Ep. 6.31.1Ēvocātus in cōnsilium ā Caesare nostrō ad Centum Cellās - hoc locō nōmen -, magnam cēpī voluptātem.Summoned by our Caesar to his council at Centum Cellae — that is the name of the place —, I received great pleasure. Ep. 6.31.2Quid enim iūcundius quam prīncipis iūstitiam gravitātem cōmitātem in sēcessū quoque ubi maximē reclūduntur īnspicere?For what is more delightful than to observe the prince's justice, seriousness and affability, even in retirement, where they are most fully revealed? Ep. 6.31.2Fuērunt variae cognitiōnēs et quae virtūtēs iūdicis per plūrēs speciēs experīrentur.There were various inquiries, and such as would test the judge's virtues in a number of forms. Ep. 6.31.3Dīxit causam Claudius Aristōn prīnceps Ephesiōrum, homō mūnificus et innoxie populāris;Claudius Ariston, the leading man of Ephesus, pleaded his case; he is generous and popular without doing harm; Ep. 6.31.3inde invidia et ā dissimillimīs dēlātor immissus, itaque absolūtus vindicātusque est.hence envy, and an informer set on him by men most unlike him; and so he was acquitted and vindicated. Ep. 6.31.4Sequentī diē audīta est Gallitta adulteriī rea.The next day Gallitta was heard, accused of adultery.
Ep. 6.31.4Nūpta haec tribūnō mīlitum honōrēs petītūrō, et suam et marītī dignitātem centuriōnis amōre maculāverat.She was married to a military tribune who was about to stand for office, and had stained both her own and her husband's standing by an affair with a centurion. Ep. 6.31.4Marītus lēgātō cōnsulārī, ille Caesarī scrīpserat.The husband had written to the consular legate, and he to Caesar. Ep. 6.31.5Caesar excussīs probātiōnibus centuriōnem exauctōrāvit atque etiam relēgāvit.Caesar, having sifted the evidence, dismissed the centurion from the service and even banished him. Ep. 6.31.5Supererat crīminī, quod nisi duōrum esse nōn poterat, reliqua pars ultiōnis;There still remained the other part of the punishment, for a crime which could only be that of two people; Ep. 6.31.5sed marītum nōn sine aliquā reprehēnsiōne patientiae amor uxōris retardābat, quam quidem etiam post dēlātum adulterium domī habuerat quasi contentus aemulum remōvisse.but love for his wife held the husband back, not without some censure of his complaisance, since he had kept her at home even after the adultery had been reported, as if satisfied with having removed his rival.
Ep. 6.31.6Admonitus ut perageret accūsātiōnem, perēgit invītus.Reminded to carry the prosecution through, he carried it through unwillingly. Ep. 6.31.6Sed illam damnārī etiam invītō accūsātōre necesse erat: damnāta et Iūliae lēgis poenīs relicta est.But she had to be condemned even against her accuser's will: she was condemned and left to the penalties of the Julian law. Ep. 6.31.6Caesar et nōmen centuriōnis et commemorātiōnem disciplīnae mīlitāris sententiae adiēcit, nē omnēs eius modī causās revocāre ad sē vidērētur.Caesar added to his verdict both the name of the centurion and a reminder of military discipline, so that he should not seem to be calling all cases of this kind before himself. Ep. 6.31.7Tertiō diē inducta cognitiō est multīs sermōnibus et variō rūmōre iactāta, Iūlī Tīrōnis cōdicillī, quōs ex parte vērōs esse cōnstābat, ex parte falsī dīcēbantur.On the third day an inquiry was introduced that had been tossed about in much talk and varied rumour, concerning the codicils of Julius Tiro, which were admitted to be partly genuine, and were said to be partly forged. Ep. 6.31.8Substituēbantur crīminī Semprōnius Seneciō eques Rōmānus et Eurythmus Caesaris lībertus et prōcūrātor.Those charged with the crime were Sempronius Senecio, a Roman knight, and Eurythmus, Caesar's freedman and procurator.
Ep. 6.31.8Hērēdēs, cum Caesar esset in Dāciā, commūniter epistulā scrīptā, petierant ut susciperet cognitiōnem.The heirs, when Caesar was in Dacia, had jointly written a letter and asked him to take up the inquiry. Ep. 6.31.9Suscēperat;He had taken it up; Ep. 6.31.9reversus diem dederat, et cum ex hērēdibus quīdam quasi reverentiā Eurythmī omitterent accūsātiōnem, pulcherrimē dīxerat: "Nec ille Polyclītus est nec ego Nerō."on his return he had fixed a day, and when some of the heirs, as if out of respect for Eurythmus, were dropping the accusation, he had said most finely: 'He is not Polyclitus, nor am I Nero.' Ep. 6.31.9Indulserat tamen petentibus dīlātiōnem, cuius tempore exāctō cōnsēderat audītūrus.He had, however, granted an adjournment at their request, and when that time had run out he had taken his seat to hear the case. Ep. 6.31.10Ā parte hērēdum intrāvērunt duo omnīnō;On the side of the heirs only two came in; Ep. 6.31.10postulāvērunt, omnēs hērēdēs agere cōgerentur, cum dētulissent omnēs, aut sibi quoque dēsistere permitterētur.they demanded that all the heirs should be compelled to plead, since all had brought the charge, or that they too should be allowed to withdraw.
Ep. 6.31.11Locūtus est Caesar summā gravitāte summā moderātiōne, cumque advocātus Seneciōnis et Eurythmī dīxisset suspīciōnibus relinquī reōs, nisi audīrentur, "Nōn cūrō" inquit "an istī suspīciōnibus relinquantur, ego relinquor."Caesar spoke with the greatest dignity and the greatest moderation, and when the advocate of Senecio and Eurythmus had said that the defendants were being left under suspicion unless they were heard, he said: 'I do not care whether they are left under suspicion; I am being left so.' Ep. 6.31.12Dein conversus ad nōs: quid facere dēbeāmus debeamus;Then turning to us: 'Consider what we ought to do; Ep. 6.31.12istī enim querī volunt quod sibi licuerit nōn accūsārī."for these men want to complain that they have been allowed not to be accused.' Ep. 6.31.12Tum ex cōnsiliī sententiā iussit dēnūntiārī hērēdibus omnibus, aut agerent aut singulī approbārent causās nōn agendī;Then, on the advice of the council, he ordered notice to be given to all the heirs that they should either plead or each justify his reasons for not pleading; Ep. 6.31.12aliōquī sē vel dē calumniā prōnūntiātūrum.otherwise he would even pass sentence on them for false accusation.
Ep. 6.31.13Vidēs quam honestī, quam sevērī diēs;You see how honourable, how serious were the days; Ep. 6.31.13quōs iūcundissimae remissiōnēs sequēbantur.and they were followed by most delightful relaxations. Ep. 6.31.13Adhibēbāmur cōtīdiē cēnae;We were invited to dinner every day; Ep. 6.31.13erat modica, sī prīncipem cōgitārēs.it was modest, if you thought of who the host was. Ep. 6.31.13Interdum acroāmata audiēbāmus, interdum iūcundissimīs sermōnibus nox dūcēbātur.Sometimes we listened to entertainers, sometimes the night was drawn out with most delightful conversation. Ep. 6.31.14Summō diē abeuntibus nōbīs - tam dīligēns in Caesare hūmānitās - xenia sunt missa.On the last day, as we were leaving, presents were sent to us — so attentive is Caesar's kindness. Ep. 6.31.14Sed mihi ut gravitās cognitiōnum, cōnsiliī honor, suāvitās simplicitāsque convīctus, ita locus ipse periūcundus fuit.But to me, as the seriousness of the inquiries, the honour of the council, the charm and simplicity of the company were delightful, so too was the place itself. Ep. 6.31.15Vīlla pulcherrima cingitur viridissimīs agrīs, imminet lītorī, cuius in sinū fit cum maximē portus.A most beautiful villa is surrounded by the greenest fields, and overlooks the shore, in whose bay a harbour is at this very moment being made.
Ep. 6.31.15Huius sinistrum brachium firmissimō opere mūnītum est, dextrum ēlabōrātur.Its left arm has been fortified with very solid work, the right is being worked on. Ep. 6.31.16In ōre portūs īnsula assurgit, quae illātum ventō mare obiacēns frangat, tūtumque ab utrōque latere dēcursum nāvibus praestet.At the mouth of the harbour an island is rising, to lie across the sea driven in by the wind and break it, and to provide a safe passage for ships on either side. Ep. 6.31.16Assurgit autem arte vīsendā: ingentia saxa lātissima nāvis prōvehit contrā;And it rises by a technique worth seeing: a very broad ship carries huge rocks out to the spot opposite the harbour; Ep. 6.31.16haec alia super alia dēiecta ipsō pondere manent ac sēnsim quōdam velut aggere cōnstruuntur.these, thrown down one on top of another, stay in place by their own weight and are gradually built up into a kind of rampart. Ep. 6.31.17Ēminet iam et appāret saxeum dorsum impāctōsque flūctūs in immēnsum ēlīdit et tollit;Already a rocky ridge stands out and is visible, and it dashes the waves that strike it and tosses them to an immense height; Ep. 6.31.17vāstus illīc fragor cānumque circā mare.there is a mighty crash there, and the sea all round is white.
Ep. 6.31.17Saxīs deinde pilae adicientur quae prōcēdente tempore ēnātam īnsulam imitentur.Then piers will be added to the rocks, which in the course of time will make it look like a natural island. Ep. 6.31.17Habēbit hic portus, et iam habet nōmen auctōris, eritque vel maximē salūtāris;This harbour will have, and already has, the name of its maker, and it will be most beneficial; Ep. 6.31.17nam per longissimum spatium lītus importuōsum hōc receptāculō ūtētur.for a very long stretch of harbourless coast will make use of this refuge. Ep. 6.31.17Valē.Farewell.