406sine φαλλῷ Luciliano eum ex C. Fadi filia liberos habuisse. Atque utinam eum diem videam, cum ista oratio ita libere vagetur, ut etiam in Siccae domum introeat! Sed "illo tempore opus est, quod fuit illis III viris." Moriar, nisi facete! Tu vero leges Sexto eiusque iudicium mihi perscribes. "Εἷς ἐμοὶ μύριοι." Caleni interventum et Calvenae cavebis.
Quod vereris, ne ἀδόλεσχος mihi tu, quis minus? Cui, ut Aristophani Archilochi iambus, sic epistula tua longissima quaeque optima videtur. Quod me admones, tu vero etiamsi reprenderes, non modo facile paterer, sed etiam laetarer, quippe cum in reprensione sit prudentia cum εὐμενεία. Ita libenter ea corrigam, quae a te animadversa sunt, "eodem iure quo Rubriana" potius quam "quo Scipionis," et de laudibus Dolabellae deruam cumulum. Ac tamen est isto loco bella, ut mihi videtur, εἰρωνεία, quod eum ter contra cives in acie. Illud etiam malo: "indignissimum est hunc vivere" quam "quid indignius?" Πεπλογραφίαν Varronis tibi probari non moleste fero;
children know, without taking Lucilian licence, that Antony had children by a daughter of Fadius. I only wish I could see the day when my second Philippic could be sufficiently freely circulated to enter even Sicca's door. "But we want back the days of freedom under the triumvirs."[[320]] Upon my life that was a neat touch of yours. Please read my book to Sextus and let me know his opinion. I would take his word against all the world. Keep your eyes open for the appearance of Calenus and Calvena.
[320]. The point of this sentence is not obvious. The translation follows Watson, who suggests that the pleasantry lies in calling the days of the triumvirate free in comparison with the date at which Cicero was writing. Other suggestions are (a) that there is a play on the triumvirate and the fact that Caesar and Pompey each had three wives; (b) that Septimia had three husbands; or (c) that it refers to some earlier date, possibly Cicero's consulate, when Fadia had three lovers. (Cf. Gurlitt, in Philologus, LVII. (1898) pp. 403-8).
You fear I may think you a gas-bag. Who is less of one? I am like Aristophanes[[321]] with Archilochus' iambics—the longest letter of yours ever seems the best to me. As for your giving me advice, why, if you found fault with me, I should not only put up with it cheerfully, but even be glad of it, since in your fault-finding there is both wisdom and kindly purpose. So I will willingly correct the point you mention, and write "by the same right as you did the property of Rubrius" instead of "the property of Scipio";[[322]] and I will take the pinnacle off my praises of Dolabella. And yet to my thinking there is fine irony in the passage where I say he had thrice stood up in arms against his fellow-citizens.[[323]] Again I prefer your "it is most unjust that such a man should live" to "what can be more unjust?"[[324]] I am not sorry to hear you praise the Peplographia[[325]]
[321]. The Alexandrine grammarian, not the comic poet.
[322]. 2 Phil. 103, where Cicero accuses Antony of obtaining possession of property by underhand means.
[323]. 2 Phil. 75, with Caesar in Thessaly, Africa, and Spain.
[324]. 2 Phil. 86. But the original reading is still found in our MSS.
[325]. A "book of worthies," so-called from the sacred robe, embroidered with mythological and historical figures, offered once a year to Athene at Athens. The book was possibly identical with that generally known as the Hebdomades sive Imagines, but that is doubtful.