Letter 12: Cicero writes to Quintus at Rome from Cumae in April 55 BC.
Marcus Tullius Cicero→Quintus Tullius Cicero|c. 55 BC|Cicero|From Cumae|To Rome|AI-assisted
familypoliticsadministration
Imported from the public-domain Shuckburgh translation with Latin text paired from The Latin Library.
VIII. Written in the month of May, 699 from the founding of the city [55 BC].
MARCUS TO HIS BROTHER QUINTUS, GREETINGS.
1. You are afraid you might interrupt me? In the first place, if I were the sort of busy man you imagine, do you really know what "interrupting" means? Or have you picked up such manners from yourself? Good heavens, you seem to be lecturing me on the kind of refined courtesy of which I never make any use when it comes from you. As for me, I wish that you would address me, interrupt me, contradict me, and talk things over with me. What could be sweeter to me? Truly, by Hercules, no poetry-struck poet reads his own fresh verses with more pleasure than I listen to you on any subject whatever, public or private, rural or urban. But it was through my own foolish scrupulousness that I failed to carry you off with me when I was setting out. The first time you confronted me with an incontrovertible [originally in Greek] excuse, the health of our dear Cicero [Quintus's son], and I held my tongue; the second time it was the two boys called Cicero, and I gave way. 2. Now your letter, full of delightfulness, has sprinkled in this bit of annoyance, that you seem to have been afraid, and even now to be afraid, of being a bother to me. I would quarrel with you over this, if it were proper; but by Hercules, if I ever do suspect such a thing, I will say nothing else except that I shall be afraid that I myself, when I am in your company, may sometimes be a bother to you. I see that you have sighed at this. So it goes: "if you had stayed upon earth" [originally in Greek] -- for I will never go on to say, "away with all troubles" [originally in Greek]. As for our friend Marius, by Hercules I would certainly have flung him into a litter -- not that famous Anician one belonging to King Ptolemy; for I remember, when I was carrying the man from Naples to Baiae in Anicius's eight-bearer litter with a hundred sword-bearing guards following along, what marvelous fits of laughter we had when Marius, ignorant of his own escort, suddenly threw open the litter and nearly collapsed from fright, while I nearly collapsed from laughing -- this man, I say, I would surely have brought along, so that at last I might enjoy the delicacy of his old-fashioned urbane wit and his most cultivated conversation; but I was unwilling to invite a man of frail health to a country house that is open to the weather and even now not even roughly finished. 3. Indeed it would be a special treat for me to enjoy his company here as well; for you must know that, on those estates of mine, having Marius for a neighbor is like having a shining light. We shall see to it that he is provided for at Anicius's place; for we are such devotees of learning [philologi] that we can live even among the workmen -- we hold to this philosophy not from Hymettus but from Arpinum -- whereas Marius is the weaker, both in health and by nature. 4. As for the matter of interruption, I will take from you all the time for writing that you allow me. I only wish you would allow me none at all, so that I may be idle through your wrongdoing rather than through my own laziness! As regards public affairs, I am grieved that you trouble yourself too much and are a better citizen than Philoctetes, who, after suffering a wrong, was eager for the very spectacle that I see is bitter to you. I beg you, fly to me -- I will console you and wipe away all your grief -- and bring Marius along, if you love me; but hurry, both of you. There is a garden at the house.
Afraid that you will interrupt me—you? In the first place, if I were as busy as you think, do you know what interruption means? Have you taken a lesson from Ateius? So help me heaven, in my eyes you give me a lesson in a kind of learning which I never enjoy unless you are with me. Why, that you should talk to me, interrupt me, argue against me, or converse with me, is just what I should like. Nothing could be more delightful! Never, by Hercules, did any crazy poet read with greater zest his last composition than I listen to you, no matter what business is in hand, public or private, rural or urban. But it was all owing to my foolish scrupulousness that I did not carry you off with me when I was leaving town. You confronted me the first time with an unanswerable excuse—the health of my son: I was silenced. The second time it was both boys, yours and mine: I acquiesced. Now comes a delightful letter, but with this drop of gall in it—that you seem to have been afraid, and still to be afraid, that you might bore me. I would go to law with you if it were decent to do so; but, by heaven! if ever I have a suspicion of such a feeling on your part, I can only say that I shall begin to be afraid of boring you at times, when in your company. [I perceive that you have sighed at this. 'Tis the way of the world: "But if you lived on earth" ... I will never finish the quotation and say, "Away with all care!"] Marius, again, I should certainly have forced into my sedan—I don't mean that famous one of Ptolemy that Anicius got hold of: for I remember when I was conveying him from Naples to Baiae in Anicius's eight-bearer sedan, with a hundred armed guards in our train, I had a real good laugh when Marius, knowing nothing of his escort, suddenly drew back the curtains of the sedan—he was almost dead with fright and I with laughing: well, this same friend, I say, I should at least have carried off; to secure, at any rate, the delicate charm of that old-fashioned courtesy, and of a conversation which is the essence of culture. But I did not like to invite a man of weak health to a villa practically without a roof, and which even now it would be a compliment to describe as unfinished. It would indeed be a special treat to me to have the enjoyment of him here also. For I assure you that the neighbourhood of Marius makes the sunshine of that other country residence of mine. I will see about getting him put up in the house of Anicius. For I myself, though a student, can live with workpeople in the house. I get this philosophy, not from Hymettus, but from Arpinum. Marius is feebler in health and constitution. As to interrupting my book—I shall take from you just so much time for writing as you may leave me I only hope you'll leave me none at all, that my want of progress may be set down to your encroachment rather than to my idleness! In regard to politics, I am sorry that you worry yourself too much, and are a better citizen than Philoctetes, who, on being wronged himself, was anxious for the very spectacle that I perceive gives you pain. Pray hasten hither: I will console you and wipe all sorrow from your eyes: and, as you love me, bring Marius. But haste, haste, both of you! There is a garden at my house.
VIII. Scr. mense Maio a.u.c. 699.
MARCUS QUINTO FRATRI SALUTEM.
1. Tu metuis, ne me interpelles? Primum, si in isto essem, tu scis, quid sit interpellare; an te a te is? mehercule mihi docere videris istius generis humanitatem, qua quidem ego nihil utor abs te. Tu vero ut me et appelles et interpelles et obloquare et colloquare velim; quid enim mihi suavius? non mehercule quisquam mousoptaxtow libentius sua recentia poemata legit, quam ego te audio quacumque de re, publica privata, rustica urbana; sed mea factum est insulsa verecundia, ut te proficiscens non tollerem: opposuisti semel Žnant¤lexton causam, Ciceronis nostri valetudinem, conticui; iterum Cicerones, quievi. 2. Nunc mihi iucunditatis plena epistula hoc aspersit molestiae, quod videris, ne mihi molestus esses, veritus esse atque etiam nunc vereri. Litigarem tecum, si fas esset; sed mehercule, istuc si umquam suspicatus ero, nihil dicam aliud nisi verebor, ne quando ego tibi, cum sum una, molestus sim. Video te ingemuisse. Sic fit, e?d' ?n aýa ?jhsaw: numquam enim dicam, ?a psaw. Marium autem nostrum in lecticam mehercule coniecissem—non illam regis Ptolemaei Anicianam; memini enim, cum hominem portarem ad Baias Neapoli octophoro Aniciano machaerophoris centum sequentibus, miros risus nos edere, cum ille ignarus sui comitatus repente aperuit lecticam et paene ille timore, ego risu corrui—, hunc, ut dico, certe sustulissem, ut aliquando subtilitatem veteris urbanitatis et humanissimi sermonis attingerem; sed hominem infirmum in villam apertam ac ne rudem quidem etiam nunc invitare nolui. 3. Hoc vero mihi peculiare fuerit, hic etiam isto frui; nam illorum praediorum scito mihi vicinum Marium lumen esse. Apud Anicium videbimus ut paratum sit; nos enim ita philologi sumus, ut vel cum fabris habitare possimus—habemus hanc philosophiam non ab Hymetto, sed ab araxira—, Marius et valetudine est et natura imbecillior. 4. De interpellatione, tantum sumam a vobis temporis ad scribendum, quantum dabitis. Utinam nihil detis, ut potius vestra iniuria quam ignavia mea cessem! De re publica nimium te laborare doleo et meliorem civem esse quam Philoctetam, qui accepta iniuria ea spectacula quaerebat, quae tibi acerba esse video. Amabo te, advola—consolabor te et omnem abstergebo dolorem—et adduc, si me amas, Marium; sed approperate. Hortus domi est.
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VIII. Written in the month of May, 699 from the founding of the city [55 BC]. MARCUS TO HIS BROTHER QUINTUS, GREETINGS.
1. You are afraid you might interrupt me? In the first place, if I were the sort of busy man you imagine, do you really know what "interrupting" means? Or have you picked up such manners from yourself? Good heavens, you seem to be lecturing me on the kind of refined courtesy of which I never make any use when it comes from you. As for me, I wish that you would address me, interrupt me, contradict me, and talk things over with me. What could be sweeter to me? Truly, by Hercules, no poetry-struck poet reads his own fresh verses with more pleasure than I listen to you on any subject whatever, public or private, rural or urban. But it was through my own foolish scrupulousness that I failed to carry you off with me when I was setting out. The first time you confronted me with an incontrovertible [originally in Greek] excuse, the health of our dear Cicero [Quintus's son], and I held my tongue; the second time it was the two boys called Cicero, and I gave way. 2. Now your letter, full of delightfulness, has sprinkled in this bit of annoyance, that you seem to have been afraid, and even now to be afraid, of being a bother to me. I would quarrel with you over this, if it were proper; but by Hercules, if I ever do suspect such a thing, I will say nothing else except that I shall be afraid that I myself, when I am in your company, may sometimes be a bother to you. I see that you have sighed at this. So it goes: "if you had stayed upon earth" [originally in Greek] -- for I will never go on to say, "away with all troubles" [originally in Greek]. As for our friend Marius, by Hercules I would certainly have flung him into a litter -- not that famous Anician one belonging to King Ptolemy; for I remember, when I was carrying the man from Naples to Baiae in Anicius's eight-bearer litter with a hundred sword-bearing guards following along, what marvelous fits of laughter we had when Marius, ignorant of his own escort, suddenly threw open the litter and nearly collapsed from fright, while I nearly collapsed from laughing -- this man, I say, I would surely have brought along, so that at last I might enjoy the delicacy of his old-fashioned urbane wit and his most cultivated conversation; but I was unwilling to invite a man of frail health to a country house that is open to the weather and even now not even roughly finished. 3. Indeed it would be a special treat for me to enjoy his company here as well; for you must know that, on those estates of mine, having Marius for a neighbor is like having a shining light. We shall see to it that he is provided for at Anicius's place; for we are such devotees of learning [philologi] that we can live even among the workmen -- we hold to this philosophy not from Hymettus but from Arpinum -- whereas Marius is the weaker, both in health and by nature. 4. As for the matter of interruption, I will take from you all the time for writing that you allow me. I only wish you would allow me none at all, so that I may be idle through your wrongdoing rather than through my own laziness! As regards public affairs, I am grieved that you trouble yourself too much and are a better citizen than Philoctetes, who, after suffering a wrong, was eager for the very spectacle that I see is bitter to you. I beg you, fly to me -- I will console you and wipe away all your grief -- and bring Marius along, if you love me; but hurry, both of you. There is a garden at the house.
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
VIII. Scr. mense Maio a.u.c. 699. MARCUS QUINTO FRATRI SALUTEM.
1. Tu metuis, ne me interpelles? Primum, si in isto essem, tu scis, quid sit interpellare; an te a te is? mehercule mihi docere videris istius generis humanitatem, qua quidem ego nihil utor abs te. Tu vero ut me et appelles et interpelles et obloquare et colloquare velim; quid enim mihi suavius? non mehercule quisquam mousoptaxtow libentius sua recentia poemata legit, quam ego te audio quacumque de re, publica privata, rustica urbana; sed mea factum est insulsa verecundia, ut te proficiscens non tollerem: opposuisti semel Žnant¤lexton causam, Ciceronis nostri valetudinem, conticui; iterum Cicerones, quievi. 2. Nunc mihi iucunditatis plena epistula hoc aspersit molestiae, quod videris, ne mihi molestus esses, veritus esse atque etiam nunc vereri. Litigarem tecum, si fas esset; sed mehercule, istuc si umquam suspicatus ero, nihil dicam aliud nisi verebor, ne quando ego tibi, cum sum una, molestus sim. Video te ingemuisse. Sic fit, e?d' ?n aýa ?jhsaw: numquam enim dicam, ?a psaw. Marium autem nostrum in lecticam mehercule coniecissem—non illam regis Ptolemaei Anicianam; memini enim, cum hominem portarem ad Baias Neapoli octophoro Aniciano machaerophoris centum sequentibus, miros risus nos edere, cum ille ignarus sui comitatus repente aperuit lecticam et paene ille timore, ego risu corrui—, hunc, ut dico, certe sustulissem, ut aliquando subtilitatem veteris urbanitatis et humanissimi sermonis attingerem; sed hominem infirmum in villam apertam ac ne rudem quidem etiam nunc invitare nolui. 3. Hoc vero mihi peculiare fuerit, hic etiam isto frui; nam illorum praediorum scito mihi vicinum Marium lumen esse. Apud Anicium videbimus ut paratum sit; nos enim ita philologi sumus, ut vel cum fabris habitare possimus—habemus hanc philosophiam non ab Hymetto, sed ab araxira—, Marius et valetudine est et natura imbecillior. 4. De interpellatione, tantum sumam a vobis temporis ad scribendum, quantum dabitis. Utinam nihil detis, ut potius vestra iniuria quam ignavia mea cessem! De re publica nimium te laborare doleo et meliorem civem esse quam Philoctetam, qui accepta iniuria ea spectacula quaerebat, quae tibi acerba esse video. Amabo te, advola—consolabor te et omnem abstergebo dolorem—et adduc, si me amas, Marium; sed approperate. Hortus domi est.