Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 61

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 61

XVIII

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Cumano XIV aut XIII K. Iun. a. 705_]

 

Tullia mea peperit XIIII K. Iun. puerum ἑπταμηνιαῖον. Quod εὐτόκησεν,

gaudeo; quod quidem est natum, perimbecillum est. Me mirificae

tranquillitates adhuc tenuerunt atque maiori impedimento fuerunt quam

custodiae, quibus adservor. Nam illa Hortensiana omnia fuere infantia.

Ita fiet. Homo nequissimus a Salvio liberto depravatus est. Itaque

posthac non scribam ad te, quid facturus sim, sed quid fecerim; omnes

enim Κωρυκαῖοι videntur subauscultare, quae loquor.

 

Tu tamen, si quid de Hispaniis sive quid aliud, perge, quaeso, scribere

nec meas litteras exspectaris, nisi cum, quo opto, pervenerimus, aut si

quid ex cursu. Sed hoc quoque timide scribo. Ita omnia tarda adhuc et

spissa. Ut male posuimus initia, sic cetera sequuntur.

 

Formias nunc sequimur; eodem nos fortasse Furiae persequentur. Ex Balbi

autem sermone, quem tecum habuit, non probamus de Melita. Dubitas

igitur, quin nos in hostium numero habeat? Scripsi equidem Balbo te ad

me et de benevolentia scripsisse et de

 

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what you intend, and especially if there is any news.

 

May 16.

 

 

 

 

XVIII

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Cumae, May 19 or 20_, B.C. _49_]

 

My daughter was confined on the 19th of May: a boy, a seven months'

child. I am glad she had a safe delivery. As for the thing that has

been born, it is a very poor specimen. So far I have been detained by

an astonishing calm, which has been a greater hindrance than the watch

kept on me. For all that gush of Hortensius proved child's talk. So it

will be found. The villain has been corrupted by Salvius his freeman.

Accordingly hereafter I shall write to you, not what I intend to do but

what I have done. For every eavesdropper[164] seems to be listening to

what I say.

 

[164] The people of Corycus in Pamphylia spied on merchant vessels and

betrayed them to pirates. Hence their name became a proverbial term for

spies and eavesdroppers.

 

However if you have any news about Spain or any other topic, please

write, but do not count on a letter from me, till I have reached

the desired haven; or possibly I may write something on the voyage.

But even this much I write in fear. How sluggishly and draggingly

everything has gone! The foundation was badly laid and the rest is of a

piece.

 

Just now I am going to Formiae; perhaps there too the Furies will

follow me. However according to Balbus' conversation with you my idea

of going to Malta does not win approval. Can you doubt then that Caesar

regards me as an enemy? To be sure I have written to Balbus telling him

that you had informed me of his kindness and his suspicion. I

 

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suspicione. Egi gratias; de altero ei me purga. Ecquem tu hominem

infeliciorem? Non loquor plura, ne te quoque excruciem. Ipse conficior

venisse tempus, cum iam nec fortiter nec prudenter quicquam facere

possim.

 

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Page 351

 

thanked him for his kindness: as regards the suspicion, clear me. Is

there a more unlucky man living? I won't say more for fear of hurting

you too. I am tortured by the thought that the time has come when I can

no longer act either with boldness or discretion.

 

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M. TULLI CICERONIS EPISTULARUM AD ATTICUM LIBER UNDECIMUS

 

 

 

 

I

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Epiro inter Non. et Id. Ian., ut videtur, a. 706_]

 

Accepi a te signatum libellum, quem Anteros attulerat; ex quo nihil

scire potui de nostris domesticis rebus. De quibus acerbissime

adflictor, quod, qui eas dispensavit, neque adest istic, neque, ubi

terrarum sit, scio. Omnem autem spem habeo existimationis privatarumque

rerum in tua erga me mihi perspectissima benevolentia. Quam si his

temporibus miseris et extremis praestiteris, haec pericula, quae mihi

communia sunt cum ceteris, fortius feram; idque ut facias, te obtestor

atque obsecro. Ego in cistophoro in Asia habeo ad sestertium bis et

viciens. Huius pecuniae permutatione fidem nostram facile tuebere; quam

quidem ego nisi expeditam relinquere me putassem credens ei, cui tu

scis iam pridem minime credere me debere, commoratus essem paulisper

nec domesticas res impeditas reliquissem. Ob eamque causam serius ad te

scribo, quod sero intellexi, quid timendum esset. Te etiam atque etiam

oro, ut me totum tuendum suscipias, ut, si ei salvi erunt, quibuscum

sum, una cum iis possim incolumis esse salutemque meam benevolentiae

tuae acceptam referre.

 

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CICERO'S LETTERS TO ATTICUS BOOK XI

 

 

 

 

I

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Epirus, January_, B.C. _48_]

 

I got your sealed document, which Anteros brought. It gave me no

information about my private affairs. I am exceedingly distressed

about them, because Philotimus, who managed them, is not at Rome, nor

do I know where in the world he is. And my whole hope of preserving

my credit and private property lies in your tried and proved kindness

towards me. If in this last desperate crisis you still show that, I

shall face the dangers which I share with others more courageously:

and I adjure and beseech you to do so. I have in local currency[165]

in Asia nearly £18,000.[166] By a bill of exchange for that amount it

will be easy for you to maintain my credit. Unless I had thought I were

leaving it all square (trusting one, whom you have long since known I

ought not to have trusted), I should have delayed a little longer and

not left my private concerns embarrassed. The reason why I have been

rather long in writing to you about it, is that I was a long time in

gathering what was to be feared. Again and again I beseech you that you

undertake to protect me in every way, so that, supposing my present

associates are spared, I may along with them remain unembarrassed and

put down my safety to your kindness.

 

[165] An Asiatic coin bearing as a device the _cista_ of Dionysius half

opened with a snake creeping out of it.

 

[166] 2,200,000 sesterces.

 

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II

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Epiro med. m. Mart., ut videtur, a. 706_]

 

Litteras tuas accepi pr. Non. Febr. eoque ipso die ex testamento crevi

hereditatem. Ex multis meis miserrimis curis est una levata, si, ut

scribis, ista hereditas fidem et famam meam tueri potest; quam quidem

intellego te etiam sine hereditate tuis opibus defensurum fuisse. De

dote quod scribis, per omnes deos te obtestor, ut totam rem suscipias

et illam miseram mea culpa et neglegentia tueare meis opibus, si quae

sunt, tuis, quibus tibi molestum non erit, facultatibus. Cui quidem

deesse omnia, quod scribis, obsecro te, noli pati. In quos enim sumptus

abeunt fructus praediorum? Iam illa HS L̅X̅, quae scribis, nemo mihi

umquam dixit ex dote esse detracta; numquam enim essem passus. Sed haec

minima est ex eis iniuriis, quas accepi; de quibus ad te dolore et

lacrimis scribere prohibeor. Ex ea pecunia, quae fuit in Asia, partem

dimidiam fere exegi. Tutius videbatur fore ibi, ubi est, quam apud

publicanos. Quod me hortaris, ut firmo sim animo, vellem posses aliquid adferre,

quam ob rem id facere possem. Sed, si ad ceteras miserias accessit

etiam id, quod mihi Chrysippus dixit parari (tu nihil significasti) de