Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
On January 25, as I was setting out from Cales to Capua, and with my eyes slightly inflamed, I sent this letter. Lucius Caesar brought Caesar's proposals to Pompey on January 23, when Pompey was at Teanum with the consuls. The condition was approved, but with this qualification: Caesar must withdraw his garrisons from the towns he had occupied outside his own province. If he did that, the answer was that we would return to the city and settle the matter through the Senate.
I hope we may have peace for the present, since Caesar is somewhat sorry for his frenzy and our Pompey somewhat sorry for the state of his forces. Pompey wanted me to come to Capua and help with the levy, in which the Campanian settlers are showing too little eagerness. As for Caesar's gladiators at Capua, about whom I previously wrote you false information from a letter of Aulus Torquatus, Pompey has dealt with them very neatly: he distributed them two by two among individual heads of households. There were five thousand shields in the school. They were said to be planning a breakout. He has made very good provision for public safety in that matter.
About our women, including your sister, please consider whether it is respectable for us that they should be in Rome when other women of their rank have left. I have written this to them and earlier to you yourself. I would like you to urge them to go out, especially since we have those estates on the coast, which I oversee, where, as circumstances require, they can stay without too much inconvenience. If we give offense through our son-in-law - though I ought not be responsible for him - the matter grows worse because our women, unlike the others, have remained in Rome.
I would like to know what you yourself and Sextus are thinking about leaving, and what you judge about the whole situation. For my part, I do not stop urging peace. Even an unjust peace is more useful than the most just civil war. But these things will go as fortune carries them.
On the 25th of January, setting out from Cales to Capua, I write this letter, though still suffering from slight inflammation of the eyes. L. Caesar brought Caesar's ultimatum to Pompey on the 23rd, while Pompey was at Teanum with the consuls. His conditions were accepted with the reservation that he should withdraw his garrison from the towns he has occupied outside his own province. That done, they said, we would return to Rome and settle business in the House. I hope for the present we may have peace: Caesar is rather sorry for his madness, and Pompey
is uneasy as to our forces. I am wanted at Capua to assist the levy. The settlers in Campania are hanging back. As for Caesar's professional fighting men at Capua, about whom I misinformed you on the authority of A. Torquatus, Pompey has very cleverly distributed them two a-piece to heads of families. There were 5,000 heavy armed gladiators in the school. They were said to meditate a sortie. Pompey's was a wise provision for the safety of the state.
As for my women-folk, among whom is your sister, I entreat you to consider the propriety of their stay at Rome, when the other ladies of their rank have departed. I wrote to them and to you on this point previously. Please urge them to leave the city, especially as I have those estates on the sea-coast, which is under my care, so that they can live there without much inconvenience, considering the state of affairs. For, if I give offence by the conduct of my son-in-law (though I am not his keeper), the fact that my women-folk stay in Rome after others have left makes matters worse. I should like to know what you and Sextus think about leaving town, and to have your opinion of matters in general. As for me, I cease not to advocate peace. It may be on unjust terms, but even so it is more expedient than the justest of civil wars. However, I can but leave it to fate.
A. d. vi Kal. Febr. Capuam Calibus proficiscens, cum leviter lippirem, has litteras dedi. L. Caesar mandata Caesaris detulit ad Pompeium a. d. viii Kal., cum is esset cum consulibus Teani. probata condicio est, sed ita ut ille de iis oppidis quae extra suam provinciam occupavisset praesidia deduceret. id si fecisset, responsum est ad urbem nos redituros esse et rem per senatum confecturos. spero posse in praesentia pacem nos habere; nam et illum furoris et hunc nostrum copiarum suppaenitet. me Pompeius Capuam venire voluit et adiuvare dilectum; in quo parum prolixe respectent Campani coloni. gladiatores Caesaris qui Capuae sunt, de quibus ante ad te falsum ex A. Torquati litteris scripseram, sane commode Pompeius distribuit binos singulis patribus familiarum. scutorum in ludo I[c][c] fuerunt. eruptionem facturi fuisse dicebantur. sane multum in eo rei publicae provisum est. [3] de mulieribus nostris in quibus est tua soror, quaeso videas ut satis honestum nobis sit eas Romae esse cum ceterae illa dignitate discesserint. hoc scripsi ad eas et ad te ipsum antea. velim eas cohortere ut exeant, praesertim cum ea praedia in ora maritima habeamus quoi ego praesum ut in iis pro re nata non incommode possint esse. nam si quid offendimus in genero nostro (quod quidem ego praestare non debeo)—sed id fit maius quod mulieres nostrae praeter ceteras Romae remanserunt. tu ipse cum Sexto scire velim quid cogites de exeundo de totaque re quid existimes. equidem ad pacem hortari non desino; quae vel iniusta utilior est quam iustissimum bellum cum civibus. sed haec ut fors tulerit.
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On January 25, as I was setting out from Cales to Capua, and with my eyes slightly inflamed, I sent this letter. Lucius Caesar brought Caesar's proposals to Pompey on January 23, when Pompey was at Teanum with the consuls. The condition was approved, but with this qualification: Caesar must withdraw his garrisons from the towns he had occupied outside his own province. If he did that, the answer was that we would return to the city and settle the matter through the Senate.
I hope we may have peace for the present, since Caesar is somewhat sorry for his frenzy and our Pompey somewhat sorry for the state of his forces. Pompey wanted me to come to Capua and help with the levy, in which the Campanian settlers are showing too little eagerness. As for Caesar's gladiators at Capua, about whom I previously wrote you false information from a letter of Aulus Torquatus, Pompey has dealt with them very neatly: he distributed them two by two among individual heads of households. There were five thousand shields in the school. They were said to be planning a breakout. He has made very good provision for public safety in that matter.
About our women, including your sister, please consider whether it is respectable for us that they should be in Rome when other women of their rank have left. I have written this to them and earlier to you yourself. I would like you to urge them to go out, especially since we have those estates on the coast, which I oversee, where, as circumstances require, they can stay without too much inconvenience. If we give offense through our son-in-law - though I ought not be responsible for him - the matter grows worse because our women, unlike the others, have remained in Rome.
I would like to know what you yourself and Sextus are thinking about leaving, and what you judge about the whole situation. For my part, I do not stop urging peace. Even an unjust peace is more useful than the most just civil war. But these things will go as fortune carries them.
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
A. d. vi Kal. Febr. Capuam Calibus proficiscens, cum leviter lippirem, has litteras dedi. L. Caesar mandata Caesaris detulit ad Pompeium a. d. viii Kal., cum is esset cum consulibus Teani. probata condicio est, sed ita ut ille de iis oppidis quae extra suam provinciam occupavisset praesidia deduceret. id si fecisset, responsum est ad urbem nos redituros esse et rem per senatum confecturos. spero posse in praesentia pacem nos habere; nam et illum furoris et hunc nostrum copiarum suppaenitet. me Pompeius Capuam venire voluit et adiuvare dilectum; in quo parum prolixe respectent Campani coloni. gladiatores Caesaris qui Capuae sunt, de quibus ante ad te falsum ex A. Torquati litteris scripseram, sane commode Pompeius distribuit binos singulis patribus familiarum. scutorum in ludo I[c][c] fuerunt. eruptionem facturi fuisse dicebantur. sane multum in eo rei publicae provisum est. [3] de mulieribus nostris in quibus est tua soror, quaeso videas ut satis honestum nobis sit eas Romae esse cum ceterae illa dignitate discesserint. hoc scripsi ad eas et ad te ipsum antea. velim eas cohortere ut exeant, praesertim cum ea praedia in ora maritima habeamus quoi ego praesum ut in iis pro re nata non incommode possint esse. nam si quid offendimus in genero nostro (quod quidem ego praestare non debeo)—sed id fit maius quod mulieres nostrae praeter ceteras Romae remanserunt. tu ipse cum Sexto scire velim quid cogites de exeundo de totaque re quid existimes. equidem ad pacem hortari non desino; quae vel iniusta utilior est quam iustissimum bellum cum civibus. sed haec ut fors tulerit.