Lettres à Atticus Passage 1

quaero quod ad te scribam, sed nihil est: eadem cotidie. quod Lentulum invisis valde gratum. pueros attribue ei quot et quos videbitur. de Sili voluntate vendendi et de eo, quanti, tu vereri videris primum ne nolit, deinde ne tanti. Sicca aliter; sed tibi adsentior. qua re, ut ei placuit, scripsi ad Egnatium. quod Silius te cum Clodio loqui vult, potes id mea voluntate facere commodiusque est quam quod ille a me petit, me ipsum scribere ad Clodium.

I look for something to write to you, but there is nothing: the same things every day. I am very grateful that you are visiting Lentulus. Assign him as many boys, and whichever ones, as seem good. Concerning Silius' willingness to sell and the price, you seem to fear first that he will not sell, and then that he will not sell at that price. Sicca thinks otherwise, but I agree with you. Therefore, as Silius wished, I wrote to Egnatius. Since Silius wants you to speak with Clodius, you may do so with my approval; it is more convenient than his request that I write to Clodius myself.

Je cherche ce que je pourrais t’écrire, mais il n’y a rien : chaque jour les mêmes choses. Je t’ai beaucoup de reconnaissance de rendre visite à Lentulus. Attribue-lui les esclaves, en nombre et en personnes, qui te paraîtront convenables. Au sujet de la volonté de Silius de vendre et du prix, tu sembles d’abord craindre qu’il refuse de vendre, ensuite qu’il refuse ce prix. Sicca pense autrement, mais je suis de ton avis. J’ai donc écrit à Egnatius, comme Silius le voulait. Celui-ci souhaite que tu parles à Clodius ; tu peux le faire avec mon assentiment, et cela est plus commode que ce qu’il me demande, à savoir que j’écrive moi-même à Clodius.