Marcus Tullius Cicero→Lucius Papirius Paetus|c. 45 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Rome|AI-assisted
Your letter has made me a supreme commander. I had no idea you were so skilled in military matters. I see you have been reading Pyrrhus and Cineas. So I am thinking of obeying your rules; more than that, I mean to keep some small ships along the coast. They say no better equipment can be found against your Parthian cavalry.
But why are we joking? You do not know what sort of commander you are dealing with. I had worn out my copy of Xenophon's Education of Cyrus by reading it, and I have now unfolded the whole thing in my command. We will joke about this another time face to face, as I hope, and soon. For now, listen to orders, or rather "stand ready," as the old writers used to say.
As I think you know, I am extremely close to Marcus Fadius, and I care for him greatly, both because of his complete honesty and unusual modesty, and because I often use his excellent help in my disputes with your drinking companions, the Epicureans. He came to me at Laodicea, and I wanted him to stay with me, but suddenly he was struck by a very distressing letter. It said that an estate near Herculaneum, owned jointly with his brother Quintus Fadius, had been advertised for sale by that brother. Marcus Fadius took this very hard and thought that his brother, not a wise man, had taken that extreme step at the instigation of his personal enemies.
So, my dear Paetus, as you love me, take the whole case in hand and free Fadius from his distress. Use your influence, give advice, even make it a personal favor. Do not let brothers go to law and enter a lawsuit discreditable to both. Fadius has two enemies, Mato and Pollio. Need I say more? By Hercules, I cannot express in writing how much I will owe you if you set Fadius at ease. He thinks this depends on you, and he makes me think so too.
CCXLV (Fam. IX, 25) TO L. PAPINIUS PAETUS (AT ROME) LAODICEA (FEBRUARY) Your letter has made me a consummate general: I had really no idea that you were so accomplished a tactician. I see you have been poring over the treatises of Pyrrhus and Cineas . So I am thinking of obeying your maxims: more than that, I mean to have some light vessels on the coast: against your Parthian horse they say that no better equipment can be discovered. But why jest? You don't know what a great general you are talking to! The Cyropaedeia, which I had well thumbed over, I have thoroughly exemplified throughout my command. But we will have our joke out when we meet, and that I hope before very long. Now listen to the word of command, or rather “attention!” as they used to say in old times. With M. Fadius , as I think you know, I am very intimate, and I am much attached to him, as well from his extreme honesty and singular modesty of behaviour, as from the fact that I am accustomed to find him of the greatest help in the controversies which I have with your fellow tipplers the Epicureans . He came to see me at Laodicea , and I wanted him to stay with me, but he was suddenly agitated by a most distressing letter containing the announcement that an estate near Herculaneum , of which he is joint owner, had been advertised for sale by his brother Q. Fadius . M. Fadius was exceedingly annoyed at this, and thought that his brother (who is not a wise man) had taken that extreme step at the instigation of his own private enemies. In these circumstances, my dear Paetus , as you love me, take the whole case in hand and free Fadius from his distress. We want you to use your influence, to offer your advice, or even to make it a matter of personal favour. Don't let brothers go to law and engage in a suit discreditable to both. Two of Fadius 's enemies are Mato and Pollio . Need I say more? I really cannot, by Hercules , express in writing how much I shall be obliged to you if you put Fadius at his ease. He thinks that this depends on you, and makes me think so also.
XXV. Scr. Laodiceae mense Februario (post Id.) a.u.c. 704. CICERO IMP. PAETO.
Summum me ducem litterae tuae reddiderunt: plane nesciebam te tam peritum esse rei militaris; Pyrrhi te libros et Cineae video lectitasse. Itaque obtemperare cogito praeceptis tuis, hoc amplius, navicularum habere aliquid in ora maritima: contra equitem Parthum negant ullam armaturam meliorem inveniri posse. Sed quid ludimus? nescis, quo cum imperatore tibi negotium sit: paide¤an KÊrou, quam contrieram legendo, totam in hoc imperio explicavi. Sed iocabimur alias coram, ut spero, brevi tempore: nunc ades ad imperandum vel ad parendum potius, sic enim antiqui loquebantur. Cum M. Fadio, quod scire te arbitror, mihi summus usus est, valdeque eum diligo cum propter summam probitatem eius ac singularem modestiam, tum quod in iis controversiis, quas habeo cum tuis combibonibus Epicuriis, optima opera eius uti soleo. Is cum ad me Laodiceam venisset mecumque ego eum esse vellem, repente percussus est atrocissimis litteris, in quibus scriptum erat fundum Herculanensem a Q. Fadio fratre proscriptum esse, qui fundus cum eo communis esset. Id M. Fadius pergraviter tulit existimavitque fratrem suum, hominem non sapientem, impulsu inimicorum suorum eo progressum esse. Nunc, si me amas, mi Paete, negotium totum suscipe; molestia Fadium libera. Auctoritate tua nobis opus est et consilio et etiam gratia: noli pati litigare fratres et iudiciis turpibus conflictari; Matonem et Pollionem inimicos habet Fadius. Quid multa? non mehercule tam perscribere possum, quam mihi gratum feceris, si otiosum Fadium reddideris: id ille in te positum esse putat mihique persuadet.
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Your letter has made me a supreme commander. I had no idea you were so skilled in military matters. I see you have been reading Pyrrhus and Cineas. So I am thinking of obeying your rules; more than that, I mean to keep some small ships along the coast. They say no better equipment can be found against your Parthian cavalry.
But why are we joking? You do not know what sort of commander you are dealing with. I had worn out my copy of Xenophon's Education of Cyrus by reading it, and I have now unfolded the whole thing in my command. We will joke about this another time face to face, as I hope, and soon. For now, listen to orders, or rather "stand ready," as the old writers used to say.
As I think you know, I am extremely close to Marcus Fadius, and I care for him greatly, both because of his complete honesty and unusual modesty, and because I often use his excellent help in my disputes with your drinking companions, the Epicureans. He came to me at Laodicea, and I wanted him to stay with me, but suddenly he was struck by a very distressing letter. It said that an estate near Herculaneum, owned jointly with his brother Quintus Fadius, had been advertised for sale by that brother. Marcus Fadius took this very hard and thought that his brother, not a wise man, had taken that extreme step at the instigation of his personal enemies.
So, my dear Paetus, as you love me, take the whole case in hand and free Fadius from his distress. Use your influence, give advice, even make it a personal favor. Do not let brothers go to law and enter a lawsuit discreditable to both. Fadius has two enemies, Mato and Pollio. Need I say more? By Hercules, I cannot express in writing how much I will owe you if you set Fadius at ease. He thinks this depends on you, and he makes me think so too.
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.
Summum me ducem litterae tuae reddiderunt: plane nesciebam te tam peritum esse rei militaris; Pyrrhi te libros et Cineae video lectitasse. Itaque obtemperare cogito praeceptis tuis, hoc amplius, navicularum habere aliquid in ora maritima: contra equitem Parthum negant ullam armaturam meliorem inveniri posse. Sed quid ludimus? nescis, quo cum imperatore tibi negotium sit: paide¤an KÊrou, quam contrieram legendo, totam in hoc imperio explicavi. Sed iocabimur alias coram, ut spero, brevi tempore: nunc ades ad imperandum vel ad parendum potius, sic enim antiqui loquebantur. Cum M. Fadio, quod scire te arbitror, mihi summus usus est, valdeque eum diligo cum propter summam probitatem eius ac singularem modestiam, tum quod in iis controversiis, quas habeo cum tuis combibonibus Epicuriis, optima opera eius uti soleo. Is cum ad me Laodiceam venisset mecumque ego eum esse vellem, repente percussus est atrocissimis litteris, in quibus scriptum erat fundum Herculanensem a Q. Fadio fratre proscriptum esse, qui fundus cum eo communis esset. Id M. Fadius pergraviter tulit existimavitque fratrem suum, hominem non sapientem, impulsu inimicorum suorum eo progressum esse. Nunc, si me amas, mi Paete, negotium totum suscipe; molestia Fadium libera. Auctoritate tua nobis opus est et consilio et etiam gratia: noli pati litigare fratres et iudiciis turpibus conflictari; Matonem et Pollionem inimicos habet Fadius. Quid multa? non mehercule tam perscribere possum, quam mihi gratum feceris, si otiosum Fadium reddideris: id ille in te positum esse putat mihique persuadet.