Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
[1] It is the habit of most people to judge not only the plans of humble men, such as we are, but even those of the most eminent men by the outcome rather than by the intention. Nevertheless, relying on your kindness, we will give you the advice on the matter about which you wrote to us that seems to us most truthful. And if it should prove not to be prudent, it will at any rate proceed from the most loyal good faith and the best intentions. If we had learned from Caesar himself that he intends to do what, in our judgment, we think he ought to do, namely, that as soon as he has come to Rome he should set about reconciling himself with Pompey, we would not cease to urge you to be willing to take part in those affairs, so that the whole business might more easily and with greater dignity be brought to completion through you, who are bound to both men. Or, on the contrary, if we thought that Caesar would not do this, and if we knew that he even wished to wage war against Pompey, we would never advise you to take up arms against a man who has deserved so well of you, just as we have always begged you not to fight against Caesar. [2] But since even now we can only conjecture rather than know what Caesar intends to do, we can say nothing except this: that it does not seem consistent with your dignity, nor with the good faith known to all, that you should bear arms against either one, when you are most closely connected to both; and we do not doubt that Caesar, in keeping with his own kindness, will most strongly approve of this. We will, however, if it seems good to you, write to Caesar asking him to inform us what he means to do about this matter. And if he sends us a reply, we will at once write to you what we think, and we will give you our pledge that we are advising what seems to us most advantageous to your dignity, not to Caesar's cause; and we think Caesar, out of his indulgence toward his own people, will approve of this.
As I was dining on the 14th, and indeed after nightfall, Statius brought a short letter from you. For your query about L. Torquatus, not only Lucius but also Aulus has gone [the former some two days], the latter a long time ago. For your news about the sale of prisoners at Reate, I am sorry that the seeds of a proscription should be sown in the Sabine district. That many members of the House are at Rome, I also have heard. Can you give any reason why they ever left it? Here there is an idea based on guesswork rather than message or dispatch that Caesar will be at Formiae on March the 22nd. I wish I could have here Homer's Minerva disguised as Mentor, that I might say to her, "Mentor, how shall I go, and how shall I welcome him, pray?" I have never had a more difficult step to think of. But I think of it nevertheless: nor shall I be unprepared, so far as the evil days permit. Take care of yourself, for I fancy yesterday was the day for your fever.
[1] nedum hominum humilium, ut nos sumus, sed etiam amplissimorum virorum consilia ex eventu, non ex voluntate a plerisque probari solent. tamen freti tua humanitate quod verissimum nobis videbitur de eo quod ad nos scripsisti tibi consilium dabimus. quod si non fuerit prudens, at certe ab optima fide et optimo animo proficiscetur. nos si id quod nostro iudicio Caesarem facere oportere existimamus, ut, simul Romam venerit, agat de reconciliatione gratiae suae et Pompei, id eum facturum ex ipso cognovissemus, te hortari <non desineremus> ut velles iis rebus interesse, quo facilius et maiore cum dignitate per te qui utrique es coniunctus res tota confieret, aut si ex contrario putaremus Caesarem id non facturum et etiam velle cum Pompeio bellum gerere sciremus, numquam tibi suaderemus contra hominem optime de te meritum arma ferres, sicuti te semper oravimus ne contra Caesarem pugnares. [2] sed cum etiam nunc quid facturus Caesar sit magis opinari quam scire <possimus>, non possumus nisi hoc, non videri eam tuam esse dignitatem neque fidem omnibus cognitam ut contra alterutrum, cum utrique sis maxime necessarius, arma feras, et hoc non dubitamus quin Caesar pro sua humanitate maxime sit probaturus. nos tamen, si tibi videbitur, ad Caesarem scribemus ut nos certiores faciat quid de hac re acturus sit. A quo si erit nobis rescriptum, statim quae sentiemus ad te scribemus et tibi fidem faciemus nos ea suadere quae nobis videntur tuae dignitati, non Caesaris actioni esse utilissima, et hoc Caesarem pro indulgentia in suos probaturum putamus.
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[1] It is the habit of most people to judge not only the plans of humble men, such as we are, but even those of the most eminent men by the outcome rather than by the intention. Nevertheless, relying on your kindness, we will give you the advice on the matter about which you wrote to us that seems to us most truthful. And if it should prove not to be prudent, it will at any rate proceed from the most loyal good faith and the best intentions. If we had learned from Caesar himself that he intends to do what, in our judgment, we think he ought to do, namely, that as soon as he has come to Rome he should set about reconciling himself with Pompey, we would not cease to urge you to be willing to take part in those affairs, so that the whole business might more easily and with greater dignity be brought to completion through you, who are bound to both men. Or, on the contrary, if we thought that Caesar would not do this, and if we knew that he even wished to wage war against Pompey, we would never advise you to take up arms against a man who has deserved so well of you, just as we have always begged you not to fight against Caesar. [2] But since even now we can only conjecture rather than know what Caesar intends to do, we can say nothing except this: that it does not seem consistent with your dignity, nor with the good faith known to all, that you should bear arms against either one, when you are most closely connected to both; and we do not doubt that Caesar, in keeping with his own kindness, will most strongly approve of this. We will, however, if it seems good to you, write to Caesar asking him to inform us what he means to do about this matter. And if he sends us a reply, we will at once write to you what we think, and we will give you our pledge that we are advising what seems to us most advantageous to your dignity, not to Caesar's cause; and we think Caesar, out of his indulgence toward his own people, will approve of this.
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] nedum hominum humilium, ut nos sumus, sed etiam amplissimorum virorum consilia ex eventu, non ex voluntate a plerisque probari solent. tamen freti tua humanitate quod verissimum nobis videbitur de eo quod ad nos scripsisti tibi consilium dabimus. quod si non fuerit prudens, at certe ab optima fide et optimo animo proficiscetur. nos si id quod nostro iudicio Caesarem facere oportere existimamus, ut, simul Romam venerit, agat de reconciliatione gratiae suae et Pompei, id eum facturum ex ipso cognovissemus, te hortari <non desineremus> ut velles iis rebus interesse, quo facilius et maiore cum dignitate per te qui utrique es coniunctus res tota confieret, aut si ex contrario putaremus Caesarem id non facturum et etiam velle cum Pompeio bellum gerere sciremus, numquam tibi suaderemus contra hominem optime de te meritum arma ferres, sicuti te semper oravimus ne contra Caesarem pugnares. [2] sed cum etiam nunc quid facturus Caesar sit magis opinari quam scire <possimus>, non possumus nisi hoc, non videri eam tuam esse dignitatem neque fidem omnibus cognitam ut contra alterutrum, cum utrique sis maxime necessarius, arma feras, et hoc non dubitamus quin Caesar pro sua humanitate maxime sit probaturus. nos tamen, si tibi videbitur, ad Caesarem scribemus ut nos certiores faciat quid de hac re acturus sit. A quo si erit nobis rescriptum, statim quae sentiemus ad te scribemus et tibi fidem faciemus nos ea suadere quae nobis videntur tuae dignitati, non Caesaris actioni esse utilissima, et hoc Caesarem pro indulgentia in suos probaturum putamus.