Marcus Tullius Cicero→Appius Claudius Pulcher|c. 51 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Cilicia|AI-assisted
At last I have read a letter worthy of Appius Claudius, full of kindness, courtesy, and care. No doubt the sight of the city has restored your old urban polish. The letters you sent me on your journey before leaving Asia, one about my forbidding legates to set out for Rome, the other about stopping the building works at Appia, were very unpleasant reading for me. So, conscious of my unbroken friendliness toward you, I wrote back with some irritation.
But when I read the letter you gave my freedman Philotimus, I saw and understood that there were many people in the province who did not want us to feel toward each other as we in fact did. As soon as you approached the city, or rather as soon as you saw your relatives, you learned from them how loyal I had been to you in your absence, how careful and persistent in fulfilling every obligation to you.
You can imagine, then, how much I value that sentence in your letter: "If anything occurs affecting your position, though that is hardly possible, still, if it does, I will return your favors in full." That will be an easy task for you, because nothing is impossible for zeal and kindness, or rather for affection.
For my part, although I always thought this would be so, and was often assured of it in letters, I was nevertheless extremely delighted by your letter's announcement of your strong, or rather certain, hope of a triumph. It was not because this made it easier for me to obtain one, for that would be a truly Epicurean motive, but, by Hercules, because the brilliance of your position is dear to me in itself and for itself.
Since you have more people than others do whom you know to be starting for this province, for nearly all of them come to you to ask whether you have any instructions, you will greatly oblige me if you send me a letter as soon as you obtain what you confidently expect and I heartily wish. If the deliberations and delays of the long bench, as our friend Pompey calls it, deprive you of this or that particular day, what more can they do? Your strong claim will still hold the field. If you care for me, if you want me to care for you, write to me so that I may enjoy the delight as soon as possible.
I would also like you to pay me the promised addition to your earlier present. I am eager to complete my knowledge of augural law, and, by Hercules, I am incredibly delighted by attentions and gifts from you. As for your wish to receive something of the same kind from me, I must certainly consider the best form of composition to repay you for your gift. It is certainly not my habit, putting as I do, and as you often note with surprise, so much energy into writing, to let myself be thought slack in such a matter, especially where the charge would be not merely slackness but ingratitude as well. I will see to it.
The promise you make, I beg you, in the name of your good faith and energetic character, and of our friendship, no recent thing but now thoroughly established, take measures to fulfill. Exert yourself to secure a supplication [a public thanksgiving voted by the senate] in my honor in the most complimentary terms and at the earliest possible date.
I sent my dispatch later than I would have wished, and the difficulty of navigation was not the only irritating circumstance. I believe, in fact, that the dispatch arrived just when the senate was in recess. But I acted under your influence and on your advice, and I think I was quite right not to send a dispatch the moment I was hailed as imperator, but only after other services had been performed and the summer campaign had ended.
I hope, then, that you will see to these matters, as you say you intend to do, and that you will regard me, my affairs, and my friends as commended to your care.
CCXLVIII (Fam. III, 9) TO APPIUS CLAUDIUS PULCHER (AT ROME) LAODICEA, FEBRUARY: AT last! A letter worthy of Appius Claudius , full of kindness, cordiality, and consideration! No doubt the sight of the city restored your old city-bred courtesy. For the letters which you sent me on your journey before leaving Asia — one about my forbidding legates to start for Rome , the other about stopping the building operations at Appia — were very unpleasant reading for me. Accordingly, conscious of my unbroken friendliness to you, I wrote back with some little irritation. However, when I read the letter you gave to my freedman Philotimus , I saw and understood that there were many persons in the province who did not wish us to entertain the feelings towards each other which we actually were entertaining; but that as soon as you approached the city, or rather as soon as you saw your relatives, you ascertained from them how loyal I had been to you in your absence, how careful and unremitting in fulfilling all my obligations to you. Accordingly, you can imagine how much I value that sentence in your letter, “If anything occurs affecting your position, though that is hardly possible, yet, if it does, I will return your favours in full.” That, however, will be an easy task for you: for there is nothing impossible for zeal and kindness, or rather affection. For my part, though I always myself thought that it would be so, and was frequently assured of it in letters, I yet was extremely delighted by the announcement in your letter of your strong, or rather certain, hope of a triumph. And, indeed, it was not because it made it the easier for me to obtain one — for that would be a motive truly Epicurean — but, by Hercules , because the splendour of your position is dear to me in itself and for itself Wherefore, as you have more people than others have whom you know to be starting for this province — for they nearly all come to you to ask if you have any commands — you will very greatly oblige me if you will send me a letter, as soon as you have obtained what you confidently expect and I heartily wish. If the process of making up their minds and the dilatory proceedings of the long bench, as our friend Pompey calls it, deprive you of this or that particular day (for what more can they do?), yet your high claims will hold the field. But if you care for me, if you wish me to care for you, write to me, that I may enjoy the delight as soon as possible. I should wish you also to pay me the promised addition to your former present. I am both anxious to complete my knowledge of augural law, and am also, by Hercules , incredibly delighted with attentions and presents from you. As for the wish you express for something of the same sort from me, I certainly must consider the best style of composition to repay you for your gift: for it is assuredly not my way — putting as I do, and as you often observe with surprise, so much energy into the task of writing — to let myself be thought to have been slack about it, especially in a case involving a charge not simply of slackness, but of ingratitude as well. However, I will see about it. The promise you make, I beg you, in the name of your good faith and energetic character, as well as in that of our friendship — no affair of yesterday, but now a thoroughly established fact — to take measures to fulfil, and to exert yourself to secure a supplicatio being voted in my honour in as complimentary terms and at as early a date as possible. I certainly sent my despatch later than I could have wished, in regard to which the difficulty of navigation was not the only irritating circumstance: I believe, in fact, that my despatch arrived just when the senate was in vacation. But this I did under your influence and by your advice, and I think I was quite right not to send a despatch the very moment I was greeted as imperator, but only when other services had been performed and the summer campaign was concluded. You will then, I hope, see to these matters, as you profess your intention of doing, and will regard myself, my affairs, and my friends as recommended to your care.
IX. Scr. Laodiceae mense Februario (inter Idus et VI. Kal. Mart.) a.u.c. 704. M. CICERO AP. PULCHRO S.
Vix tandem legi litteras dignas Ap. Claudio, plenas humanitatis, officii, diligentiae. Aspectus videlicet urbis tibi tuam pristinam urbanitatem reddidit: nam, quas ex itinere, antequam ex Asia egressus es, ad me litteras misisti, unas de legatis a me prohibitis proficisci, alteras de Appianorum aedificatione impedita, legi perinvitus; itaque conscientia meae constantis erga te voluntatis rescripsi tibi subiratus. Iis vero litteris lectis, quas Philotimo, liberto meo, dedisti, cognovi intellexique in provincia multos fuisse, qui nos, quo animo inter nos sumus, esse nollent, ad urbem vero ut accesseris vel potius ut primum tuos videris, cognosse te ex iis, qua in te absentem fide, qua in omnibus officiis tuendis erga te observantia et constantia fuissem. Itaque quanti illud me aestimare putas, quod est in tuis litteris scriptum, si quid inciderit, quod ad meam dignitatem pertineat, etsi vix fieri possit, tamen te parem mihi gratiam relaturum! tu vero facile facies; nihil est enim, quod studio et benevolentia vel amore potius effici non possit. Ego, etsi et ipse ita iudicabam et fiebam crebro a meis per litteras certior, tamen maximam laetitiam cepi ex tuis litteris de spe minime dubia et plane explorata triumphi tui, neque vero ob eam causam, quo ipse facilius consequerer—nam id quidem 'EpixoÊreion est—, sed mehercule, quod tua dignitas atque amplitudo mihi est ipsa cara per se: quare, quoniam plures tu habes quam ceteri, quos scias in hanc provinciam proficisci, quod te adeunt fere omnes, si quid velis, gratissimum mihi feceris, si ad me, simulatque adeptus eris, quod et tu confidis et ego opto, litteras miseris. Longi subsellii, ut noster Pompeius appellat, iudicatio et mora si quem tibi item unum alterumve diem abstulerit—quid enim potest amplius?—, tua tamen dignitas suum locum obtinebit; sed, si me diligis, si a me diligi vis, ad me litteras, ut quam primum laetitia afficiar, mittito. Et velim, reliquum quod est promissi ac muneris tui, mihi persolvas: cum ipsam cognitionem iuris augurii consequi cupio, tum mehercule tuis incredibiliter studiis erga me muneribusque delector. Quod autem a me tale quiddam desideras, sane mihi considerandum est, quonam te remunerer potissimum genere; nam profecto non est meum, qui in scribendo, ut soles admirari, tantum industriae ponam, committere, ut negligens in scribendo fuisse videar, praesertim cum id non modo negligentis, sed etiam ingrati animi crimen futurum sit. Verum haec videbimus: illud, quod polliceris, velim pro tua fide diligentiaque et pro nostra non instituta, sed iam inveterata amicitia cures et enitare, ut supplicatio nobis quam honorificentissime quam primumque decernatur. Omnino serius misi litteras, quam vellem, in quo cum difficultas navigandi fuit odiosa, tum in ipsum discessum senatus incidisse credo meas litteras; sed id feci adductus auctoritate et consilio tuo, idque a me recte factum puto, quod non statim, ut appellatus imperator sim, sed aliis rebus additis aestivisque confectis litteras miserim. Haec igitur tibi erunt curae, quemadmodum ostendis, meque totum et mea et meos commendatos habebis.
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At last I have read a letter worthy of Appius Claudius, full of kindness, courtesy, and care. No doubt the sight of the city has restored your old urban polish. The letters you sent me on your journey before leaving Asia, one about my forbidding legates to set out for Rome, the other about stopping the building works at Appia, were very unpleasant reading for me. So, conscious of my unbroken friendliness toward you, I wrote back with some irritation.
But when I read the letter you gave my freedman Philotimus, I saw and understood that there were many people in the province who did not want us to feel toward each other as we in fact did. As soon as you approached the city, or rather as soon as you saw your relatives, you learned from them how loyal I had been to you in your absence, how careful and persistent in fulfilling every obligation to you.
You can imagine, then, how much I value that sentence in your letter: "If anything occurs affecting your position, though that is hardly possible, still, if it does, I will return your favors in full." That will be an easy task for you, because nothing is impossible for zeal and kindness, or rather for affection.
For my part, although I always thought this would be so, and was often assured of it in letters, I was nevertheless extremely delighted by your letter's announcement of your strong, or rather certain, hope of a triumph. It was not because this made it easier for me to obtain one, for that would be a truly Epicurean motive, but, by Hercules, because the brilliance of your position is dear to me in itself and for itself.
Since you have more people than others do whom you know to be starting for this province, for nearly all of them come to you to ask whether you have any instructions, you will greatly oblige me if you send me a letter as soon as you obtain what you confidently expect and I heartily wish. If the deliberations and delays of the long bench, as our friend Pompey calls it, deprive you of this or that particular day, what more can they do? Your strong claim will still hold the field. If you care for me, if you want me to care for you, write to me so that I may enjoy the delight as soon as possible.
I would also like you to pay me the promised addition to your earlier present. I am eager to complete my knowledge of augural law, and, by Hercules, I am incredibly delighted by attentions and gifts from you. As for your wish to receive something of the same kind from me, I must certainly consider the best form of composition to repay you for your gift. It is certainly not my habit, putting as I do, and as you often note with surprise, so much energy into writing, to let myself be thought slack in such a matter, especially where the charge would be not merely slackness but ingratitude as well. I will see to it.
The promise you make, I beg you, in the name of your good faith and energetic character, and of our friendship, no recent thing but now thoroughly established, take measures to fulfill. Exert yourself to secure a supplication [a public thanksgiving voted by the senate] in my honor in the most complimentary terms and at the earliest possible date.
I sent my dispatch later than I would have wished, and the difficulty of navigation was not the only irritating circumstance. I believe, in fact, that the dispatch arrived just when the senate was in recess. But I acted under your influence and on your advice, and I think I was quite right not to send a dispatch the moment I was hailed as imperator, but only after other services had been performed and the summer campaign had ended.
I hope, then, that you will see to these matters, as you say you intend to do, and that you will regard me, my affairs, and my friends as commended to your care.
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
IX. Scr. Laodiceae mense Februario (inter Idus et VI. Kal. Mart.) a.u.c. 704. M. CICERO AP. PULCHRO S.
Vix tandem legi litteras dignas Ap. Claudio, plenas humanitatis, officii, diligentiae. Aspectus videlicet urbis tibi tuam pristinam urbanitatem reddidit: nam, quas ex itinere, antequam ex Asia egressus es, ad me litteras misisti, unas de legatis a me prohibitis proficisci, alteras de Appianorum aedificatione impedita, legi perinvitus; itaque conscientia meae constantis erga te voluntatis rescripsi tibi subiratus. Iis vero litteris lectis, quas Philotimo, liberto meo, dedisti, cognovi intellexique in provincia multos fuisse, qui nos, quo animo inter nos sumus, esse nollent, ad urbem vero ut accesseris vel potius ut primum tuos videris, cognosse te ex iis, qua in te absentem fide, qua in omnibus officiis tuendis erga te observantia et constantia fuissem. Itaque quanti illud me aestimare putas, quod est in tuis litteris scriptum, si quid inciderit, quod ad meam dignitatem pertineat, etsi vix fieri possit, tamen te parem mihi gratiam relaturum! tu vero facile facies; nihil est enim, quod studio et benevolentia vel amore potius effici non possit. Ego, etsi et ipse ita iudicabam et fiebam crebro a meis per litteras certior, tamen maximam laetitiam cepi ex tuis litteris de spe minime dubia et plane explorata triumphi tui, neque vero ob eam causam, quo ipse facilius consequerer—nam id quidem 'EpixoÊreion est—, sed mehercule, quod tua dignitas atque amplitudo mihi est ipsa cara per se: quare, quoniam plures tu habes quam ceteri, quos scias in hanc provinciam proficisci, quod te adeunt fere omnes, si quid velis, gratissimum mihi feceris, si ad me, simulatque adeptus eris, quod et tu confidis et ego opto, litteras miseris. Longi subsellii, ut noster Pompeius appellat, iudicatio et mora si quem tibi item unum alterumve diem abstulerit—quid enim potest amplius?—, tua tamen dignitas suum locum obtinebit; sed, si me diligis, si a me diligi vis, ad me litteras, ut quam primum laetitia afficiar, mittito. Et velim, reliquum quod est promissi ac muneris tui, mihi persolvas: cum ipsam cognitionem iuris augurii consequi cupio, tum mehercule tuis incredibiliter studiis erga me muneribusque delector. Quod autem a me tale quiddam desideras, sane mihi considerandum est, quonam te remunerer potissimum genere; nam profecto non est meum, qui in scribendo, ut soles admirari, tantum industriae ponam, committere, ut negligens in scribendo fuisse videar, praesertim cum id non modo negligentis, sed etiam ingrati animi crimen futurum sit. Verum haec videbimus: illud, quod polliceris, velim pro tua fide diligentiaque et pro nostra non instituta, sed iam inveterata amicitia cures et enitare, ut supplicatio nobis quam honorificentissime quam primumque decernatur. Omnino serius misi litteras, quam vellem, in quo cum difficultas navigandi fuit odiosa, tum in ipsum discessum senatus incidisse credo meas litteras; sed id feci adductus auctoritate et consilio tuo, idque a me recte factum puto, quod non statim, ut appellatus imperator sim, sed aliis rebus additis aestivisque confectis litteras miserim. Haec igitur tibi erunt curae, quemadmodum ostendis, meque totum et mea et meos commendatos habebis.