Marcus Tullius Cicero→Lucius Aemilius Paullus|c. 47 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome|AI-assisted
One of my strongest wishes has been to be in Rome with you, for many reasons, but especially so that you could clearly see, both during your canvass and during your actual consulship, how eager I was to fulfill my obligation to you. As far as your canvass was concerned, it always seemed to me to be plain sailing, yet I still wanted to give some real help. In your consulship I am anxious that you have still less difficulty.
It pains me to think that, when I was consul and you were a young man, I had full view of your zealous kindness, while now that I am far advanced in life you cannot see mine. But I think there has been a kind of fate at work: you have always had opportunities to advance my honor, while I have never had anything except the wish that enabled me to repay you. You honored both my consulship and my restoration with your support. Now it has happened that the occasion for my active public service has fallen during your consulship.
Your brilliant position and high rank, as well as my own office and reputation, would seem to require me to urge and beg you at some length to see that a decree of the senate about my services is passed in the most complimentary terms possible. Yet I do not dare press it strongly, for fear I might seem either to have forgotten your usual kindness toward me or to admit the thought that you have forgotten it.
So I will do what I think you would wish, and keep my request brief, though I am making it to a man whom everyone knows has done me outstanding service. If other men had been consuls, you, Paullus, are the man above all others to whom I would have written asking you to secure their warmest support for me. As it is, the chief power and greatest influence are in your hands, and our close connection is known to everyone. I warmly beg you to see that a decree concerning my services is passed as favorably and as quickly as possible.
You will learn from the dispatch I have officially addressed to you, your colleague, and the senate that these services deserve honor and congratulation. I further ask you to support all my other interests, and above all my reputation. Let one of your first concerns, as I also asked you in an earlier letter, be to prevent any extension of my term of office. I am eager to see you while you are still consul, and to gain everything I hope for in your consulship, whether here or at home.
Farewell.
CCXXXIX (Fam. XV, 13) TO L. AEMILIUS PAULLUS (CONSUL) CILICIA, JANUARY: IT has been one of the strongest wishes of my heart to be in Rome with you on many accounts, but especially that you might have clearly before your eyes, both during your canvass and your actual administration, how eager I was to fulfil my obligation to you. And, indeed, as far as your canvass was concerned, it always seemed to me to be plain sailing, yet I nevertheless wished to give some actual aid. In your consulship truly I am anxious that you should have still less difficulty, yet I am vexed to think that I, as consul, had a full view of your zealous kindness when you were a young man, whilst you cannot have one of mine now that I am so far advanced in life. But there has been, I think, a kind of fatality ordaining that you should always have the opportunity of advancing my honour, while I never had anything — except the wish — enabling me to repay you. My consulship and my restoration alike you honoured by your support. It has happened that the occasion for my performing active public service has fallen in your consulship. Accordingly, though your brilliant position and high rank, as well as my own great office and high reputation, would seem to demand that I should urge you, and beg you at some length, to see to a decree of the senate being passed on the subject of my services in as complimentary terms as possible, yet I do not venture to put it strongly to you, lest I should appear to have forgotten your habitual kindness to me, or should admit the thought of your having forgotten. Accordingly, I will do as I think you would wish, and confine my petition to a few words, when it is made to a man that all the world knows has done me eminent service. If others had been consuls, you are the man of all others, Paullus , to whom I should have sent asking you to secure for me their warmest support. As it is, the chief power and greatest influence being in your hands, and our close connexion being known to everybody, I do beg you warmly, that you should see to a decree being passed in regard to my services in as complimentary terms and as speedily as possible. That these services deserve honour and congratulation you will learn from the despatch which I have addressed officially to you, your colleague, and the senate. I would further beg you to undertake the support of my other interests of every kind, and above all of my reputation. And let it be among your first concerns, as I asked you in a previous letter also, to prevent any extension of time in my tenure of office. I am eager to see you while you are still consul, and to gain all I hope for in your consulship, whether here or at home. Farewell.
XIII. Scr. in Cilicia eodem tempore, quo Ep. X a.u.c. 704. M. CICERO IMP. S. D. L. PAULLO COS.
Maxime mihi fuit optatum Romae esse tecum multas ob causas, sed praecipue, ut et in petendo et in gerendo consulatu meum tibi debitum studium perspicere posses. Ac petitionis quidem tuae ratio mihi semper fuit explorata, sed tamen navare operam volebam; in consulatu vero cupio equidem te minus habere negotii, sed moleste fero me consulem tuum studium adolescentis perspexisse, te meum, cum id aetatis sim, perspicere non posse. Sed ita fato nescio quo contigisse arbitror, ut tibi ad me ornandum semper detur facultas, mihi ad te remunerandum nihil suppetat praeter voluntatem: ornasti consulatum, ornasti reditum meum; incidit meum tempus rerum gerendarum in ipsum consulatum tuum. Itaque, cum et tua summa amplitudo et dignitas et meus magnus honos magnaque existimatio postulare videatur, ut a te pluribus verbis contendam ac petam, ut quam honorificentissimum senatus consultum de meis rebus gestis faciendum cures, non audeo vehementer a te contendere, ne aut ipse tuae perpetuae consuetudinis erga me oblitus esse videar aut te oblitum putem. Quare, ut te velle arbitror, ita faciam, atque ab eo, quem omnes gentes sciunt de me optime meritum, breviter petam. Si alii consules essent, ad te potissimum, Paulle, mitterem, ut eos mihi quam amicissimos redderes: nunc, cum tua summa potestas summaque auctoritas notaque omnibus nostra necessitudo sit, vehementer te rogo, ut et quam honorificentissime cures decernendum de meis rebus gestis et quam celerrime: dignas res esse honore et gratulatione cognosces ex iis litteris, quas ad te et collegam et senatum publice misi. Omniumque mearum reliquarum rerum maximeque existimationis meae procurationem susceptam velim habeas, in primisque tibi curae sit, quod abs te superioribus quoque litteris petivi, ne mihi tempus prorogetur: cupio te consulem videre omniaque, quae spero, cum absens, tum etiam praesens te consule assequi.
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One of my strongest wishes has been to be in Rome with you, for many reasons, but especially so that you could clearly see, both during your canvass and during your actual consulship, how eager I was to fulfill my obligation to you. As far as your canvass was concerned, it always seemed to me to be plain sailing, yet I still wanted to give some real help. In your consulship I am anxious that you have still less difficulty.
It pains me to think that, when I was consul and you were a young man, I had full view of your zealous kindness, while now that I am far advanced in life you cannot see mine. But I think there has been a kind of fate at work: you have always had opportunities to advance my honor, while I have never had anything except the wish that enabled me to repay you. You honored both my consulship and my restoration with your support. Now it has happened that the occasion for my active public service has fallen during your consulship.
Your brilliant position and high rank, as well as my own office and reputation, would seem to require me to urge and beg you at some length to see that a decree of the senate about my services is passed in the most complimentary terms possible. Yet I do not dare press it strongly, for fear I might seem either to have forgotten your usual kindness toward me or to admit the thought that you have forgotten it.
So I will do what I think you would wish, and keep my request brief, though I am making it to a man whom everyone knows has done me outstanding service. If other men had been consuls, you, Paullus, are the man above all others to whom I would have written asking you to secure their warmest support for me. As it is, the chief power and greatest influence are in your hands, and our close connection is known to everyone. I warmly beg you to see that a decree concerning my services is passed as favorably and as quickly as possible.
You will learn from the dispatch I have officially addressed to you, your colleague, and the senate that these services deserve honor and congratulation. I further ask you to support all my other interests, and above all my reputation. Let one of your first concerns, as I also asked you in an earlier letter, be to prevent any extension of my term of office. I am eager to see you while you are still consul, and to gain everything I hope for in your consulship, whether here or at home.
Farewell.
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
XIII. Scr. in Cilicia eodem tempore, quo Ep. X a.u.c. 704. M. CICERO IMP. S. D. L. PAULLO COS.
Maxime mihi fuit optatum Romae esse tecum multas ob causas, sed praecipue, ut et in petendo et in gerendo consulatu meum tibi debitum studium perspicere posses. Ac petitionis quidem tuae ratio mihi semper fuit explorata, sed tamen navare operam volebam; in consulatu vero cupio equidem te minus habere negotii, sed moleste fero me consulem tuum studium adolescentis perspexisse, te meum, cum id aetatis sim, perspicere non posse. Sed ita fato nescio quo contigisse arbitror, ut tibi ad me ornandum semper detur facultas, mihi ad te remunerandum nihil suppetat praeter voluntatem: ornasti consulatum, ornasti reditum meum; incidit meum tempus rerum gerendarum in ipsum consulatum tuum. Itaque, cum et tua summa amplitudo et dignitas et meus magnus honos magnaque existimatio postulare videatur, ut a te pluribus verbis contendam ac petam, ut quam honorificentissimum senatus consultum de meis rebus gestis faciendum cures, non audeo vehementer a te contendere, ne aut ipse tuae perpetuae consuetudinis erga me oblitus esse videar aut te oblitum putem. Quare, ut te velle arbitror, ita faciam, atque ab eo, quem omnes gentes sciunt de me optime meritum, breviter petam. Si alii consules essent, ad te potissimum, Paulle, mitterem, ut eos mihi quam amicissimos redderes: nunc, cum tua summa potestas summaque auctoritas notaque omnibus nostra necessitudo sit, vehementer te rogo, ut et quam honorificentissime cures decernendum de meis rebus gestis et quam celerrime: dignas res esse honore et gratulatione cognosces ex iis litteris, quas ad te et collegam et senatum publice misi. Omniumque mearum reliquarum rerum maximeque existimationis meae procurationem susceptam velim habeas, in primisque tibi curae sit, quod abs te superioribus quoque litteris petivi, ne mihi tempus prorogetur: cupio te consulem videre omniaque, quae spero, cum absens, tum etiam praesens te consule assequi.