Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 31

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 31

Factum Caesaris de Corfinio totum te probaturum scio: et, quo modo in

eius modi re, commodius cadere non potuit, quam ut res sine sanguine

confieret. Balbi mei tuique adventu delectatum te valde gaudeo. Is

quaecumque tibi de Caesare dixit, quaeque Caesar scripsit, scio, re

tibi probabit, quaecumque fortuna eius fuerit, verissime scripsisse.

 

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view; but it is rather a dream of mine than a hope, that he can be

persuaded to come to terms at this time. When he becomes settled and

recovers from fright, I shall have better hopes that your influence may

avail with him.

 

In desiring my friend the consul Lentulus to remain in Rome, you have

gratified Caesar, and myself too, I may assure you, in the highest

degree. I value Lentulus as much as Caesar. If he had allowed me

to renew my old intercourse, and had not again and again avoided

conversation with me, I should be less unhappy than I am. For do not

think that this crisis causes anyone more torment than it causes me,

when I see him, to whom I am more devoted than to myself, acting in

office in a way quite unfitted for a consul. If he only takes your

advice and believes our professions about Caesar, and serves the

remainder of his office in Rome, then I shall begin to hope that by

the advice of the Senate, on your suggestion and at his formal motion,

there may be effected a reconciliation between Pompey and Caesar. In

that event I shall think my life's mission accomplished.

 

I know that you will approve entirely of Caesar's action about

Corfinium. Under the circumstances there could have been nothing

better than a settlement without bloodshed. I am delighted that you

are pleased with the arrival of my and your Balbus. Whatever Balbus

has told you about Caesar, and whatever Caesar has said to you in his

letters, I am confident Caesar will convince you by his acts, be his

fortune what it will, that his professions were quite sincere.

 

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XVI

 

CICERO ATTICO,

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. Formiis IV Non. Mart. a. 705_]

 

Omnia mihi provisa sunt praeter occultum et tutum iter ad mare

superum. Hoc enim mari uti non possumus hoc tempore anni. Illuc autem,

quo spectat animus, et quo res vocat, qua veniam? Cedendum enim est

celeriter, ne forte qua re impediar atque alliger. Nec vero ille me

ducit, qui videtur; quem ego hominem ἀπολιτικώτατον omnium iam ante

cognoram, nunc vero etiam ἀστρατηγητότατον. Non me igitur is ducit,

sed sermo hominum, qui ad me a Philotimo scribitur. Is enim me ab

optimatibus ait conscindi. Quibus optimatibus, di boni! qui nunc

quo modo occurrunt, quo modo autem se venditant Caesari! Municipia

vero deum; nec simulant, ut cum de illo aegroto vota faciebant. Sed

plane, quicquid mali hic Pisistratus non fecerit, tam gratum erit,

quam si alium facere prohibuerit. Propitium hunc sperant, illum

iratum putant. Quas fieri censes ἀπαντήσεις ex oppidis, quos honores!

"Metuunt," inquies. Credo, sed mehercule illum magis. Huius insidiosa

elementia delectantur, illius iracundiam formidant. Iudices de CCCLX,

qui praecipue Gnaeo nostro delectabantur, ex quibus cotidie aliquem

video, nescio quas eius Lucerias horrent. Itaque quaero, qui sint isti

optimates,

 

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XVI

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Formiae, March 4_, B.C. _49_]

 

[Sidenote: Iliad vi, 442]

 

I have made provision for everything except a secret and safe passage

to the Adriatic. The other route I cannot face at this time of the

year. How can I get to that place on which my mind is set, and whither

fate calls? My departure must be in haste, for fear some obstacle and

hindrance should arise. It is not, as one might think, Pompey who

induces me to go. I have long known him to be the poorest of statesmen,

and I now see he is the poorest of generals. I am not induced by him,

but by the common talk of which Philotimus informs me. He says that the

loyalists are tearing me to tatters. Loyalists, good God! And see how

they are running to meet Caesar, and selling themselves to him. The

country towns are treating him as a god, and there is no pretence about

it, as there was in the prayers for Pompey's recovery from illness.

Any mischief this Pisistratus may leave undone will give as much

satisfaction as if he had prevented another from doing it. People hope

to placate Caesar; they think that Pompey is angered. What ovations

from the towns and what honour is paid him! In fright I dare say, but

they are more afraid of Pompey. They are delighted with the cunning

kindness of Caesar, and afraid of the anger of his rival. Those who are

on the jury list of 360 judges, the especial partisans of Pompey, some

of whom I see daily, shudder at vague Lucerias[79] which they conjure

up. So I ask what sort of loyalists are

 

[79] Cf. VIII, 11, where Pompey at Luceria is said to have talked of a

proscription.

 

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qui me exturbent, cum ipsi domi maneant. Sed tamen, quicumque sunt,

αἰδέομαι Τρῶας,. Etsi, qua spe proficiscar, video, coniungoque me cum

homine magis ad vastandum Italiam quam ad vincendum parato dominumque

exspecto. Et quidem, cum haec scribebam, IIII Nonas, iam exspectabam

aliquid a Brundisio. Quid autem "aliquid"? quam inde turpiter fugisset,

et victor hic qua se referret et quo. Quod ubi audissem, si ille Appia

veniret, ego Arpinum cogitabam.

 

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these, to banish me, while they remain at home? Still whoever they are

"I fear the Trojans." Yet I see clearly with what a prospect I set out,

and I join myself with a man ready to devastate our country rather than

to conquer its oppressor, and I look to serve a tyrant. And indeed on

March 4, the date of this letter, I am expecting every moment some

news from Brundisium. Why do I say "some news," when it is news of his

disgraceful flight, and the route by which the victor is returning and

the direction in which he is moving. On hearing that, I think of going

to Arpinum, if Caesar comes by the Appian way.

 

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M. TULLI CICERONIS EPISTULARUM AD ATTICUM LIBER NONUS

 

 

 

 

I CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Formiano prid. Non. Mart. a. 705_]

 

Etsi, cum tu has litteras legeres, putabam fore ut scirem iam, quid

Brundisi actum esset (nam Canusio VIIII Kal. profectus erat Gnaeus;

haec autem scribebam pridie Nonas XIIII die post, quam ille Canusio

moverat), tamen angebar singularum horarum exspectatione mirabarque

nihil allatum esse ne rumoris quidem; nam erat mirum silentium. Sed

haec fortasse κενόσπουδα sunt, quae tamen iam sciantur necesse est;

illud molestum, me adhuc investigare non posse, ubi P. Lentulus noster

sit, ubi Domitius. Quaero autem, quo facilius scire possim, quid acturi

sint, iturine ad Pompeium et, si sunt, qua quandove ituri sint.

 

Urbem quidem iam refertam esse optimatium audio, Sosium et Lupum,

quos Gnaeus noster ante putabat Brundisium venturos esse quam se,

ius dicere. Hinc vero vulgo vadunt; etiam M'. Lepidus, quocum diem

conterere solebam, eras cogitabat. Nos autem in Formiano morabamur,

quo citius audiremus; deinde Arpinum volebamus; inde, iter qua

maxime ἀναπάντητον esset, ad mare superum remotis sive omnino missis

lictoribus. Audio enim bonis viris, qui et nunc

 

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CICERO'S LETTERS TO ATTICUS BOOK IX

 

 

 

 

I

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Formiae, March 6_, B.C. _49_]

 

Although, when you read this letter, I think I shall know what has

been done at Brundisium, since Pompey left Canusium on the 21st of

February and I am writing this on the 6th of March, fourteen days after

his departure from Canusium, still I am in agonies of suspense as to

what each hour may bring, and I am astonished that I do not even get

a rumour. There is a strange hush. But perhaps this is much ado about

nothing, when we must know all about it soon enough. But it does worry

me that so far I have been unable to discover the whereabouts of my

friend Lentulus and of Domitius. I want to know, that I may be able to

find out what they are going to do, whether they are going to Pompey, and, if so, by what route and on what date.