Letter 103.16

My lord, because you thought I had slept, I stayed awake nearly the whole night, turning the matter over with myself. Was I perhaps, from too much love for you, judging some fault of yours too mildly and indulgently? Should you already have been more orderly and more complete in eloquence, but your natural ability was being held back by laziness or carelessness? As I anxiously revolved these thoughts, I found that you had advanced in eloquence far beyond your age, far beyond the time you have devoted to these studies, and even far beyond my own expectations, though my hopes for you are extravagant. But then, in the middle of the night, it occurred to me what kind of subject you are writing: an epideictic subject [a display speech of praise or blame], and nothing is more difficult. Why? Because there are roughly three kinds of subjects, epideictic, deliberative, and forensic. The other two are much easier: in many places downhill or level. The epideictic kind is set on a height. Likewise, since there are three general styles of speech, the plain, the middle, and the full, there is almost no place in epideictic speech for the plain style, though it is often necessary in lawsuits. In epideictic speaking, everything must be said fully; everywhere there must be ornament, everywhere trappings. Only a little belongs to the middle style. Remember, too, the many readings in which you have been occupied until now: comedies, Atellan farces, and ancient orators, few of whom, perhaps no one except Cato and Gracchus, blows the trumpet; the rest bellow, or rather shriek. What, then, has Ennius done for you, though you have read him? How have tragedies helped you make elevated verse? Usually verse helps in making speeches, and speeches help in making verse. Only recently have you begun to read ornate and splendid speeches. Do not demand of yourself that you can imitate them immediately. But, as I said, let us lean into the oars and make the effort. With me as guarantor, pledge, and sponsor, I shall quickly set you on the summit of eloquence. The gods will do it; the gods will favor it. Farewell, my lord. Hope, take courage, and trust time and experience. Give my greetings to the Lady your mother. When you mentioned Persian training, "they beat them" was a fine word.

To my Lord. 1. As for your thinking that I slept soundly, I lay awake nearly all night considering with myself whether, maybe from too great partiality for you, I did not think too lightly and indulgently of some shortcoming of yours; whether you should not by now be more trained, more advanced in eloquence, were not your abilities hampered either by sloth or carelessness. Turning these things over anxiously in my mind, I found that you had made much greater progress in eloquence than could be expected from your age, youthful as it is; much greater than the time that you have devoted to these studies would warrant, much greater than the hopes, and those no mean ones, which I had formed of you. But as it came to me only in the dead of night, what a subject you are writing on! actually one of the epideictic kind, the most difficult of all. Why? Because of all the three generally received kinds of subject, the epideictic, the deliberative, the forensic, the first is set on a steep hill, the others are much less of a climb, being in many respects on sloping or level ground. In short, while there are similarly three types, as it were, of oratory, the plain, the medium, the luxuriant, in epideictic speeches there is practically no place for the plain style, which in forensic ones is quite essential. In the epideictic speech everything must be said in luxuriant style, eveiywhere there must be ornament, everywhere trappings must be used. The medium style admits but sparingly of these. 2. But you remember the numbers of books, of which you have up to the present made the acquaintance, comedies, farces, old-time orators, few of whom, perhaps none save Cato and Gracchus, blow a trumpet, but all bellow or, rather, shriek. What, then, has Ennius done for you now you have read him? What help have tragedies been to you in composing verse in the grand style? For generally it is verse that gives the best assistance to composing speeches and speeches to writing verse. You have but lately begun to read florid and showy speeches. Do not expect to be able to imitate them all at once. But, as I said, let us bend to the oars, let us make a great effort. Quickly shall I set you upon the very pinnacle of eloquence: I will be your surety for it, your bondsman, your bail. The gods will assist in it, the gods will accomplish it. Farewell, my Lord, be sanguine and stout-hearted and trust to time and practice. Greet your Lady mother. When you spoke of the Persian training, battunt was a happy word of yours.

ad M. Caesarem 3.17 [49 Hout; 1.104 Haines] Domino meo. 1 Quod tu me putes somnum cepisse, totam paene noctem pervigilavi mecum ipse reputans, num forte nimio amore tui remissius et clementius delictum aliquod tuum aestumarem; num tu ordinatior, perfectior jam in eloquentia esse debueris, sed ingenium tuum vel desidia vel indiligentia elaudat. Haec mecum anxie volutans inveniebam te multum supra aetatem qua tu es, multa supra tempus, quo operam his studiis dedisti, multum etiam supra opinionem meam, quamquam ego de te sperem inmodica, in eloquentia promovisse. 2 Sed quo? Mihi tum demum venit nocte media in mentem qualem ὑπόθεσιν scribas, nimirum ἐπιδεικτικήν, qua nihil est difficilius. Cur? Quia, cum sint tria ferme genera ὑποθέσεων, ἐπιδεικτικῶν, συμβουλευτικῶν, δικανικῶν, cetera illa multo sunt proniora, multifariam procliva vel campestria, τὸ ἐπιδεικτικὸν in arduo situm. Denique, cum aeque tres quasi formulae sint orationis, ἰσχνόν, μέσον, ἁδρόν, prope nullus in epidicticis τῷ ἰσχνῷ locus, qui est in dicis multus necessarius. Omnia ἐν τῷ ἐπιδεικτικῷ ἁδρῶς dicenda, ubique ornandum, ubique phaleris utendum, pauca τῷ μέσῳ χαρακτῆρι. 3 Meministi autem tu plurimas lectiones quibus usque adhuc versatus es, comoedias, Atellanas, oratores veteres, quorum aut pauci aut praeter Catone et Gracchum nemo tubam inflat; omnes autem mugiunt vel stridunt potius. Quid igitur Ennius egit quem legisti? Quid tragoediae ad versum sublimiter faciundum te juverunt? Plerumque enim ad orationem faciendam versus, ad versificandum oratio magis adjuvat. Nunc nuper coepisti legere ornatas et pompaticas orationes: Noli postulare statim eas imitari posse. Verum, ut dixi, incumbamus, conitamur. Me vade, me praede, me sponsore celeriter te in cacumine eloquentiae sistam; dii facient, dii favebunt. 4 Vale, domine, καὶ ἔλπιζε καὶ εὐθύμει καὶ χρόνῳ καὶ ἐμπειρίᾳ πείθου. 5 Matrem dominam saluta. Quom Persarum disciplinam memorares, bene ‘battunt’ aisti.