Marcus Tullius Cicero→Gaius Trebatius Testa|c. 49 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Gaul|AI-assisted
I read your letter, from which I understood that our Caesar thinks you quite the jurist. You have reason to be glad you came to places where you could seem to know something. If you had gone on to Britain too, I am sure there would have been no one in that whole enormous island more learned in the law than you.
Still, let us laugh, since you invited me to. I am even a little jealous that you have been summoned on Caesar's own initiative, by a man whom others cannot even approach, not because he is arrogant but because he is so busy.
But in that letter you told me nothing about your own affairs, which, by Hercules, concern me no less than my own. I am very afraid you may be cold in winter quarters; so I advise you to use a bright, roaring hearth. Mucius and Manilius held the same opinion, especially since you were not over-supplied with military cloaks. And yet I hear you are now warm enough where you are. That news made me fear greatly for you.
In military matters you are much more cautious than in legal appearances: eager swimmer though you are, you refused to swim in the Ocean, and you refused to watch the chariot-fighters, though in the past I could not even cheat you out of a blindfolded gladiator.
But enough joking. You know how carefully I wrote to Caesar about you; I know how often. By Hercules, I had recently stopped, so that I would not seem to distrust the goodwill toward me of a most generous man who loves me deeply. Still, in my latest letter I thought he should be reminded, and I reminded him.
Please tell me what effect I had, and at the same time tell me about your whole situation and all your plans. I want to know what you are doing, what you expect, and how long you think this separation from us will last. I would like you to be convinced that my one consolation, which makes it easier to bear your being away from us, is knowing that it benefits you. If it does not, then nothing is more foolish than both of us: I, for not pulling you back to Rome; you, for not flying here.
By Hercules, one meeting between us, whether serious or joking, will be worth more not only than our enemies but even than our brothers the Haedui. So make sure I know about everything as soon as possible. I will help either by consolation, advice, or practical action.
CLX (Fam. VII, 10) TO C. TREBATIUS TESTA (IN GAUL) ROME (NOVEMBER) I have read your letter which informs me that our Caesar considers you a great lawyer. You must be glad to have found a country where you have the credit of knowing something. But if you had gone to Britain also, I feel sure that there would not have been in all that great island anyone more learned in the law than you. However — you won't mind my laughing, for you invited me to do so — I am becoming positively a little jealous of you! That you should have been actually sent for by a man whom other people — not because of his pride, but of his many engagements — cannot venture to approach! But in that letter you told me nothing about your success, which, by heaven, is of no less concern to me than my own. I am very much afraid you may be frozen in your winter quarters: and therefore I think you ought to use a good stove. Mucius and Manilius “concur” in this opinion, especially on the ground of your being short of military cloaks. However, I am told that you are having a sufficiently warm time of it where you are — news which made me much alarmed for you. However, in military matters you are much more cautious than at the bar, seeing that you wouldn't take a swim in the ocean, fond of swimming as you are, and wouldn't take a look at the British charioteers, though in old time I could never cheat you even out of a blind-folded gladiator. But enough of joking. You know how earnestly I have written to Caesar about you; I know bow often. Yet, in truth, I have lately ceased doing so, lest I should appear to distrust the kindness of a man who has been most liberal and affectionate to me. However, in the very last letter I wrote I thought he ought to be reminded. I did so. Please tell me what effect it had, and at the same time tell me about your position in general and all your plans. For I am anxious to know what you are doing, what you are expecting, how long your separation from us you think is to last. I would wish you to believe that the one consolation, enabling me to bear your absence, is the knowledge that it is for your advantage. But if that is not so, nothing can be more foolish than both the one and the other of us: me for not inducing you to come back to Rome — you for not flying thither. By heavens, our conversation, whether serious or jesting, will be worth more not only than the enemy, but even than our “brothers” the Haedui . Wherefore let me know about everything as soon as possible: “I'll be some use by comfort, rede, or peif.”
X. Scr. Romae mense Decembri a.u.c. 700 [M.] CICERO S. D. TREBATIO.
Legi tuas litteras, ex quibus intellexi te Caesari nostro valde iureconsultum videri: est, quod gaudeas te in ista loca venisse, ubi aliquid sapere viderere. Quod si in Britanniam quoque profectus esses, profecto nemo in illa tanta insula peritior te fuisset. Verum tamen—rideamus licet; sum enim a te invitatus—subinvideo tibi, ultro te etiam arcessitum ab eo, ad quem ceteri, non propter superbiam eius, sed propter occupationem, aspirare non possunt. Sed tu in ista epistula nihil mihi scripsisti de tuis rebus, quae mehercule mihi non minori curae sunt quam meae. Valde metuo, ne frigeas in hibernis; quamobrem camino luculento utendum censeo, idem Mucio et Manilio placebat, praesertim qui sagis non abundares: quamquam vos nunc istic satis calere audio; quo quidem nuntio valde mehercule de te timueram. Sed tu in re militari multo es cautior quam in advocationibus, qui neque in Oceano natare volueris, studiosissimus homo natandi, neque spectare essedarios, quem antea me andabata quidem defraudare poteramus. Sed iam satis iocati sumus. Ego de te ad Caesarem quam diligenter scripserim, tute scis, quam saepe, ego; sed mehercule iam intermiseram, ne viderer liberalissimi hominis meique amantissimi voluntati erga me diffidere; sed tamen iis litteris, quas proxime dedi, putavi esse hominem commonendum: id feci; quid profecerim, facias me velim certiorem et simul de toto statu tuo consiliisque omnibus; scire enim cupio, quid agas, quid exspectes, quam longum istum tuum discessum a nobis futurum putes: sic enim tibi persuadeas velim, unum mihi esse solatium, quare facilius possim pati te esse sine nobis, si tibi esse id emolumento sciam; sin autem id non est, nihil duobus nobis est stultius: me, qui te non Romam attraham, te, qui non huc advoles; una mehercule nostra vel severa vel iocosa congressio pluris erit quam non modo hostes, sed etiam fratres nostri Aedui. Quare omnibus de rebus fac ut quam primum sciam: aut consolando aut consilio aut re iuvero.
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I read your letter, from which I understood that our Caesar thinks you quite the jurist. You have reason to be glad you came to places where you could seem to know something. If you had gone on to Britain too, I am sure there would have been no one in that whole enormous island more learned in the law than you.
Still, let us laugh, since you invited me to. I am even a little jealous that you have been summoned on Caesar's own initiative, by a man whom others cannot even approach, not because he is arrogant but because he is so busy.
But in that letter you told me nothing about your own affairs, which, by Hercules, concern me no less than my own. I am very afraid you may be cold in winter quarters; so I advise you to use a bright, roaring hearth. Mucius and Manilius held the same opinion, especially since you were not over-supplied with military cloaks. And yet I hear you are now warm enough where you are. That news made me fear greatly for you.
In military matters you are much more cautious than in legal appearances: eager swimmer though you are, you refused to swim in the Ocean, and you refused to watch the chariot-fighters, though in the past I could not even cheat you out of a blindfolded gladiator.
But enough joking. You know how carefully I wrote to Caesar about you; I know how often. By Hercules, I had recently stopped, so that I would not seem to distrust the goodwill toward me of a most generous man who loves me deeply. Still, in my latest letter I thought he should be reminded, and I reminded him.
Please tell me what effect I had, and at the same time tell me about your whole situation and all your plans. I want to know what you are doing, what you expect, and how long you think this separation from us will last. I would like you to be convinced that my one consolation, which makes it easier to bear your being away from us, is knowing that it benefits you. If it does not, then nothing is more foolish than both of us: I, for not pulling you back to Rome; you, for not flying here.
By Hercules, one meeting between us, whether serious or joking, will be worth more not only than our enemies but even than our brothers the Haedui. So make sure I know about everything as soon as possible. I will help either by consolation, advice, or practical action.
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
X. Scr. Romae mense Decembri a.u.c. 700 [M.] CICERO S. D. TREBATIO.
Legi tuas litteras, ex quibus intellexi te Caesari nostro valde iureconsultum videri: est, quod gaudeas te in ista loca venisse, ubi aliquid sapere viderere. Quod si in Britanniam quoque profectus esses, profecto nemo in illa tanta insula peritior te fuisset. Verum tamen—rideamus licet; sum enim a te invitatus—subinvideo tibi, ultro te etiam arcessitum ab eo, ad quem ceteri, non propter superbiam eius, sed propter occupationem, aspirare non possunt. Sed tu in ista epistula nihil mihi scripsisti de tuis rebus, quae mehercule mihi non minori curae sunt quam meae. Valde metuo, ne frigeas in hibernis; quamobrem camino luculento utendum censeo, idem Mucio et Manilio placebat, praesertim qui sagis non abundares: quamquam vos nunc istic satis calere audio; quo quidem nuntio valde mehercule de te timueram. Sed tu in re militari multo es cautior quam in advocationibus, qui neque in Oceano natare volueris, studiosissimus homo natandi, neque spectare essedarios, quem antea me andabata quidem defraudare poteramus. Sed iam satis iocati sumus. Ego de te ad Caesarem quam diligenter scripserim, tute scis, quam saepe, ego; sed mehercule iam intermiseram, ne viderer liberalissimi hominis meique amantissimi voluntati erga me diffidere; sed tamen iis litteris, quas proxime dedi, putavi esse hominem commonendum: id feci; quid profecerim, facias me velim certiorem et simul de toto statu tuo consiliisque omnibus; scire enim cupio, quid agas, quid exspectes, quam longum istum tuum discessum a nobis futurum putes: sic enim tibi persuadeas velim, unum mihi esse solatium, quare facilius possim pati te esse sine nobis, si tibi esse id emolumento sciam; sin autem id non est, nihil duobus nobis est stultius: me, qui te non Romam attraham, te, qui non huc advoles; una mehercule nostra vel severa vel iocosa congressio pluris erit quam non modo hostes, sed etiam fratres nostri Aedui. Quare omnibus de rebus fac ut quam primum sciam: aut consolando aut consilio aut re iuvero.