Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 46 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Yesterday, when I had learned about Antony's arrival from other people's letters, I was surprised that there was nothing about it in yours. But perhaps yours had been written the day before they were delivered. Not that I care about all that; still, I imagine he rushed back on account of his sureties [men who had stood as financial guarantors for him]. [2] As for your writing that Terentia is talking about the witnesses who sealed my will, first of all, convince yourself that I don't care about such things and that there is nothing here that is either of small concern or of a new kind. But all the same, what is there comparable in our cases? She did not call in the very men whom she supposed would go prying unless they knew what was in it. Was there even any such danger for me in that respect? But let her, all the same, do what I do. I will give my will to be read by whomever she likes; she will understand that nothing could have been done by me more honorably toward my grandson than what I did. For as to my not having summoned people to the sealing, in the first place it did not occur to me, and then it did not occur to me for the reason that it was of no importance. You yourself know, if only you remember, that I told you at the time to bring along some of your own people. For what need was there of many? For my part, I had given orders to those of my own household. Then it was your idea that I should send to Silius. From that arose the suggestion of sending to Publilius too; but neither was necessary. You will handle this matter as you see fit.
You don't seem yet to see how little Antony disturbed me nor how little anything of that kind ever can disturb me now. About Terentia I wrote to you in the letter I sent yesterday. You exhort me and you say others want me to hide the depth of
my grief. Can I do so better than by spending all my days in writing? Though I do it, not to hide, but rather to soften and to heal my feelings, still, if I do myself but little good, I certainly keep up appearances.
My letter is shorter than it might be, because I am expecting your answer to mine of yesterday. I am most anxious about the shrine and a little about Terentia too. Please let me know in your next letter whether Cn. Caepio, father of Claudius' wife Servilia, perished by shipwreck during his father's life or after his death, and whether Rutilia died before or after her son C. Cotta. They concern the book I have written on the lightening of grief.
heri cum ex aliorum litteris cognovissem de Antoni adventu, admiratus sum nihil esse in tuis. sed erant pridie fortasse scriptae quam datae. neque ista quidem curo; sed tamen opinor propter praedes suos accucurrisse. [2] quod scribis Terentiam de obsignatoribus mei testamenti loqui, primum tibi persuade me istaec non curare neque esse quicquam aut parvae curae aut novae loci. sed tamen quid simile? illa eos non adhibuit quos existimavit quaesituros nisi scissent quid esset. num id etiam mihi periculi fuit? sed tamen faciat illa quod ego. dabo meum testamentum legendum cui voluerit; intelleget non potuisse honorificentius a me fieri de nepote quam fecerim. nam quod non advocavi ad obsignandum, primum mihi non venit in mentem, deinde ea re non venit, quia nihil attinuit. tute scis, si modo meministi, me tibi tum dixisse ut de tuis aliquos adduceres. quid enim opus erat multis? equidem domesticos iusseram. tum tibi placuit ut mitterem ad Silium. inde est natum ut ad Publilium; sed necesse neutrum fuit. hoc tu tractabis ut tibi videbitur.
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Yesterday, when I had learned about Antony's arrival from other people's letters, I was surprised that there was nothing about it in yours. But perhaps yours had been written the day before they were delivered. Not that I care about all that; still, I imagine he rushed back on account of his sureties [men who had stood as financial guarantors for him]. [2] As for your writing that Terentia is talking about the witnesses who sealed my will, first of all, convince yourself that I don't care about such things and that there is nothing here that is either of small concern or of a new kind. But all the same, what is there comparable in our cases? She did not call in the very men whom she supposed would go prying unless they knew what was in it. Was there even any such danger for me in that respect? But let her, all the same, do what I do. I will give my will to be read by whomever she likes; she will understand that nothing could have been done by me more honorably toward my grandson than what I did. For as to my not having summoned people to the sealing, in the first place it did not occur to me, and then it did not occur to me for the reason that it was of no importance. You yourself know, if only you remember, that I told you at the time to bring along some of your own people. For what need was there of many? For my part, I had given orders to those of my own household. Then it was your idea that I should send to Silius. From that arose the suggestion of sending to Publilius too; but neither was necessary. You will handle this matter as you see fit.
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
heri cum ex aliorum litteris cognovissem de Antoni adventu, admiratus sum nihil esse in tuis. sed erant pridie fortasse scriptae quam datae. neque ista quidem curo; sed tamen opinor propter praedes suos accucurrisse. [2] quod scribis Terentiam de obsignatoribus mei testamenti loqui, primum tibi persuade me istaec non curare neque esse quicquam aut parvae curae aut novae loci. sed tamen quid simile? illa eos non adhibuit quos existimavit quaesituros nisi scissent quid esset. num id etiam mihi periculi fuit? sed tamen faciat illa quod ego. dabo meum testamentum legendum cui voluerit; intelleget non potuisse honorificentius a me fieri de nepote quam fecerim. nam quod non advocavi ad obsignandum, primum mihi non venit in mentem, deinde ea re non venit, quia nihil attinuit. tute scis, si modo meministi, me tibi tum dixisse ut de tuis aliquos adduceres. quid enim opus erat multis? equidem domesticos iusseram. tum tibi placuit ut mitterem ad Silium. inde est natum ut ad Publilium; sed necesse neutrum fuit. hoc tu tractabis ut tibi videbitur.