Sallust - Letter of Pompeius Translation

Sallust - Letter of Pompeius - 2.98 = 2.
82
[82] {98.M} Si adversus vos patriamque et deos penatis tot labores et pericula
suscepissem, quotiens a prima adulescentia ductu meo scelestissumi hostes fusi
et vobis salus quaesita est, nihil amplius in absentem me statuissetis quam
adhuc agitis, patres conscripti, quem contra aetatem proiectum ad bellum
saevissumum cum exercitu optume merito, quantum est in vobis, fame,
miserruma omnium morte, confecistis. 2 Hacine spe populus Romanus liberos
suos ad bellum misit? Haec sunt praemia pro volneribus et totiens ob rem
publicam fuso sanguine? Fessus scribundo mittundoque legatos omnis opes et
spes privatas meas consumpsi, cum interim a vobis per triennium vix annuus
sumptus datus est. 3 Per deos immortalis, utrum vicem me aerari praestare
creditis an exercitum sine frumento et stipendio habere posse?
If it had been against you and the country and the household gods I had
undertaken so many toils and perils, as often as from my early boyhood I have
spread out the most wicked of enemies under my leadership and I have sought
safety for you, you could have done no more against me in my absence as you
are now doing, men of the senate. For despite my youth, having exposed me to
most cruel war, so far as it was in you , you have killed through starvation, the
most wretched death of all, me along with the best faithful army, was it by this
hope that the Roman people sent its children to die? Are these the rewards for
wounds and so often shedding blood for the state? Weary from writing and
sending legates, I have exhausted every private resource and my expectations,
since in the meantime for three years barely a years expenditure was provided
by you. By the immortal gods, did you think that I could play the part of a
treasury or possess an army without provisions or pay?
4 Equidem fateor me ad hoc bellum maiore studio quam consilio profectum,

quippe qui nomine modo imperi a vobis accepto, diebus quadraginta exercitum
paravi hostisque in cervicibus iam Italiae agentis ab Alpibus in Hispaniam
submovi; per eas iter aliud atque Hannibal, nobis opportunius, patefeci. 5 Recepi
Galliam, Pyrenaeum, Lacetaniam, Indigetis et primum impetum Sertori victoris
novis militibus et multo paucioribus sustinui hiememque castris inter
saevissumos hostis, non per oppida neque ex ambitione mea egi.
I for my part admit that I set out to this war with greater zeal than good counsel,
of course, who when I received nominal power from you, within 40 days I had
raised an army and I routed the enemy agitating already in the neck of Italy from
the alps into spain; through these mountains again I laid open a different route
from Hannibal, a more convenient route for us. I recovered Gaul, the Pyrenees,
Lacetania, and the indigetes, and with fresh soliders and with far fewer men I
withstood the attack of the triumphant Sertorius, and I spent the winter in the
camp amid the most savage foes, not in the towns nor acting from a desire for
popularity.
6 Quid deinde proelia aut expeditiones hibernas, oppida excisa aut recepta
enumerem? Quando res plus valet quam verba: castra hostium apud Sucronem
capta et proelium apud flumen Durium et dux hostium C. Herennius cum urbe
Valentia et exercitu deleti satis clara vobis sunt; pro quis, o grati patres,
egestatem et famem redditis. 7 Itaque meo et hostium exercitui par condicio est;
namque stipendium neutri datur, victor uterque in Italiam venire potest. 8 Quod
ego vos moneo quaesoque ut animadvortatis neu cogatis necessitatibus privatim
mihi consulere. 9 Hispaniam citeriorem, quae non ab hostibas tenetur, nos aut
Sertorius ad internecionem vastavimus praeter maritumas civitates, ultro nobis

sumptui aerique sunt. Gallia superiore anno Metelli exercitum stipendio
frumentoque aluit et nunc malis fructibus ipsa vix agitat; ego non rem familiarem
modo, verum etiam fidem consumpsi. 10 Reliqui vos estis: qui nisi subvenitis,
invito et praedicente me exercitus hinc et cum eo omne bellum Hispaniae in
Italiam transgradientur.
Why then should I recount the battles or winter campains, or the towns we
destroyed or captured? Actions speak louder than words; the capture of the
camp of the enemies at Sucro and the battle at the river Duria, and the leader of
the enemies, the destruction of Gaius Herennius with his army and the city of
Valentia are well enough known to you; for these, o grateful senators, you give
me need and starvation. And so the state of my army and that of the enemy is
the same; for neither is given their pay, either can march triumphantly into Italy.
This I warn you, and I pray that you take notis, and do not force me to provide
necessities as my private responsibility. As for nearer span which is not held by
the enemy, we or Sertorius have devastated to the point of extermination barring
the seacoast states, it too is an expense and a burden to us. Last year Gaul
supplied the army of Metellus with pay and grain, and now it scarcely can keep
itself alive with bad harvests; I have not only exhausted my own holdings, but
even my credit. You are what is left to me; unless you help, although I am
reluctant, I am warning you, the army will cross from here and with it all the war
from Spain into Italy.
Hae litterae principio sequentis anni recitatae in senatu. Sed consules decretas a
patribus provincias inter se paravere; Cotta Galliam citeriorem habuit, Ciliciam
Octavius. Dein proxumi consules, L. Lucullus et M. Cotta, litteris nuntiisque
Pompei graviter perculsi, cum summae rei gratia tum ne exercitu in Italiam
deducto neque laus sua neque dignitas esset, omni modo stipendium et
supplementum paravere, adnitente maxime nobilitate, cuius plerique iam tum
lingua ferociam suam et dicta factis sequebantur.
This letter was read in the senate at the beginning of the following year. But the
consuls distributed the provinces which were decreed by the senate among
themselves; cotta held hither Gaul, and Octavius Cilicia. Then the next consuls
Lucius Lucullus and Marcus cotta, gravely struck by the letter and message of
Pompey

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Sallust - Letter of Pompeius - 2.98 = 2.

4 Equidem fateor me ad hoc bellum maiore studio quam consilio profectum,

Sertorius ad internecionem vastavimus praeter maritumas civitates, ultro nobis

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