Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Although I get rest only while I am writing to you or reading your letters, I myself am short of subjects for letters, and I know the same thing is happening to you. The easy, familiar subjects people usually write about when their minds are free are shut out by the times; and the subjects that belong to these times we have already worn out.
Still, so that I do not give myself over entirely to grief, I have set myself certain theses, as it were, both political and suited to the present crisis. They draw my mind away from complaint and exercise it on the very matter before us. They are questions like these: whether one should remain in one's country when it is under tyranny; whether one should work by every means to overthrow a tyranny, even if the whole state may be endangered by doing so, or whether one should take care that the destroyer of tyranny does not seize power himself; whether one should try to help a country under tyranny by timing and persuasion rather than by war; whether it is a statesman's duty, when one's country is under tyranny, to withdraw somewhere and stay quiet, or to face every danger for liberty; whether one should bring war into one's own country and besiege one's own city when it is under tyranny; whether, even if one does not approve of abolishing tyranny by war, one should still enroll with the best citizens; whether, in public affairs, one should share the dangers of benefactors and friends even when they seem to have planned badly for the whole commonwealth; whether a man who has greatly served his country, and for that very reason has suffered incurable injuries and envy, should willingly risk himself again for that country, or may at last take thought for himself and those nearest him, leaving aside struggles against the powers that be.
By exercising myself in these questions and arguing both sides, sometimes in Greek and sometimes in Latin, I draw my mind for a little while away from distress, and at the same time I consider something that matters directly. But I am afraid I may be coming at a bad time for you. If the man carrying this letter has walked at a proper pace, it will arrive on the very day of your fever attack.
Though now I rest only so long as I am writing to you or reading your letters, still I am in want of subject matter, and feel sure that you are in the same position, for the present crisis debars us from the free and easy topics of friendly correspondence, and the topics connected with the present crisis we have already exhausted. However, not to succumb entirely to low spirits, I have taken for myself certain theses, so to speak, which deal with la haute politique and are applicable to the present crisis, so that I may keep myself from querulous thoughts and may practise the subject. Here are some:
Whether one should remain in one's country, even under a tyranny. Whether any means are lawful to
abolish a tyranny, even if they endanger the existence of the State. Whether one ought to take care that one who tries to abolish it may not rise too high himself. Whether one ought to assist one's country, when under a tyranny, by seizing opportunities and by argument rather than by war. Whether one is doing one's duty to the State, if one retires to some other place and there remains inactive, when there is a tyranny; or whether one ought to run every risk for liberty. Whether one ought to invade the country and besiege one's native town, when it is under a tyranny. Whether one ought to enrol oneself in the ranks of the loyalists, even if one does not approve of war as a means of abolishing tyranny. Whether one ought in political matters to share the dangers of one's benefactors and friends, even if one does not believe their general policy to be wise. Whether one who has done good service for his country, and by it has won ill-treatment and envy, should voluntarily put himself into danger for that country, or may at length take thought for himself and his dear ones and avoid struggles against the powers that be.
By employing myself with such questions and discussing the pros and cons in Greek and Latin, I divert my thoughts a little from my troubles and at the same time consider a subject which is very pertinent. But I fear you may find me a nuisance. For, if the bearer makes proper headway, it will reach you on the very day you have your attack of ague.
[1] ego etsi tam diu requiesco quam diu aut ad te scribo aut tuas litteras lego, tamen et ipse egeo argumento epistularum et tibi idem accidere certo scio. quae enim soluto animo familiariter scribi solent ea temporibus his excluduntur, quae autem sunt horum temporum ea iam contrivimus. sed tamen ne me totum aegritudini dedam, sumpsi mihi quasdam tamquam theseis quae et politikai sunt et temporum horum, ut et abducam animum ab querelis et in eo ipso de quo agitur exercear. eae sunt huius modi: [2] Ei meneteon en tei patridi turannoumenes autes. Ei panti tropoi turannidos katalusin pragmateuteon, kan mellei dia touto peri ton holon he polis kinduneusein e eulabeteon ton kataluonta me autos airetai. Ei peirateon aregein tei patridi turannoumenei kairoi kai logoi mallon e polemoi. Ei politikon to hesuchazein anachoresanta poi tes patridos turannoumenes e dia pantos iteon kindunou tes eleutherias peri. Ei polemon epakteon tei chorai kai poliorketeon auten turannoumenen. ei kai me dokimazonta ten dia polemou katalusin tes turannidos sunapograpteon homos tois aristois. Ei tois euergetais kai philois sunkinduneuteon en tois politikois kan me dokosin eu bebouleusthai peri ton holon. Ei ho megala ten patrida euergetesas di' auto te touto anekesta pathon kai phthonetheis kinduneuseien an ethelontes huper tes patridos e epheteon autoi heautou pote kai ton oikeiotaton poieisthai pronoian aphemenoi tas pros tous ischuontas diapoliteias. [3] in his ego me consultationibus exercens et disserens in utramque partem tum Graece tum Latine et abduco parumper animum a molestiis et ton prourgou ti delibero. sed vereor ne tibi akairos sim. si enim recte ambulavit is qui hanc epistulam tulit, in ipsum tuum diem incidit.
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Although I get rest only while I am writing to you or reading your letters, I myself am short of subjects for letters, and I know the same thing is happening to you. The easy, familiar subjects people usually write about when their minds are free are shut out by the times; and the subjects that belong to these times we have already worn out.
Still, so that I do not give myself over entirely to grief, I have set myself certain theses, as it were, both political and suited to the present crisis. They draw my mind away from complaint and exercise it on the very matter before us. They are questions like these: whether one should remain in one's country when it is under tyranny; whether one should work by every means to overthrow a tyranny, even if the whole state may be endangered by doing so, or whether one should take care that the destroyer of tyranny does not seize power himself; whether one should try to help a country under tyranny by timing and persuasion rather than by war; whether it is a statesman's duty, when one's country is under tyranny, to withdraw somewhere and stay quiet, or to face every danger for liberty; whether one should bring war into one's own country and besiege one's own city when it is under tyranny; whether, even if one does not approve of abolishing tyranny by war, one should still enroll with the best citizens; whether, in public affairs, one should share the dangers of benefactors and friends even when they seem to have planned badly for the whole commonwealth; whether a man who has greatly served his country, and for that very reason has suffered incurable injuries and envy, should willingly risk himself again for that country, or may at last take thought for himself and those nearest him, leaving aside struggles against the powers that be.
By exercising myself in these questions and arguing both sides, sometimes in Greek and sometimes in Latin, I draw my mind for a little while away from distress, and at the same time I consider something that matters directly. But I am afraid I may be coming at a bad time for you. If the man carrying this letter has walked at a proper pace, it will arrive on the very day of your fever attack.
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
[1] ego etsi tam diu requiesco quam diu aut ad te scribo aut tuas litteras lego, tamen et ipse egeo argumento epistularum et tibi idem accidere certo scio. quae enim soluto animo familiariter scribi solent ea temporibus his excluduntur, quae autem sunt horum temporum ea iam contrivimus. sed tamen ne me totum aegritudini dedam, sumpsi mihi quasdam tamquam theseis quae et politikai sunt et temporum horum, ut et abducam animum ab querelis et in eo ipso de quo agitur exercear. eae sunt huius modi: [2] Ei meneteon en tei patridi turannoumenes autes. Ei panti tropoi turannidos katalusin pragmateuteon, kan mellei dia touto peri ton holon he polis kinduneusein e eulabeteon ton kataluonta me autos airetai. Ei peirateon aregein tei patridi turannoumenei kairoi kai logoi mallon e polemoi. Ei politikon to hesuchazein anachoresanta poi tes patridos turannoumenes e dia pantos iteon kindunou tes eleutherias peri. Ei polemon epakteon tei chorai kai poliorketeon auten turannoumenen. ei kai me dokimazonta ten dia polemou katalusin tes turannidos sunapograpteon homos tois aristois. Ei tois euergetais kai philois sunkinduneuteon en tois politikois kan me dokosin eu bebouleusthai peri ton holon. Ei ho megala ten patrida euergetesas di' auto te touto anekesta pathon kai phthonetheis kinduneuseien an ethelontes huper tes patridos e epheteon autoi heautou pote kai ton oikeiotaton poieisthai pronoian aphemenoi tas pros tous ischuontas diapoliteias. [3] in his ego me consultationibus exercens et disserens in utramque partem tum Graece tum Latine et abduco parumper animum a molestiis et ton prourgou ti delibero. sed vereor ne tibi akairos sim. si enim recte ambulavit is qui hanc epistulam tulit, in ipsum tuum diem incidit.