Letter 117

By now you are surely in Rome. If so, I am glad you arrived safely. While you were away from Rome, you seemed farther from me than if you had been at home, because I knew less about my own affairs and less about public affairs. So, although I hope I will already have made some progress on the road by the time you read this, please send frequent and very sharp letters to meet me, on every subject, and above all on the matter I wrote to you about before. From the stammering and rambling of my wife's freedman in meetings and conversations, I have the impression that he has somehow cooked the accounts among the assets of the Crotonian. Investigate this, as you always do, and all the more carefully. When he left the seven-hilled city, he handed over an account showing certain debts to Camillus, debts of his own from the Crotonian and Chersonese properties, and inherited sums from which not a penny had been paid, though all were due on the first day of the second month. He said his freedman, the namesake of Conon's father, had taken no real care of it. First, then, see that everything is secured; second, do not neglect the interest from the stated day. I was very anxious through all the time I had to put up with the man. He came to me to take stock of the situation and had almost conceived some hope. When he gave it up, he left without explanation, saying, "I yield; it is shameful to remain so long," and scolded me with the old proverb about taking what is given. Look into the rest and, as far as possible, get to the bottom of it. Although I had almost completed my year - only thirty-three days remained - I was still greatly pressed by anxiety for the province. Syria was ablaze with war, Bibulus in the midst of his great grief was carrying the greatest burden of that war, and his legates, quaestor, and friends were sending me letters asking me to come to his aid. Although I had a weak army, the auxiliary troops were good enough: Galatians, Pisidians, and Lycians, for these are our strength. Still, I thought it my duty to keep an army as near the enemy as possible, so long as I was allowed by decree of the Senate to command the province. What pleased me most was that Bibulus was not troublesome to me; about everything he wrote to me instead. Meanwhile, the day of my departure was creeping up unnoticed. When it arrives, there will be another problem: whom to put in charge, unless Caldus the quaestor arrives. So far we had no certain news of him. By Hercules, I wanted to make this a longer letter, but there was nothing to write about, and anxiety kept me from joking. So farewell, and give greetings to your little Attica and to our Pilia.

You must certainly be at Rome now. If you are, I am glad of your safe arrival. So long as you were away from town, you seemed to me to be further off than if you were in Rome, for I heard less of my own business and less of the business of the state. So please send plenty of chatty letters on every kind of subject to meet me, though I hope, when you read this, I shall be well on my journey home. Above all write me on the subject I raised in my former letter. From the stuttering hesitation of my wife’s freedman in our meetings and talks I infer that he has been cooking his accounts a little in the matter of the sale of the Crotonian’s goods. Investigate the matter with your usual care, but pay still more attention to this. When leaving the city of the seven hills he tendered an account of debts of some £100 and £200 to Camillus, and put himself down as owing £100 from Milo’s goods and £200 from the property in the Chersonese, and as having inherited two sums of £2,600, of which not a penny had been paid, though all were due on the 1st of the second month. Milo’s freedman, Timotheus, the namesake of Conon’s father, he said, had never given a thought to the matter. Now first try and secure the whole amount, and secondly don’t overlook the interest from the afore-mentioned day. All the time I had to endure him, I was much upset. He came to me to spy out the land, and had some hopes. When he lost them, he left without an explanation, saying: “I give in, ’Twere shame to tarry long,” and casting in my teeth the old proverb “take the goods the gods provide you.” Look after the rest, and let us investigate the matter as thoroughly as possible. Though I have nearly served my year (for only thirty-three days remain), still I am greatly concerned about my province. Syria is ablaze with war, and Bibulus is burdened with its cares in the midst of his own great sorrow, and his legates, quaestor and friends write to me to go to his aid: so, although the army I have is weak—the auxiliaries certainly are good, Galatians, Pisidians, Lycians, the main strength of my force—I have thought it my duty to keep an army facing the foe, so long as I am authorized by the Senate’s decree to be in charge of my province. But what pleases me greatly is that Bibulus gives no trouble. He writes to me about any other topic by preference, and the day of my departure creeps on unnoticed. When it arrives, there is the further problem of my substitute, unless my quaestor Caldus comes, of whom so far I have no news. I should like to write a longer letter, but I have no news, and care keeps me from jesting; so good-bye, and love to your little daughter and to your wife.

Nunc quidem profecto Romae es. quo te, si ita est, salvum venisse gaudeo; unde quidem quam diu afuisti, magis a me abesse videbare quam si domi esses; minus enim mihi meae notae res erant, minus etiam publicae. qua re velim, etsi ut spero te haec legente aliquantum iam viae processero, tamen obvias mihi litteras quam argutissimas de omnibus rebus crebro mittas, imprimis de quo scripsi ad te antea. tes xunaorou tes emes houxeleutheros edoxe moi thama battarizon kai aluon en tois xullogois kai tais leschais hupo ti pephurakenai tas psephous en tois huparchousin tois tou Krotoniatou. hoc tu indaga, ut soles, et hoc magis. ex asteos heptalophou steichon paredoken mnon kd, me, opheilema toi Kamilloi, heauton te opheilonta mnas kd ek ton Krotoniatikon kai ek ton Cherronesitikon me kai mnas kleronomesai chm, km. touton de mede obolon dieulutesthai, panton opheilethenton tou deuterou menos tei noumeniai. ton de apeleutheron autou, onta homonumon toi Kononos patri, meden holoscheros pephrontikenai. tauta oun proton men hina panta soizetai, deuteron de hina mede ton tokon oligoreseis ton apo tes proekkeimenes hemeras. Hosas auton enenkamen sphodra dedoika: kai gar paren pros hemas kataskepsomenos kai ti schedon elpisas: apognous d' alogos apeste epeipon 'eiko: aischron toi deron te menein'—, meque obiurgavit vetere proverbio ta men didomena—. reliqua vide et quantum fieri potest perspice. [3] nos etsi annuum tempus prope iam emeritum habebamus (dies enim xxxiii erant reliqui), sollicitudine provinciae tamen vel maxime urgebamur. Cum enim arderet Syria bello et Bibulus in tanto maerore suo maximam curam belli sustineret ad meque legati eius quaestor et amici eius litteras mitterent ut subsidio venirem, etsi exercitum infirmum habebam, auxilia sane bona sed ea Galatarum, Pisidarum, Lyciorum (haec enim sunt nostra robora), tamen esse officium meum putavi exercitum habere quam proxime hostem quoad mihi praeesse provinciae per senatus consultum liceret. sed quo ego maxime delectabar, Bibulus molestus mihi non erat, de omnibus rebus scribebat ad me potius. et mihi decessionis dies lelethotos obrepebat. qui cum advenerit, allo problema quem praeficiam, nisi Caldus quaestor venerit; de quo adhuc nihil certi habebamus. [4] cupiebam me hercule longiorem epistulam facere, sed nec erat res de qua scriberem nec iocari prae cura poteram. valebis igitur et puellae salutem Atticulae dices nostraeque Piliae.