Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 74

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 3 74

et tua Tulliae fore parata, tua credo, nostra quae poterunt esse? De

Terentia autem (mitto cetera, quae sunt innumerabilia) quid ad hoc

addi potest? Scripseras, ut HS X̅I̅I̅ permutaret; tantum esse reliquum

de argento. Misit illa CCIↃↃ mihi et adscripsit tantum esse reliquum.

Cum hoc tam parvum de parvo detraxerit, perspicis, quid in maxima re

fecerit.

 

Philotimus non modo nullus venit, sed ne per litteras quidem aut per

nuntium certiorem facit me, quid egerit. Epheso qui veniunt, ibi se eum

de suis controversiis in ius adeuntem vidisse nuntiant; quae quidem

(ita enim veri simile est) in adventum Caesaris fortasse reiciuntur.

Ita aut nihil puto eum habere, quod putet ad me celerius perferendum,

aut adeo me in malis esse despectum, ut, etiamsi quid habet, id nisi

omnibus suis negotiis confectis ad me referre non curet. Ex quo magnum

equidem capio dolorem, sed non tantum, quantum videor debere. Nihil

enim mea minus interesse puto, quam quid illinc adferatur. Id quam ob

rem, te intellegere certo scio.

 

Quod me mones de vultu et oratione ad tempus accommodanda, etsi

difficile est, tamen imperarem mihi, a mea quicquam interesse putarem.

Quod scribis litteris putare te Africanum negotium confici posse,

vellem scriberes, cur ita putares; mihi quidem nihil in mentem venit,

quare id putem fieri posse. Tu tamen velim, si quid erit, quod

consolationis aliquid

 

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write that my fortune and yours are at Tullia's service, I believe you

as to yours, but what can there be of mine? Now as to Terentia, I omit

lots of other things, for what can one add to this? You wrote to her

to remit me by bill of exchange £100, saying that was the balance. She

sent me 80 guineas,[198] adding that that was all the balance. If she

purloins so trifling an amount from so small a total, you can see what

she has been doing in the case of larger sums.

 

[198] 12,000 and 10,000 sesterces respectively.

 

Not a trace of Philotimus as yet: nay, he has not even informed me by

letter or messenger what he has done. Those who come from Ephesus say

they saw him there going into court about some lawsuits of his own,

which possibly--indeed in all probability--are deferred till Caesar's

arrival. So I suppose he either has nothing which he thinks he need

hurry to bring to me, or I have sunk so low in my misfortunes that,

even if he has, he does not take the trouble to bring it until he

has finished all his own business. And that causes me considerable

annoyance, but not so much as I think it ought. For I don't think

anything matters much less to me than what answer he brings back from

that quarter. Why, I am quite sure you know.

 

You advise me to mould my looks and words according to circumstances.

It is difficult, but I would put a rein on myself, if I thought it

mattered to me at all. You say you think the African business can be

arranged by an interchange of letters: I wish you would say, why you

think so: for I can't imagine any reason for thinking it possible.

However please write to me, if there is anything that would give me

 

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habeat, scribas ad me; sin, ut perspicio, nihil erit, scribas id ipsum.

Ego ad te, si quid audiero citius, scribam. Vale.

 

VIII Idus Sextil.

 

 

 

 

XXV

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

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

 

Facile adsentior tuis litteris, quibus exponis pluribus verbis nullum

consistere consilium, quo a te possim iuvari. Consolatio certe nulla

est, quae levare possit dolorem meum. Nihil est enim contractum casu

(nam id esset ferendum), sed omnia fecimus eis erroribus et miseriis

et animi et corporis, quibus proximi utinam mederi maluissent! Quam

ob rem, quoniam neque consilii tui neque consolationis cuiusquam spes

ulla mihi ostenditur, non quaeram haec a te posthac; tantum velim,

ne intermittas, scribas ad me, quicquid veniet tibi in mentem, cum

habebis, cui des, et dum erit, ad quem des; quod longum non erit.

 

Illum discessisse Alexandria rumor est non firmus ortus ex Sulpici

litteris; quas cuncti postea nuntii confirmarunt. Quod verum an falsum

sit, quoniam mea nihil interest, utrum malim, nescio.

 

Quod ad te iam pridem de testamento scripsi, apud εὔπιστόν τινα velim

ut possit adservari.[199] Ego huius miserrumae fatuitate confectus

conflictor. Nihil

 

[199] _The MSS. read_ apud epistolas velim ut possim adversas. _I have

followed Boot's emendation, though with doubt. Shuckburgh suggests_

apud vestales velim depositum adservari.

 

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Page 427

 

a crumb of comfort: but, if, as I see is the case, there is nothing,

write and tell me that. If I hear anything first I will write to you.

Farewell.

 

August 6.

 

 

 

 

XXV

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Brundisium, July 5_, B.C. _47_]

 

I can quite believe what you explain at some length in your letter,

that no advice of yours can assist me: and certainly there is no

consolation which can relieve my sorrow. For none of my misfortunes

has come upon me by fate--that would have been endurable--but I

have brought all on myself by my mistakes and my mental and bodily

afflictions, which I only wish my nearest and dearest had thought

fit to remedy. So, as there is no hope of any advice from you or any

consolation, I will not ask for them henceforth: only please do not

cease from writing to me anything that may occur to you, when you have

anyone to send it by, and so long as there is anyone to send it to;

which will not be long.

 

There is a rumour, though not a very certain one, that Caesar has left

Alexandria. It came first from a letter of Sulpicius, and has been

confirmed by all subsequent messengers. Whether to prefer it to be

false or true, I don't know, as it does not matter to me.

 

As I told you already about the will I should like it to be preserved

in a safe place.[200] I am worn out and harassed by the infatuation of

my unhappy daughter. I don't think there ever was such a child

 

[200] This seems to be the sense, though the reading is doubtful.

 

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umquam simile natum puto. Cui si qua re consulere aliquid possum, cupio

a te admoneri. Video eandem esse difficultatem quam in consilio dando

ante. Tamen hoc me magis sollicitat quam omnia. In pensione secunda

caeci fuimus. Aliud mallem; sed praeteriit. Te oro, ut in perditis

rebus si quid cogi, confici potest, quod sit in tuto, ex argento atque

satis multa ex supellectile, des operam. Iam enim mihi videtur adesse

extremum nec ulla fore condicio pacis eaque, quae sunt, etiam sine

adversario peritura. Haec etiam, si videbitur, cum Terentia loquere

opportune. Non queo omnia scribere. Vale.

 

III Non. Quinctil.

 

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Page 429

 

of misfortune. If I can do anything for her in any way, I wish you

would suggest it to me. I see there will be the same difficulty as

there was before in giving me advice: but this causes me more anxiety

than anything. It was blind of me to pay the second instalment. I wish

I had not: but that is over and done with. I beg you to do your best,

as it is in the last extremity, to collect and get together what you

can from the sale of plate and furniture, of which there is a good

deal, and put it in a safe place. For now I think the end is near,

there will be no peace negotiations, and the present government will

collapse even without an adversary. As to this speak to Terentia too at

your convenience, if you think fit. I cannot write everything. Farewell.

 

July 5.

 

 

 

 

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE LETTERS.[201]

 

 

VII. 1 October 16, 50

2 November 26, 50

3 December 9, 50

4 December 10 or 11, 50

5 December 16, 50

6 December 17, 50

7 December 18-21, 50

8 December 25 or 26, 50

9 December 26 or 27, 50

10 January 17 or 18, 49

11 January 17-22, 49

12 January 21, 49

13 January 22, 49

13a January 23, 49

14 January 25, 49

15 January 26, 49

16 January 28, 49

17 February 2, 49

18 February 3, 49

19 February 3, 49

20 February 5, 49

21 February 8, 49

22 February 8 or 9, 49

23 February 9 or 10, 49

VIII. 11a February 10, 49

VII. 24 February 10, 49

25 February 10 or 11, 49

VIII. 12b February 11 or 12, 49

VII. 26 February 15, 49

VIII. 11b February 16, 49

1 February 16, 49

12c February 16, 49

12d February 17, 49

2 February 17, 49

12a February 17 or 18, 48