Marcus Tullius Cicero → Titus Pomponius Atticus
Tradução moderna em inglês
I have not failed Anicatus in any matter, as I understood you wished. Numestius I have gladly received into my friendship on the strength of your earnestly written letter. Caecilius I look after carefully in whatever ways I can. Varro gives us satisfaction. Pompey loves us and holds us dear. "Do you believe it?" you will say. I do believe it; he quite persuades me. But since worldly-wise men in all their histories, precepts, and even verses bid us beware and forbid us to believe, I do the one — I beware — but the other — not to believe — I cannot bring myself to do.
Clodius is still threatening me with danger. Pompey affirms there is no danger; he swears it, and adds further that he himself will be killed by that man before I am harmed. The matter is being negotiated. As soon as anything is settled, I shall write to you. If there must be a fight, I shall summon you to share the labor; if peace is granted, I shall not disturb you from your Amalthea.
About public affairs I shall write to you briefly, for I am already afraid that this very paper may betray us. And so hereafter, if I have more to write to you, I shall obscure it with allegories. As things stand now, the state is dying of a strange new disease: although everyone disapproves of what has been done, complains, grieves, and there is no difference of opinion on the matter, and people speak openly and already groan aloud, still no remedy is applied. For we think resistance is impossible without slaughter, nor do we see what end there can be to yielding except ruin.
Bibulus is in heaven, such is the admiration and goodwill of men toward him. His edicts and speeches are copied out and read. He has attained the highest glory by a quite novel means. Nothing is so popular now as hatred of the populists. Where all this will erupt, I fear. But if I begin to see anything clearly, I shall write to you more openly. If you love me as much as you surely do, make yourself ready so that if I cry out, you may come running. But I am taking care, and shall continue to take care, that there be no need. As for what I had written about writing to you as to Furius, there is no need to change your name. I shall make myself Laelius and you Atticus, and I shall use neither my own handwriting nor my seal, provided at least the letters are of the sort I would not want to fall into a stranger's hands.
Diodotus has died. He has left us perhaps a hundred thousand sesterces. Bibulus has postponed the elections to the fifteenth day before the Kalends of November with an edict worthy of Archilochus. I have received the books from Vibius. He is a clumsy poet who really knows nothing, but he is not without his uses. I am copying them out and sending them back.
Texto latino / grego
Anicato, ut te velle intellexeram, nullo loco defui. Numestium ex litteris tuis studiose scriptis libenter in amicitiam recepi. Caecilium quibus rebus possum tueor diligenter. Varro satis facit nobis. Pompeius amat nos carosque habet. 'credis?' inquies. credo; prorsus mihi persuadet; sed quia volgo pragmatici homines omnibus historiis, praeceptis, versibus denique cavere iubent et vetant credere, alterum facio ut caveam, alterum ut non credam facere non possum. [2] Clodius adhuc mihi denuntiat periculum. Pompeius adfirmat non esse periculum, adiurat; addit etiam se prius occisum iri ab eo quam me violatum iri. tractatur res. simul et quid erit certi, scribam ad te. si erit pugnandum, arcessam ad societatem laboris; si quies dabitur, ab Amalthea te non commovebo. [3] de re <publica> breviter ad te scribam; iam enim charta ipsa ne nos prodat pertimesco. itaque posthac, si erunt mihi plura ad te scribenda, allegoriais obscurabo. nunc quidem novo quodam morbo civitas moritur, ut, cum omnes ea quae sunt acta improbent, querantur, doleant, varietas nulla in re sit, aperteque loquantur et iam, clare gemant, tamen medicina nulla adferatur. neque enim resisti sine internecione posse arbitramur nec videmus qui finis cedendi praeter exitium futurus sit. [4] Bibulus hominum admiratione et benevolentia in caelo est; edicta eius et contiones describunt et legunt. novo quodam genere in summam gloriam venit. populare nunc nihil tam est quam odium popularium. haec quo sint eruptura timeo; sed si dispicere quid coepero scribam ad te apertius. tu si me amas tantum quantum profecto amas, expeditus facito ut sis si inclamaro ut accurras; sed do operam et dabo ne sit necesse. quod scripseram +et+ Furio scripturum, nihil necesse est tuum nomen mutare; me faciam Laelium et te Atticum neque utar meo chirographo neque signo, si modo erunt eius modi litterae quas in alienum incidere nolim. [6] Diodotus mortuus est; reliquit nobis HS fortasse +centiens+. comitia Bibulus cum Archilochio edicto in ante diem xv Kal. Novembr. distulit. A Vibio libros accepi. poeta ineptus et tamen scit nihil, sed est non inutilis. describo et remitto.
Texto inglês de origem
I have done all I could for Anicatus, knowing you wanted me to do so, and have willingly adopted Numestius as a friend on the strength of the earnest recommendation in your letter. To Caecilius I take care to pay every suitable attention. Varro is as good as I can expect; and Pompey shows me friendship and affection. Can I believe him, you ask. I do believe him; he quite convinces me. But since men of the world are always advising one in their histories and precepts and even in their verses to beware and forbidding one to believe, I do the one and beware, but to the other—not to believe—I cannot persuade myself. Clodius is still threatening me with danger, while Pompey asserts that there is no danger. He swears it, adding even that he will not see me injured if it costs him his life. The point is under res. Simul et quid erit certi, scribam ad te. Si erit pugnandum, arcessam ad societatem laboris; si quies dabitur, ab Amalthea te non commovebo. De re publica breviter ad te scribam; iam enim, charta ipsa ne nos prodat, pertimesco. Itaque posthac, si erunt mihi plura ad te scribenda, ἀλληγορίαις obscurabo. Nunc quidem novo quodam morbo civitas moritur, ut, cum omnes ea, quae sunt acta, improbent, querantur, doleant, varietas nulla in re sit, aperteque loquantur et iam clare gemant, tamen medicina nulla adferatur. Neque enim resisti sine internecione posse arbitramur nec videmus, qui finis cedendi praeter exitium futurus sit. Bibulus hominum admiratione et benevolentia in caelo est; edicta eius et contiones describunt et legunt. Novo quodam genere in summam gloriam venit. Populare nunc nihil tam est quam odium popularium. Haec quo sint eruptura, timeo; sed, si dispicere quid coepero, scribam ad te apertius. Tu, si me amas tantum, quantum profecto amas, expeditus facito ut sis, si inclamaro, ut accurras; sed do operam et dabo, ne sit necesse. Quod scripseram me tibi ut Furio scripturum, nihil necesse est tuum nomen mutare; me faciam Laelium et te Atticum neque utar meo chirographo neque signo, si modo erunt eius modi litterae, quas in alienum incidere nolim. negotiation: as soon as any certain conclusion is reached, I will write to you. If I have to fight, I will summon you to share my labour: but if I am left in peace, I will not rout you out of your Amalthea. Political matters I shall only touch on briefly: for I am beginning to be afraid that the very paper may betray me. So in future, if I have to write in fuller detail to you, I shall hide my meaning under covert language. Now the State is dying of a new disease. The measures that have been passed cause universal discontent and grumbling and indignation: there is no disagreement on the point and people are now venting their opinion and their disapproval openly and loudly, yet no remedy is applied. Resistance seems impossible without bloodshed: nor can we see any other end to concession except destruction. Bibulus is exalted to the skies amid universal admiration and popularity. His edicts and speeches are copied out and read. He has attained the height of glory in quite a novel way. Nothing is so popular now as hatred of the popular party. I have my fears about the issue of all this. But I will write more clearly, if I get any definite views. Do you, if your affection for me is as real as I know it to be, hold yourself ready to run to my call, when it comes. But I am doing my best, and will continue to do it, to prevent any necessity. I said I would call you Furius in my letters, but there is no need to alter your name. I will call myself Laelius and you Atticus, and I won’t use my own handwriting or seal, at any rate if the letters are such that I should not like them to fall into a stranger’s hands. Diodotus mortuus est; reliquit nobis HS fortasse centiens. Comitia Bibulus cum Archilochio edicto in ante diem XV Kal. Novembr. distulit. A Vibio libros accepi. Poeta ineptus et tamen scit nihil, sed est non inutilis. Describe et remitto.