Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 45 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
First, my greetings to Attica (who I imagine is out in the country, so a hearty greeting to her) and to Pilia. About Tigellius, let me know if there is any news. He, in fact, according to what Gallus Fadius has written to me, is leveling [mempsin anapherei, "lodging a complaint"] a thoroughly unfair grievance against me: that I let Phamea down after I had taken on his case. I had indeed taken it on, against the young sons of Octavius, the sons of Gnaeus, and not gladly, but I wanted to do it for Phamea's sake. For he had, if you remember, during my campaign for the consulship promised me through you that he would help if I ever needed anything, and I looked after his interests just as if I had actually made use of that. He came to me and said that the judge had decided to take up his case on the very day on which our friend Sestius had, of necessity, to go before the court under the Pompeian law. For you know that the days of those trials had been fixed in advance. I replied that he was not unaware of what I owed to Sestius, and that if he chose any other day, I would not fail him. And so on that occasion he went off in a rage. I think I told you about it. Naturally I did not trouble myself over it, nor did I think I had to concern myself with the utterly unjust anger of a man who was a stranger to me. [2] But when I was last in Rome I told Gallus what I had heard, without naming Balbus the younger. Gallus did his own piece of business in the matter, as he writes. He says that the fellow claims I suspect this about him out of a guilty conscience, because I had abandoned Phamea. So this much I commission to you: about that man of ours, find out what you can, if you are able; but on my own account do not put yourself to any trouble. It is a fine thing to hate someone gladly, and, just as [the proverb runs, "not to sleep for everyone's sake, so"] not to be a slave to everyone. And yet, by Hercules, as you understand, those people are more my slaves than I theirs, if dancing attendance counts as slavery.
First, greetings to Attica (whom I believe to be in the country; so, warm greetings) and to Pilia. About Tigellius — any news? He, as Gallus Fadius writes to me, is directing some grievance at me, based on some sort of injustice. What it is, I do not know. [2] I do know this: if he has a complaint about Caesar's gifts, I am not the one who handled it. Let him address his quarrel to the right person. But I ask you to find out what the trouble is and let me know. I do not want unnecessary enemies, especially not loud ones.
Atticae primum salutem (quam equidem ruri esse arbitror; multam igitur salutem) et Piliae. de Tigellio, si quid novi. qui quidem, ut mihi Gallus Fadius scripsit, me/myin a)nafe/rei mihi quandam iniquissimam, me Phameae defuisse cum eius causam recepissem. quam quidem receperam contra pueros Octavios Cn. filios non libenter; sed Phameae causa volebam. erat enim, si meministi, in consulatus petitione per te mihi pollicitus si quid opus esset; quod ego perinde tuebar ac si usus essem. is ad me venit dixitque iudicem operam dare sibi constituisse eo die ipso quo de Sestio nostro lege Pompeia in consilium iri necesse erat. scis enim dies illorum iudiciorum praestitutos fuisse. respondi non ignorare eum quid ego deberem Sestio. quem vellet alium diem si sumpsisset, me ei non defuturum. ita tum ille discessit iratus. puto me tibi narrasse. non laboravi scilicet nec hominis alieni iniustissimam iracundiam mihi curandam putavi. [2] Gallo autem narravi, cum proxime Romae fui, quid audissem neque nominavi Balbum minorem. habuit suum negotium Gallus ut scribit. ait illum <dicere> me animi conscientia quod Phamean destituissem de se suspicari. qua re tibi hactenus mando, de illo nostro, si quid poteris, exquiras, de me ne quid labores. est bellum aliquem libenter odisse et quem ad modum <non omnibus dormire, ita> non omnibus servire. etsi me hercule, ut tu intellegis, magis mihi isti serviunt, si observare servire est.
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First, my greetings to Attica (who I imagine is out in the country, so a hearty greeting to her) and to Pilia. About Tigellius, let me know if there is any news. He, in fact, according to what Gallus Fadius has written to me, is leveling [mempsin anapherei, "lodging a complaint"] a thoroughly unfair grievance against me: that I let Phamea down after I had taken on his case. I had indeed taken it on, against the young sons of Octavius, the sons of Gnaeus, and not gladly, but I wanted to do it for Phamea's sake. For he had, if you remember, during my campaign for the consulship promised me through you that he would help if I ever needed anything, and I looked after his interests just as if I had actually made use of that. He came to me and said that the judge had decided to take up his case on the very day on which our friend Sestius had, of necessity, to go before the court under the Pompeian law. For you know that the days of those trials had been fixed in advance. I replied that he was not unaware of what I owed to Sestius, and that if he chose any other day, I would not fail him. And so on that occasion he went off in a rage. I think I told you about it. Naturally I did not trouble myself over it, nor did I think I had to concern myself with the utterly unjust anger of a man who was a stranger to me. [2] But when I was last in Rome I told Gallus what I had heard, without naming Balbus the younger. Gallus did his own piece of business in the matter, as he writes. He says that the fellow claims I suspect this about him out of a guilty conscience, because I had abandoned Phamea. So this much I commission to you: about that man of ours, find out what you can, if you are able; but on my own account do not put yourself to any trouble. It is a fine thing to hate someone gladly, and, just as [the proverb runs, "not to sleep for everyone's sake, so"] not to be a slave to everyone. And yet, by Hercules, as you understand, those people are more my slaves than I theirs, if dancing attendance counts as slavery.
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
Atticae primum salutem (quam equidem ruri esse arbitror; multam igitur salutem) et Piliae. de Tigellio, si quid novi. qui quidem, ut mihi Gallus Fadius scripsit, me/myin a)nafe/rei mihi quandam iniquissimam, me Phameae defuisse cum eius causam recepissem. quam quidem receperam contra pueros Octavios Cn. filios non libenter; sed Phameae causa volebam. erat enim, si meministi, in consulatus petitione per te mihi pollicitus si quid opus esset; quod ego perinde tuebar ac si usus essem. is ad me venit dixitque iudicem operam dare sibi constituisse eo die ipso quo de Sestio nostro lege Pompeia in consilium iri necesse erat. scis enim dies illorum iudiciorum praestitutos fuisse. respondi non ignorare eum quid ego deberem Sestio. quem vellet alium diem si sumpsisset, me ei non defuturum. ita tum ille discessit iratus. puto me tibi narrasse. non laboravi scilicet nec hominis alieni iniustissimam iracundiam mihi curandam putavi. [2] Gallo autem narravi, cum proxime Romae fui, quid audissem neque nominavi Balbum minorem. habuit suum negotium Gallus ut scribit. ait illum <dicere> me animi conscientia quod Phamean destituissem de se suspicari. qua re tibi hactenus mando, de illo nostro, si quid poteris, exquiras, de me ne quid labores. est bellum aliquem libenter odisse et quem ad modum <non omnibus dormire, ita> non omnibus servire. etsi me hercule, ut tu intellegis, magis mihi isti serviunt, si observare servire est.