Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 45 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Lamia was with me after you left, and he brought me a letter that had been sent to him by Caesar. Although it had been dispatched before that letter of Diochares, it nonetheless made plain that Caesar would arrive before the Roman Games. At the end of it there was written an instruction that Lamia should get everything ready for the Games and not allow it to happen that Caesar himself had hurried for nothing. From this letter it seemed beyond doubt that he would arrive before that date, and Lamia said that this was how it appeared to Balbus too when he had read the letter. I see that extra days of the festival have been added for me [i.e. the festival period has been lengthened]; but how many, please let me know, if you love me. As for Baebius you will be able to find out, and likewise about the other neighbor, Egnatius.
[2] As for your urging me to spend these days on setting out philosophy, you are spurring on a runner who is already racing; but you see that during these days I must live in the company of Dolabella. And if it were not for the matter of Torquatus keeping me here, there would be days enough for me to make a quick run over to Puteoli and get back in time.
[3] Lamia, at any rate, had heard from Balbus, so it seemed, that a great deal of cash had been counted out at home which ought to be divided up as soon as possible, a large weight of silver; and that an auction of M. Tullius Cicero [i.e. of the estate], apart from the landed properties, ought to be held at the earliest possible moment. I should be glad if you would write to me what you think best. For my part, if a choice had to be made from everyone, I could not easily have picked anyone more conscientious, more dutiful, or, by Hercules, more devoted to me than Vestorius, to whom I have sent a most carefully drawn-up letter; and I suppose you have done the same. To me, at least, this seems sufficient. What do you say? For one thing alone pricks at me, the fear that we may seem rather careless. I shall wait, then, for your letter.
"When from thee, Agamemnon, the message reached my ears," not "that I should come" (though I should have done that too, if it had not been for Torquatus), "straightway" I gave up what I had begun, threw down what I had in hand and made a rough sketch of what you ordered. I should like you to find out from
Pollex the state of my exchequer. It would be a disgrace to me that my son should run short of money in his first year, whatever he may deserve. Afterwards we will restrict him more carefully. Pollex also must be sent back, that Vestorius may accept the inheritance. Clearly I ought not to have gone to Puteoli, both on account of what you say, and because Caesar is getting near. Dolabella tells me he is coming to me on the 14th. What a tiresome school-master!
fuit apud me Lamia post discessum tuum epistulamque ad me attulit missam sibi a Caesare. quae quamquam ante data erat quam illae Diocharinae, tamen plane declarabat illum ante ludos Romanos esse venturum. in qua extrema scriptum erat ut ad ludos omnia pararet neve committeret ut frustra ipse properasset. prorsus ex his litteris non videbatur esse dubium quin ante eam diem venturus esset, itemque Balbo cum eam epistulam legisset videri Lamia dicebat. dies feriarum mihi additos video sed quam multos fac, si me amas, sciam. de Baebio poteris et de altero vicino Egnatio. [2] quod me hortaris ut eos dies consumam in philosophia explicanda, currentem tu quidem; sed cum Dolabella vivendum esse istis diebus vides. quod nisi me Torquati causa teneret satis erat dierum ut Puteolos excurrere possem et ad tempus redire. [3] Lamia quidem a Balbo, ut videbatur, audiverat multos nummos domi esse numeratos quos oporteret quam primum dividi, magnum pondus argenti; auctionem XIII M. TVLLI CICERONIS praeter praedia primo quoque tempore fieri oportere. scribas ad me velim quid tibi placeat. equidem si ex omnibus esset eligendum, nec diligentiorem nec officiosiorem nec me hercule nostri studiosiorem facile delegissem Vestorio, ad quem accuratissimas litteras dedi; quod idem te fecisse arbitror. mihi quidem hoc satis videtur. tu quid dicis? unum enim pungit ne neglegentiores esse videamur. exspectabo igitur tuas litteras.
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Lamia was with me after you left, and he brought me a letter that had been sent to him by Caesar. Although it had been dispatched before that letter of Diochares, it nonetheless made plain that Caesar would arrive before the Roman Games. At the end of it there was written an instruction that Lamia should get everything ready for the Games and not allow it to happen that Caesar himself had hurried for nothing. From this letter it seemed beyond doubt that he would arrive before that date, and Lamia said that this was how it appeared to Balbus too when he had read the letter. I see that extra days of the festival have been added for me [i.e. the festival period has been lengthened]; but how many, please let me know, if you love me. As for Baebius you will be able to find out, and likewise about the other neighbor, Egnatius.
[2] As for your urging me to spend these days on setting out philosophy, you are spurring on a runner who is already racing; but you see that during these days I must live in the company of Dolabella. And if it were not for the matter of Torquatus keeping me here, there would be days enough for me to make a quick run over to Puteoli and get back in time.
[3] Lamia, at any rate, had heard from Balbus, so it seemed, that a great deal of cash had been counted out at home which ought to be divided up as soon as possible, a large weight of silver; and that an auction of M. Tullius Cicero [i.e. of the estate], apart from the landed properties, ought to be held at the earliest possible moment. I should be glad if you would write to me what you think best. For my part, if a choice had to be made from everyone, I could not easily have picked anyone more conscientious, more dutiful, or, by Hercules, more devoted to me than Vestorius, to whom I have sent a most carefully drawn-up letter; and I suppose you have done the same. To me, at least, this seems sufficient. What do you say? For one thing alone pricks at me, the fear that we may seem rather careless. I shall wait, then, for your letter.
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
fuit apud me Lamia post discessum tuum epistulamque ad me attulit missam sibi a Caesare. quae quamquam ante data erat quam illae Diocharinae, tamen plane declarabat illum ante ludos Romanos esse venturum. in qua extrema scriptum erat ut ad ludos omnia pararet neve committeret ut frustra ipse properasset. prorsus ex his litteris non videbatur esse dubium quin ante eam diem venturus esset, itemque Balbo cum eam epistulam legisset videri Lamia dicebat. dies feriarum mihi additos video sed quam multos fac, si me amas, sciam. de Baebio poteris et de altero vicino Egnatio. [2] quod me hortaris ut eos dies consumam in philosophia explicanda, currentem tu quidem; sed cum Dolabella vivendum esse istis diebus vides. quod nisi me Torquati causa teneret satis erat dierum ut Puteolos excurrere possem et ad tempus redire. [3] Lamia quidem a Balbo, ut videbatur, audiverat multos nummos domi esse numeratos quos oporteret quam primum dividi, magnum pondus argenti; auctionem XIII M. TVLLI CICERONIS praeter praedia primo quoque tempore fieri oportere. scribas ad me velim quid tibi placeat. equidem si ex omnibus esset eligendum, nec diligentiorem nec officiosiorem nec me hercule nostri studiosiorem facile delegissem Vestorio, ad quem accuratissimas litteras dedi; quod idem te fecisse arbitror. mihi quidem hoc satis videtur. tu quid dicis? unum enim pungit ne neglegentiores esse videamur. exspectabo igitur tuas litteras.