Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 44 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
My dear Atticus, I fear the Ides of March have given us nothing except joy, and punishment for hatred and pain. What reports are brought to me from Rome. What things I see here. The deed was noble, but unfinished.
You know how much I love the Sicilians, and how honorable I consider that clientship. Caesar granted them many things, not against my wishes, though the grant of Latin status was unbearable. And yet look: Antony has taken a huge sum of money and posted a law, supposedly passed by the dictator in the assembly, by which the Sicilians become Roman citizens. While Caesar was alive there had been no mention of this. And what of our Deiotarus' case? Is it not similar? He is indeed worthy of every kingdom, but not through Fulvia. There are six hundred cases like this.
But I return to my point. Shall we not hold, at least in some part, the Buthrotum case, so clear, so well attested, and so just, especially as that man grants so many things? Octavius is here with us on very respectful and friendly terms. His people address him as Caesar; Philippus does not, and so I do not either. I say he cannot be a good citizen if he does. So many stand around him who threaten death to our friends. They say these things cannot be endured. What do you think will happen when the boy comes to Rome, where our liberators cannot be safe? They will indeed always be famous, and, in the consciousness of what they did, even happy. But we, unless I am mistaken, shall lie low. So I long to get away "where no noise of the sons of Pelops" reaches me.
I have no love even for these consuls-designate, who have forced me to declaim, so that I cannot rest even at the waters. But that is because I am too obliging. Once it was almost necessary; now, however matters stand, it is not the same.
How long it has been since I had anything to write to you. Still, I write not to delight you with this letter, but to draw out yours. If there is anything about the others, send it; about Brutus, send absolutely everything. I wrote this on April 22 while dining with Vestorius, a man remote from dialectic but quite practiced in arithmetic.
My dear Atticus, I fear the Ides of March may have given us nothing but our joy and satisfaction of our hatred and resentment. What news I get from Rome! What things I see here! "The deed was fair but its result is naught."
You know how fond I am of the Sicilians, and how great an honour I count it to be their patron. Caesar granted them many privileges, and I was pleased at
it, though to give them the Latin rights was intolerable. However ——. But here is Antony taking a huge bribe and posting up a law said to have been carried by the dictator in the Comitia, which gives the Sicilians the citizenship, though there was no mention of such a thing when Caesar was alive. Again, is not our friend Deiotarus' case just the same? He is certainly worthy of any kingdom, but not of one bought through Fulvia. There are thousands of other cases. However, to return to my point. Shall I not be able to maintain to some extent my case for the people of Buthrotum, since it is so well supported by witnesses and so just, especially as he is free with his grants?
Octavius is here with us on terms of respect and friendship. His people address him as Caesar, but Philippus does not, and so I do not either. I hold that it is impossible for a loyal citizen to do so. We are surrounded by so many who threaten death to our friends, and declare they cannot bear the present state of affairs. What do you think will happen, when this boy comes to Rome, where those who have set us free cannot live in safety. They, indeed, will ever be famous, and even happy in the consciousness of their deed. But we, unless I am much mistaken, shall be crushed. So I long to go "where no bruit of the sons of Pelops may reach my ears," as the saying is. I have no love even for these consuls designate, who have forced me to declaim to them, so that I can't have peace even by the sea. But that is due to my excess of good nature. For at one time declamation was more or less a necessity; now, however things turn out, it is not.
How long it is since I have had anything to write to you! However, I write, not to charm you with
my letter, but to draw your answers. Do you send me any news you have, especially about Brutus, but about anything else too. I write this on the 22nd while at dinner with Vestorius, a man who has no idea of philosophy, but who is well up in arithmetic.
O mi Attice, vereor ne nobis Idus Martiae nihil dederint praeter laetitiam et odi poenam ac doloris. quae mihi istim adferuntur! quae hic video! )\W pra/cewj kalh=j me/n, a)telou=j de/. . scis quam diligam Siculos et quam illam clientelam honestam iudicem. multa illis Caesar neque me invito, etsi latinitas erat non ferenda. verum tamen--. ecce autem Antonius accepta grandi pecunia fixit legem a dictatore comitiis latam qua Siculi cives Romani; cuius rei vivo illo mentio nulla. quid? Deiotari nostri causa non similis? dignus ille quidem omni regno sed non per Fulviam. sescenta similia. verum illuc <me> refero. tam claram tamque testatam rem tamque iustam Buthrotiam non tenebimus aliqua ex parte? et eo quidem magis quo iste plura? nobiscum hic perhonorifice et peramice Octavius. [2] quem quidem sui Caesarem salutabant, Philippus non, itaque ne nos quidem; quem nego posse <esse> bonum civem. ita multi circumstant qui quidem nostris mortem minitantur. negant haec ferri posse. quid censes cum Romam puer venerit ubi nostri liberatores tuti esse non possunt? <qui> quidem semper erunt clari, conscientia vero facti sui etiam beati. sed nos, nisi me fallit, iacebimus. itaque exire aveo 'ubi nec Pelopidarum,' inquit. haud amo vel hos designatos qui etiam declamare me coegerunt, ut ne apud aquas quidem acquiescere liceret. sed hoc meae nimiae facilitatis. nam id erat quondam quasi necesse, nunc, quoquo modo se res habet, non est item. [3] quam dudum nihil habeo quod ad te scribam! scribo tamen non ut delectem his litteris sed ut eliciam tuas. tu si quid erit de ceteris, de Bruto utique quicquid. haec conscripsi x Kal. accubans apud Vestorium, hominem remotum a dialecticis, in arithmeticis satis exercitatum.
◆
My dear Atticus, I fear the Ides of March have given us nothing except joy, and punishment for hatred and pain. What reports are brought to me from Rome. What things I see here. The deed was noble, but unfinished.
You know how much I love the Sicilians, and how honorable I consider that clientship. Caesar granted them many things, not against my wishes, though the grant of Latin status was unbearable. And yet look: Antony has taken a huge sum of money and posted a law, supposedly passed by the dictator in the assembly, by which the Sicilians become Roman citizens. While Caesar was alive there had been no mention of this. And what of our Deiotarus' case? Is it not similar? He is indeed worthy of every kingdom, but not through Fulvia. There are six hundred cases like this.
But I return to my point. Shall we not hold, at least in some part, the Buthrotum case, so clear, so well attested, and so just, especially as that man grants so many things? Octavius is here with us on very respectful and friendly terms. His people address him as Caesar; Philippus does not, and so I do not either. I say he cannot be a good citizen if he does. So many stand around him who threaten death to our friends. They say these things cannot be endured. What do you think will happen when the boy comes to Rome, where our liberators cannot be safe? They will indeed always be famous, and, in the consciousness of what they did, even happy. But we, unless I am mistaken, shall lie low. So I long to get away "where no noise of the sons of Pelops" reaches me.
I have no love even for these consuls-designate, who have forced me to declaim, so that I cannot rest even at the waters. But that is because I am too obliging. Once it was almost necessary; now, however matters stand, it is not the same.
How long it has been since I had anything to write to you. Still, I write not to delight you with this letter, but to draw out yours. If there is anything about the others, send it; about Brutus, send absolutely everything. I wrote this on April 22 while dining with Vestorius, a man remote from dialectic but quite practiced in arithmetic.
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
O mi Attice, vereor ne nobis Idus Martiae nihil dederint praeter laetitiam et odi poenam ac doloris. quae mihi istim adferuntur! quae hic video! )\W pra/cewj kalh=j me/n, a)telou=j de/. . scis quam diligam Siculos et quam illam clientelam honestam iudicem. multa illis Caesar neque me invito, etsi latinitas erat non ferenda. verum tamen--. ecce autem Antonius accepta grandi pecunia fixit legem a dictatore comitiis latam qua Siculi cives Romani; cuius rei vivo illo mentio nulla. quid? Deiotari nostri causa non similis? dignus ille quidem omni regno sed non per Fulviam. sescenta similia. verum illuc <me> refero. tam claram tamque testatam rem tamque iustam Buthrotiam non tenebimus aliqua ex parte? et eo quidem magis quo iste plura? nobiscum hic perhonorifice et peramice Octavius. [2] quem quidem sui Caesarem salutabant, Philippus non, itaque ne nos quidem; quem nego posse <esse> bonum civem. ita multi circumstant qui quidem nostris mortem minitantur. negant haec ferri posse. quid censes cum Romam puer venerit ubi nostri liberatores tuti esse non possunt? <qui> quidem semper erunt clari, conscientia vero facti sui etiam beati. sed nos, nisi me fallit, iacebimus. itaque exire aveo 'ubi nec Pelopidarum,' inquit. haud amo vel hos designatos qui etiam declamare me coegerunt, ut ne apud aquas quidem acquiescere liceret. sed hoc meae nimiae facilitatis. nam id erat quondam quasi necesse, nunc, quoquo modo se res habet, non est item. [3] quam dudum nihil habeo quod ad te scribam! scribo tamen non ut delectem his litteris sed ut eliciam tuas. tu si quid erit de ceteris, de Bruto utique quicquid. haec conscripsi x Kal. accubans apud Vestorium, hominem remotum a dialecticis, in arithmeticis satis exercitatum.