Lettres à Atticus Passage 5

haec sunt in re publica, nisi etiam illud ad rem publicam putas pertinere, Herennium quendam tribunum pl., tribulem tuum sane hominem nequam atque egentem, saepe iam de P. Clodio ad plebem traducendo agere coepisse. huic frequenter interceditur. haec sunt, ut opinor, in re publica.

Such are public affairs, unless you think it also concerns the state that a certain Herennius, tribune of the plebs and member of your tribe, a thoroughly worthless and needy man, has now repeatedly begun to agitate for transferring P. Clodius to the plebs. He is repeatedly met with vetoes. Such, I think, are public affairs.

Voilà les affaires publiques, à moins que tu ne juges aussi d’intérêt public qu’un certain Herennius, tribun de la plèbe appartenant à ta tribu, homme parfaitement malhonnête et sans ressources, ait déjà plusieurs fois commencé à proposer le transfert de P. Clodius à la plèbe. On lui oppose fréquemment le veto. Voilà, je pense, pour les affaires publiques.