Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Titius|c. 56 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome|Human translated
Although I am the least fitted of all men to console you, since I have taken so much grief from your troubles that I myself was in need of consolation, nevertheless, since my grief was further from the sharpness of the deepest mourning than yours, I thought it was required by our bond and my goodwill toward you not to remain silent so long amid such great sorrow of yours, but to offer some moderate consolation that might lighten your grief, if it could not heal it. Now there is that very common consolation, which we should always have on our lips and in our minds: that we should remember we are human beings, born under the condition that our life lies exposed to all the weapons of fortune, and that we should not refuse to live under the terms on which we were born, nor bear so heavily those misfortunes which no foresight can avert, and that by recalling what has happened to others we should consider that nothing new has befallen us. But neither these nor the other consolations that have been employed by the wisest men and handed down in written records seem likely to avail as much as the very state of our commonwealth and this upheaval of ruinous times, in which the happiest are those who have not had children, and those who have lost them in these times are less wretched than if they had lost them when the republic was in good or at least some condition. But if it is your own longing that moves you, or if you grieve at the thought of your own situation, I do not think that pain can easily be entirely drained from you. But if the thing that torments you belongs more to love -- that you mourn the miseries of those who have died -- not to mention what I have very often read and heard, that there is no evil in death, in which if any consciousness remains, that should be considered immortality rather than death, and if consciousness is lost, there should seem to be no wretchedness that is not felt -- yet this I can affirm without hesitation: such things are being mixed, prepared, and threatened for the republic that whoever has departed from it seems to me in no way deceived. For what place is left now, not merely for decency, integrity, virtue, right pursuits, and good arts, but even for liberty and safety? By Hercules, I have not heard of any young man or boy dying in this most grievous and pestilential year who did not seem to me to have been snatched by the immortal gods from these miseries and from the most unjust condition of life. Therefore, if this one thing can be removed from your mind -- that you should not think any evil has befallen those whom you loved -- a very great part of your grief will be diminished. For there will remain only that simple care of your pain, which will not be shared with them but will properly pertain to you alone; and in this it is not worthy of your gravity and wisdom, which you have displayed since boyhood, to bear immoderately the blow of your misfortunes when it is separated from the misery and suffering of those you loved. For since you have always shown yourself such both in private and public affairs, you must maintain your gravity and serve your constancy. For what length of time itself will bring about, which removes the greatest griefs by the passage of years, we ought to anticipate by counsel and wisdom. For if there was never a woman of so feeble a spirit who, having lost her children, did not at some time set a limit to mourning, surely we ought to anticipate by reason what the course of days will bring, and not wait for the remedy of time that we can obtain at once through reason. If I have accomplished anything by this letter, I shall consider that I have achieved something greatly to be wished for; but if it has perhaps had less effect, I shall at least have fulfilled the duty of a man of the deepest goodwill and friendship. I would have you believe that I have always been and trust that I shall always be such a man to you.
DXXVII (Fam. V, 16) TO TITIUS (ROME) Though of all the world I am by far the least fitted to offer you consolation, because your sorrow has caused me so much pain that I needed consolation myself; yet since my sorrow was farther removed from the acuteness of the deepest grief than your own, I have resolved that our close connexion and my warm feelings for you make it incumbent on me not to be so long silent in what causes you such deep mourning, but to offer some reasonable consolation such as may suffice to lighten, if it could not wholly heal your sorrow. Now there is a source of consolation — hackneyed indeed to the last degree — which we ought ever to have on our lips and in our hearts: we should remember that we are men, born under the conditions which expose our life to all the missiles of fortune; and we must not decline life on the conditions under which we were born, nor rebel so violently under mischances which we are unable to avoid by any precautions; and by recalling what has happened to others we should reflect that nothing strange has betided us. But neither these, nor other sources of consolation, which have been employed by the greatest philosophers and have been recorded in literature, ought, it seems, to be of so much avail, as the position of the state itself and the disruption of these evil times, which make those the happiest who have never had children, and those who have lost them at such a crisis less miserable than if they had done so when the Republic was in a good state, or indeed had any existence at all. But if your own loss affects you, or if you mourn at the thought of your own position, I do not think that you will find that grief easy to remove in its entirety. If on the other hand what wrings your heart is grief for the miserable fate of those who have fallen — a thought more natural to an affectionate heart — to say nothing of what I have repeatedly read and heard, that there is no evil in death, after which if any sensation remains it is to be regarded as immortality rather than death, while if it is all lost, it follows that nothing must be regarded as misery which is not felt-yet this much I can assert, that confusions are brewing, disasters preparing and threatening the Republic, such that whoever has left them cannot possibly, as it seems to me, be in the wrong. For what place is there now, I don't say for conscience, uprightness, virtue, right feeling, and good qualities, but for bare freedom and safety? By Heaven, I have never been told of any young man or boy having died in this most unhealthy and pestilent year, who did not seem to me to be rescued by the immortal gods from the miseries of this world and from a most intolerable condition of life. Wherefore, if this one idea can be removed from your mind, so as to convince you that no evil has happened to those you loved, your grief will have been very much lessened. For there will then only be left that single strain of sorrow which will not be concerned with them, but will have reference to yourself alone: in regard to which it is not consonant with a high character and wisdom such as you have displayed from boyhood, to show excessive sorrow for a misfortune that has befallen you, when it does not at all involve misery or evil to those whom you have loved. In fact, the qualities you have displayed both in private and public business entail the necessity of preserving your dignity and supporting your character for consistency. For that which length of time is sure to bring us of itself — which removes the bitterest sorrows by the natural process of decay — we ought to anticipate by reflexion and wisdom. Why, if there never was a woman so weak-minded on the death of her children, as not sooner or later to put a period to her mourning, certainly we men ought to anticipate by reflexion what lapse of time is sure to bring, and not to wait for a cure from time, when we can have it on the spot from reason. If I have done you any good by this letter, I think that I have accomplished a desirable object: but if by chance it has been of no avail, I hold that I have done the duty of one who wishes you all that is best and loves you very dearly. Such a one I would have you think that I have been, and believe that I shall be to you in the future.
XVI. Scr. anno incerto. M. CICERO S. D. T. TITIO.
Etsi unus ex omnibus minime sum ad te consolandum accommodatus, quod tantum ex tuis molestiis cepi doloris, ut consolatione ipse egerem, tamen, cum longius a summi luctus acerbitate meus abesset dolor quam tuus, statui nostrae necessitudinis esse meaeque in te benevolentiae non tacere tanto in tuo maerore tamdiu, sed adhibere aliquam modicam consolationem, quae levare dolorem tuum posset, si minus sanare potuisset. Est autem consolatio pervulgata quidem illa maxime, quam semper in ore atque in animo habere debemus, homines nos ut esse meminerimus, ea lege natos, ut omnibus telis fortunae proposita sit vita nostra, neque esse recusandum, quo minus ea, qua nati sumus, condicione vivamus, neve tam graviter eos casus feramus, quos nullo consilio vitare possimus, eventisque aliorum memoria repetendis nihil accidisse novi nobis cogitemus; sed neque haec neque ceterae consolationes, quae sunt a sapientissimis viris usurpatae memoriaeque litteris proditae, tantum videntur proficere debere, quantum status ipse nostrae civitatis et haec perturbatio temporum perditorum, cum beatissimi sint, qui liberos non susceperunt, minus autem miseri, qui his temporibus amiserunt, quam si eosdem bona aut denique aliqua re publica perdidissent. Quod si tuum te desiderium movet aut si tuarum rerum cogitatione maeres, non facile exhauriri tibi istum dolorem posse universum puto; sin illa te res cruciat, quae magis amoris est, ut eorum, qui occiderunt, miserias lugeas, ut ea non dicam, quae saepissime et legi et audivi, nihil mali esse in morte, in qua si resideat sensus, immortalitas illa potius quam mors ducenda sit, sin sit amissus, nulla videri miseria debeat, quae non sentiatur, hoc tamen non dubitans confirmare possum, ea misceri, parari, impendere rei publicae, quae qui reliquerit, nullo modo mihi quidem deceptus esse videatur; quid est enim iam non modo pudori, probitati, virtuti, rectis studiis, bonis artibus, sed omnino libertati ac saluti loci? non mehercule quemquam audivi hoc gravissimo et pestilentissimo anno adolescentulum aut puerum mortuum, qui mihi non a dis immortalibus ereptus ex his miseriis atque ex iniquissima condicione vitae videretur. Quare, si tibi unum hoc detrahi potest, ne quid iis, quos amasti, mali putes contigisse, permultum erit ex maerore tuo deminutum; relinquetur enim simplex illa iam cura doloris tui, quae non cum illis communicabitur, sed ad te ipsum proprie referetur, in qua non est iam gravitatis et sapientiae tuae, quam tu a puero praestitisti, ferre immoderatius casum incommodorum tuorum, qui sit ab eorum, quos dilexeris, miseria maloque seiunctus; etenim eum semper te et privatis in rebus et publicis praestitisti, tuenda tibi ut sit gravitas et constantiae serviendum; nam, quod allatura est ipsa diuturnitas, quae maximos luctus vetustate tollit, id nos praecipere consilio prudentiaque debemus; etenim, si nulla fuit umquam liberis amissis tam imbecillo mulier animo, quae non aliquando lugendi modum fecerit, certe nos, quod est dies allatura, id consilio anteferre debemus neque exspectare temporis medicinam, quam repraesentare ratione possimus. His ego litteris si quid profecissem, existimabam optandum quiddam me esse assecutum, sin minus forte valuissent, officio tamen esse functum viri benevolentissimi atque amicissimi; quem me tibi et fuisse semper existimes velim et futurum esse confidas.
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Although I am the least fitted of all men to console you, since I have taken so much grief from your troubles that I myself was in need of consolation, nevertheless, since my grief was further from the sharpness of the deepest mourning than yours, I thought it was required by our bond and my goodwill toward you not to remain silent so long amid such great sorrow of yours, but to offer some moderate consolation that might lighten your grief, if it could not heal it. Now there is that very common consolation, which we should always have on our lips and in our minds: that we should remember we are human beings, born under the condition that our life lies exposed to all the weapons of fortune, and that we should not refuse to live under the terms on which we were born, nor bear so heavily those misfortunes which no foresight can avert, and that by recalling what has happened to others we should consider that nothing new has befallen us. But neither these nor the other consolations that have been employed by the wisest men and handed down in written records seem likely to avail as much as the very state of our commonwealth and this upheaval of ruinous times, in which the happiest are those who have not had children, and those who have lost them in these times are less wretched than if they had lost them when the republic was in good or at least some condition. But if it is your own longing that moves you, or if you grieve at the thought of your own situation, I do not think that pain can easily be entirely drained from you. But if the thing that torments you belongs more to love -- that you mourn the miseries of those who have died -- not to mention what I have very often read and heard, that there is no evil in death, in which if any consciousness remains, that should be considered immortality rather than death, and if consciousness is lost, there should seem to be no wretchedness that is not felt -- yet this I can affirm without hesitation: such things are being mixed, prepared, and threatened for the republic that whoever has departed from it seems to me in no way deceived. For what place is left now, not merely for decency, integrity, virtue, right pursuits, and good arts, but even for liberty and safety? By Hercules, I have not heard of any young man or boy dying in this most grievous and pestilential year who did not seem to me to have been snatched by the immortal gods from these miseries and from the most unjust condition of life. Therefore, if this one thing can be removed from your mind -- that you should not think any evil has befallen those whom you loved -- a very great part of your grief will be diminished. For there will remain only that simple care of your pain, which will not be shared with them but will properly pertain to you alone; and in this it is not worthy of your gravity and wisdom, which you have displayed since boyhood, to bear immoderately the blow of your misfortunes when it is separated from the misery and suffering of those you loved. For since you have always shown yourself such both in private and public affairs, you must maintain your gravity and serve your constancy. For what length of time itself will bring about, which removes the greatest griefs by the passage of years, we ought to anticipate by counsel and wisdom. For if there was never a woman of so feeble a spirit who, having lost her children, did not at some time set a limit to mourning, surely we ought to anticipate by reason what the course of days will bring, and not wait for the remedy of time that we can obtain at once through reason. If I have accomplished anything by this letter, I shall consider that I have achieved something greatly to be wished for; but if it has perhaps had less effect, I shall at least have fulfilled the duty of a man of the deepest goodwill and friendship. I would have you believe that I have always been and trust that I shall always be such a man to you.
Human translation - ToposText / Shuckburgh
Latin / Greek Original
XVI. Scr. anno incerto. M. CICERO S. D. T. TITIO.
Etsi unus ex omnibus minime sum ad te consolandum accommodatus, quod tantum ex tuis molestiis cepi doloris, ut consolatione ipse egerem, tamen, cum longius a summi luctus acerbitate meus abesset dolor quam tuus, statui nostrae necessitudinis esse meaeque in te benevolentiae non tacere tanto in tuo maerore tamdiu, sed adhibere aliquam modicam consolationem, quae levare dolorem tuum posset, si minus sanare potuisset. Est autem consolatio pervulgata quidem illa maxime, quam semper in ore atque in animo habere debemus, homines nos ut esse meminerimus, ea lege natos, ut omnibus telis fortunae proposita sit vita nostra, neque esse recusandum, quo minus ea, qua nati sumus, condicione vivamus, neve tam graviter eos casus feramus, quos nullo consilio vitare possimus, eventisque aliorum memoria repetendis nihil accidisse novi nobis cogitemus; sed neque haec neque ceterae consolationes, quae sunt a sapientissimis viris usurpatae memoriaeque litteris proditae, tantum videntur proficere debere, quantum status ipse nostrae civitatis et haec perturbatio temporum perditorum, cum beatissimi sint, qui liberos non susceperunt, minus autem miseri, qui his temporibus amiserunt, quam si eosdem bona aut denique aliqua re publica perdidissent. Quod si tuum te desiderium movet aut si tuarum rerum cogitatione maeres, non facile exhauriri tibi istum dolorem posse universum puto; sin illa te res cruciat, quae magis amoris est, ut eorum, qui occiderunt, miserias lugeas, ut ea non dicam, quae saepissime et legi et audivi, nihil mali esse in morte, in qua si resideat sensus, immortalitas illa potius quam mors ducenda sit, sin sit amissus, nulla videri miseria debeat, quae non sentiatur, hoc tamen non dubitans confirmare possum, ea misceri, parari, impendere rei publicae, quae qui reliquerit, nullo modo mihi quidem deceptus esse videatur; quid est enim iam non modo pudori, probitati, virtuti, rectis studiis, bonis artibus, sed omnino libertati ac saluti loci? non mehercule quemquam audivi hoc gravissimo et pestilentissimo anno adolescentulum aut puerum mortuum, qui mihi non a dis immortalibus ereptus ex his miseriis atque ex iniquissima condicione vitae videretur. Quare, si tibi unum hoc detrahi potest, ne quid iis, quos amasti, mali putes contigisse, permultum erit ex maerore tuo deminutum; relinquetur enim simplex illa iam cura doloris tui, quae non cum illis communicabitur, sed ad te ipsum proprie referetur, in qua non est iam gravitatis et sapientiae tuae, quam tu a puero praestitisti, ferre immoderatius casum incommodorum tuorum, qui sit ab eorum, quos dilexeris, miseria maloque seiunctus; etenim eum semper te et privatis in rebus et publicis praestitisti, tuenda tibi ut sit gravitas et constantiae serviendum; nam, quod allatura est ipsa diuturnitas, quae maximos luctus vetustate tollit, id nos praecipere consilio prudentiaque debemus; etenim, si nulla fuit umquam liberis amissis tam imbecillo mulier animo, quae non aliquando lugendi modum fecerit, certe nos, quod est dies allatura, id consilio anteferre debemus neque exspectare temporis medicinam, quam repraesentare ratione possimus. His ego litteris si quid profecissem, existimabam optandum quiddam me esse assecutum, sin minus forte valuissent, officio tamen esse functum viri benevolentissimi atque amicissimi; quem me tibi et fuisse semper existimes velim et futurum esse confidas.