Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 64

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 64

crudelissime cogitatum est. Quare voluntatis me meae numquam

paenitebit, consilii paenitet. In oppido aliquo mallem resedisse, quoad

accerserer: minus sermonis subissem, minus accepissem doloris; ipsum

hoc me non angeret. Brundisi iacere in omnes partes est molestum.

Propius accedere, ut suades, quo modo sine lictoribus, quos populus

dedit, possum? qui mihi incolumi adimi non possunt. Quos ego nunc

paulisper cum bacillis in turbam conieci ad oppidum accedens, ne

quis impetus militum fieret. Reliquo tempore me domi tenui.[172]

Ad Oppium et Balbum scripsi,[173] quonam iis placeret modo propius

accedere, ut hac de re considerarent. Credo fore auctores. Sic enim

recipiunt, Caesari non modo de conservanda, sed etiam de augenda mea

dignitate curae fore, meque hortantur, ut magno animo sim, ut omnia

summa sperem. Ea spondent, confirmant. Quae quidem mihi exploratiora

essent, si remansissem. Sed ingero praeterita; vide, quaeso, igitur

ea, quae restant, et explora cum istis, et, si putabis opus esse, et

si istis placebit, quo magis factam nostrum Caesar probet quasi de

suorum sententia factum, adhibeantur Trebonius, Pansa, si qui alii,

scribantque ad Caesarem me, quicquid fecerim, de sua sententia fecisse.

 

[172] Reliquo tempore me domi tenui _Hofmann_: recipio tempore me domo

te nunc _MSS._

 

[173] Balbum scripsi _added by Lambinus and Lehmann_.

 

Tulliae meae morbus et imbecillitas corporis me exanimat. Quam tibi

intellego magnae curae esse, quod est mihi gratissimum. De Pompei exitu

mihi

 

* * * * *

 

Page 367

 

but the cruellest thoughts were entertained about you personally. So

I shall never regret my resolve; but I do regret my plan of action.

I wish I had settled down in some town, till I was called for. There

would have been less talk about me, less pain for me; this particular

regret at any rate would not be worrying me. To remain inactive at

Brundisium is annoying from every point of view. And how can I go

nearer to Rome, as you advise, without the lictors given me by the

people? They cannot be taken from me without depriving me of my rights.

Only lately, as I was approaching Brundisium, I made them mix with the

crowd with nothing but sticks in their hands for fear the soldiery

might attack them: ever since I have kept at home. I have written to

Oppius and to Balbus, asking them to consider how I can move nearer

to Rome. I think they will advise me to do so. For they promise that

Caesar will be anxious not only to preserve my dignity, but even to

increase it; and they bid me be of good cheer and entertain the highest

of hopes. This they warrant and guarantee. Personally I should have

felt surer about it, if I had stayed where I was. But that is harping

on the past; so pray look to the future and investigate the matter

with them, and, if you think it necessary and they approve, call in

Trebonius, Pansa and anyone else you like, that I may win Caesar's

approval by appearing to follow his friends' advice, and let them write

to Caesar, telling him that, what I have done, I did at their advice.

 

My dear Tullia's illness and weakness frightens me to death. I

understand you are taking great care of her, and I am very grateful.

About Pompey's end

 

* * * * *

 

Page 368

 

dubium numquam fuit. Tanta enim desperatio rerum eius omnium regum

et populorum animos occuparat, ut, quocumque venisset, hoc putarem

futurum. Non possum eius casum non dolere; hominem enim integrum et

castum et gravem cognovi. De Fannio consoler te? Perniciosa loquebatur

de mansione tua. L. vero Lentulus Hortensi domum sibi et Caesaris

hortos et Baias desponderat. Omnino haec eodem modo ex hac parte fiunt,

nisi quod illud erat infintum. Omnes enim, qui in Italia manserant,

hostium numero habebantur. Sed velim haec aliquando solutiore animo.

 

Quintum fratrem audio profectum in Asiam, ut deprecaretur. De filio

nihil audivi; sed quaere ex Diochare, Caesaris liberto, quem ego non

vidi, qui istas Alexandrea litteras attulit. Is dicitur vidisse Quintum

euntem an iam in Asia. Tuas litteras, prout res postulat, exspecto.

Quas velim cures quam primum ad me perferendas. IIII K. Decembr.

 

 

 

 

VII

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. Brundisi XIV Kal. Ian. a. 706_]

 

Gratae tuae mihi litterae sunt, quibus accurate perscripsisti omnia,

quae ad me pertinere arbitratus es. Et factum igitur tu scribis istis

placere et placere[174] isdem istis lictoribus me uti, quod concessum

Sestio

 

[174] es. Et factum igitur tu scribis istis placere et placere

_Steinkopf_: est ea factum igitur ut scribis istis placere _MSS._

 

* * * * *

 

Page 369

 

I never had any doubt. For despair of his success had so completely

taken possession of the minds of all the kings and peoples, that I

thought this would happen to him, wherever he might go. I cannot help

feeling sorry for his fate, for I knew him to be a man of honour and

high moral principle. Am I to condole with you about Fannius? He used

to speak virulently of you for staying in Rome. L. Lentulus, you know,

had promised himself Hortensius' house, Caesar's gardens, and a place

at Baiae. Precisely the same is taking place on this side too, except

that on the other there was no limit. For they counted every one who

stayed in Italy as an enemy. But I would rather speak of this sometime

when I am less worried.

 

I hear my brother Quintus has set out for Asia to make his peace. About

his son I have heard nothing; but ask Diochares, Caesar's freedman, who

brought those letters from Alexandria. I have not seen him. He is said

to have seen Quintus either on the way, or was it already in Asia? I am

looking forward to a letter from you, as the occasion demands. Please

try to get it conveyed to me as soon as possible.

 

November 27.

 

 

 

 

VII

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Brundisium, Dec. 17_, B.C. _48_]

 

I am much obliged to you for your letter, in which you have recorded

carefully everything you think concerns me. So you say that they

approve both of my actions, and of my keeping my lictors, as Sestius

is allowed to keep his: though in his case I think it is not so much a

question of being allowed to keep

 

* * * * *

 

Page 370

 

sit; cui non puto suos esse concessos, sed ad ipso datos. Audio enim

eum ea senatus consulta improbare, quae post discessum tribunorum

facta sunt. Quare poterit, si volet sibi constare, nostros lictores

comprobare,

 

Quamquam quid ego de lictoribus, qui paene ex Italia decedere sim

iussus? Nam ad me misit Antonius exemplum Caesaris ad se litterarum,

in quibus erat se audisse Catonem et L. Metellum in Italiam venisse,

Romae ut essent palam. Id sibi non placere, ne qui motus ex eo fierent;

prohiberique omnes Italia, nisi quorum ipse causam cognovisset;

deque eo vehementius erat scriptum. Itaque Antonius petebat a me per

litteras, ut sibi ignoscerem; facere se non posse, quin iis litteris

pareret. Tum ad eum misi L. Lamiam, qui demonstraret illum Dolabellae

dixisse, ut ad me scriberet, ut in Italiam quam primum venirem; eius

me litteris venisse. Tum ille edixit ita, ut me exciperet et Laelium

nominatim. Quod sane nollem; poterat enim sine nomine res ipsa excipi.

 

O multas et graves offensiones! quas quidem tu das operam ut lenias,

nec tamen nihil proficis, quin hoc ipso minuis dolorem meum, quod,

ut minuas, tam valde laboras; idque velim ne gravere quam saepissime

facere. Maxime autem adsequere, quod vis, si me adduxeris, ut existimem

me bonorum iudicium non funditus perdidisse. Quamquam quid tu in eo

potes? Nihil scilicet. Sed, si quid res dabit tibi facultatis, id me

maxima consolari poterit; quod nunc quidem

 

* * * * *

 

Page 371

 

them as of their being assigned to him by Caesar himself. For I am told

he repudiates all the decrees of the Senate which were passed after the

departure of the tribunes. So, if he wants to be consistent, he will be

able to approve my lictors.

 

However, what is the use of talking about lictors, when I have almost

been ordered to leave Italy. For Antony has sent me a copy of a letter

from Caesar, in which he said he had heard that Cato and L. Metellus

had come to Italy and intended to live openly at Rome: that he did not

like, for fear it might cause some disturbance: and that none may enter

Italy, until he has himself investigated their case. He put the point

very strongly. So Antony wrote asking my pardon, and saying he could

not help obeying the letter. Then I sent L. Lamia to him to point out

that Caesar had told Dolabella to write and tell me to come to Italy as

soon as possible: and that it was on the strength of that letter that

I had come. Then Antony issued an edict excepting myself and Laelius

by name. I wish he had not done that: he might have made an exception

without mentioning names.

 

What a heap of troubles and how serious too! And you are doing your

best to make them lighter, and with some success--indeed that you try

so hard to relieve me is some relief in itself. I hope you won't find

it a burden to do so as often as possible. But you will succeed in your

object best, if you can convince me that I have not entirely lost the

good opinion of the loyal party. Yet what can you do in that matter?

Nothing of course. But, if anything gives a chance, that is what will best console me. I see that at present it is impossible: