DCLXXVIII (A XIII, 42)
TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)
TUSCULUM (END OF DECEMBER)
He 1 has been to see me and with a
very dejected air. Said I to him: "Why so gloomy
?" "Can you ask," said he, "when I am about to
start on a journey, and a journey to the seat of
war—a journey, too, that is not only
dangerous, but discreditable as well ? " 2 "What is the compulsion, then?"
said I. "Debt," said he, "and yet I haven't even
money enough for the journey." At this point I
took a hint from your kind of eloquence. I held my
tongue. He went on: "But what gives me most pain
is my uncle. " 3 "Why
is that?" said I. "Because he is angry with me,"
said he. "Why do you allow him to be so," said
I-for I prefer using that word to "Why do you
incur it ?" "I won't allow it," said he, "for I
will remove the reason." "Excellent !" said I;
"but if it won't be disagreeable to you, I should
like to know what the reason is." "Because, while
hesitating as to whom to marry, I vexed my mother,
and consequently him too. However, nothing can
make up for doing that in my eyes. I will do what
they wish." "I wish you good luck," I said, "and I
commend your resolution. But when is it to be?"
"Oh, I don't care about the time," he said, "since
I accept the thing." "Well, my
opinion is," said I, "that you should do it before
starting. You will thus oblige your father also."
"I will do as you think right," said he. This was
the end of our conversation. But listen to me! You know the 3rd of
January is my birthday. You must come to dinner
therefore. I had written
thus far, when lo and behold comes a summons to
Rome from Lepidus. I suppose the augurs want me
for consecrating a temple-site. 4 Well, I must go. Don't let's have any
rumpus. 5 I shall see you therefore. [The following
letters of introduction cannot be dated. They
probably were written early in the year.]
TUSCULUM (END OF DECEMBER)
