Marcus Cornelius Fronto→Marcus Aurelius|c. 143 AD|Marcus Cornelius Fronto|From Rome (career hub)|To Rome (career hub)|AI-assisted
To the mother of Caesar.
1. How might I plead my case and win pardon from you for not having written to you these many days? Or is it plain enough, if I state the true cause of my lack of leisure? For I have been putting together a certain speech about the great Emperor. And the proverb of the Romans says that one ought not to hate a friend's character, but to know it. What sort my own character is I will tell you and not conceal it. Owing to my great natural ineptitude and worthlessness, I suffer something much like the animal the Romans call the hyena, whose neck, they say, is stretched out straight ahead, and cannot be bent toward either of its flanks. And I too, whenever I am composing something with more than usual eagerness, become a kind of unbending thing, and, letting go of everything else, I rush at that one object alone without turning back, just like the hyena. And the snakes they call "javelins" [the akontias, a darting serpent] are likewise said to dart straight ahead in some such way, and not to turn through the other twistings; and spears and bows too most especially hit their mark when they speed straight on, neither thrust aside by the wind nor made to miss by the hand of Athena or Apollo, as were the shafts shot by Teucer or by the suitors.
2. These three images, then, I have likened to myself: two of them wild and beast-like, that of the hyena and that of the snakes, and a third, that of the missiles, which is itself inhuman and unmusical. And if indeed I were also to say that, of the winds, the favorable one is most to be praised, because it carries the ship straight ahead and does not let it veer off to the sides, this would be a fourth image, and that one too forcible. And if I should add as well the point about the line, that the straight line is the eldest of all lines, I should be naming a fifth image, one that is not only inanimate, like that of the spears, but is also incorporeal.
3. What image, then, might be found that is convincing? One that is, above all, human; better still, if it is also musical [cultured]. And if friendship or love should have a share in it as well, the image would resemble its object still more. They say that Orpheus wailed because he turned to look back; but if he had looked straight ahead and walked straight on, he would not have wailed. Enough of images. For this one too, this image of Orpheus drawn up out of Hades, is somewhat unconvincing.
4. So I will plead my case from this point on, from where I might most easily win pardon. What, then, is this? That in composing the encomium of the Emperor I was doing what is especially pleasing both to you and to your son; and then, too, that I was making mention of you both and indeed naming you in the composition, just as lovers name their dearest over every cup. But truly the contrivance of images keeps streaming in and growing upon me. This one, at any rate, has appeared, which I mention last of all, and which most justly might be addressed as an image, since it comes from a painter. They say that Protogenes the painter took eleven years to paint his Ialysus, painting nothing else in those eleven years but the Ialysus. But for me not one but two Ialysuses were being painted at once, and not in their faces or forms alone, but also in their characters and their virtues, since both are no ordinary subjects, nor easy to paint; rather, the one is the great Emperor who rules all the earth and sea, and the other is the son of the great Emperor, his child in such a way as Athena is of Zeus, but your son as Hephaestus is of Hera. Yet let the matter of the feet be absent from this image of Hephaestus [that is, let the lameness not apply]. This, then, would be a plea that has turned out altogether image-like and pictorial, itself brimming full of images.
5. Still more, after the manner of the geometers, I shall make a request. Of what kind? If any of the words in these letters should be incorrect, or barbarous, or otherwise unapproved, or not entirely Attic, I ask you to take no heed of the word, but to consider the thought itself by itself; for you know that I spend my time on the very words and on the dialect itself. For indeed they say that the famous Scythian, that Anacharsis, did not speak Attic very well at all, but was praised for his thought and his reflections. I will compare myself, then, with Anacharsis, not, by Zeus, in respect of wisdom, but in respect of being likewise a barbarian. For he was a Scythian of the nomad Scythians, and I am a Libyan of the nomad Libyans. Grazing was common both to me and to Anacharsis; common, then, will be the bleating too as we graze, however one may bleat. In this way, then, I have likened speaking like a barbarian to bleating. And so I will stop, writing nothing else but images.
[...about three pages are missing...]
To the mother of Caesar. 1. What excuse of mine can win your pardon for my not having written to you all this time, if it be not by my stating the true cause of my want of leisure, that I had composed a speech about our great Emperor? The Roman saw bids us "not hate a friend's ways but ken them." What mine are I will tell you, and not conceal them. From my great natural incapacity and worthlessness I labour under much the same defect as the animal called by the Romans a hyena, whose neck, they say, can be stretched out straight forward but cannot be bent to either side. So I, when I am putting together anything with more than usual care, am, in a way, immovable, and, giving up all else, aim at that alone, like the hyena not turning to the right hand or to the left. Again, they say that the snakes called "darters" in much the same way project themselves straight forwards, but never move sideways; and spears and arrows are most likely to hit the mark when they are propelled straight, neither made to swerve by the wind, nor foiled by Athene's hand or Apollo's, as were the arrows shot by Teucer or the suitors. 2. These three similes, then, have I applied to myself, two of them fierce and savage, that of the hyena and that of the snake, and a third drawn from missiles, it, too, non-human and harsh. And if, indeed, I were to say that of winds the one astern was especially to be commended because it takes a ship straight forward nor lets it make leeway, this would be a fourth simile, and that a forcible one. And if I added this also of the line, that the straight line is the chiefest of all lines, I should produce a fifth simile, not only inanimate like that of the spears, but this one also incorporeal. 3. What simile, then, can be found convincing? One above all that is human, better still if it be also cultured; and if it partake, too, of friendship and love, the simile would be all the more a similitude. They say that Orpheus rued his turning to look back: had he looked and walked straight ahead he had not rued. Enough of similes. For this, too, is somewhat unconvincing, this simile of Orpheus fetched up from Hades. 4. But I will now for the rest plead in excuse what will most easily win me pardon. What, then, is this? That in writing the Emperor's encomium I was doing, in the first place, what was especially gratifying to you and your son; in the next I remembered and mentioned both of you in the composition, just as lovers name their darlings over every cup. But, indeed, the craftmanship of similes is an insinuating thing and grows on us. This one, at any rate, has occurred to me, which I add to all the others, and irideed it can most fairly be called a simile (or likeness), being taken from a painter. Protogenes the painter is said to have taken eleven years to paint his Ialysus, painting nothing but the Ialysus all those eleven years. But, as for me, I painted not one but two Ialysuses at once, being no ordinary ones either of them, nor easy to depict, not only in respect of their faces and figures, but also of their characters and qualities, for the one is the great Imperator of all land and sea, and the other the great Imperator's son, his child in the same way as Athene is of Zeus, but thy son as Hephaestus is of Hera. But let there be no "halting" in this simile from Hephaestus. This defence of mine, then, would seem to be wholly verisimilous and picturesque, full as it is in itself of similes entirely. 5. It remains that I should, after the fashion of geometers, ask—what? If any word in this letter be obsolete or barbarous, or in any other way unauthorized, or not entirely Attic, look not at that, but only, I beseech you, at the intrinsic meaning of the word, for you know that I do spend time on mere words or mere idiom. And, indeed, it is said that the famous Scythian Anacharsis was by no means perfect in his Attic, but was praised for his meaning and his conceptions. I will compare myself, then, with Anacharsis, not, by heaven, in wisdom, but as being like him a barbarian. For he was a Scythian of the nomad Scythians, and I am a Libyan of the Libyan nomads. I as well as Anacharsis may browse fresh pastures, bleat therefore as well as he while browsing, just as one wills to bleat. See, I have assimilated barbarism to bleating. So will I make an end of writing nothing but similes.
1. How might I plead my case and win pardon from you for not having written to you these many days? Or is it plain enough, if I state the true cause of my lack of leisure? For I have been putting together a certain speech about the great Emperor. And the proverb of the Romans says that one ought not to hate a friend's character, but to know it. What sort my own character is I will tell you and not conceal it. Owing to my great natural ineptitude and worthlessness, I suffer something much like the animal the Romans call the hyena, whose neck, they say, is stretched out straight ahead, and cannot be bent toward either of its flanks. And I too, whenever I am composing something with more than usual eagerness, become a kind of unbending thing, and, letting go of everything else, I rush at that one object alone without turning back, just like the hyena. And the snakes they call "javelins" [the akontias, a darting serpent] are likewise said to dart straight ahead in some such way, and not to turn through the other twistings; and spears and bows too most especially hit their mark when they speed straight on, neither thrust aside by the wind nor made to miss by the hand of Athena or Apollo, as were the shafts shot by Teucer or by the suitors.
2. These three images, then, I have likened to myself: two of them wild and beast-like, that of the hyena and that of the snakes, and a third, that of the missiles, which is itself inhuman and unmusical. And if indeed I were also to say that, of the winds, the favorable one is most to be praised, because it carries the ship straight ahead and does not let it veer off to the sides, this would be a fourth image, and that one too forcible. And if I should add as well the point about the line, that the straight line is the eldest of all lines, I should be naming a fifth image, one that is not only inanimate, like that of the spears, but is also incorporeal.
3. What image, then, might be found that is convincing? One that is, above all, human; better still, if it is also musical [cultured]. And if friendship or love should have a share in it as well, the image would resemble its object still more. They say that Orpheus wailed because he turned to look back; but if he had looked straight ahead and walked straight on, he would not have wailed. Enough of images. For this one too, this image of Orpheus drawn up out of Hades, is somewhat unconvincing.
4. So I will plead my case from this point on, from where I might most easily win pardon. What, then, is this? That in composing the encomium of the Emperor I was doing what is especially pleasing both to you and to your son; and then, too, that I was making mention of you both and indeed naming you in the composition, just as lovers name their dearest over every cup. But truly the contrivance of images keeps streaming in and growing upon me. This one, at any rate, has appeared, which I mention last of all, and which most justly might be addressed as an image, since it comes from a painter. They say that Protogenes the painter took eleven years to paint his Ialysus, painting nothing else in those eleven years but the Ialysus. But for me not one but two Ialysuses were being painted at once, and not in their faces or forms alone, but also in their characters and their virtues, since both are no ordinary subjects, nor easy to paint; rather, the one is the great Emperor who rules all the earth and sea, and the other is the son of the great Emperor, his child in such a way as Athena is of Zeus, but your son as Hephaestus is of Hera. Yet let the matter of the feet be absent from this image of Hephaestus [that is, let the lameness not apply]. This, then, would be a plea that has turned out altogether image-like and pictorial, itself brimming full of images.
5. Still more, after the manner of the geometers, I shall make a request. Of what kind? If any of the words in these letters should be incorrect, or barbarous, or otherwise unapproved, or not entirely Attic, I ask you to take no heed of the word, but to consider the thought itself by itself; for you know that I spend my time on the very words and on the dialect itself. For indeed they say that the famous Scythian, that Anacharsis, did not speak Attic very well at all, but was praised for his thought and his reflections. I will compare myself, then, with Anacharsis, not, by Zeus, in respect of wisdom, but in respect of being likewise a barbarian. For he was a Scythian of the nomad Scythians, and I am a Libyan of the nomad Libyans. Grazing was common both to me and to Anacharsis; common, then, will be the bleating too as we graze, however one may bleat. In this way, then, I have likened speaking like a barbarian to bleating. And so I will stop, writing nothing else but images.
[...about three pages are missing...]
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.