When returning from his province of Cilicia in November, 50 B.C., Cicero had left behind in Patrae, Greece, his beloved freedman and secretary Tiro; in this letter to Tiro, Cicero expresses his concern both over his friend’s health and over the dangers Rome faced on the very eve of civil war between Caesar and Pompey. January 12, 49 B.C., the day following Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon River.
Tullius et Cicero, Terentia, Tullia,
Q. Q. Tironi Sal. Plurimam Dic.
Two ships with man overboard Marble relief from a Roman sarcophagus, 2nd–3rd centuries A.D. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, Denmark
Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY.
Etsi opportunitatem operae tuae omnibus locis desidero, tamen non tam mea quam tua causa doleo te non valere; sed 175 quoniam in quartanam conversa vis est morbi—sic enim scribit Curius—spero te, diligentia adhibita, iam firmiorem fore. Modo fac (id quod est humanitatis tuae) ne quid aliud cures hoc tempore, nisi ut quam commodissime convalescas. Non ignore quantum ex desiderio labores; sed erunt omnia facilia, si 180 valebis. Festinare te nolo, ne nauseae molestiam suscipias aeger et periculose hieme naviges.
Ego ad urbem accessi pr. Non. Ian. Obviam mihi sic est proditum ut nihil possit fieri ornatius; sed incidi in ipsam flammam civilis discordiae vel potius belli, cui cum cuperem mederi 185 et, ut arbitror, possem, cupiditates certorum hominum—nam ex utraque parte sunt qui pugnare cupiant—impedimento mihi fuerunt. Omnino et ipse Caesar, amicus noster, minacis ad senatum et acerbas litteras miserat, et erat adhuc impudens qui exercitum et provinciam invito senatu teneret, et Curio meus ilium 190 incitabat. Antonius quidem noster et Q. Cassius, nulla vi ex-pulsi, ad Caesarem cum Curione profecti erant postea quam senatus consulibus, praetoribus, tribunis plebis, et nobis qui pro consulibus sumus, negotium dederat ut curaremus ne quid res publica detrimenti caperet. Numquam maiore in periculo civitas 195 fuit; numquam improbi cives habuerunt paratiorem ducem. Omnino ex hac quoque parte diligentissime comparatur; id fit auctoritate et studio Pompei nostri, qui Caesarem sero coepit timere. Nobis inter has turbas senatus tamen frequens flagitavit triumphum; sed Lentulus consul, quo maius suum beneficium 200 faceret, simul atque expedisset quae essent necessaria de re publica, dixit se relaturum. Italiae regiones discriptae sunt, quam quisque partem tueretur: nos Capuam sumpsimus. Haec te scire volui.
Tu etiam atque etiam cura ut valeas litterasque ad me mittas, 205 quotienscumque habebis cui des. Etiam atque etiam vale. D. pr. Idus Ian.
188. qui…teneret (189): REL. CL. OF RESULT with erat adhuc impudens, he was still so shameless (defiant) that he…. The senate had ordered Caesar to relinquish his extraordinary 10-year governorship of Gaul and return to Rome, where his enemies intended to prosecute him for illegal acts he had committed during his consulship in 59.
189. provinciam: Caesar had governed the triple province of Cisalpine Gaul, Transalpine (Narbonese) Gaul, and Illyricum.
190. Antonius…et Q. Cassius: partisans of Caesar and tribunes for 49 B.C. When the senate rejected the demands in Caesar’s letter and decreed that he must disband his army or be regarded a public enemy, Antony and Cassius futilely interposed their veto against the senate’s decree and were forced to flee; Caesar used their expulsion to justify his march on Rome.
191. postea quam: = postquam.
192. nobis…pro consulibus (193): Cicero (who had not yet entered the city and was thus still proconsul) and Pompey (who had been specially empowered by the senate); a proconsul was an ex-consul whose imperium had been extended by vote of the senate beyond his year of office, generally for service as a provincial governor.
193. negotium: business, assignment.
ne…caperet (194): this was the wording of the senatus consultant ultimum, a decree of martial law issued by the senate and giving the magistrates extraordinary powers to deal with the crisis; a similar decree was passed during the Catilinarian conspiracy in 63 B.C.
194. detrimenti: detrimentum, harm; depends on quid.
196. ex hac…parte: on our side.
comparatur: impers. pass.
197. sero: adv., too late; this adv. and the pres. tense of comparatur give evidence of Pompey’s lack of preparation.
198. frequens: crowded, full.
flagitavit: flagitare,to demand.
199. Lentulus: Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus, brother of Lentulus Spinther (line 82), he was elected consul for 49 as an anti-Caesarian.
quo…faceret (200): i.e., to put Cicero more in his debt.
200. simul atque: as soon as.
201. relaturum: sc. esse; i.e., he would introduce a bill in the senate for a formal vote.
discriptae sunt: discribere, lit., to write separately = to distribute, assign.
quam…tueretur (202): an IND. QUEST., loosely appended in appos. to regiones, (indicating) what part (the part which) each should defend.
202. Capuam: Capua, one of the chief cities of Campania.
204. etiam atque etiam: repetition for emphasis = again and again.
205. cui des: sc. aliquem as antecedent; i.e., a letter-carrier.
206. d. pr. Idus Ian.: datum or dabam or (litterae) datae pridie Idus Ianuarias, the day before the Ides of January = January 12 (the Ides fell on the 13th of most months, the 15th in March, May, July, and October).
Funerary stele of Publius Longidienus, faber navalis 1st century B.C. Museo Nazionale Ravenna, Italy
SEF/Art Resource, NY.
208. lippitudo: lippitudo, inflammation of the eyes; Cicero frequently complained of problems with his eyes during this period.
librari: librarius,secretary.
manus: here, handwriting; Cicero often wrote out his own personal letters.
209. scriberem…erat: EPISTOLARY TENSES, to be translated as pres. (see note on line 7); similarly several of the vbs. following.
210. omnis exspectatio nostra erat: i.e., “we are eagerly awaiting.”
