Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Dionysius was burning to be with you, so I sent him on, though not without some reluctance, by Hercules. Still, I had to let him go. I have found him not only learned, as I already knew, but genuinely dutiful, devoted to my reputation, steady, and - so that I do not seem to praise him merely as a freedman - plainly a good man.
I saw Pompey on December 10. We were together perhaps two hours. He seemed very happy at my arrival. He encouraged me about the triumph, promised to play his part, and warned me not to enter the Senate before I had secured it, so that by giving opinions I would not alienate some tribune. In short, nothing could have been fuller than his assurances.
But about public affairs he spoke as though war were certain and there were no hope of agreement. He had understood for some time that Caesar was estranged from him, and lately he had taken that as proved. Hirtius, one of Caesar's closest friends, had come and had not visited him. Hirtius arrived on the evening of December 6; Balbus had arranged, after discussing the whole matter, to come before dawn on the 7th to see Scipio, Pompey's father-in-law; and then, late at night, Hirtius set off for Caesar. Pompey regarded this as positive evidence of the break.
In a word, my only comfort is that a man to whom even his enemies have granted a second consulship, and to whom fortune has given supreme power, will not be so mad as to put all of it at risk. If he begins to rush headlong, I fear many things that I do not dare put in writing. As matters stand now, I am thinking of going up to the city on January 3.
Dionysius burned to be with you, so I sent him, with some misgivings I must admit; but it had to be. I knew him before to be a scholar: I find him very obliging, careful of my good name, an honest fellow, and, not to give him a mere freedman's character, evidently a man of honour. Pompey I interviewed on the 10th of December. We were together a matter of two hours: he seemed greatly delighted with
my arrival, encouraged me about my triumph, promised to do his part, warned me not to enter the House till my business was finished, for fear I should make an enemy of some tribune by the opinions I expressed. In short, promises could go no further. As to the political situation, he hinted certain war, without hope of agreement. It appeared that, though he had long understood there was a split between himself and Caesar, he had had very recent proof of it. Hirtius, a very intimate friend of Caesar's, had come and had not called on Pompey. Besides Hirtius had arrived on the evening of the 6th of December and Balbus had arranged a meeting with Pompey's father-in-law before daybreak on the 7th to discuss affairs, when, lo, late on the night before, Hirtius set out to go to Caesar. This seemed to Pompey proof positive of a split. In a word I have no consolation except the thought, that, when even his enemies have renewed his term of office and fortune has bestowed on him supreme power, Caesar will not be so mad as to jeopardize these advantages. If he begins to run amuck, my fears are more than I can commit to paper. As things are, I meditate a visit to town on the 3rd of January.
Dionysium flagrantem desiderio tui misi ad te nec me hercule aequo animo, sed fuit concedendum. quem quidem cognovi quom doctum, quod mihi iam ante erat notum tum sane plenum offici, studiosum etiam meae laudis, frugi hominem ac, ne libertinum laudare videar, plane virum bonum. Pompeium vidi iiii Idus Decembris. [2] fuimus una horas duas fortasse. Magna laetitia mihi visus est adfici meo adventu; de triumpho hortari, suscipere partis suas, monere ne ante in senatum accederem quam rem confecissem, ne dicendis sententiis aliquem tribunum alienarem. quid quaeris? in hoc officio sermonis nihil potuit esse prolixius. de re publica autem ita mecum locutus est quasi non dubium bellum haberemus, nihil ad spem concordiae. plane illum a se alienatum cum ante intellegeret, tum vero proxime iudicasse. venisse Hirtium a Caesare qui esset illi familiarissimus, ad se non accessisse et, cum ille a. d. viii Idus Decembr. vesperi venisset, Balbus de tota re constituisset a. d. vii ad Scipionem ante lucem venire, multa de nocte eum profectum esse ad Caesarem. hoc illi tekmeriodes videbatur esse alienationis. [3] quid multa? nihil me aliud consolatur nisi quod illum, quoi etiam inimici alterum consulatum, fortuna summam potentiam dederit, non arbitror fore tam amentem ut haec in discrimen adducat. quod si ruere coeperit, ne ego multa timeo, quae non audeo scribere. sed ut nunc est, a. d. iii Nonas Ian. ad urbem cogito.
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Dionysius was burning to be with you, so I sent him on, though not without some reluctance, by Hercules. Still, I had to let him go. I have found him not only learned, as I already knew, but genuinely dutiful, devoted to my reputation, steady, and - so that I do not seem to praise him merely as a freedman - plainly a good man.
I saw Pompey on December 10. We were together perhaps two hours. He seemed very happy at my arrival. He encouraged me about the triumph, promised to play his part, and warned me not to enter the Senate before I had secured it, so that by giving opinions I would not alienate some tribune. In short, nothing could have been fuller than his assurances.
But about public affairs he spoke as though war were certain and there were no hope of agreement. He had understood for some time that Caesar was estranged from him, and lately he had taken that as proved. Hirtius, one of Caesar's closest friends, had come and had not visited him. Hirtius arrived on the evening of December 6; Balbus had arranged, after discussing the whole matter, to come before dawn on the 7th to see Scipio, Pompey's father-in-law; and then, late at night, Hirtius set off for Caesar. Pompey regarded this as positive evidence of the break.
In a word, my only comfort is that a man to whom even his enemies have granted a second consulship, and to whom fortune has given supreme power, will not be so mad as to put all of it at risk. If he begins to rush headlong, I fear many things that I do not dare put in writing. As matters stand now, I am thinking of going up to the city on January 3.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Dionysium flagrantem desiderio tui misi ad te nec me hercule aequo animo, sed fuit concedendum. quem quidem cognovi quom doctum, quod mihi iam ante erat notum tum sane plenum offici, studiosum etiam meae laudis, frugi hominem ac, ne libertinum laudare videar, plane virum bonum. Pompeium vidi iiii Idus Decembris. [2] fuimus una horas duas fortasse. Magna laetitia mihi visus est adfici meo adventu; de triumpho hortari, suscipere partis suas, monere ne ante in senatum accederem quam rem confecissem, ne dicendis sententiis aliquem tribunum alienarem. quid quaeris? in hoc officio sermonis nihil potuit esse prolixius. de re publica autem ita mecum locutus est quasi non dubium bellum haberemus, nihil ad spem concordiae. plane illum a se alienatum cum ante intellegeret, tum vero proxime iudicasse. venisse Hirtium a Caesare qui esset illi familiarissimus, ad se non accessisse et, cum ille a. d. viii Idus Decembr. vesperi venisset, Balbus de tota re constituisset a. d. vii ad Scipionem ante lucem venire, multa de nocte eum profectum esse ad Caesarem. hoc illi tekmeriodes videbatur esse alienationis. [3] quid multa? nihil me aliud consolatur nisi quod illum, quoi etiam inimici alterum consulatum, fortuna summam potentiam dederit, non arbitror fore tam amentem ut haec in discrimen adducat. quod si ruere coeperit, ne ego multa timeo, quae non audeo scribere. sed ut nunc est, a. d. iii Nonas Ian. ad urbem cogito.