Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 56

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 56

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Cumae, May 3_, B.C. _49_]

 

How blind I am not to have foreseen it! I send you Antony's letter.

I have often written to him that I planned nothing against Caesar's

policy, that I was mindful of my son-in-law, of our friendship,

 

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si aliter sentirem, esse cum Pompeio; me autem, quia cum lictoribus

invitus cursarem, abesse velle, nec id ipsum certum etiam nunc habere,

vide, quam ad haec παραινετικῶς:

 

"Tuum consilium quam verum est. Nam, qui se medium esse vult, in

patria manet, qui proficiscitur, aliquid de altera utra parte

iudicare videtur. Sed ego is non sum, qui statuere debeam, iure quis

proficiscatur necne; partes mihi Caesar has imposuit, ne quem omnino

discedere ex Italia paterer. Quare parvi refert me probare cogitationem

tuam, si nihil tamen tibi remittere possum. Ad Caesarem mittas censeo

et ab eo hoc petas. Non dubito, quin impetraturus sis, cum praesertim

te amicitiae nostrae rationem habiturum esse pollicearis."

 

Habes σκυτάλην Λακωνικήν. Omnino excipiam hominem. Erat autem v Nonas

venturus vesperi, id est hodie. Cras igitur ad me fortasse veniet.

Temptabo, audiam: nihil properare; missurum ad Caesarem. Clam agam, cum

paucissimis alicubi occultabor, certe hinc istis invitissimis evolabo,

atque utinam ad Curionem! Σύνες ὅ τοι λέγω. Magnus dolor accessit.

Efficietur aliquid dignum nobis.

 

Δυσουρία tua mihi valde molesta. Medere, amabo,

 

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that, if I had thought otherwise, I could have been with Pompey, that

I wished to leave Italy because I was loth to wander about with my

lictors, though I had not made up my mind definitely even to that. See

in what an _ex cathedra_ tone he answers me:--"Your policy is quite

right. For a man who wishes to be neutral remains in his country; the

man who leaves his country seems to express his conviction on one side

or the other; but it is not for me to determine, whether anyone has

the right to leave or not. The part Caesar has given me is not to let

anyone at all leave Italy; so it is of little use for me to approve

your plan, if all the same I cannot make an exception for you. I think

you should send to Caesar and ask him this favour. I have no doubt

that you will succeed, especially as you promise not to forget our

friendship."

 

That is a laconic epistle.[146] I will certainly take my cue from the

man. He is to come on the evening of the 3rd, that is to-day. To-morrow

therefore he will perhaps come to me. I will sound him: I will hear

him: say I am in no hurry: that I will send to Caesar. I will act

secretly, with a very few attendants I will lie hidden somewhere; but

assuredly, however unwilling these people are, I will fly off; and

would that it may be to Curio! "Mark what I say."[147] Another great

grief has come upon me. I will do something worthy of my reputation.

 

[146] Lit. "Laconian staff." Spartan dispatches were wound round a

staff in such a way that they could not be read when taken off it.

Here, however, Cicero only refers to their brevity.

 

[147] Probably a quotation from Pindar, _Frag._ 105.

 

Your malady gives me grave anxiety. I pray you

 

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dum est ἀρχή. De Massiliensibus gratae tuae mihi litterae. Quaeso,

ut sciam, quicquid audieris. Ocellam cuperem, si possem palam, quod

a Curione effeceram, Hic ego Servium exspecto; rogor enim ab eius

uxore et filio, et puto opus esse. Hic tamen Cytherida secum lectica

aperta portat, alteram uxorem. Septem praeterea coniunctae lecticae

amicarum sunt an amicorum. Vide, quam turpi leto pereamus, et dubita,

si potes, quin ille, seu victus seu victor redierit, caedem facturus

sit. Ego vero vel luntriculo, si navis non erit, eripiam me ex istorum

parricidio. Sed plura scribam, cum illum convenero.

 

Iuvenem nostrum non possum non amare, sed ab eo nos non amari plane

intellego. Nihil ego vidi tam ἀνηθοποίητον, tam aversum a suis, tam

nescio quid cogitans. O vim incredibilem molestiarum! Sed erit curae,

et est, ut regatur. Mirum est enim ingenium, ἤθους ἐπιμελητέον.

 

 

 

 

XI

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Cumano IV Non. Mai. a 705_]

 

Obsignata iam epistula superiore, non placuit ei dari, cui

constitueram, quod erat alienus. Itaque eo die data non est. Interim

venit Philotimus et mihi

 

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get medical advice in its initial stage. Your letter about the

Massilians[148] pleased me. Let me know whatever you hear. I should

have liked to have Ocella, if it could be done openly, and I had got

Curio to allow it. Here I am awaiting Servius Sulpicius, for it is at

the request of his wife and son, and I think it is necessary. Antony

carries about Cytheris[149] with him in an open litter as his second

wife, and besides he had seven other litters of friends male or female.

See what a disgraceful death we die, and doubt, if you can, that,

whether Caesar returns victor or vanquished, he will perpetrate a

massacre. Even in an open boat, if I cannot get a vessel, I will tear

myself away from these parricides and their doings. But I will write

more when I have met him.

 

[148] They had shut their gates to Caesar and were being besieged.

 

[149] An actress.

 

My nephew I cannot but love, though I see clearly that he has no

affection for me. I never saw anyone so unprincipled, so averse to his

own relations, with such mysterious plans. What a weight of anxiety!

But it will be my business, as it is now, to discipline him: he has

wonderful ability, but his character requires training.

 

 

 

 

XI

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Cumae, May 4_, B.C. _49_]

 

After sealing my former letter, I did not feel inclined to hand it to

the person that I had intended, as he was a stranger; so it was not

despatched on that day. Meantime Philotimus came and gave me

 

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a te litteras reddidit. Quibus quae de fratre meo scribis, sunt ea

quidem parum firma, se habent nihil ὕπουλον, nihil fallax, nihil non

flexibile ad bonitatem, nihil, quod non, quo velis, uno sermone possis

perducere; ne multa, omnes suos, etiam quibus irascitur crebrius, tamen

caros habet, me quidem se ipso cariorem. Quod de puero aliter ad te

scripsit et ad matrem de filo, non reprehendo. De itinere[150] et de

sorore quae scribis, molesta sunt, eoque magis, quod ea tempora nostra

sunt, ut ego iis mederi non possim. Nam certe mederer; sed, quibus in

malis et qua in desperatione rerum simus, vides.

 

[150] itinere _most editors_: itine _MZ_: Quinto _Tyrrell_.

 

Illa de ratione nummaria non sunt eius modi (saepe enim audio ex ipso),

ut non cupiat tibi praestare et in eo laboret. Sed, si mihi Q. Axius

in hac mea fuga HS X̅I̅I̅I̅ non reddit, quae dedi eius filio mutua, et

utitur excusatione temporis, si Lepta, si ceteri, soleo mirari, de

nescio quis HS X̅X̅ cum audio ex illo se urgeri. Vides enim profecto

angustias. Curari tamen ea tibi utique iubet. An existimas illum in

isto genere lentulum aut restrictum? Nemo est minus. De fratre satis.

 

De eius iuvene filio, indulsit illi quidem suus pater semper, sed non

facit indulgentia mendacem aut avarum aut non amantem suorum, ferocem

fortasse atque arrogantem et infestum facit. Itaque habet haec quoque,

quae nascuntur ex indulgentia, sed ea sunt tolerabilia (quid enim

dicam?) hac inventute; ea vero,

 

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a letter from you. The conduct of my brother about which you write

shows little firmness, but no chicanery, no treachery, nothing

inflexibly opposed to goodness, nothing that cannot be turned where you

will by a single conversation. In short all his relations, even those

with whom he is so often angry, are nevertheless dear to him, and I

to be sure am dearer than life. I do not blame him for writing in one

strain about his boy to you and in another to the boy's mother. I am

distressed by what you say about the journey and your sister, and the

more so because the times are such that I cannot remedy the matter. For

certainly I would have done so: but you see in what trouble I am, what desperation.