Lettres à Atticus Passage 2

venit etiam ad me Matius Quinquatribus, homo me hercule, ut mihi visus est, temperatus et prudens; existimatus quidem est semper auctor oti. quam ille hoc non probare mihi quidem visus est, quam illam νέκυιαν , ut tu appellas, timere! huic ego in multo sermone epistulam ad me Caesaris ostendi, eam cuius exemplum ad te antea misi, rogavique ut interpretaretur quid esset quod ille scriberet consilio meo se uti velle, gratia, dignitate, ope rerum omnium. respondit se non dubitare quin et opem et gratiam meam ille ad pacificationem quaereret. utinam aliquod in hac miseria rei publicae πολιτικὸν opus efficere et navare mihi liceat! Matius quidem et illum in ea sententia esse confidebat et se auctorem fore pollicebatur. pridie autem apud me Crassipes fuerat qui se pridie Non. Martias Brundisio profectum atque ibi Pompeium reliquisse dicebat, quod etiam qui viii Idus illinc profecti erant nuntiabant; illa vero omnes in quibus etiam Crassipes qui pro prudentia potuit attendere, sermones minacis, inimicos optimatium, municipiorum hostis, meras proscriptiones, meros Sullas; quae Lucceium loqui, quae totam Graeciam, quae vero Theophanem!

Matius also came to me on the Quinquatria, a man who, by Hercules, seemed to me moderate and prudent; indeed, he has always been considered an advocate of peace. How strongly he seemed to me to disapprove of this, and how he fears that world of the dead, as you call it! In a long conversation I showed him Caesar's letter to me, the one whose copy I sent you before, and asked him to interpret Caesar's statement that he wished to employ my advice, influence, standing, and assistance in every matter. He replied that he had no doubt Caesar sought my assistance and influence in making peace. If only I might accomplish and energetically perform some statesmanlike task amid this misery of the republic! Matius was confident that Caesar held this opinion and promised to advise him accordingly. The day before, Crassipes had been with me. He said he had left Brundisium on 6 March and had left Pompey there. Those who had departed from there on 8 March reported the same. But all of them, including Crassipes, who through his prudence was able to pay close attention, reported threatening talk, hostility toward the Optimates, enmity toward the towns, nothing but proscriptions, nothing but Sullas. What things Lucceius says, what all Greece says, and above all what Theophanes says!

Matius est aussi venu chez moi aux Quinquatries. Par Hercule, il m'a semblé modéré et sage; on l'a d'ailleurs toujours tenu pour un partisan de la paix. Comme il m'a paru désapprouver cette situation! Comme il craint cette νέκυιαν, ainsi que tu l'appelles! Au cours d'une longue conversation, je lui ai montré la lettre que César m'avait envoyée, celle dont je t'ai précédemment transmis copie, et lui ai demandé comment il interprétait ces mots: César voulait user de mes conseils, de mon influence, de ma dignité et du secours de toutes mes ressources. Il répondit ne pas douter que César ne recherche mon assistance et mon influence en vue d'une pacification. Puissé-je accomplir et mener à bien quelque œuvre πολιτικὸν dans le malheur de l'État! Matius avait confiance que César partageait cette intention et promettait de l'y encourager. La veille, Crassipes était venu chez moi. Il disait être parti de Brundisium le 6 mars en y laissant Pompée, ce qu'annonçaient aussi ceux qui en étaient partis le 8. Mais tous rapportent, y compris Crassipes, qui a pu y prêter attention grâce à son discernement, des propos menaçants, hostiles aux optimates, ennemis des municipes, de pures proscriptions, autant de Syllas. Et ce que disait Lucceius, ce que disait toute la Grèce, ce que disait surtout Théophane!