Att. 2.1Pater mātūrē dēcessit.His father died early. Att. 2.1Ipse adulēscentulus propter affīnitātem P. Sulpiciī, quī tribūnus plēbeī interfectus est, nōn expers fuit illīus perīculī: namque Anicia, Pompōniī cōnsōbrīna, nūpserat Serviō, frātrī Sulpiciī.He himself, as a very young man, because of his connection by marriage with Publius Sulpicius, who was killed as tribune of the plebs, did not escape a share in that danger: for Anicia, a cousin of Pomponius, had married Servius, Sulpicius' brother. Att. 2.2Itaque interfectō Sulpiciō posteāquam vīdit Cinnānō tumultū cīvitātem esse perturbātam neque sibi darī facultātem prō dignitāte vīvendī, quīn alterutram partem offenderet, dissociātīs animīs cīvium, cum aliī Sullānīs, aliī Cinnānīs favērent partibus, idōneum tempus ratus studiīs obsequendī suīs Athēnās sē contulit.Therefore, after Sulpicius had been killed, when he saw that the state was thrown into turmoil by the uprising of Cinna, and that he was given no opportunity of living as befitted his rank without offending one side or the other, since the citizens' feelings were divided, some favouring the party of Sulla, others that of Cinna, he thought it a suitable time for pursuing his studies and moved to Athens.
Att. 2.2Neque eō sētius adulēscentem Marium hostem iūdicātum iūvit opibus suīs, cuius fugam pecūniā sublevāvit.None the less he helped the young Marius, who had been declared a public enemy, with his resources, and eased his flight with money. Att. 2.3Ac nē illa peregrīnātiō dētrīmentum aliquod afferret reī familiārī, eōdem magnam partem fortūnārum trāiēcit suārum.And so that this sojourn abroad should not bring any loss to his estate, he transferred a large part of his fortune to the same place. Att. 2.3Hic ita vīxit, ut ūniversīs Athēniēnsibus meritō esset cārissimus.Here he lived in such a way that he was deservedly very dear to all the Athenians. Att. 2.4Nam praeter grātiam, quae iam in adulēscentulō magna erat, saepe suīs opibus inopiam eōrum pūblicam levāvit.For besides his influence, which was already great while he was still a young man, he often relieved their public poverty from his own resources. Att. 2.4Cum enim versūram facere pūblicē necesse esset neque eius condiciōnem aequam habērent, semper sē interposuit, atque ita ut neque ūsūram umquam ab iīs accēperit neque longius, quam dictum esset, dēbēre passus sit.For when it was necessary for the state to borrow and they could not get fair terms for it, he always intervened, and in such a way that he never took interest from them, nor allowed them to stay in debt longer than had been agreed.
Att. 2.4Quod utrumque erat iīs salūtāre: nam neque indulgendō inveterāscere eōrum aes aliēnum patiēbātur neque multiplicandīs ūsūrīs crēscere.Both of these things were beneficial to them: for he neither let their debt grow old through indulgence nor let it increase through the multiplying of interest. Att. 2.6Auxit hoc officium aliā quoque līberālitāte: nam ūniversōs frūmentō dōnāvit, ita ut singulīs sēnī modiī trīticī darentur, quī modus mēnsūrae medimnus Athēnīs appellātur.He added to this service by another act of generosity as well: for he made a gift of grain to them all, so that six modii of wheat were given to each person, a measure which at Athens is called a medimnus.