Lettres à Atticus Passage 10

quia xii nolui; nam licebat. tum ego quam vellem inquam petisse ab eo quod audio Philippum impetrasse! sed veritus sum, quia ille a me nihil impetrabat. libenter inquit tibi concessisset. verum puta te impetrasse; ego enim ad eum scribam, ut tu ipse voles, de ea re nos inter nos locutos. quid autem illius interest, quoniam in senatum non venis, ubi sis? quin nunc ipsum minime offendisses eius causam, si in Italia non fuisses. ad quae ego me recessum et solitudinem quaerere, maxime quod lictores haberem. laudavit consilium. quid ergo? inquam; nam mihi cursus in Graeciam per tuam provinciam est, quoniam ad mare superum milites sunt. quid mihi inquit optatius? hoc loco multa perliberaliter. ergo hoc quidem est profectum, ut non modo tuto verum etiam palam navigaremus.

“Because I did not want twelve, though I was permitted them.” Then I said, “How I wish I had asked Caesar for what I hear Philippus obtained! But I was afraid because he could obtain nothing from me.” “He would gladly have granted it to you,” Curio replied. “Indeed, consider that you have obtained it. I shall write to him, in whatever terms you yourself wish, that we discussed the matter together. Since you are not attending the Senate, what difference does it make to him where you are? Indeed, you would have given him less offence in his present cause if you had not been in Italy.” To this I replied that I sought retirement and solitude, especially because I had lictors. He approved my plan. “What then?” I asked. “My route to Greece lies through your province, since there are soldiers on the Adriatic.” “What could please me more?” he replied. At this point he said many extremely generous things. Thus at least this was achieved: we may sail not only safely but openly.

«Parce que je n'en ai pas voulu douze, répondit-il; j'en avais le droit.» Alors je dis: «Comme j'aurais voulu lui demander ce que Philippus, à ce que j'apprends, a obtenu! Mais j'ai hésité, parce qu'il ne pouvait rien obtenir de moi.» «Il te l'aurait volontiers accordé, dit-il. Considère néanmoins que tu l'as obtenu. Je lui écrirai, comme tu le voudras toi-même, que nous en avons parlé ensemble. D'ailleurs, puisque tu ne viens pas au Sénat, que lui importe le lieu où tu te trouves? En quittant l'Italie maintenant, tu aurais précisément évité de heurter le moins du monde sa cause.» Je répondis que je recherchais la retraite et la solitude, surtout parce que j'avais des licteurs. Il approuva mon projet. «Qu'en est-il donc? demandai-je. Puisque des soldats occupent les côtes de la mer Supérieure, ma route vers la Grèce passe par ta province.» «Que pourrais-je souhaiter davantage?» répondit-il. Là-dessus, il me donna de nombreuses assurances très généreuses. Ainsi, du moins, nous avons obtenu de pouvoir naviguer non seulement en sûreté, mais ouvertement.