Consolation to Marcia Chapter 14

Quid nunc te per innumerabilia magnorum virorum exempla ducam et quaeram miseros, quasi non difficilius sit invenire felices ? Quota enim quae- que domus usque ad exitum omnibus partibus suis constitit? in qua non aliquid turbatum est ? Unum quemlibet annum occupa et ex eo magistratus cita : Lucium si vis Bibulum et C. Caesarem - videbis inter collegas inimicissimos concordem fortunam. L. Bibuli, melioris quam fortioris viri, duo simul filii interfecti sunt, Aegyptio quidem militi ludibrio habiti, ut non minus ipsa orbitate auctor eius digna res lacrimis esset. Bibulus tamen, qui toto honoris sui anno ob invidiam collegae domi latuerat, postero die quam geminum funus renuntiatum est, processit ad solita imperii officia. Quis minus potest quam unum diem duobus filis dare ? Tam cito liberorum luctum finivit, qui consulatum anno luxerat. C. Caesar cum Britanniam peragraret nec oceano continere felicitatem suam posset, audit decessisse filiam publica secum fata ducentem. In oculis erat iam Cn. Pompeius non aequo laturus animo quemquam alium esse in re publica magnum et modum impositurus incrementa, quae gravia illi videbantur, etiam cum in commune crescerent. Tamen intra tertium diem imperatoria obit munia et tam cito dolorem vicit quam omnia solebat.

Why should I lead you on through the endless series of great men and pick out the unhappy ones, as though it were not more difficult to find happy ones? for how few households have remained possessed of all their members until the end? what one is there that has not suffered some loss? Take any one year you please and name the consuls for it: if you like, that of Lucius Bibulus and Gaius Caesar; you will see that, though these colleagues were each other’s bitterest enemies, yet their fortunes agreed. Lucius Bibulus, a man more remarkable for goodness than for strength of character, had both his sons murdered at the same time, and even insulted by the Egyptian soldiery, so that the agent of his bereavement was as much a subject for tears as the bereavement itself. Nevertheless Bibulus, who during the whole of his year of office had remained hidden in his house, to cast reproach upon his colleague Caesar on the day following that upon which he heard of both his sons’ deaths, came forth and went through the routine business of his magistracy. Who could devote less than one day to mourning for two sons? Thus soon did he end his mourning for his children, although he had mourned a whole year for his consulship. Gaius Caesar, after having traversed Britain, and not allowed even the ocean to set bounds to his successes, heard of the death of his daughter, which hurried on the crisis of affairs. Already Gnaeus Pompeius stood before his eyes, a man who would ill endure that any one besides himself should become a great power in the state, and one who was likely to place a check upon his advancement, which he had regarded as onerous even when each gained by the other’s rise: yet within three days’ time he resumed his duties as general, and conquered his grief as quickly as he was wont to conquer everything else.

Irai-je maintenant, parmi tant de grands hommes, vous promener sans fin d’exemple en exemple et vous chercher des malheureux, comme si les heureux n’étaient pas plus difficiles à trouver ? Qu’il est peu de maisons qui jusqu’au bout se soient maintenues de toutes pièces, où le sort n’ait rien bouleversé ! Prenez quelle année vous voudrez ; citez-en les , M. Bibulus, par exemple, et J. César ; vous verrez deux collègues si fort opposés par la haine, appariés par le malheur : M. Bibulus, homme plus honnête qu’énergique, eut deux fils tués à la fois, après qu’ils eurent servi de proie à la brutalité des hordes égyptiennes, pour qu’il n’eût pas moins à gémir sur la fin des victimes que sur l’infamie des bourreaux. Ce Bibulus pourtant qui , toute l’année de son consulat,craignant son ombrageux collègue, s’était tenu caché dans sa maison, en sortit le lendemain du jour où lui fut annoncée cette double mort, et voulut remplir ses fonctions ordinaires d’homme public. Pouvait-il à deux fils donner moins d’un jour ? En un jour ont cessé les larmes d’un père qui avait pleuré un an son consulat. J. César parcourait la Bretagne, et l’Océan ne pouvait plus borner sa fortune, lorsqu’il apprit la mort de sa fille, qui emportait avec elle la paix du monde. Il voyait déjà que Pompée souffrirait avec peine dans la république un rival de sa grandeur, et voudrait mettre un terme à des succès qui lui pesaient alors même que leur intérêt commun y gagnait ; et toutefois César, trois jours après, reprit les soins du commandement et vainquit sa douleur aussi vite que ses autres ennemis.