Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
"If I did not love you deeply, and much more than you think, I would not have been alarmed by the rumor spread about you, especially since I thought it false. But because I love you far too much, I cannot hide from myself that even rumor, however false, matters greatly.
"I cannot believe you are going overseas, when Dolabella and your Tullia, that most admirable woman, mean so much to you, and when you mean so much to all of us. By heaven, your dignity and standing are almost dearer to us than to you yourself. Still, I did not think it the part of a friend to remain unmoved even by the talk of scoundrels. I have acted all the more earnestly because I judged that our disagreement laid a harder duty on me, a disagreement born more from my jealousy than from any injury by you. I want you to be convinced of this: no one is dearer to me than you, except my Caesar, and I believe at the same time that Caesar places Marcus Cicero among his closest friends.
"Therefore, my dear Cicero, I ask you to keep all your options intact. Do not trust the good faith of a man who injured you first in order to grant you a favor later. On the other hand, do not flee from a man who, even if he does not love you, which cannot happen, will still want you to be safe and held in the highest honor.
"I have deliberately sent Calpurnius, a very close friend of mine, so that you may know how deeply I care about your life and dignity."
On the same day Philotimus brought me a letter from Caesar, of which this is a copy.
"Had I not a great affection for you, and much more than you think, I should not have been alarmed at a report which has been spread about you, especially as I thought it to be false. But, just because I like you so very much, I cannot hide from myself that the report, although it may be false, causes me great concern. That you are about to go over seas I cannot believe, when you have such dear regard for Dolabella
and your daughter Tullia, that queen among women, and you are rated so highly by all of us, who, I dare swear, care almost more than you do for your dignity and position. However, I considered that it was no part of a friend to be unmoved even when scoundrels talked, and I have been more particular, because I thought that a harder task was laid upon me by our disagreement, which sprang more from jealousy on my part than from wrong on yours; for I want you to convince yourself that no one is dearer to me than you, except Caesar, and at the same time I am positive that Caesar reckons M. Cicero highly among his friends. So my dear Cicero I beg you not to commit yourself and not to rely on the honour of a man, who for the sake of conferring a kindness first did you a harm, and on the other hand not to flee from a man, who although he will not love you, which is out of the question, will always wish you to be safe and in high distinction.
"I have taken the trouble to send you Calpurnius, an intimate friend of mine, that you may know I am greatly concerned for your life and position."
On the same day Philotimus brought me a letter from Caesar of which this is a copy:
[1] Nisi te valde amarem et multo quidem plus quam tu putas, non extimuissem rumorem qui de te prolatus est, cum praesertim falsum esse existimarem. sed quia te nimio plus diligo, non possum dissimulare mihi famam quoque, quamvis sit falsa, magni esse. <te iturum esse> trans mare credere non possum, cum tanti facias Dolabellam <et> Tulliam tuam, feminam lectissimam, tantique ab omnibus nobis fias; quibus me hercule dignitas amplitudoque tua paene carior est quam tibi ipsi. sed tamen non sum arbitratus esse amici non commoveri etiam improborum sermone atque eo feci studiosius quod iudicabam duriores partis mihi impositas esse ab offensione nostra, quae magis a zelotupiai mea quam ab iniuria tua nata est. sic enim volo te tibi persuadere, mihi neminem esse cariorem te excepto Caesare meo, meque illud una iudicare Caesarem maxime in suis M. Ciceronem reponere. [2] qua re, mi Cicero, te rogo ut tibi omnia integra serves, eius fidem improbes qui tibi ut beneficium daret prius iniuriam fecit, contra ne profugias qui te, etsi non amabit, quod accidere non potest, tamen salvum amplissimumque esse cupiet. dedita opera ad te Calpurnium familiarissimum meum misi, ut mihi magnae curae tuam vitam ac dignitatem esse scires. eodem die a Caesare Philotimus attulit hoc exemplo:
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"If I did not love you deeply, and much more than you think, I would not have been alarmed by the rumor spread about you, especially since I thought it false. But because I love you far too much, I cannot hide from myself that even rumor, however false, matters greatly.
"I cannot believe you are going overseas, when Dolabella and your Tullia, that most admirable woman, mean so much to you, and when you mean so much to all of us. By heaven, your dignity and standing are almost dearer to us than to you yourself. Still, I did not think it the part of a friend to remain unmoved even by the talk of scoundrels. I have acted all the more earnestly because I judged that our disagreement laid a harder duty on me, a disagreement born more from my jealousy than from any injury by you. I want you to be convinced of this: no one is dearer to me than you, except my Caesar, and I believe at the same time that Caesar places Marcus Cicero among his closest friends.
"Therefore, my dear Cicero, I ask you to keep all your options intact. Do not trust the good faith of a man who injured you first in order to grant you a favor later. On the other hand, do not flee from a man who, even if he does not love you, which cannot happen, will still want you to be safe and held in the highest honor.
"I have deliberately sent Calpurnius, a very close friend of mine, so that you may know how deeply I care about your life and dignity."
On the same day Philotimus brought me a letter from Caesar, of which this is a copy.
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] Nisi te valde amarem et multo quidem plus quam tu putas, non extimuissem rumorem qui de te prolatus est, cum praesertim falsum esse existimarem. sed quia te nimio plus diligo, non possum dissimulare mihi famam quoque, quamvis sit falsa, magni esse. <te iturum esse> trans mare credere non possum, cum tanti facias Dolabellam <et> Tulliam tuam, feminam lectissimam, tantique ab omnibus nobis fias; quibus me hercule dignitas amplitudoque tua paene carior est quam tibi ipsi. sed tamen non sum arbitratus esse amici non commoveri etiam improborum sermone atque eo feci studiosius quod iudicabam duriores partis mihi impositas esse ab offensione nostra, quae magis a zelotupiai mea quam ab iniuria tua nata est. sic enim volo te tibi persuadere, mihi neminem esse cariorem te excepto Caesare meo, meque illud una iudicare Caesarem maxime in suis M. Ciceronem reponere. [2] qua re, mi Cicero, te rogo ut tibi omnia integra serves, eius fidem improbes qui tibi ut beneficium daret prius iniuriam fecit, contra ne profugias qui te, etsi non amabit, quod accidere non potest, tamen salvum amplissimumque esse cupiet. dedita opera ad te Calpurnium familiarissimum meum misi, ut mihi magnae curae tuam vitam ac dignitatem esse scires. eodem die a Caesare Philotimus attulit hoc exemplo: