Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 60 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
I failed Anicatus in nothing, just as I had understood you wished. I gladly received Numestius into my friendship on the strength of your carefully written letter. I look after Caecilius diligently in whatever matters I can. Varro satisfies us. Pompey loves us and holds us dear. "You believe that?" you will say. I do believe it; he convinces me entirely; but since men of affairs commonly, by all their histories, precepts, and verses too, bid us be on our guard and forbid us to trust, I do the one thing—that I be on my guard—but the other—that I not trust—I cannot do.
[2] Clodius is still threatening me with danger. Pompey affirms that there is no danger; he swears it; he even adds that he himself would sooner be killed by Clodius than that I should be harmed. The matter is being handled. As soon as there is anything certain, I will write to you. If there must be a fight, I will summon you to share the labor; if quiet is granted, I will not stir you from your Amalthea.
[3] About public affairs I will write to you briefly; for now I am dreading that the very paper may betray us. And so hereafter, if I have more to write to you, I will obscure it with allegories. At present, indeed, the state is dying of a strange new disease, such that, although all disapprove of the things that have been done, complain, grieve, and there is no diversity of opinion on the matter, and they speak openly and now groan aloud, yet no remedy is being applied. For we judge that resistance is not possible without slaughter, and we do not see what end of yielding there will be other than destruction.
[4] Bibulus is in the heavens through men's admiration and goodwill; they copy out and read his edicts and harangues. He has come to the highest glory by some new kind of method. Nothing now is so popular as hatred of the populist faction. I am afraid what these things may break out into; but if I begin to discern anything, I will write to you more openly. You, if you love me as much as you surely do love me, see to it that you are ready, so that if I cry out you may come running; but I am taking pains, and will take pains, that there be no need of it. As for what I had written, +that I would write+ to Furius as well, there is no need to change your name; I will make myself Laelius and you Atticus, and I will use neither my own handwriting nor my own seal, provided only the letters are of such a kind that I would not wish them to fall into a stranger's hands.
[6] Diodotus has died; he has left us perhaps ten million sesterces. Bibulus, by an Archilochian edict, has postponed the elections to the fifteenth day before the Kalends of November [October 18]. From Vibius I have received the books. He is an inept poet and yet knows nothing, but he is not useless. I am copying them out and sending them back.
I have done all I could for Anicatus, knowing you wanted me to do so, and have willingly adopted Numestius as a friend on the strength of the earnest recommendation in your letter. To Caecilius I take care to pay every suitable attention. Varro is as good as I can expect; and Pompey shows me friendship and affection. Can I believe him, you ask. I do believe him; he quite convinces me. But since men of the world are always advising one in their histories and precepts and even in their verses to beware and forbidding one to believe, I do the one and beware, but to the other—not to believe—I cannot persuade myself. Clodius is still threatening me with danger, while Pompey asserts that there is no danger. He swears it, adding even that he will not see me injured if it costs him his life. The point is under
negotiation: as soon as any certain conclusion is reached, I will write to you. If I have to fight, I will summon you to share my labour: but if I am left in peace, I will not rout you out of your Amalthea.
Political matters I shall only touch on briefly: for I am beginning to be afraid that the very paper may betray me. So in future, if I have to write in fuller detail to you, I shall hide my meaning under covert language. Now the State is dying of a new disease. The measures that have been passed cause universal discontent and grumbling and indignation: there is no disagreement on the point and people are now venting their opinion and their disapproval openly and loudly, yet no remedy is applied. Resistance seems impossible without bloodshed: nor can we see any other end to concession except destruction. Bibulus is exalted to the skies amid universal admiration and popularity. His edicts and speeches are copied out and read. He has attained the height of glory in quite a novel way. Nothing is so popular now as hatred of the popular party. I have my fears about the issue of all this. But I will write more clearly, if I get any definite views. Do you, if your affection for me is as real as I know it to be, hold yourself ready to run to my call, when it comes. But I am doing my best, and will continue to do it, to prevent any necessity. I said I would call you Furius in my letters, but there is no need to alter your name. I will call myself Laelius and you Atticus, and I won’t use my own handwriting or seal, at any rate if the letters are such that I should not like them to fall into a stranger’s hands.
Diodotus is dead: he left me about £88,000. Bibulus has written a scathing edict putting off the elections till the 18th of October. I have received the books from Vibius: he is a wretched poet, and indeed has nothing in him; still he is of some use to me. I am going to copy the work out and send it back.
Anicato, ut te velle intellexeram, nullo loco defui. Numestium ex litteris tuis studiose scriptis libenter in amicitiam recepi. Caecilium quibus rebus possum tueor diligenter. Varro satis facit nobis. Pompeius amat nos carosque habet. 'credis?' inquies. credo; prorsus mihi persuadet; sed quia volgo pragmatici homines omnibus historiis, praeceptis, versibus denique cavere iubent et vetant credere, alterum facio ut caveam, alterum ut non credam facere non possum. [2] Clodius adhuc mihi denuntiat periculum. Pompeius adfirmat non esse periculum, adiurat; addit etiam se prius occisum iri ab eo quam me violatum iri. tractatur res. simul et quid erit certi, scribam ad te. si erit pugnandum, arcessam ad societatem laboris; si quies dabitur, ab Amalthea te non commovebo. [3] de re <publica> breviter ad te scribam; iam enim charta ipsa ne nos prodat pertimesco. itaque posthac, si erunt mihi plura ad te scribenda, allegoriais obscurabo. nunc quidem novo quodam morbo civitas moritur, ut, cum omnes ea quae sunt acta improbent, querantur, doleant, varietas nulla in re sit, aperteque loquantur et iam, clare gemant, tamen medicina nulla adferatur. neque enim resisti sine internecione posse arbitramur nec videmus qui finis cedendi praeter exitium futurus sit. [4] Bibulus hominum admiratione et benevolentia in caelo est; edicta eius et contiones describunt et legunt. novo quodam genere in summam gloriam venit. populare nunc nihil tam est quam odium popularium. haec quo sint eruptura timeo; sed si dispicere quid coepero scribam ad te apertius. tu si me amas tantum quantum profecto amas, expeditus facito ut sis si inclamaro ut accurras; sed do operam et dabo ne sit necesse. quod scripseram +et+ Furio scripturum, nihil necesse est tuum nomen mutare; me faciam Laelium et te Atticum neque utar meo chirographo neque signo, si modo erunt eius modi litterae quas in alienum incidere nolim. [6] Diodotus mortuus est; reliquit nobis HS fortasse +centiens+. comitia Bibulus cum Archilochio edicto in ante diem xv Kal. Novembr. distulit. A Vibio libros accepi. poeta ineptus et tamen scit nihil, sed est non inutilis. describo et remitto.
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I failed Anicatus in nothing, just as I had understood you wished. I gladly received Numestius into my friendship on the strength of your carefully written letter. I look after Caecilius diligently in whatever matters I can. Varro satisfies us. Pompey loves us and holds us dear. "You believe that?" you will say. I do believe it; he convinces me entirely; but since men of affairs commonly, by all their histories, precepts, and verses too, bid us be on our guard and forbid us to trust, I do the one thing—that I be on my guard—but the other—that I not trust—I cannot do.
[2] Clodius is still threatening me with danger. Pompey affirms that there is no danger; he swears it; he even adds that he himself would sooner be killed by Clodius than that I should be harmed. The matter is being handled. As soon as there is anything certain, I will write to you. If there must be a fight, I will summon you to share the labor; if quiet is granted, I will not stir you from your Amalthea.
[3] About public affairs I will write to you briefly; for now I am dreading that the very paper may betray us. And so hereafter, if I have more to write to you, I will obscure it with allegories. At present, indeed, the state is dying of a strange new disease, such that, although all disapprove of the things that have been done, complain, grieve, and there is no diversity of opinion on the matter, and they speak openly and now groan aloud, yet no remedy is being applied. For we judge that resistance is not possible without slaughter, and we do not see what end of yielding there will be other than destruction.
[4] Bibulus is in the heavens through men's admiration and goodwill; they copy out and read his edicts and harangues. He has come to the highest glory by some new kind of method. Nothing now is so popular as hatred of the populist faction. I am afraid what these things may break out into; but if I begin to discern anything, I will write to you more openly. You, if you love me as much as you surely do love me, see to it that you are ready, so that if I cry out you may come running; but I am taking pains, and will take pains, that there be no need of it. As for what I had written, +that I would write+ to Furius as well, there is no need to change your name; I will make myself Laelius and you Atticus, and I will use neither my own handwriting nor my own seal, provided only the letters are of such a kind that I would not wish them to fall into a stranger's hands.
[6] Diodotus has died; he has left us perhaps ten million sesterces. Bibulus, by an Archilochian edict, has postponed the elections to the fifteenth day before the Kalends of November [October 18]. From Vibius I have received the books. He is an inept poet and yet knows nothing, but he is not useless. I am copying them out and sending them back.
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
Anicato, ut te velle intellexeram, nullo loco defui. Numestium ex litteris tuis studiose scriptis libenter in amicitiam recepi. Caecilium quibus rebus possum tueor diligenter. Varro satis facit nobis. Pompeius amat nos carosque habet. 'credis?' inquies. credo; prorsus mihi persuadet; sed quia volgo pragmatici homines omnibus historiis, praeceptis, versibus denique cavere iubent et vetant credere, alterum facio ut caveam, alterum ut non credam facere non possum. [2] Clodius adhuc mihi denuntiat periculum. Pompeius adfirmat non esse periculum, adiurat; addit etiam se prius occisum iri ab eo quam me violatum iri. tractatur res. simul et quid erit certi, scribam ad te. si erit pugnandum, arcessam ad societatem laboris; si quies dabitur, ab Amalthea te non commovebo. [3] de re <publica> breviter ad te scribam; iam enim charta ipsa ne nos prodat pertimesco. itaque posthac, si erunt mihi plura ad te scribenda, allegoriais obscurabo. nunc quidem novo quodam morbo civitas moritur, ut, cum omnes ea quae sunt acta improbent, querantur, doleant, varietas nulla in re sit, aperteque loquantur et iam, clare gemant, tamen medicina nulla adferatur. neque enim resisti sine internecione posse arbitramur nec videmus qui finis cedendi praeter exitium futurus sit. [4] Bibulus hominum admiratione et benevolentia in caelo est; edicta eius et contiones describunt et legunt. novo quodam genere in summam gloriam venit. populare nunc nihil tam est quam odium popularium. haec quo sint eruptura timeo; sed si dispicere quid coepero scribam ad te apertius. tu si me amas tantum quantum profecto amas, expeditus facito ut sis si inclamaro ut accurras; sed do operam et dabo ne sit necesse. quod scripseram +et+ Furio scripturum, nihil necesse est tuum nomen mutare; me faciam Laelium et te Atticum neque utar meo chirographo neque signo, si modo erunt eius modi litterae quas in alienum incidere nolim. [6] Diodotus mortuus est; reliquit nobis HS fortasse +centiens+. comitia Bibulus cum Archilochio edicto in ante diem xv Kal. Novembr. distulit. A Vibio libros accepi. poeta ineptus et tamen scit nihil, sed est non inutilis. describo et remitto.