Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 69

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 69

XV

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. Brundisi prid. Id. Mai. a. 707_]

 

Quoniam iustas causas adfers, cur te hoc tempore videre non possim,

quaere, quaeso, quid sit mihi faciendum. Ille enim ita videtur

Alexandream tenere, ut eum scribere etiam pudeat de illis rebus, hi

autem ex Africa iam adfuturi videntur, Achaici, item ex Asia redituri

ad eos aut libero aliquo loco commoraturi. Quid mihi igitur putas

agendum? Video difficile esse consilium. Sum enim solus aut cum altero,

cui neque ad illos reditus sit neque ab his ipsis quicquam ad spem

ostendatur. Sed tamen scire velim, quid censeas; idque erat cum aliis,

cur te, si fieri posset, cuperem videre.

 

Minucium X̅I̅I̅ sola curasse scripsi ad te antea. Quod superest, velim

videas, ut curetur. Quintus non modo non cum magna prece ad me, sed

acerbissime scripsit, filius vero mirifico odio. Nihil fingi

 

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Page 397

 

you were able to raise the £250,[183] if there had not been a good

receipt from Fufidius' estates. However I am looking forward eagerly

to your coming: it is my great desire to see you, if it is anyhow

possible--for indeed circumstances demand it. The end is now drawing

near; and, what it will be, it is easy to estimate at Rome, but here it

is more difficult. Farewell.

 

[183] 30,000 sesterces.

 

 

 

 

XV

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Brundisium, May 14_, B.C. _47_]

 

Since you give good reasons why I cannot see you at the present time,

pray consider what I am to do. For although Caesar holds Alexandria, he

seems to be ashamed even to send a dispatch about it, while the others

are apparently on the eve of coming here from Africa, and those in

Achaia too are either going to return from Asia to join them or they

are going to stop in some neutral place. So what do you think I am to

do? I see advice is difficult. For I am the one and only person--except

perhaps one other, who cannot return to the one party and who has no

hope at all offered him from the other. Still I should like to know

what you think: and that was one reason, among others, why I should

have liked to see you, if it were possible.

 

I told you before that Minucius has only paid £100.[184] Please see

that the rest is provided. Quintus in his letter instead of an earnest

appeal used the most bitter language, and his son showed extraordinary

animosity. There is no conceivable ill

 

[184] 12,000 sesterces.

 

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Page 398

 

potest mali, quo non urgear. Omnia tamen sunt faciliora quam peccati

dolor, qui et maximus est et aeternus. Cuius peccati si socios essem

habiturus ego, quos putavi, tamen esset ea consolatio tenuis. Sed

habet aliorum omnium ratio exitum, mea nullum. Alii capti, alii

interclusi non veniunt in dubium de voluntate, eo minus scilicet, cum

se expedierint et una esse coeperint. Ei autem ipsi, qui sua voluntate

ad Fufium venerunt, nihil possunt nisi timidi existimari. Multi autem

sunt, qui, quocumque modo ad illos se recipere volent, recipientur.

Quo minus debes mirari non posse me tanto dolori resistere. Solius

enim meum peccatum corrigi non potest et fortasse Laeli. Sed quid me

id levat? Nam C. quidem Cassium aiunt consilium Alexandream eundi

mutavisse.

 

Haec ad te scribo, non ut queas tu demere[185] sollicitudinem, sed ut

cognoscam, ecquid tu ad ea adferas, quae me conficiunt; ad quae gener

accedit et cetera, quae fletu reprimor ne scribam. Quin etiam Aesopi

filius me excruciat. Prorsus nihil abest, quin sim miserrimus. Sed

ad primum revertor, quid putes faciendum, occultene aliquo propius

veniendum an

 

[185] queas tu demere _M_ (_margin_): quem tuam demere _M_.

 

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Page 399

 

with which I am not oppressed. But all of them are lighter to bear than

my sense of guilt: that is overwhelming and enduring. If I were to have

those, whom I thought I had, to share that guilt, that would still be

some consolation, though a poor one. But every one else's case admits

of some way out, mine of none. Some were captured, some cut off, so

there is no doubt about their intentions, especially since they have

extricated themselves and joined forces again. Nay even those, who of

their own free will came to Fufius,[186] can only be thought cowards.

But there are many who will be taken back, however they choose to take

themselves back to the fold. So you ought not to be surprised that I

cannot bear up against all my sorrow. For I am the one and only person

whose slip cannot be mended, except perhaps Laelius--and what good is

that?--for they say even C. Cassius has changed his mind about going to

Alexandria.

 

[186] Q. Fufius Calenus was appointed governor of Greece after

Pharsalia by Caesar, and many Pompeians surrendered to him.

 

This I am writing to you not in the hope that you may remove my

care, but to know whether you have any suggestion to make about the

things that are wearing me out: to the rest you may add my son-in-law

and other things which tears prevent me from writing. Why, even

Aesopus'[187] son grieves me sorely. There is absolutely nothing

wanting to make me the most miserable of men. But I return to the first

point. What do you think I ought to do, come secretly

 

[187] Aesopus was a famous tragic actor and a friend of Cicero. His son

was dissolute and supposed to have a bad influence on Dolabella.

 

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Page 400

 

mare transeundum. Nam hic maneri diutius non potest.

 

De Fufidianis quare nihil potuit confici? Genus enim condicionis eius

modi fuit, in quo non solet esse controversia, cum ea pars, quae

videtur esse minor, licitatione expleri posset. Hoc ego non sine causa

quaero. Suspicor enim coheredes dubiam nostram causam putare et eo rem

in integro esse malle. Vale.

 

Pr. Idus Maias.

 

 

 

 

XVI

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. Brundisi III Non. Iun. a. 707_]

 

Non meo vitio fit hoc quidem tempore (ante enim est peccatum), ut

me ista epistula nihil consoletur. Nam et exigue scripta est et

suspiciones magnas habet non esse ab illo; quas animadvertisse te

existimo. De obviam itione ita faciam, ut suades. Neque enim ulla

de adventu eius opinio est, neque, si qui ex Asia veniunt, quicquam

auditum esse dicunt de pace; cuius ego spe in hanc fraudem incidi.

 

Nihil video, quod sperandum putem, nunc praesertim, cum ea plaga in

Asia sit accepta, in Illyrico, in Cassiano negotio, in ipsa Alexandrea,

in urbe, in Italia. Ego vero, etiamsi rediturus ille est, qui adhuc

 

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Page 401

 

somewhere nearer Rome, or cross the sea? For stay here any longer I

cannot.

 

Why could nothing be settled about Fufidius' estate? For the

arrangement was one about which there is generally no dispute, since

the share, which seems smaller, can be made up by the proceeds of the

sale.[188] I have a reason for asking. For I suspect my co-heirs think

my case is doubtful, and so prefer to keep the matter open. Farewell.

 

[188] If property could not be divided fairly among heirs, the

indivisible part was put up for private auction among them and the

proceeds divided. May 14.