Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 72

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 72

et alia timenda sunt ab aliis Quintisque, et ab hoc ipso quae dantur ut

a domino, rursus in eiusdem sunt potestate. Etiam Sallustio ignovit.

Omnino dicitur nemini negare; quod ipsum est suspectum, notionem eius

differri. M. Gallius Q. f. mancipia Sallustio reddidit. Is venit, ut

legiones in Siciliam traduceret. Eo protinus iturum Caesarem Patris.

Quod si faciet, ego, quod ante mallem, aliquo propius accedam. Tuas

litteras ad eas, quibus a te proxime consilium petivi, vehementer

exspecto. Vale.

 

XVI Kal. Septembres.

 

 

 

 

XXI

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. Brundisi VI K. Sept. a. 707_]

 

Accepi VI Kal. Sept. litteras a te datas XII Kal. doloremque, quem ex

Quinti scelere iam pridem acceptum iam abieceram, lecta eius epistula

gravissimum cepi. Tu etsi non potuisti ullo modo facere, ut mihi illam

epistulam non mitteres, tamen mallem non esse missam.

 

Ad ea autem, quae scribis de testamento, videbis, quid et quo modo. De

nummis et illa sic scripsit ut ego ad te antea, et nos, si quid opus

erit, utemur ex eo, de quo scribis.

 

* * * * *

 

Page 413

 

I have to fear from the Quinti and others: and Caesar's own regal

concessions are again in his own power to revoke. He has even pardoned

Sallustius. Indeed he is said not to deny anyone, and that in itself

arouses a suspicion that he is only deferring investigation. M.

Gallius, son of Quintus, has given back his slaves to Sallustius. He

came to transport the legions to Sicily, and he says Caesar is going

from Patrae to Sicily. If he does, I shall come nearer Rome, and I wish

I had done so already. I am expecting eagerly your answer to my last

request for advice. Farewell.

 

August 15.

 

 

 

 

XXI

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Brundisium, Aug. 25_, B.C. _47_]

 

On August 25 I received a letter from you dated Aug. 19, and, on

reading it, the sorrow which possessed me long ago at Quintus' shameful

conduct, but which I had now laid aside, was reawakened in all its

force. Though you could not possibly have helped sending me that

letter, I wish it had not been sent.

 

For the points you mention about the will, please see what is to be

done and how. About the money, Terentia has written to me just what I

suggested to you before, and, if I need it, I will draw on the sum you

mention.

 

* * * * *

 

Page 414

 

 

Ille ad Kal. Sept. Athenis non videtur fore. Multa eum in Asia dicuntur

morari, maxime Pharnaces. Legio XII, ad quam primam Sulla venit,

lapidibus egisse hominem dicitur. Nullam putant se commoturam. Illum

arbitrabantur protinus Patris in Siciliam. Sed, si hoc ita est, huc

veniat necesse est. Ac mallem illim; aliquo enim modo hinc evasissem.

Nunc metuo, ne sit exspectandum et cum reliquis etiam loci gravitas

huic miserrimae perferenda.

 

Quod me mones, ut ea, quae agam, ad tempus accommodem, facerem, si res

pateretur, et si ullo modo fieri posset. Sed in tantis nostris peccatis

tantisque nostrorum iniuriis nihil est, quod aut facere dignum nobis

aut simulare possim. Sullana confers; in quibus omnia genere ipso

praeclarissima fuerunt, moderatione paulo minus temperata. Haec autem

eius modi sunt, ut obliviscar mei, multoque malim, quod omnibus sit

melius, quam[194] quorum utilitati meam adiunxi. Tu ad me tamen velim

quam saepissime scribas eoque magis, quod praeterea nemo scribit, ac,

si omnes, tuas tamen maxime exspectarem. Quod scribis illum per me

Quinto fore placatiorem, scripsi ad te antea eum statim Quinto filio

omnia tribuisse, nostri nullam mentionem. Vale.

 

[194] quam _added by Madvig, who also altered the MSS. reading_

utilitatem _to_ utilitati.

 

* * * * *

 

Page 415

 

 

Caesar probably won't reach Athens by the 1st of September. There are

said to be many things that keep him in Asia, especially Pharnaces.

The 12th legion, which Sulla visited first, is said to have driven

him off with stones, and it is thought none of them will stir. Caesar

it is supposed will go straight from Patrae to Sicily. But, if so, he

must come here. I should have preferred him to go straight there, for I

should have got away from here somehow. Now I am afraid I must wait for

him, and in addition to other afflictions my poor daughter must endure

this unhealthy climate.

 

You advise me to make my actions fit the times. I would, if

circumstances permitted, and it were anyhow possible. But what with

all my own mistakes and the wrongs inflicted on me by my family, there

is nothing worthy of myself that I can do or even pretend to do. You

compare Sulla's reign: that in principle was all that could be noble,

but it was rather too lacking in moderation. The present crisis however

is such that I forget myself, and should much prefer the public cause

to win rather than that with which my interests are bound up. However,

please write to me as often as possible, especially as no one else

writes, and, if all the world were writing, I should still look forward

to your letters more than any. You say Caesar will be kinder to Quintus

for my sake: but I told you before he had made every concession to

young Quintus, without mentioning me. Farewell.

 

* * * * *

 

Page 416

 

 

 

 

XXII

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. Brundisi circa K. Sept. a. 707_]

 

Diligenter mihi fasciculum reddidit Balbi tabellarius. Accepi enim a

te litteras, quibus videris vereri, ut epistulas illas acceperim. Quas

quidem vellem mihi numquam redditas; auxerunt enim mihi dolorem, nec,

si in aliquem incidissent, quicquam novi attulissent. Quid enim tam

pervulgatum quam illius in me odium et genus hoc litterarum? quod ne

Caesar quidem ad istos videtur misisse, quasi qui illius improbitate

offenderetur, sed, credo, uti notiora nostra mala essent. Nam, quod te

vereri scribis, ne illi obsint, eique rei mederi, ne rogari quidem se

passus est de illo. Quod quidem mihi molestum non est; illud molestius,

istas impetrationes nostras nihil valere.

 

Sulla, ut opinor, cras erit hic cum Messalla. Currunt ad illum pulsi a

militibus, qui se negant usquam, nisi acceperint. Ergo ille huc veniet,

quod non putabant, tarde quidem. Itinera enim ita facit, ut multos

dies in oppido uno[195] ponat. Pharnaces autem, quoquo modo aget,

adferet moram. Quid mihi igitur censes? Iam enim corpore vix sustineo

gravitatem huius caeli, quae mihi laborem adfert in dolore. An his

illuc euntibus mandem, ut me excusent, ipse accedam propius? Quaeso,

attende et me, quod adhuc saepe rogatus

 

[195] oppido uno _Peerlkamp_: oppidum _MSS._

 

* * * * *

 

Page 417

 

 

 

 

XXII

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Brundisium, circa Sept. 1_, B.C. _47_]

 

Balbus' letter-carrier delivered the packet quite promptly. For I have

got a letter from you in which you seem to doubt whether I received

those letters. I wish they had never been delivered: for they increased

my sorrow, and, if they had fallen into anyone's hands, they would

not have told them anything new. For his hatred of me and the kind of

letters he writes are common knowledge. Even Caesar, when he sent them

to your friends, seems to have done it, not to show his annoyance at

Quintus' disgraceful conduct, but, I suppose, to make my misfortunes

better known. You say you are afraid they may do Quintus some harm, and

you are trying to remedy it. Why, Caesar did not even wait to be asked

about him. That does not annoy me: what is more annoying is that the favours granted to me have no sterling value