Lettres à Atticus Passage 3

L. quidem Caesar, cum ad eum aegrotum Neapolim venissem, quamquam erat oppressus totius corporis doloribus, tamen ante quam me plane salutavit, o mi Cicero inquit gratulor tibi cum tantum vales apud Dolabellam quantum si ego apud sororis filium valerem, iam salvi esse possemus. Dolabellae vero tuo et gratulor et gratias ago, quem quidem post te consulem solum possumus vere consulem dicere. deinde multa de facto ac de re gesta tua; nihil magnificentius, nihil praeclarius actum umquam, nihil rei publicae salutarius. atque haec una vox omnium est.

Indeed, when I went to see Lucius Caesar during his illness at Naples, although he was oppressed by pain throughout his body, before he had properly greeted me he said: "My dear Cicero, I congratulate you. If you had as much influence with Dolabella as I ought to have with my sister's son, we might now be safe. I congratulate your Dolabella and thank him. After you, he is the only consul whom we can truly call a consul." Then he said much about your action and achievement: that nothing more magnificent or glorious had ever been done, and nothing more beneficial to the republic. This is the unanimous voice of everyone.

Lorsque je suis allé voir L. César malade à Naples, bien qu’il fût accablé de douleurs dans tout le corps, il m’a dit avant même de m’avoir pleinement salué: «Ô mon cher Cicéron, je te félicite. Si j’avais sur le fils de ma sœur autant d’influence que tu en as sur Dolabella, nous pourrions maintenant être sauvés. Quant à ton cher Dolabella, je le félicite et le remercie; après ton consulat, il est le seul que nous puissions véritablement appeler consul.» Il a ensuite parlé longuement de ton acte et de ton action: jamais rien de plus grand, de plus glorieux ni de plus salutaire à la république n’aurait été accompli. Et tous parlent d’une seule voix.