Marcus Tullius Cicero→Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther|c. 58 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Cilicia|AI-assisted
You will learn best from Marcus Plaetorius what has been done about all matters affecting you, what has been settled, and what Pompey has undertaken. Plaetorius not only took part in these affairs but led them, and he neglected no duty that a man of the greatest affection, judgment, and diligence could owe you.
From him you will also learn the general state of public affairs. What that state is like is not easy to put in writing. It is certainly in the hands of our friends, and so completely that no change seems likely in this generation. For my part, as I ought, as you yourself advised, and as affection and advantage compel me, I attach myself to the plans of the man whose alliance you thought I should seek when my own fortunes were at stake.
Still, you know how hard it is to lay aside a political conviction, especially one that is right and fully tested. Yet I shape myself to the wishes of the man from whom I cannot honorably dissent. I do not do this, as some may think, in pretense. Deliberate judgment and, by Hercules, affection for Pompey have such force with me that whatever serves his interest and whatever he wants now seems to me right and true. Even his opponents, I think, would not be wrong if, seeing that they cannot possibly equal him, they stopped struggling against him.
I have another consolation: my reputation is such that everyone thinks me more justified than anyone else whether I support Pompey's views, keep silent, or, what I most prefer, return to literary study. I certainly will do that, if my friendship for him permits it. The goals I once had after holding the highest offices and enduring the greatest labors, the ability to speak in the Senate with dignity and handle public affairs freely, have been entirely abolished, and not for me more than for everyone. We must all either assent to a small circle at the cost of dignity, or dissent to no purpose.
My main reason for writing this is so that you will carefully consider what course you too will take. The whole condition of the Senate, the courts, and indeed the constitution has changed. The most we can hope for is quiet, and those now supreme seem likely to give it to us if certain people show a little more tolerance for their dominance. The old consular authority of a courageous and consistent senator is no longer to be thought of. It has been lost through the fault of men who alienated both an order once closely allied with the Senate and an individual of the most illustrious character.
To return to your own interests: I have found Pompey warmly attached to you, and with him as consul, so far as I know and believe, you will obtain whatever you wish. I will always be at his side in this, and nothing affecting you will be passed over by me. Nor will I fear boring him, for he will be glad, for his own sake, to find me grateful to him.
Be fully persuaded that there is nothing, however small, affecting your welfare that is not dearer to me than every interest of my own. With these feelings I can satisfy myself in diligence, but not in results, because I cannot come anywhere near matching your services to me, not in actual repayment, and not even in feeling.
There is a report that you have won a great victory. Your dispatch is eagerly awaited, and I have already spoken to Pompey about it. When it arrives, I will show my zeal by calling on the magistrates and senators. In every matter that concerns you, although I will strive for more than I can achieve, I will still do less than I ought.
CXVIII (Fam. I, 8) TO P. LENTULUS SPINTHER (IN CILICIA) ROME (JANUARY) What debates have taken place in the senate, what determination has been come to in your business, and what Pompey has undertaken to do, all this you will best learn from Marcus Plaetorius , who has not only been engaged in these matters, but has even taken the lead in them, and left nothing undone which the greatest affection for you, the greatest good sense, and the greatest care could do. From the same man you will ascertain the general position of public affairs, which are of such a nature as is not easy to put in writing. They are, it is true, all in the power of our friends, and to such an extent that it does not seem probable that the present generation will witness a change. For my part, as in duty bound, as you advised, and as personal affection and expediency compel, I am attaching myself to the fortunes of the man whose alliance you thought you must court when my fortunes were in question. But you must feel how difficult it is to put away a political conviction, especially when it happens to be right and proved up to the hilt. However, I conform myself to the wishes of him from whom I cannot dissent with any dignity: and this I do not do, as perhaps some may think, from insincerity; for deliberate purpose and, by heaven! affection for Pompey are so powerful with me, that whatever is to his interest, and whatever he wishes, appears to me at once to be altogether right and reasonable. Nor, as I think, would even his opponents be wrong if, seeing that they cannot possibly be his equals, they were to cease to struggle against him. For myself I have another consolation — my character is such that all the world thinks me justified beyond all others, whether I support Pompey 's views, or hold my tongue, or even, what is above everything else to my taste, return to my literary pursuits. And this last I certainly shall do, if my friendship for this same man permits it. For those objects which I had at one time in view, after having held the highest offices and endured the greatest fatigues — the power of intervening with dignity in the debates of the senate, and a free hand in dealing with public affairs — these have been entirely abolished, and not more for me than for all. For we all have either to assent to a small clique, to the utter loss of our dignity, or to dissent to no purpose. My chief object in writing to you thus is that you may consider carefully what line you will also take yourself. The whole position of senate, law courts, and indeed of the entire constitution has undergone a complete change. The most we can hope for is tranquillity: and this the men now in supreme power seem likely to give us, if certain persons show somewhat more tolerance of their despotism. The old consular prestige, indeed, of a courageous and consistent senator we must no longer think of: that has been lost by the fault of those who have alienated from the senate both an order once very closely allied to it, and an individual of the most illustrious character. But to return to what more immediately affects your interests — I have ascertained that Pompey is warmly your friend, and with him as consul, to the best of my knowledge and belief, you will get whatever you wish. In this he will have me always at his elbow, and nothing which affects you shall be passed over by me. Nor, in fact, shall I be afraid of boring him, for he will be very glad for his own sake to find me grateful to him. I would have you fully persuaded that there is nothing, however small, affecting your welfare that is not dearer to me than every interest of my own. And entertaining these sentiments, I can satisfy myself indeed, as far as assiduity is concerned, but in actual achievement I cannot do so, just because I cannot reach any proportion of your services to me, I do not say by actual return in kind, but by any return even of feeling. There is is a report that you have won a great victory. Your despatch is anxiously awaited, and I have already talked to Pompey about it. When it arrives, I will show my zeal by calling on the magistrates and members of the senate: and in everything else which may concern you, though I shall strive for more than I can achieve, I shall yet do less than I ought.
VIII. Scr. Romae mense Ianuario a.u.c. 699. M. CICERO S. D. P. LENTULO PROCOS.
De omnibus rebus, quae ad te pertinent, quid actum, quid constitutum sit, quid Pompeius susceperit, optime ex M. Plaetorio cognosces, qui non solum interfuit his rebus, sed etiam praefuit neque ullum officium erga te hominis amantissimi, prudentissimi, diligentissimi praetermisit. Ex eodem de toto statu rerum communium cognosces; quae quales sint, non facile est scribere: sunt quidem certe in amicorum nostrorum potestate, atque ita, ut nullam mutationem umquam hac hominum aetate habitura res esse videatur. Ego quidem, ut debeo et ut tute mihi praecepisti et ut me pietas utilitasque cogit, me ad eius rationes adiungo, quem tu in meis rationibus tibi esse adiungendum putasti; sed te non praeterit, quam sit difficile sensum in re publica, praesertim rectum et confirmatum, deponere. Verumtamen ipse me conformo ad eius voluntatem, a quo honeste dissentire non possum, neque id facio, ut forsitan quibusdam videar, simulatione, tantum enim animi inductio et mehercule amor erga Pompeium apud me valet, ut, quae illi utilia sunt et quae ille vult, ea mihi omnia iam et recta et vera videantur, neque, ut ego arbitror, errarent ne adversarii quidem eius, si, cum pares esse non possent, pugnare desisterent. Me quidem etiam illa res consolatur, quod ego is sum, cui vel maxime concedant omnes, ut vel ea defendam, quae Pompeius velit, vel taceam vel etiam, id quod mihi maxime libet, ad nostra me studia referam litterarum: quod profecto faciam, si mihi per eiusdem amicitiam licebit; quae enim proposita fuerant nobis, cum et honoribus amplissimis et laboribus maximis perfuncti essemus, dignitas in sententiis dicendis, libertas in re publica capessenda, ea sublata tota sunt, nec mihi magis quam omnibus, nam aut assentiendum est nulla cum gravitate paucis aut frustra dissentiendum. Haec ego ad te ob eam causam maxime scribo, ut iam de tua quoque ratione meditere. Commutata tota ratio est senatus, iudiciorum, rei totius publicae: otium nobis exoptandum est, quod ii, qui potiuntur rerum, praestaturi videntur, si quidam homines patientius eorum potentiam ferre potuerint; dignitatem quidem illam consularem fortis et constantis senatoris nihil est quod cogitemus: amissa culpa est eorum, qui a senatu et ordinem coniunctissimum et hominem clarissimum abalienarunt. Sed, ut ad ea, quae coniunctiora rebus tuis sunt, revertar, Pompeium tibi valde amicum esse cognovi et eo tu consule, quantum ego perspicio, omnia, quae voles, obtinebis, quibus in rebus me sibi ille affixum habebit neque a me ulla res, quae ad te pertineat, negligetur, neque enim verebor, ne sim ei molestus, cui iucundum erit etiam propter se ipsum, cum me esse gratum videbit. Tu velim tibi ita persuadeas, nullam rem esse minimam, quae ad te pertineat, quae mihi non carior sit quam meae res omnes, idque cum sentiam, sedulitate mihimet ipse satisfacere possum, re quidem ipsa ideo mihi non satisfacio, quod nullam partem tuorum meritorum non modo referenda, sed ne cogitanda quidem gratia consequi possum. Rem te valde bene gessisse rumor erat; exspectabantur litterae tuae, de quibus eramus iam cum Pompeio locuti, quae si erunt allatae, nostrum studium exstabit in conveniendis magistratibus et senatoribus, ceteraque, quae ad te pertinebunt, cum etiam plus contenderimus, quam possumus, minus tamen faciemus, quam debemus.
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You will learn best from Marcus Plaetorius what has been done about all matters affecting you, what has been settled, and what Pompey has undertaken. Plaetorius not only took part in these affairs but led them, and he neglected no duty that a man of the greatest affection, judgment, and diligence could owe you.
From him you will also learn the general state of public affairs. What that state is like is not easy to put in writing. It is certainly in the hands of our friends, and so completely that no change seems likely in this generation. For my part, as I ought, as you yourself advised, and as affection and advantage compel me, I attach myself to the plans of the man whose alliance you thought I should seek when my own fortunes were at stake.
Still, you know how hard it is to lay aside a political conviction, especially one that is right and fully tested. Yet I shape myself to the wishes of the man from whom I cannot honorably dissent. I do not do this, as some may think, in pretense. Deliberate judgment and, by Hercules, affection for Pompey have such force with me that whatever serves his interest and whatever he wants now seems to me right and true. Even his opponents, I think, would not be wrong if, seeing that they cannot possibly equal him, they stopped struggling against him.
I have another consolation: my reputation is such that everyone thinks me more justified than anyone else whether I support Pompey's views, keep silent, or, what I most prefer, return to literary study. I certainly will do that, if my friendship for him permits it. The goals I once had after holding the highest offices and enduring the greatest labors, the ability to speak in the Senate with dignity and handle public affairs freely, have been entirely abolished, and not for me more than for everyone. We must all either assent to a small circle at the cost of dignity, or dissent to no purpose.
My main reason for writing this is so that you will carefully consider what course you too will take. The whole condition of the Senate, the courts, and indeed the constitution has changed. The most we can hope for is quiet, and those now supreme seem likely to give it to us if certain people show a little more tolerance for their dominance. The old consular authority of a courageous and consistent senator is no longer to be thought of. It has been lost through the fault of men who alienated both an order once closely allied with the Senate and an individual of the most illustrious character.
To return to your own interests: I have found Pompey warmly attached to you, and with him as consul, so far as I know and believe, you will obtain whatever you wish. I will always be at his side in this, and nothing affecting you will be passed over by me. Nor will I fear boring him, for he will be glad, for his own sake, to find me grateful to him.
Be fully persuaded that there is nothing, however small, affecting your welfare that is not dearer to me than every interest of my own. With these feelings I can satisfy myself in diligence, but not in results, because I cannot come anywhere near matching your services to me, not in actual repayment, and not even in feeling.
There is a report that you have won a great victory. Your dispatch is eagerly awaited, and I have already spoken to Pompey about it. When it arrives, I will show my zeal by calling on the magistrates and senators. In every matter that concerns you, although I will strive for more than I can achieve, I will still do less than I ought.
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
VIII. Scr. Romae mense Ianuario a.u.c. 699. M. CICERO S. D. P. LENTULO PROCOS.
De omnibus rebus, quae ad te pertinent, quid actum, quid constitutum sit, quid Pompeius susceperit, optime ex M. Plaetorio cognosces, qui non solum interfuit his rebus, sed etiam praefuit neque ullum officium erga te hominis amantissimi, prudentissimi, diligentissimi praetermisit. Ex eodem de toto statu rerum communium cognosces; quae quales sint, non facile est scribere: sunt quidem certe in amicorum nostrorum potestate, atque ita, ut nullam mutationem umquam hac hominum aetate habitura res esse videatur. Ego quidem, ut debeo et ut tute mihi praecepisti et ut me pietas utilitasque cogit, me ad eius rationes adiungo, quem tu in meis rationibus tibi esse adiungendum putasti; sed te non praeterit, quam sit difficile sensum in re publica, praesertim rectum et confirmatum, deponere. Verumtamen ipse me conformo ad eius voluntatem, a quo honeste dissentire non possum, neque id facio, ut forsitan quibusdam videar, simulatione, tantum enim animi inductio et mehercule amor erga Pompeium apud me valet, ut, quae illi utilia sunt et quae ille vult, ea mihi omnia iam et recta et vera videantur, neque, ut ego arbitror, errarent ne adversarii quidem eius, si, cum pares esse non possent, pugnare desisterent. Me quidem etiam illa res consolatur, quod ego is sum, cui vel maxime concedant omnes, ut vel ea defendam, quae Pompeius velit, vel taceam vel etiam, id quod mihi maxime libet, ad nostra me studia referam litterarum: quod profecto faciam, si mihi per eiusdem amicitiam licebit; quae enim proposita fuerant nobis, cum et honoribus amplissimis et laboribus maximis perfuncti essemus, dignitas in sententiis dicendis, libertas in re publica capessenda, ea sublata tota sunt, nec mihi magis quam omnibus, nam aut assentiendum est nulla cum gravitate paucis aut frustra dissentiendum. Haec ego ad te ob eam causam maxime scribo, ut iam de tua quoque ratione meditere. Commutata tota ratio est senatus, iudiciorum, rei totius publicae: otium nobis exoptandum est, quod ii, qui potiuntur rerum, praestaturi videntur, si quidam homines patientius eorum potentiam ferre potuerint; dignitatem quidem illam consularem fortis et constantis senatoris nihil est quod cogitemus: amissa culpa est eorum, qui a senatu et ordinem coniunctissimum et hominem clarissimum abalienarunt. Sed, ut ad ea, quae coniunctiora rebus tuis sunt, revertar, Pompeium tibi valde amicum esse cognovi et eo tu consule, quantum ego perspicio, omnia, quae voles, obtinebis, quibus in rebus me sibi ille affixum habebit neque a me ulla res, quae ad te pertineat, negligetur, neque enim verebor, ne sim ei molestus, cui iucundum erit etiam propter se ipsum, cum me esse gratum videbit. Tu velim tibi ita persuadeas, nullam rem esse minimam, quae ad te pertineat, quae mihi non carior sit quam meae res omnes, idque cum sentiam, sedulitate mihimet ipse satisfacere possum, re quidem ipsa ideo mihi non satisfacio, quod nullam partem tuorum meritorum non modo referenda, sed ne cogitanda quidem gratia consequi possum. Rem te valde bene gessisse rumor erat; exspectabantur litterae tuae, de quibus eramus iam cum Pompeio locuti, quae si erunt allatae, nostrum studium exstabit in conveniendis magistratibus et senatoribus, ceteraque, quae ad te pertinebunt, cum etiam plus contenderimus, quam possumus, minus tamen faciemus, quam debemus.