Marcus Caelius Rufus→Marcus Tullius Cicero|c. 50 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome|AI-assisted
Is this how it is? Have I won? Am I sending you frequent letters, though when you left you said I would never take the trouble? Yes, if the letters I send are actually delivered.
I am all the more diligent about this because, when I have leisure, I have nowhere at all to spend my little free time pleasantly. When you were at Rome, one fixed and delightful occupation filled my idle hours: spending that time with you. I miss it intensely. It seems to me not only that I am alone, but that, now you have left, Rome itself has become lonely. I, who through my usual negligence often went many days without coming to you when you were here, am now tortured every day because you are not here for me to run to.
Above all, my competitor Hirrus makes me look for you day and night. Imagine how your rival for the augurship suffers, and how he pretends not to notice that I am a surer candidate than he is. I want you to receive the news you wish about him as soon as possible - by my good faith, more for your sake than mine. If I am elected, perhaps I will be elected with a richer colleague. But even that is so delightful that, if it happens, we will never lack something to laugh about for the rest of our lives.
Is it worth so much? By Hercules, yes. Marcus Octavius does not do much to soften the hatreds, and there are very many of them, that weigh Hirrus down.
As for the service of your freedman Philotimus and Milo's property, I have worked to make sure that Philotimus satisfies Milo in his absence, and Milo's close friends, as honorably as possible, and that your reputation is preserved in accordance with his trustworthiness and diligence.
Now I ask this of you: if, as I hope, you have any leisure, write some treatise for me, so that I may understand that I am in your thoughts. "How did this come into your head," you say, "you not entirely modest man?" I want some work to stand among your many monuments that will hand down the memory of our friendship to later generations too. What kind do I want? I suppose you ask. You, who know every school of thought, will more quickly think what is most fitting. Still, let it be something that concerns me and contains some practical teaching, so that it may pass from hand to hand.
CXCVI (Fam. VIII, 3) M. CAELIUS RUFUS TO CICERO (ON HIS WAY TO CILICIA) ROME, JUNE: Is it so? Have I won? And do I send you frequent letters, which, as you were leaving, you said I should never take the trouble to do for you? It is even so, that is to say, if the letters I send reach you. And, indeed, I am all the more energetic about this because, being at leisure, I have nowhere to spend my little holiday with any pleasure. When you were at Rome I had an unfailing and most delightful resource for an idle day — to spend the holiday with you. I miss this exceedingly, so that not only do I feel myself to be all alone, but now you are gone a desert seems to have been created at Rome ; and I who in my carelessness omitted paying you a visit on many days, when you were here, am now daily tortured to think that I have not got you to run to. But, above all, my rival Hirrus takes care that I should look for you day and night. You can imagine how vexed that rival of yours for the augurship is, and how he tries to conceal the fact that I am a surer candidate than himself. That you should receive the news about him which you wish at the earliest possible moment, I desire, on my honour, more for your sake than my own. For as to myself, if I am elected, I shall perhaps be so with a colleague richer than myself: but even this is so delightful, that, if it really does happen to me, I can never all my life long lack something to smile at. Is it really worth while? Yes! by Hercules . M. Octavius is unable to do much to soften the hostile feelings — and they are many — which spoil Hirrus 's chances. As to the services of your freedman Philotimus and the property of Milo , I have taken care that Philotimus should satisfy Milo in his absence, as well as his family, by the most absolutely straightforward conduct, and that your character should not suffer as far as his good faith and activity are concerned. What I now have to ask of you is that, if (as I hope) you get any leisure, you would compose some treatise dedicated to me, to show me that you care for me. “How did that come into your head,” say you, “a modest man like you?” I desire that out of your numerous writings there should be something extant handing down to posterity also the record of our friendship. “What sort of thing do you want?” I suppose you will ask. You, who are acquainted with every school of thought, will hit upon the suitable thing sooner than I. Only let it be of a kind that has some appropriateness to me, and let it contain practical instruction, that it may be widely used.
III. Scr. Romae mense Iunio a.u.c. 703. CAELIUS CICERONI SAL.
Estne? vici et tibi saepe, quod me negaras discedens curaturum, litteras mitto? Est, si quidem perferuntur, quas do. Atque hoc ego eo diligentius factito, quod, cum otiosus sum, plane, ubi delectem otiolum meum, non habeo. Tu cum Romae eras, hoc mihi certum ac iucundissimum vacanti negotium erat, tecum id otii tempus consumere, idque non mediocriter desidero, ut mihi non modo ego solus esse, sed Romae te profecto solitudo videatur facta, et, qui, quae mea negligentia est, multos saepe dies ad te, cum hic eras, non accedebam, nunc quotidie non esse te, ad quem cursitem, discrucior. Maxime vero, ut te dies noctesque quaeram, competitor Hirrus curat: quomodo illum putas auguratus tuum competitorem dolere et dissimulare me certiorem quam se candidatum? de quo ut, quem optas, quam primum nuntium accipias, tua medius fidius magis quam mea causa cupio; nam, si fio, forsitan cum locupletiore fiam; sed hoc usque eo suave est, ut, si acciderit, tota vita risus nobis deesse non possit. Est tanti? est mehercules: non multum M. Octavium eorum odia, quae Hirrum premunt, quae permulta sunt, sublevant. Quod ad Philotimi liberti officium et bona Milonis attinet, dedimus operam, ut et Philotimus quam honestissime Miloni absenti eiusque necessariis satisfaceret et secundum eius fidem et sedulitatem existimatio tua conservaretur. Illud nunc a te peto, si eris, ut spero, otiosus, aliquod ad nos, ut intelligamus nos tibi curae esse, sÊntagma conscribas. "Qui tibi istuc," inquis, "in mentem venit, homini non inepto?" volo aliquod ex tam multis tuis monumentis exstare, quod nostrae amicitiae memoriam posteris quoque prodat. Cuiusmodi velim, puto, quaeris: tu citius, qui omnem nosti disciplinam, quod maxime conveniat, excogitabis, genere tamen, quod et ad nos pertineat et didasxal¤an quandam, ut versetur inter manus, habeat.
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Is this how it is? Have I won? Am I sending you frequent letters, though when you left you said I would never take the trouble? Yes, if the letters I send are actually delivered.
I am all the more diligent about this because, when I have leisure, I have nowhere at all to spend my little free time pleasantly. When you were at Rome, one fixed and delightful occupation filled my idle hours: spending that time with you. I miss it intensely. It seems to me not only that I am alone, but that, now you have left, Rome itself has become lonely. I, who through my usual negligence often went many days without coming to you when you were here, am now tortured every day because you are not here for me to run to.
Above all, my competitor Hirrus makes me look for you day and night. Imagine how your rival for the augurship suffers, and how he pretends not to notice that I am a surer candidate than he is. I want you to receive the news you wish about him as soon as possible - by my good faith, more for your sake than mine. If I am elected, perhaps I will be elected with a richer colleague. But even that is so delightful that, if it happens, we will never lack something to laugh about for the rest of our lives.
Is it worth so much? By Hercules, yes. Marcus Octavius does not do much to soften the hatreds, and there are very many of them, that weigh Hirrus down.
As for the service of your freedman Philotimus and Milo's property, I have worked to make sure that Philotimus satisfies Milo in his absence, and Milo's close friends, as honorably as possible, and that your reputation is preserved in accordance with his trustworthiness and diligence.
Now I ask this of you: if, as I hope, you have any leisure, write some treatise for me, so that I may understand that I am in your thoughts. "How did this come into your head," you say, "you not entirely modest man?" I want some work to stand among your many monuments that will hand down the memory of our friendship to later generations too. What kind do I want? I suppose you ask. You, who know every school of thought, will more quickly think what is most fitting. Still, let it be something that concerns me and contains some practical teaching, so that it may pass from hand to hand.
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
III. Scr. Romae mense Iunio a.u.c. 703. CAELIUS CICERONI SAL.
Estne? vici et tibi saepe, quod me negaras discedens curaturum, litteras mitto? Est, si quidem perferuntur, quas do. Atque hoc ego eo diligentius factito, quod, cum otiosus sum, plane, ubi delectem otiolum meum, non habeo. Tu cum Romae eras, hoc mihi certum ac iucundissimum vacanti negotium erat, tecum id otii tempus consumere, idque non mediocriter desidero, ut mihi non modo ego solus esse, sed Romae te profecto solitudo videatur facta, et, qui, quae mea negligentia est, multos saepe dies ad te, cum hic eras, non accedebam, nunc quotidie non esse te, ad quem cursitem, discrucior. Maxime vero, ut te dies noctesque quaeram, competitor Hirrus curat: quomodo illum putas auguratus tuum competitorem dolere et dissimulare me certiorem quam se candidatum? de quo ut, quem optas, quam primum nuntium accipias, tua medius fidius magis quam mea causa cupio; nam, si fio, forsitan cum locupletiore fiam; sed hoc usque eo suave est, ut, si acciderit, tota vita risus nobis deesse non possit. Est tanti? est mehercules: non multum M. Octavium eorum odia, quae Hirrum premunt, quae permulta sunt, sublevant. Quod ad Philotimi liberti officium et bona Milonis attinet, dedimus operam, ut et Philotimus quam honestissime Miloni absenti eiusque necessariis satisfaceret et secundum eius fidem et sedulitatem existimatio tua conservaretur. Illud nunc a te peto, si eris, ut spero, otiosus, aliquod ad nos, ut intelligamus nos tibi curae esse, sÊntagma conscribas. "Qui tibi istuc," inquis, "in mentem venit, homini non inepto?" volo aliquod ex tam multis tuis monumentis exstare, quod nostrae amicitiae memoriam posteris quoque prodat. Cuiusmodi velim, puto, quaeris: tu citius, qui omnem nosti disciplinam, quod maxime conveniat, excogitabis, genere tamen, quod et ad nos pertineat et didasxal¤an quandam, ut versetur inter manus, habeat.