Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 48

Cicero Letters to Atticus, Vol. 2 of 48

M. TULLI CICERONIS EPISTULARUM AD ATTICUM LIBER DECIMUS

 

 

 

 

I

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Laterio Quinti fratis III Non. Apr. a. 705_]

 

III Nonas cum in Laterium fratris venissem, accepi litteras tuas et

paulum respiravi, quod post has ruinas mihi non acciderat. Per enim

magni aestimo tibi firmitudinem animi nostri et factum nostrum probari.

Sexto enim nostro quod scribis probari, ita laetor, ut me quasi patris

eius, cui semper uni plurimum tribui, iudicio comprobari putem. Qui

mihi, quod saepe soleo recordari, dixit olim Nonis illis Decembribus,

cum ego "Sexte, quidnam ergo?" "Μὴ μάν, inquit ille, ἀσπουδί γε καὶ

ἀκλειῶς ἀπολοίμην, ἀλλὰ μέγα ῥέξας τι καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι." Eius

igitur mihi vivit auctoritas, et simillimus eius filius eodem est apud

me pondere, quo fuit ille. Quem salvere velim iubeas plurimum.

 

Tu tuum consilium etsi non in longinquum tempus differs (iam enim illum

emptum pacificatorem perorasse puto, iam actum aliquid esse in consessu

senatorum; senatum enim non puto), tamen suspensum meum detines, sed

eo minus, quod non dubito, quid nobis agendum putes. Qui enim Flavio

legionem et Siciliam dari scribas, et id iam fieri, quae tu scelera

 

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CICERO'S LETTERS TO ATTICUS BOOK X

 

 

 

 

I

 

CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Laterium, April 3_, B.C. _49_]

 

[Sidenote: Iliad XXII, 304]

 

On the third of April coming to my brother's house at Laterium, I got

your letter with some little relief, a thing which had not happened to

me since this disaster began. For I attach very great weight to your

approval of my firmness of mind and my action. As for your writing

that it meets with the approval of my friend Sextus, I am as glad as

if I fancied myself to have won the approval of his father, on whose

judgement I always set the very highest value. I often call to mind how

it was he who said to me on that famous December the 5th, when I asked

him what we were to do next: "Let me not die a coward and shameful

death, but greatly daring live in fame for aye." So his influence lives

for me, and his son, who is very like him, has the same weight as he.

Please give him my best compliments.

 

Your plan, it is true, you postpone for a very short time,--for I fancy

by now that that venal peace-maker must have wound up his speech, and

something must have been done in the session of Senators, for I don't

consider it a Senate,--still you keep mine in suspense, but the less so

because I have no doubt as to what you think we should do. For when you

write that Flavius is offered a legion and Sicily, and that the matter

is now in hand, just think what

 

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partim parari iam et cogitari, partim ex tempore futura censes? Ego

vero Solonis, popularis tui, ut puto, etiam mei, legem neglegam, qui

capite sanxit, si qui in seditione non alterius utrius partis fuisset,

et, nisi si tu aliter censes, et hinc abero et illim. Sed alterum mihi

est certius, nec praeripiam tamen. Exspectabo tuum consilium et eas

litteras, nisi alias iam dedisti, quas scripsi ut Cephalioni dares.

 

Quod scribis, non quo aliunde audieris, sed te ipsum putare me

attractum iri, si de pace agatur, mihi omnino non venit in mentem,

quae possit actio esse de pace, cum illi certissimum sit, si possit,

exspoliare exercitu et provincia Pompeium; nisi forte iste nummarius

ei potest persuadere, ut, dum oratores eant, redeant, quiescat. Nihil

video, quod sperem aut quod iam putem fieri posse. Sed tamen hominis

hoc ipsum probi est et magnum τι[119] τῶν πολιτικωτάτων σκεμμάτων,

veniendumne sit in consilium tyranni, si is aliqua de re bona

deliberaturus sit. Quare, si quid eius modi evenerit, ut arcessamur

(quod equidem non credo.[120] Quid enim essem de pace dicturus, dixi;

ipse valde repudiavit), sed tamen, si quid acciderit, quid censeas

mihi faciendum, utique scribito. Nihil enini mihi adhuc accidit, quod

maioris consilii esset.

 

[119] et magnum τι _Wesenberg_; magnum sit _MSS._

 

[120] credo _Boot_: curo _MSS._

 

Trebati, boni viri et civis, verbis te gaudeo delectatum, tuaque

ista crebra ἐκφώνησις ὑπέρευ me sola adhuc delectavit. Litteras tuas

vehementer

 

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iniquities are being prepared and meditated, some now and some in the

future? I shall certainly neglect the law of Solon, your countryman,

and I imagine mine too soon, who provided the death penalty for

anyone who should not take one side in a revolution, and, unless you

advise otherwise, I shall keep apart both from Caesar and Pompey. The

former course is quite certain: but I shall not forestall events. I

shall await your advice and the letter which I asked you to give to

Cephalio--unless you have now sent another.

 

You write, not on the authority of anyone, but as your own idea,

that I shall be drawn into any negotiations there may be for peace.

I cannot imagine that there can be such negotiations, since it is

Caesar's positive determination to rob Pompey, if possible, of army and

province, unless perhaps that hireling can induce him to keep quiet,

pending the passage to and fro of intermediaries. I see nothing that

I can hope for or even imagine is likely to happen. However this is

the very question for an honest man to decide and one of the great

questions of _la haute politique_, whether one may enter the council

of a tyrant, if the subject of debate is good. Therefore, if anything

should happen to cause me to be summoned--I don't in the least expect

anything will, for I have said all I can say about peace, and Caesar

was determined to repudiate it--still, if anything should happen, write

and tell me what you think I should do in any case. For so far nothing

has happened that demands greater deliberation.

 

I am glad you are pleased with the words of that loyal citizen

Trebatius, and your frequent bravos have so far been my sole pleasure.

Your letter I

 

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exspecto; quas quidem credo iam datas esse. Tu cum Sexto servasti

gravitatem eandem, quam mihi praecipis. Celer tuus disertus magis

est quam sapiens. De iuvenibus quae ex Tullia audisti, vera sunt.

Mucianum[121] istud, quod scribis, non mihi videtur tam re esse triste

quam verbo. Haec est ἄλη, in qua nunc sumus, mortis instar. Aut enim

mihi libere inter malos πολιτευτέον fuit aut vel periculose cum bonis.

Aut oportet temeritatem bonorum sequamur aut audaciam improborum

insectemur. Utrumque periculosum est, at hoc, quod agimus, turpe nec

tamen tutum.

 

[121] Mucianum _Reid_: Maconi _MSS._

 

Istum, qui filium Brundisium de pace misit (de pace idem sentio quod

tu, simulationem esse apertam, parari autem acerrime bellum), me

legatum iri non arbitror, cuius adhuc, ut optavi, mentio facta nulla

sit. Eo minus habeo necesse scribere aut etiam cogitare, quid sim

facturus, si acciderit, ut legarer.

 

 

 

 

II

 

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

 

 

[Sidenote: _Scr. in Arcano Quinti fr. postr. Non. Apr. a. 705_]

 

Ego cum accepissem tuas litteras Nonis Aprilibus, quas Cephalio

attulerat, essemque Menturnis postridie mansurus, ut inde protinus,

sustinui me in Arcano fratris, ut, dum aliquid certius adferretur,

occultiore in loco essemus, agerenturque nihilo minus, quae sine nobis

agi possunt. await eagerly. I expect it has been dispatched now. With Sextus you

have preserved the same dignity that you prescribe for me. Your friend

Celer has more wit than wisdom. What you heard from Tullia about the

boys is true. Mucius' ending,[122] which you mention, does not seem to

me so sad as it sounds. It is this distraction in which we now find

ourselves that is like death. For I have the alternative, either to

take part in politics with a free hand among the disloyal, or to side

with the loyal at all costs. I ought either to follow the loyalists in

their rashness or attack the other party in its daring. Either course

spells danger: but my present action brings shame without safety.