Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 46 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
About Silius I have learned nothing more from Sicca in person than from his letter, for he had written carefully. So if you meet with him, write to me if anything seems advisable. As for that matter you suppose was sent to me, whether it was sent or not I do not know; nothing, at any rate, has certainly been said to me about it. So you, as you have begun, will go on; and if you bring it off in such a way that it meets with his approval (which for my part I do not think can be done), you will, if you please, call in Cicero [his son]. It is somewhat in his interest to appear to have acted for that man's sake; in mine, none at all, except for the thing you know of, which I value highly.
[2] As to your recalling me to my old habit: it was indeed long ago my way to mourn for the Republic, which I did, but more gently; for there was somewhere I could find rest. Now I simply cannot keep up that manner of living, that life; nor in this matter do I think I need to care what others think; my own conscience means more to me than the talk of everyone. As for the fact that I consoled myself through writing, I do not regret how much progress I made. I have lessened my grief; my pain I could not lessen, nor, if I could, would I wish to.
[3] About Triarius you interpret my wishes rightly. Indeed, do nothing except as they shall wish. I love him though he is dead, I am guardian to his children, I cherish the whole household. As to the business of Castricius: if Castricius is willing to accept money in place of the slaves, and it is paid to him as it is now being paid, there is certainly nothing more convenient. But if the arrangement was made in such a way that he should carry off the slaves themselves, that does not seem to me fair (for you ask me to write you what seems best to me); for I do not want my brother Quintus to have any part of the business; and I think I have understood that you think the same. Publilius, if he is waiting for the equinox, as you write that Aledius says, seems likely to set sail. To me, however, he had said it would be by way of Sicily. I should like to know which it is to be, and when. And I should like you sometime, when it is convenient for you, to visit the boy Lentulus and assign to him whichever of the slaves you think best. My greetings to Pilia and Attica.
I am trying to find something to say to you; but there is nothing. The
same things every day. I am much obliged to you for paying a visit to
Lentulus. Assign him as many slaves as you like and select them
yourself. As to Silius' inclination to sell and his price, you seem to
fear first that he won't want to sell and secondly not at that price.
Sicca thought differently; but I agree with you. So, as he suggested, I
wrote to Egnatius. Silius wants you to speak to Clodius. You have my
full consent to do so, indeed it is more convenient than for me to write
to Clodius myself, as he wanted. As to Castricius' slaves I think it is
most convenient that Egnatius should carry the matter through, as
you say you think he will. With Ovia please see that some arrangement is
made. As you say it was night when you wrote, I expect more in to-day's
letter.
de Silio nilo plura cognovi ex praesente Sicca quam ex litteris eius. scripserat enim diligenter. si igitur tu illum conveneris, scribes ad me si quid videbitur. de quo putas ad me missum esse, sit missum necne nescio; dictum quidem mihi certe nihil est. tu igitur, ut coepisti, et si quid ita conficies, quod equidem non arbitror fieri posse, ut illi probetur, Ciceronem, si tibi placebit, adhibebis. eius aliquid interest videri illius causa voluisse, mea quidem nihil nisi quod tu scis, quod ego magni aestimo. [2] quod me ad meam consuetudinem revocas, fuit meum quidem iam pridem rem publicam lugere, quod faciebam, sed mitius; erat enim ubi acquiescerem. nunc plane nec ego victum nec vitam illam colere possum nec in ea re quid aliis videatur mihi puto curandum; mea mihi conscientia pluris est quam omnium sermo. quod me ipse per litteras consolatus sum, non paenitet me quantum profecerim. maerorem minui, dolorem nec potui nec, si possem, vellem. [3] de Triario bene interpretaris voluntatem meam. tu vero nihil nisi ut illi volent. amo illum mortuum, tutor sum liberis, totam domum diligo. de Castriciano negotio, si Castricius pro mancipiis pecuniam accipere volet eamque ei solvi ut nunc solvitur, certe nihil est commodius. sin autem ita actum est ut ipsa mancipia abduceret, non mihi videtur esse aequum (rogas enim me ut tibi scribam quid mihi videatur); nolo enim negoti Quintum fratrem quicquam habere; quod videor mihi intellexisse tibi videri idem. Publilius, si aequinoctium exspectat, ut scribis Aledium dicere, navigaturus videtur. mihi autem dixerat per Siciliam. utrum et quando velim scire. et velim aliquando, cum erit tuum commodum, Lentulum puerum visas eique de mancipiis quae tibi videbitur attribuas. Piliae, Atticae salutem.
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About Silius I have learned nothing more from Sicca in person than from his letter, for he had written carefully. So if you meet with him, write to me if anything seems advisable. As for that matter you suppose was sent to me, whether it was sent or not I do not know; nothing, at any rate, has certainly been said to me about it. So you, as you have begun, will go on; and if you bring it off in such a way that it meets with his approval (which for my part I do not think can be done), you will, if you please, call in Cicero [his son]. It is somewhat in his interest to appear to have acted for that man's sake; in mine, none at all, except for the thing you know of, which I value highly.
[2] As to your recalling me to my old habit: it was indeed long ago my way to mourn for the Republic, which I did, but more gently; for there was somewhere I could find rest. Now I simply cannot keep up that manner of living, that life; nor in this matter do I think I need to care what others think; my own conscience means more to me than the talk of everyone. As for the fact that I consoled myself through writing, I do not regret how much progress I made. I have lessened my grief; my pain I could not lessen, nor, if I could, would I wish to.
[3] About Triarius you interpret my wishes rightly. Indeed, do nothing except as they shall wish. I love him though he is dead, I am guardian to his children, I cherish the whole household. As to the business of Castricius: if Castricius is willing to accept money in place of the slaves, and it is paid to him as it is now being paid, there is certainly nothing more convenient. But if the arrangement was made in such a way that he should carry off the slaves themselves, that does not seem to me fair (for you ask me to write you what seems best to me); for I do not want my brother Quintus to have any part of the business; and I think I have understood that you think the same. Publilius, if he is waiting for the equinox, as you write that Aledius says, seems likely to set sail. To me, however, he had said it would be by way of Sicily. I should like to know which it is to be, and when. And I should like you sometime, when it is convenient for you, to visit the boy Lentulus and assign to him whichever of the slaves you think best. My greetings to Pilia and Attica.
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
de Silio nilo plura cognovi ex praesente Sicca quam ex litteris eius. scripserat enim diligenter. si igitur tu illum conveneris, scribes ad me si quid videbitur. de quo putas ad me missum esse, sit missum necne nescio; dictum quidem mihi certe nihil est. tu igitur, ut coepisti, et si quid ita conficies, quod equidem non arbitror fieri posse, ut illi probetur, Ciceronem, si tibi placebit, adhibebis. eius aliquid interest videri illius causa voluisse, mea quidem nihil nisi quod tu scis, quod ego magni aestimo. [2] quod me ad meam consuetudinem revocas, fuit meum quidem iam pridem rem publicam lugere, quod faciebam, sed mitius; erat enim ubi acquiescerem. nunc plane nec ego victum nec vitam illam colere possum nec in ea re quid aliis videatur mihi puto curandum; mea mihi conscientia pluris est quam omnium sermo. quod me ipse per litteras consolatus sum, non paenitet me quantum profecerim. maerorem minui, dolorem nec potui nec, si possem, vellem. [3] de Triario bene interpretaris voluntatem meam. tu vero nihil nisi ut illi volent. amo illum mortuum, tutor sum liberis, totam domum diligo. de Castriciano negotio, si Castricius pro mancipiis pecuniam accipere volet eamque ei solvi ut nunc solvitur, certe nihil est commodius. sin autem ita actum est ut ipsa mancipia abduceret, non mihi videtur esse aequum (rogas enim me ut tibi scribam quid mihi videatur); nolo enim negoti Quintum fratrem quicquam habere; quod videor mihi intellexisse tibi videri idem. Publilius, si aequinoctium exspectat, ut scribis Aledium dicere, navigaturus videtur. mihi autem dixerat per Siciliam. utrum et quando velim scire. et velim aliquando, cum erit tuum commodum, Lentulum puerum visas eique de mancipiis quae tibi videbitur attribuas. Piliae, Atticae salutem.