te, si quae magna res mihi petenda esset, contenderem. Grave est enim homini pudenti petere aliquid magnum ab eo de quo se bene meritum putet, ne id quod petat exigere magis quam rogare et in mercedis potius quam benefici loco numerare videatur. Sed quia tua in me [vel] nota omnibus vel ipsa novitate meorum temporum clarissima et maxima beneficia exstiterunt estque animi ingenui, cui multum debeas, eidem plurimum velle debere, non dubitavi id a te per litteras petere quod mihi omnium esset maximum maximeque necessarium. Neque enim sum veritus ne sustinere tua in me vel innumerabilia [officia] non possem, cum praesertim confiderem nullam esse gratiam tuam quam non vel capere animus meus in accipiendo vel in remunerando cumulare atque illustrare posset. Ego omnia mea studia, omnem operam, curam, industriam, cogitationem, mentem denique omnem in Milonis consulatu fixi et locavi statuique in eo me non offici solum fructum sed etiam pietatis laudem debere quaerere. Neque vero cuiquam salutem ac fortunas suas tantae curae fuisse umquam puto quantae mihi sit honos eius, in quo omnia mea posita esse decrevi. Huic te unum tanto adiumento esse, si volueris, posse intellego ut nihil sit praeterea nobis requirendum. Habemus haec omnia, bonorum studium conciliatum ex tribunatu propter nostram, ut spero te intellegere, causam, vulgi ac multitudinis propter magnificentiam munerum liberalitatemque naturae, iuventutis et gratiosorum in suffragiis studia propter ipsius excellentem in eo genere vel gratiam vel diligentiam, nostram suffragationem, si minus potentem, at probatam tamen et iustam et debitam et propterea fortasse etiam gratiosam. Dux nobis et auctor opus est et eorum ventorum quos proposui moderator quidam et quasi gubernator. Qui si ex omnibus unus optandus esset, quem tecum conferre possemus non haberemus. Quam ob rem, si me memorem, si gratum, si bonum virum vel ex hoc ipso quod tam vehementer de Milone laborem existimare potes, si dignum denique tuis beneficiis iudicas, hoc a te peto, ut subvenias huic meae sollicitudini et huic meae laudi vel, ut verius dicam, prope saluti tuum studium dices. De ipso T. Annio tantum tibi polliceor, te maioris animi, gravitatis, constantiae benevolentiaeque erga te, si complecti hominem volueris, habiturum esse neminem. Mihi vero tantum decoris, tantum dignitatis adiunxeris ut eundem te facile agnoscam fuisse in laude mea qui fueris in salute. Ego, ni te videre scirem qua mente haec scriberem, quantum offici sustinerem, quanto opere mihi esset in hac petitione Milonis omni non modo contentione sed etiam dimicatione elaborandum, plura scriberem. nunc tibi omnem rem atque causam meque totum commendo atque trado. unum hoc sic habeto, si a te hanc rem impetraro, me paene plus tibi quam ipsi Miloni debiturum. non enim mihi tam mea salus cara fuit, in qua praecipue sum ab illo adiutus, quam pietas erit in referenda gratia iucunda. eam autem unius tuo studio me adsequi posse confido.