Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. 56 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome/Athens|AI-assisted
Of course I feel about Lentulus as I should. We have lost a good man, a great-hearted one, and a man whose strength of character was tempered by real kindness. My consolation is poor, but it is still some consolation: I do not grieve for him as much as I might. Not for the reason Saufeius and your Epicureans would give, but because he loved his country so truly that it seems almost as if some divine mercy snatched him away from its burning ruin.
What life could be more shameful than ours, especially mine? You, though political by nature, have no private yoke on your neck; you share only the common bondage. But what am I to feel, when if I say what I ought to say about the republic, I am thought insane; if I say what circumstances require, I am thought a slave; and if I say nothing, I am crushed and captive? You can imagine my pain. It is made sharper by the fact that I cannot even show grief without seeming ungrateful. What if I wanted to withdraw and escape into the harbor of private life? No chance. Instead, it is war and the camp. So I shall be a follower, after refusing to be a commander. So be it. I see that this is your view too, and I wish I had always followed you. What remains is the old line: "The Sparta you have been allotted, adorn it." But by Hercules, I cannot stomach it, and I forgive Philoxenus for preferring to go back to prison. Still, while I am here, I am rehearsing how to keep myself from rejecting this policy, and when we are together you will strengthen my resolve.
I see you have been writing often, but I received all your letters at once, which only increased my grief. By chance I first read the three letters saying Lentulus was a little better; then came the fourth, like a thunderbolt. As I said, he is not miserable now. We are the iron men, still alive in an iron age.
You remind me to write that piece against Hortensius. I have not forgotten your instruction, though I have fallen into other work. But as soon as I began, I recoiled. I already look foolish enough for not tolerating a friend's disgraceful behavior. If I write about it, I am afraid I will make his insult famous and make my own foolishness worse; besides, the depth of feeling I showed in action may be less visible in writing, and this kind of satisfaction may look petty. But we shall see.
For now, send me a line as often as you can. Please get from Lucceius the letter I sent asking him to write about my affairs; it is a very neat piece of writing. Urge him to hurry, and thank him for answering that he would do it. Visit my house as often as possible, and say something to Vestorius. He has been extremely generous to me.
The news about Lentulus I feel of course as I ought: we have lost a good man and a fine fellow, and one who combined a remarkable strength of character with great courtesy. Still I find some consolation,
though a poor one, in the thought that I need not grieve for him—not for the same reason as Saufeius and your Epicurean friends, but because he was so true a patriot that it seems as though a merciful providence had snatched him from his country’s fiery ruin. For what could be more shameful than the life we are all leading, especially myself? You, in spite of a political bent, have avoided wearing any special yoke; but you share the universal bondage. But think of the sufferings I undergo, when I am taken for a lunatic, if I say what I ought about the State, for a slave, if I say what expediency dictates, and for a cowed and helpless bondsman, if I hold my tongue. I suffer as you may suppose, with the added bitterness that I cannot show my grief without seeming ungrateful. Well! why shouldn’t I take a rest, and flee to the haven of retirement? I haven’t the chance. Then be it war and camp. And so I must be a subaltern, after refusing to be a captain. So be it. That I see is your opinion, and I wish I had always followed your advice. Hobson’s choice is all that is left to me. But upon my soul I can’t stomach it, and have a fellow feeling for Philoxenus, who preferred to go back to his prison. However, I am spending my time here devising a way of confounding their policy, and when we meet you will strengthen my purpose.
I see your letters were written at several times, but I received them all together, and that increased
my sorrow; for, as it happened, I first read the three in which you said Lentulus was a little better; and then, lo and behold, a thunderbolt in the fourth. Still, as I said, he is out of misery, while we live on in an Iron Age.
I have not forgotten your advice to write that attack on Hortensius, though I have drifted into other things. But upon my word, I jibbed at the very beginning. I look foolish enough for not submitting to his conduct, outrageous though it was, from a friend, and, if I were to write about it, I fear I should enhance my folly by advertising his insult, while at the same time the self-restraint which I showed in my actions might not be so apparent in writing, and this way of taking satisfaction might seem rather weak. But we will see. Be sure you send me a line as often as you can, and take care you get from Lucceius the letter I sent asking him to write my biography. It is a very pretty bit of writing. Urge him to be quick about it, and give him my thanks for his answer undertaking it. Have a look at my house as often as possible. Say something to Vestorius: he is behaving most liberally to me.
de Lentulo scilicet sic fero ut debeo. virum bonum et magnum hominem et in summa magnitudine animi multa humanitate temperatum perdidimus nosque malo solacio sed non nullo tamen consolamur quod ipsius vicem minime dolemus non ut Saufeius et vestri sed me hercule quia sic amabat patriam ut mihi aliquo deorum beneficio videatur ex eius incendio esse ereptus. nam quid foedius nostra vita, praecipue mea? nam tu quidem, etsi es natura politikos, tamen nullam habes propriam servitutem, communi frueris nomine; [2] ego vero qui, si loquor de re publica quod oportet, insanus, si quod opus est, servus existimor, si taceo, oppressus et captus, quo dolore esse debeo? quo sum scilicet, hoc etiam acriore quod ne dolere quidem possum ut non ingratus videar. quid si cessare libeat et in oti portum confugere? nequiquam; immo etiam in bellum et in castra. ergo erimus opadoi qui tagoi esse noluimus? sic faciendum est, tibi enim ipsi (quoi utinam semper paruissem!) sic video placere. reliquum iam est Spartan elaches, tautan kosmei non me hercule possum et Philoxeno ignosco qui reduci in carcerem maluit. verum tamen id ipsum mecum in his locis commentor ut ista (ne) improbem, idque tu cum una erimus confirmabis. A te litteras crebro ad me scribi video sed omnis uno tempore accepi. quae res etiam auxit dolorem meum. casu enim trinas ante legeram quibus meliuscule Lentulo .esse scriptum erat. ecce quartae fulmen! sed ille, ut scripsi, non miser, nos vero ferrei. [3] quod me admones ut scribam illa Hortensiana, in alia incidi non immemor istius mandati tui; sed me hercule (in) incipiendo refugi ne qui videor stulte illius amici intemperiem non tulisse rursus stulte iniuriam illius faciam inlustrem si quid scripsero, et simul ne bathutes mea quae in agendo apparuit in scribendo sit occultior et aliquid satisfactio levitatis habere videatur. [4] sed viderimus; tu modo quam saepissime ad me aliquid. epistulam Lucceio nunc quam misi, qua meas res ut scribat rogo, fac ut ab eo sumas (valde bella est) eumque ut adproperet adhorteris et quod mihi se ita facturum rescripsit agas gratias, domum nostram quoad poteris invisas, Vestorio aliquid significes. valde enim est in me liberalis.
◆
Of course I feel about Lentulus as I should. We have lost a good man, a great-hearted one, and a man whose strength of character was tempered by real kindness. My consolation is poor, but it is still some consolation: I do not grieve for him as much as I might. Not for the reason Saufeius and your Epicureans would give, but because he loved his country so truly that it seems almost as if some divine mercy snatched him away from its burning ruin.
What life could be more shameful than ours, especially mine? You, though political by nature, have no private yoke on your neck; you share only the common bondage. But what am I to feel, when if I say what I ought to say about the republic, I am thought insane; if I say what circumstances require, I am thought a slave; and if I say nothing, I am crushed and captive? You can imagine my pain. It is made sharper by the fact that I cannot even show grief without seeming ungrateful. What if I wanted to withdraw and escape into the harbor of private life? No chance. Instead, it is war and the camp. So I shall be a follower, after refusing to be a commander. So be it. I see that this is your view too, and I wish I had always followed you. What remains is the old line: "The Sparta you have been allotted, adorn it." But by Hercules, I cannot stomach it, and I forgive Philoxenus for preferring to go back to prison. Still, while I am here, I am rehearsing how to keep myself from rejecting this policy, and when we are together you will strengthen my resolve.
I see you have been writing often, but I received all your letters at once, which only increased my grief. By chance I first read the three letters saying Lentulus was a little better; then came the fourth, like a thunderbolt. As I said, he is not miserable now. We are the iron men, still alive in an iron age.
You remind me to write that piece against Hortensius. I have not forgotten your instruction, though I have fallen into other work. But as soon as I began, I recoiled. I already look foolish enough for not tolerating a friend's disgraceful behavior. If I write about it, I am afraid I will make his insult famous and make my own foolishness worse; besides, the depth of feeling I showed in action may be less visible in writing, and this kind of satisfaction may look petty. But we shall see.
For now, send me a line as often as you can. Please get from Lucceius the letter I sent asking him to write about my affairs; it is a very neat piece of writing. Urge him to hurry, and thank him for answering that he would do it. Visit my house as often as possible, and say something to Vestorius. He has been extremely generous to me.
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 Lentulo scilicet sic fero ut debeo. virum bonum et magnum hominem et in summa magnitudine animi multa humanitate temperatum perdidimus nosque malo solacio sed non nullo tamen consolamur quod ipsius vicem minime dolemus non ut Saufeius et vestri sed me hercule quia sic amabat patriam ut mihi aliquo deorum beneficio videatur ex eius incendio esse ereptus. nam quid foedius nostra vita, praecipue mea? nam tu quidem, etsi es natura politikos, tamen nullam habes propriam servitutem, communi frueris nomine; [2] ego vero qui, si loquor de re publica quod oportet, insanus, si quod opus est, servus existimor, si taceo, oppressus et captus, quo dolore esse debeo? quo sum scilicet, hoc etiam acriore quod ne dolere quidem possum ut non ingratus videar. quid si cessare libeat et in oti portum confugere? nequiquam; immo etiam in bellum et in castra. ergo erimus opadoi qui tagoi esse noluimus? sic faciendum est, tibi enim ipsi (quoi utinam semper paruissem!) sic video placere. reliquum iam est Spartan elaches, tautan kosmei non me hercule possum et Philoxeno ignosco qui reduci in carcerem maluit. verum tamen id ipsum mecum in his locis commentor ut ista (ne) improbem, idque tu cum una erimus confirmabis. A te litteras crebro ad me scribi video sed omnis uno tempore accepi. quae res etiam auxit dolorem meum. casu enim trinas ante legeram quibus meliuscule Lentulo .esse scriptum erat. ecce quartae fulmen! sed ille, ut scripsi, non miser, nos vero ferrei. [3] quod me admones ut scribam illa Hortensiana, in alia incidi non immemor istius mandati tui; sed me hercule (in) incipiendo refugi ne qui videor stulte illius amici intemperiem non tulisse rursus stulte iniuriam illius faciam inlustrem si quid scripsero, et simul ne bathutes mea quae in agendo apparuit in scribendo sit occultior et aliquid satisfactio levitatis habere videatur. [4] sed viderimus; tu modo quam saepissime ad me aliquid. epistulam Lucceio nunc quam misi, qua meas res ut scribat rogo, fac ut ab eo sumas (valde bella est) eumque ut adproperet adhorteris et quod mihi se ita facturum rescripsit agas gratias, domum nostram quoad poteris invisas, Vestorio aliquid significes. valde enim est in me liberalis.