Letter 22: Cicero writes to Brutus from Rome to Macedonia in March or April 43 BC.
Marcus Tullius Cicero→Marcus Junius Brutus|c. 43 BC|Marcus Tullius Cicero and Marcus Junius Brutus|From Rome|To Macedonia|AI-assisted
politicssenaterepublican-crisis
Imported from the public-domain Shuckburgh translation on ToposText, paired with The Latin Library Latin. The local ref preserves Latin Library a-letter distinctions where ToposText repeats a traditional label.
CICERO TO BRUTUS, GREETINGS.
As I write this, the situation is thought to have been brought to its final, decisive crisis. For grim despatches and reports are being brought in concerning our friend Brutus [Decimus Brutus, besieged at Mutina]. They did not, for my part, alarm me greatly. For I could in no way distrust such armies and such commanders as we now have, nor did I share the view of the greater part of mankind. For I was not condemning the loyalty of the consuls, which was very much under suspicion; in certain matters I did feel the want of foresight and speed. Had they employed these, we would long since have recovered the Republic. For you are not unaware how great the weight of timing is in public affairs, and what a difference it makes whether that very same measure is decreed, undertaken, and carried out before or after a given moment. All the measures that have been sternly decreed in this present emergency, had they either been completed on the very day on which I delivered my opinion and not put off from one day to the next, or, from the moment they were undertaken so that they might be executed, had they not been slowed and procrastinated, we would now have no war on our hands.
[2] I have rendered to the Republic, Brutus, every service that the man ought to render who has been placed, by the judgment of the Senate and the People, in the rank in which I stand, and not only those services which are, to be sure, the only ones to be demanded of a man, namely good faith, vigilance, and love of one's country. For those are services which there is no one who is not bound to render. But in the case of one who delivers his opinion among the leading men on matters of state, I hold that foresight too must be supplied; nor, since I have presumed so far as to lay hold of the helm of the Republic, would I think myself less deserving of censure if I had given the Senate some counsel that proved useless than if I had given it disloyally.
[3] I know that what measures have been taken and what are now being taken are written out to you in detail; but from me there is this which I would have you know for certain, that my own mind, at least, is on the field of battle and seeks no looking-back, unless perhaps the interest of the state should turn me aside; the minds of the greater part, however, look back to you and Cassius. Therefore prepare yourself, Brutus, to understand that either, if at this time the affair is well conducted, you will have to make the Republic better, or, if some reverse is suffered, that through you the same Republic will have to be recovered.
§ Brut.2.1 DCCCXXXIII (Brut. II, 1) TO MARCUS IUNIUS BRUTUS (IN MACEDONIA) ROME (MARCH-APRIL) At the time of my writing this it is thought that the decisive hour has arrived. For melancholy despatches and messages are arriving about our friend Decimus Brutus. For my part I am not excessively alarmed by them, for I cannot possibly distrust such armies and leaders as we now have. Nor do I agree with the majority of people: for I do not think ill of the loyalty of the consuls, which has been the subject of great suspicion. In certain particulars I do find them wanting in prudence and promptitude. If they had displayed those qualities we should long ago have recovered the constitution. For you are not ignorant of the importance of times and seasons in public affairs, and what a difference it makes whether the same thing is settled, undertaken, carried out before or after a particular period. If all the decrees expressed in severe language during this civil disturbance had been passed on the day on which I spoke in their favour, and had not been postponed from day today, or not been delayed and put off from the moment that their execution was undertaken, we should not now be at war. I have made good, Brutus, every duty to the state, to which a man was bound, who occupied the station in which I have been placed by the judgment of the senate and people. And I am not speaking now of those duties which alone, of course, can be positively demanded of every human being — good faith, vigilance, patriotism. Such duties there is no one who is not bound to make good. But I think that a man who speaks among the leading members of the senate is bound to display wisdom also. And since I have involved myself in the heavy responsibility of taking the helm of state, I should think myself no less deserving of reproach, if it was against its true interests that I advised the senate, than if I did so with insincerity. All things actually transacted, or which are in the Course of being transacted, I know are carefully written out for your benefit. But there is one thing I should like you to learn from me — that my heart is at the seat of war, and seeks no means of retreat, unless it chance that the interest of the state compels me to do so. The feelings of the majority, however, look to you and Cassius. wherefore, my dear Brutus, prepare yourself to believe that, if at this time a success is achieved, you will have to reform the constitution; if a reverse is sustained, your task will be its restoration.
[I] Scr. Romae ex. m. Mart. ant in. Apr. a. 711 (43).
CICERO BRVTO SAL.
Cum haec scribebam, res existimabatur in extremum adducta discrimen. tristes enim de Bruto nostro litterae nuntiique adferebantur. me quidem non maxime conturbabant. his enim exercitibus ducibusque quos habemus nullo modo poteram diffidere neque adsentiebar maiori parti hominum. fidem enim consulum non condemnabam quae suspecta vehementer erat; desiderabam non nullis in rebus prudentiam et celeritatem; qua si essent usi, iam pridem rem <publicam> reciperassemus. non enim ignoras quanta momenta sint in re publica temporum et quid intersit idem illud utrum ante an post decernatur, suscipiatur, agatur. omnia quae severe decreta sunt hoc tumultu, si aut quo die dixi sententiam perfecta essent et non in diem ex die dilata aut, quo ex tempore suscepta sunt ut agerentur, non tardata et procrastinata, bellum iam nullum haberemus. [2] omnia, Brute, praestiti rei publicae quae praestare debuit is qui esset <in> eo in quo ego sum gradu senatus populique iudicio conlocatus, nec illa modo quae nimirum sola ab homine sunt postulanda, fidem, vigilantiam, patriae caritatem. ea sunt enim quae nemo est qui non praestare debeat. ego autem ei qui sententiam dicat in principibus de re publica puto etiam prudentiam esse praestandam nec me, cum mihi tantum sumpserim ut gubernacula rei publicae prehenderem, minus putarim reprehendendum si inutiliter aliquid senatui suaserim quam si infideliter.
[3] Acta quae sint quaeque agantur scio perscribi ad te diligenter; ex me autem illud est quod te velim habere cognitum, meum quidem animum in acie esse neque respectum ullum quaerere nisi me utilitas civitatis forte converterit; maioris autem partis animi te Cassiumque respiciunt. quam ob rem ita te para, Brute, ut intellegas aut, si hoc tempore bene res gesta sit, tibi meliorem rem publicam esse faciendam aut, si quid offensum sit, per te esse eandem reciperandam.
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CICERO TO BRUTUS, GREETINGS.
As I write this, the situation is thought to have been brought to its final, decisive crisis. For grim despatches and reports are being brought in concerning our friend Brutus [Decimus Brutus, besieged at Mutina]. They did not, for my part, alarm me greatly. For I could in no way distrust such armies and such commanders as we now have, nor did I share the view of the greater part of mankind. For I was not condemning the loyalty of the consuls, which was very much under suspicion; in certain matters I did feel the want of foresight and speed. Had they employed these, we would long since have recovered the Republic. For you are not unaware how great the weight of timing is in public affairs, and what a difference it makes whether that very same measure is decreed, undertaken, and carried out before or after a given moment. All the measures that have been sternly decreed in this present emergency, had they either been completed on the very day on which I delivered my opinion and not put off from one day to the next, or, from the moment they were undertaken so that they might be executed, had they not been slowed and procrastinated, we would now have no war on our hands.
[2] I have rendered to the Republic, Brutus, every service that the man ought to render who has been placed, by the judgment of the Senate and the People, in the rank in which I stand, and not only those services which are, to be sure, the only ones to be demanded of a man, namely good faith, vigilance, and love of one's country. For those are services which there is no one who is not bound to render. But in the case of one who delivers his opinion among the leading men on matters of state, I hold that foresight too must be supplied; nor, since I have presumed so far as to lay hold of the helm of the Republic, would I think myself less deserving of censure if I had given the Senate some counsel that proved useless than if I had given it disloyally.
[3] I know that what measures have been taken and what are now being taken are written out to you in detail; but from me there is this which I would have you know for certain, that my own mind, at least, is on the field of battle and seeks no looking-back, unless perhaps the interest of the state should turn me aside; the minds of the greater part, however, look back to you and Cassius. Therefore prepare yourself, Brutus, to understand that either, if at this time the affair is well conducted, you will have to make the Republic better, or, if some reverse is suffered, that through you the same Republic will have to be recovered.
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
[I] Scr. Romae ex. m. Mart. ant in. Apr. a. 711 (43). CICERO BRVTO SAL.
Cum haec scribebam, res existimabatur in extremum adducta discrimen. tristes enim de Bruto nostro litterae nuntiique adferebantur. me quidem non maxime conturbabant. his enim exercitibus ducibusque quos habemus nullo modo poteram diffidere neque adsentiebar maiori parti hominum. fidem enim consulum non condemnabam quae suspecta vehementer erat; desiderabam non nullis in rebus prudentiam et celeritatem; qua si essent usi, iam pridem rem <publicam> reciperassemus. non enim ignoras quanta momenta sint in re publica temporum et quid intersit idem illud utrum ante an post decernatur, suscipiatur, agatur. omnia quae severe decreta sunt hoc tumultu, si aut quo die dixi sententiam perfecta essent et non in diem ex die dilata aut, quo ex tempore suscepta sunt ut agerentur, non tardata et procrastinata, bellum iam nullum haberemus. [2] omnia, Brute, praestiti rei publicae quae praestare debuit is qui esset <in> eo in quo ego sum gradu senatus populique iudicio conlocatus, nec illa modo quae nimirum sola ab homine sunt postulanda, fidem, vigilantiam, patriae caritatem. ea sunt enim quae nemo est qui non praestare debeat. ego autem ei qui sententiam dicat in principibus de re publica puto etiam prudentiam esse praestandam nec me, cum mihi tantum sumpserim ut gubernacula rei publicae prehenderem, minus putarim reprehendendum si inutiliter aliquid senatui suaserim quam si infideliter. [3] Acta quae sint quaeque agantur scio perscribi ad te diligenter; ex me autem illud est quod te velim habere cognitum, meum quidem animum in acie esse neque respectum ullum quaerere nisi me utilitas civitatis forte converterit; maioris autem partis animi te Cassiumque respiciunt. quam ob rem ita te para, Brute, ut intellegas aut, si hoc tempore bene res gesta sit, tibi meliorem rem publicam esse faciendam aut, si quid offensum sit, per te esse eandem reciperandam.