Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 46

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 46

copiis, quas habuit, profectum esse; Caesarem postero die in oppidum

introisse, contionatum esse, inde Romam contendisse, velle ante K.

esse ad urbem et pauculos dies ibi commorari, deinde in Hispanias

proficisci. Nobis non alienum visum est, quoniam de adventu Caesaris

pro certo habebamus, pueros tuos ad te remittere, ut id tu quam primum

scires. Mandata tua nobis curae sunt, eaque, ut tempus postularit,

agemus. Trebatius sedulo facit, ut antecedat.

 

Epistula conscripta nuntiatum est nobis Caesarem a. d. VIII K. April.

Beneventi mansurum, a. d. VII Capuae, a. d. VI Sinuessae. Hoc pro certo

putamus."

 

 

 

 

XVI

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Formiano VII K. Apr. a. 705_]

 

Cum, quod scriberem ad te, nihil haberem, tamen, ne quem diem

intermitterem, has dedi litteras. A. d. VI K. Caesarem Sinuessae

mansurum nuntiabant. Ab eo mihi litterae redditae sunt a. d. VII K.,

quibus iam "opes" meas, non ut superioribus litteris "opem" exspectat.

Cum eius clementiam Corfiniensem illam per litteras collaudavissem,

rescripsit hoc exemplo:

 

"CAESAR IMP. CICERONI IMP. SAL. DIC.

 

Recte auguraris de me (bene enim tibi cognitus sum) nihil a me abesse

longius crudelitate. Atque ego cum ex ipsa re magnam capio voluptatem

tum meum factum probari abs te triumpho gaudio. Neque illud me movet,

quod ii, qui a me dimissi sunt,

 

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Page 261

 

Brundisium on the 17th of March: that Caesar on the next day entered

the town, made a speech and went off at full speed to Rome, meaning to

be at the city before the 1st of April, to remain there a few days and

then to set out for Spain. It seemed proper since we had sure news of

Caesar's approach to send your servants back to you to give information

as early as possible. Your charges have our attention, and we will act

as circumstances demand. Trebatius is trying hard to reach you before

Caesar.

 

"When this letter had been written, news came to us that Caesar would

stop on the 25th at Beneventum, at Capua on the 26th, on the 27th at

Sinuessa. This we consider certain."

 

 

 

 

XVI

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Formiae, March 26_, B.C. _49_]

 

Though I have nothing to write to you, still, not to miss a day, I send

this letter. On the 27th of March Caesar will stop at Sinuessa, they

say. He sent me a letter dated the 26th, in which he looks forward to

my "resources," not as in the former letter to "my help." I had written

praising to the skies his kindness, his clemency at Corfinium. He

replied as follows:

 

"CAESAR IMPERATOR TO CICERO IMPERATOR, GREETING.

 

"You are right to infer of me (for I am well known to you) that there

is nothing further from my nature than cruelty. Whilst I take great

pleasure from that fact, I am proud indeed that my action wins your

approval. I am not moved because it is said that those,

 

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Page 262

 

discessisse dicuntur, ut mihi rursus bellum inferrent. Nihil enim

malo quam et me mei similem esse et illos sui. Tu velim mihi ad urbem

praesto sis, ut tuis consiliis atque opibus, ut consuevi, in omnibus

rebus utar. Dolabella tuo nihil scito mihi esse iucundius. Hanc adeo

habebo gratiam illi; neque enim aliter facere poterit. Tanta eius

humanitas, is sensus, ea in me est benevolentia."

 

 

 

 

XVII

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Formiano VI K. Apr. a. 705_]

 

Trebatium VI Kal., quo die has litteras dedi, exspectabam. Ex eius

nuntio Matique litteris meditabor, quo modo cum illo loquar. O tempus

miserum! Nec dubito, quin a me contendat, ad urbem veniam. Senatum enim

Kalendis velle se frequentem adesse etiam Formiis proscribi iussit.

Ergo ei negandum est? Sed quid praeripio? Statim ad te perscribam

omnia. Ex illius sermone statuam, Arpinumne mihi eundum sit an quo

alio. Volo Ciceroni meo togam puram dare, istic puto. Tu, quaeso,

cogita, quid deinde. Nam me hebetem molestiae reddiderunt. A Curio

velim scire ecquid ad te scriptum sit de Tirone. Ad me enim ipse Tiro

ita scripsit, ut verear, quid agat. Qui autem veniunt inde, κινδυνώδη

nuntiant. Sane in magnis curis etiam haec me sollicitant. In hac enim

fortuna perutilis eius et opera et fidelitas esset.

 

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Page 263

 

whom I let go, have departed to wage war on me again, for there is

nothing I like better than that I should be true to myself and they

to themselves. I could wish you to meet me at Rome that I may avail

myself of your advice and resources, as usual, in everything. You must

know that nothing pleases me more than the presence of your relative

Dolabella. This favour also I shall owe to him; for he will not be able

to do otherwise than arrange it, such is his kindness, his feeling and

goodwill towards me."

 

 

 

 

XVII

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Formiae, March 27_, B.C. _49_]

 

I am awaiting Trebatius on March the 27th, the date of this letter.

From his tidings and Matius' letter I shall consider how to talk to

Caesar. What a wretched age this is! I have no doubt Caesar will urge

me to come to Rome. For he gave orders that notices should be posted

even at Formiae that he wanted a full house on the 1st. Must I refuse?

But why do I anticipate? I will write you all about it at once. From

Caesar's conversation I shall decide whether I ought to go to Arpinum

or elsewhere. I wish to celebrate my son's coming of age. Arpinum, I

think, will be the place. Please consider what I should do next, for

my troubles have made me stupid. From Curius I want to hear whether

you have had news about Tiro. For to me Tiro has written in such a way

that I am anxious to know how he is. Those two who come from his part

say that his condition is critical. In the midst of many great troubles

this also distresses me; for in our present straits his energy and

loyalty would be very serviceable.

 

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Page 264

 

 

 

 

XVIII

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. Arpini V K. Apra. 705_]

 

Utrumque ex tuo consilio; nam et oratio fuit ea nostra, ut bene potius

ille de nobis existimaret quam gratias ageret, et in eo mansimus,

ne ad urbem. Illa fefellerunt, facilem quod putaramus. Nihil vidi

minus. Damnari se nostro iudicio, tardiores fore reliquos, si nos non

veniremus, dicere. Ego dissimilem illorum esse causam. Cum multa,

"Veni igitur et age de pace." "Meone," inquam, "arbitratu?" "An tibi,"

inquit, "ego praescribam?" "Sic," inquam, "agam, senatui non placere

in Hispanias iri nec exercitus in Graeciam transportari, multaque,"

inquam, "de Gnaeo deplorabo." Tum ille: "Ego vero ista dici nolo." "Ita

putabam," inquam; "sed ego eo nolo adesse, quod aut sic mihi dicendum

est, multaque, quae nullo modo possem silere, si adessem, aut non

veniendum." Summa fuit, ut ille quasi exitum quaerens, ut deliberarem.

Non fuit negandum. Ita discessimus. Credo igitur hunc me non amare. At

ego me amavi, quod mihi iam pridem usu non venit.

 

Reliqua, o di! qui comitatus, quae, ut tu soles dicere, νέκυια! in

qua erat ἥρως Celer. O rem perditam! o copias desperatas! Quid, quod

Servi filius, quod Titini in iis castris fuerunt, quibus Pompeius

circumsederetur! Sex legiones; multum vigilat,

 

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Page 265

 

 

 

 

XVIII

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Arpinum, March 28_, B.C. _49_]

 

In both respects I followed your advice. I spoke so as to gain Caesar's

respect rather than his gratitude; and I persisted in my resolve not to

go to Rome. We were mistaken in thinking he would be easy to manage. I

have never seen anyone less easy. He kept on saying that my decision

was a slur on him, and that others would be less likely to come, if I

did not come. I pointed out that my case was very unlike theirs. After

much talk he said, "Well, come and discuss peace." "On my own terms?"

I asked. "Need I dictate to you?" said he. "Well," said I, "I shall

contend that the Senate cannot sanction your invasion of Spain or your

going with an army into Greece, and," I added, "I shall lament Pompey's

fate." He replied, "That is not what I want." "So I fancied," said I:

"but I do not want to be in Rome, because either I must say that and

much else, on which I cannot keep silent, if I am present, or else I

cannot come." The upshot was that I was to think over the matter, as

Caesar suggested, with a view to closing our interview. I could not

refuse. So we parted. I am confident then he has no liking for me. But I like myself, as I have not for a long time.