Marcus Tullius Cicero→Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther|c. 58 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Cilicia|AI-assisted
Written at Rome, the third day before the Nones of February, in the 698th year from the founding of the City [3 February 56 BC]. Marcus Cicero sends greetings to Publius Lentulus, proconsul.
Although nothing was more to be wished for by me than that I should be recognized as most grateful toward you, first by you yourself and then by everyone else, nevertheless I am stricken with the deepest grief that such times have followed upon your departure that, while absent, you should put to the test the loyalty and goodwill of both myself and others toward you. That you see and feel that the same fidelity exists among men toward your standing as I myself experienced toward my own restoration, I have understood from your letter. While we were exerting ourselves to the utmost with counsel, zeal, effort, and influence on behalf of the king's cause [the restoration of Ptolemy XII Auletes to the Egyptian throne], suddenly there arose the wicked bill posted by Cato [the tribune P. Clodius's ally, here proposing measures against the senatorial handling of the Egyptian question], which obstructed our efforts and carried men's minds from a lesser worry over to the gravest fear. Yet for all that, in such a confusion of affairs, although everything is to be feared, we fear nothing more than treachery; and against Cato, in any case, however the matter stands, we shall most certainly hold our ground. Concerning the Alexandrian business and the king's cause, I can only promise this much: that I shall give you, though absent, and your friends who are present, the fullest satisfaction. But I am afraid either that the king's cause may be wrested from us, or that it may be abandoned, and which of these two I should less wish for, I cannot easily judge; yet, if circumstances compel, there is a certain third course, which displeased neither Quintus Selicius nor myself: that we should neither allow the king to be left prostrate, nor permit the matter, over our resistance, to be handed over to the man to whom it is thought to have very nearly been handed already. Everything will be managed by us with diligence, so that we neither fail to press the case if anything can be secured, nor appear to have been beaten back if we secure nothing. It belongs to your wisdom and greatness of spirit to reckon that the whole of your eminence and dignity rests upon your virtue, upon your achievements, and upon your seriousness of character; and that, if the treachery of certain men has stripped away anything from those things which fortune has lavished upon you, this will prove a greater harm to them than to you. No moment is let slip by me for both acting and deliberating in your affairs; in everything I make use of Quintus Selicius, for I judge no one among your people to be more prudent, nor of greater fidelity, nor more devoted to you.
Although nothing was more desirable to me than that first you yourself, and then all others, should recognize how deeply grateful I am toward you, nevertheless I am afflicted with the greatest sorrow that such times have followed upon your departure that you should test the loyalty and goodwill of both myself and others toward you in your absence. That you see and perceive the same faithfulness in men regarding your dignity as I experienced regarding my own safety, I have understood from your letter.
Just when we were striving with the utmost counsel, zeal, labor, and influence on behalf of the royal cause, suddenly Cato's wicked promulgation arose, which obstructed our efforts and drew men's minds from a lesser concern to the greatest fear. Yet nevertheless, in such a disturbance of affairs, although everything is to be feared, we fear nothing more than treachery; and against Cato indeed, however the matter stands, we shall certainly resist.
Concerning the Alexandrian affair and the royal cause, I can only promise this: that I shall give ample satisfaction to you in your absence and to your people who are present. But I fear that the royal cause may either be snatched from us or abandoned, and which of these two I should less wish, I cannot easily judge. But if necessity compels, there is a certain third course, which displeased neither Quintus Selicius nor myself: that we should neither suffer the king to lie neglected nor allow the matter, against our opposition, to be entrusted to the man to whom it is thought to have been nearly entrusted already.
Everything will be handled by us with diligence, so that we neither fail to contend if anything can be obtained, nor appear to have been rebuffed if we do not obtain something. It belongs to your wisdom and greatness of spirit to consider that all your distinction and dignity rest upon your virtue, your achievements, and your authority. If the treachery of certain men has stripped away something from those gifts which fortune has bestowed upon you, that will prove a greater harm to them than to you.
No opportunity is let pass by me for acting and deliberating on your behalf. I employ Quintus Selicius in all matters, for I judge no one among your people to be more prudent, more faithful, or more devoted to you.
Va. Scr. Romae a.d. III. Non. Februar. a.u.c. 698. M. CICERO S. D. P. LENTULO PROCOS.
Tametsi mihi nihil fuit optatius, quam ut primum abs te ipso, delude a ceteris omnibus quam gratissimus erga te esse cognoscerer, tamen afficior summo dolore eiusmodi tempora post tuam profectionem consecuta esse, ut et meam et ceterorum erga te fidem et benevolentiam absens experirere: te videre et sentire eandem fidem esse hominum in tua dignitate, quam ego in mea salute sum expertus, ex tuis litteris intellexi. Nos cum maxime consilio studio, labore gratia de causa regia niteremur, subito exorta est nefaria Catonis promulgatio, quae nostra studia impediret et animos a minore cura ad summum timorem traduceret; sed tamen, in eius modi perturbatione rerum quamquam omnia sunt metuenda, nihil magis quam perfidiam timemus, et Catoni quidem, quoquo modo se res habet, profecto resistemus. De Alexandrina re causaque regia tantum habeo polliceri, me tibi absenti tuisque praesentibus cumulate satisfacturum, sed vereor, ne aut eripiatur causa regia nobis aut deseratur, quorum utrum minus velim, non facile possum existimare; sed, si res coget, est quiddam tertium, quod nec Q. Selicio nec mihi displicebat, ut neque iacere regem pateremur nec nobis repugnantibus ad eum deferri, ad quem prope iam delatum existimatur. A nobis agentur omnia diligenter, ut neque, si quid obtineri poterit, non contendamus nec, si quid non obtinuerimus, repulsi esse videamur: tuae sapientiae magnitudinisque animi est omnem amplitudinem et dignitatem tuam in virtute atque in rebus gestis tuis atque in tua gravitate positam existimare; si quid ex its rebus, quas tibi fortuna largita est, nonnullorum hominum perfidia detraxerit, id maiori illis fraudi quam tibi futurum. A me nullum tempus praetermittitur de tuis rebus et agendi et cogitandi; utor ad omnia Q. Selicio, neque enim prudentiorem quemquam ex tuis neque fide maiore esse iudico neque amantiorem tui.
◆
Written at Rome, the third day before the Nones of February, in the 698th year from the founding of the City [3 February 56 BC]. Marcus Cicero sends greetings to Publius Lentulus, proconsul.
Although nothing was more to be wished for by me than that I should be recognized as most grateful toward you, first by you yourself and then by everyone else, nevertheless I am stricken with the deepest grief that such times have followed upon your departure that, while absent, you should put to the test the loyalty and goodwill of both myself and others toward you. That you see and feel that the same fidelity exists among men toward your standing as I myself experienced toward my own restoration, I have understood from your letter. While we were exerting ourselves to the utmost with counsel, zeal, effort, and influence on behalf of the king's cause [the restoration of Ptolemy XII Auletes to the Egyptian throne], suddenly there arose the wicked bill posted by Cato [the tribune P. Clodius's ally, here proposing measures against the senatorial handling of the Egyptian question], which obstructed our efforts and carried men's minds from a lesser worry over to the gravest fear. Yet for all that, in such a confusion of affairs, although everything is to be feared, we fear nothing more than treachery; and against Cato, in any case, however the matter stands, we shall most certainly hold our ground. Concerning the Alexandrian business and the king's cause, I can only promise this much: that I shall give you, though absent, and your friends who are present, the fullest satisfaction. But I am afraid either that the king's cause may be wrested from us, or that it may be abandoned, and which of these two I should less wish for, I cannot easily judge; yet, if circumstances compel, there is a certain third course, which displeased neither Quintus Selicius nor myself: that we should neither allow the king to be left prostrate, nor permit the matter, over our resistance, to be handed over to the man to whom it is thought to have very nearly been handed already. Everything will be managed by us with diligence, so that we neither fail to press the case if anything can be secured, nor appear to have been beaten back if we secure nothing. It belongs to your wisdom and greatness of spirit to reckon that the whole of your eminence and dignity rests upon your virtue, upon your achievements, and upon your seriousness of character; and that, if the treachery of certain men has stripped away anything from those things which fortune has lavished upon you, this will prove a greater harm to them than to you. No moment is let slip by me for both acting and deliberating in your affairs; in everything I make use of Quintus Selicius, for I judge no one among your people to be more prudent, nor of greater fidelity, nor more devoted to you.
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
Va. Scr. Romae a.d. III. Non. Februar. a.u.c. 698. M. CICERO S. D. P. LENTULO PROCOS.
Tametsi mihi nihil fuit optatius, quam ut primum abs te ipso, delude a ceteris omnibus quam gratissimus erga te esse cognoscerer, tamen afficior summo dolore eiusmodi tempora post tuam profectionem consecuta esse, ut et meam et ceterorum erga te fidem et benevolentiam absens experirere: te videre et sentire eandem fidem esse hominum in tua dignitate, quam ego in mea salute sum expertus, ex tuis litteris intellexi. Nos cum maxime consilio studio, labore gratia de causa regia niteremur, subito exorta est nefaria Catonis promulgatio, quae nostra studia impediret et animos a minore cura ad summum timorem traduceret; sed tamen, in eius modi perturbatione rerum quamquam omnia sunt metuenda, nihil magis quam perfidiam timemus, et Catoni quidem, quoquo modo se res habet, profecto resistemus. De Alexandrina re causaque regia tantum habeo polliceri, me tibi absenti tuisque praesentibus cumulate satisfacturum, sed vereor, ne aut eripiatur causa regia nobis aut deseratur, quorum utrum minus velim, non facile possum existimare; sed, si res coget, est quiddam tertium, quod nec Q. Selicio nec mihi displicebat, ut neque iacere regem pateremur nec nobis repugnantibus ad eum deferri, ad quem prope iam delatum existimatur. A nobis agentur omnia diligenter, ut neque, si quid obtineri poterit, non contendamus nec, si quid non obtinuerimus, repulsi esse videamur: tuae sapientiae magnitudinisque animi est omnem amplitudinem et dignitatem tuam in virtute atque in rebus gestis tuis atque in tua gravitate positam existimare; si quid ex its rebus, quas tibi fortuna largita est, nonnullorum hominum perfidia detraxerit, id maiori illis fraudi quam tibi futurum. A me nullum tempus praetermittitur de tuis rebus et agendi et cogitandi; utor ad omnia Q. Selicio, neque enim prudentiorem quemquam ex tuis neque fide maiore esse iudico neque amantiorem tui.