1. The Original Plutarchan Greek

In Life of Antony 59.4, Plutarch records Geminius's response to Antony at the banquet using indirect speech (oratio obliqua). The exact Greek phrase is:

"...τὰ μὲν ἄλλα νήφοντος εἶναι λόγου, βέλτιον δ᾽ ἂν ἔχειν τὰ πράγματα Κλεοπάτρας εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἀποσταλείσης."

Grammatical breakdown of the relevant clause:

• βέλτιον δ᾽ ἂν ἔχειν τὰ πράγματα: "...but that things would be better..." (An infinitive structure reporting indirect statement: ἔχειν with ἄν represents an original potential optative βέλτιον ἂν ἔχοι).
• Κλεοπάτρας εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἀποσταλείσης: "...if Cleopatra were sent away to Egypt." (A classic Greek genitive absolute functioning as a conditional clause).

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2. Rendering into Latin as Oratio Recta

To change this from the narrative's indirect report into direct speech (oratio recta) coming straight from Geminius’s mouth as a Roman addressing Antony, it must be cast in the second person plural (referring to Antony's political affairs/fortunes) or an impersonal third-person statement.

Because Geminius is giving a blunt, serious warning, classical Latin would frame this using either a future less vivid conditional structure (si... remittatur, melius se habeant) or a simpler future indicative.

Here are the best ways to render it, depending on the stylistic nuance desired:

Option A: Idiomatic & Close to the Greek (Conditional Subjunctive)

This uses an ablative absolute to match Plutarch's genitive absolute, utilizing the idiom res se habent (things are/fare in a certain way):

"Melius se habeant res tuae, si Cleopatra in Aegyptum remittatur."
(Your affairs would fare better if Cleopatra should be sent back to Egypt.)

Option B: Direct & Forceful (Future Indicative)

Romans delivering urgent political counsel often spoke with certainty rather than hypothetical caution:

"Melius se habebunt res, Cleopatra in Aegyptum remissa."
(Things will go better once Cleopatra has been sent back to Egypt.)

Option C: Formal / Sallustian Style

If you prefer a heavier, old-school Roman political tone (using res publica or status for "the situation/affairs"):

"Meliores erunt res, si Cleopatra in Aegyptum revehatur."
(Our prospects will be better if Cleopatra is carried back to Egypt.)

Key Vocabulary Choices for the Reconstruction:

• Melius se habere / Meliores erunt: Standard Latin translations for the Greek idiom βέλτιον ἔχειν (to be in a better state).
• Cleopatra... remissa / remittatur: Classical Latin prefers remittere (to send back) or relegare (to remove/banish) over mittere to match the Greek prefix in ἀποσταλείσης (sent away/back).

If you are formatting these lines for a dramatic script or a specific historical commentary, let me know if you would like me to adjust the rhetorical style or add the first half of his quote regarding his "sober head."