Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §10.5.1-10.5.3

Reply to Plancus and Exhortation to Serve the State

Passage 204 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero receives two identical letters from Plancus, rejoicing in his deep affection and high devotion to the state. He strongly urges Plancus to exert all his efforts for the republic during this critical time to achieve true and lasting glory by his own merit.

§10.5.1binas a te accepi litteras eodem exemplo, quod ipsum argumento mihi fuit diligentiae tuae intellexi enim te laborare ut ad me mihi exspectatissimae litterae perferrentur.
I have received two letters from you of the exact same pattern, which itself was to me a proof of your diligence; for I understood that you were taking pains so that the letters I most eagerly expected should be delivered to me.
ex quibus cepi fructum duplicem mihique in comparatione difficilem ad iudicandum, amoremne erga me tuum an animum in rem p. pluris aestimandum putarem.
From these I received a double fruit, and one difficult for me to judge in comparison, whether I should think your love toward me or your devotion to the republic ought to be valued more highly.
est omnino patriae caritas meo quidem iudicio maxima, sed amor voluntatisque coniunctio plus certe habet suavitatis.
To be sure, love of country is supreme in my judgment, but love and the union of goodwill certainly possess more sweetness.
itaque commemoratio tua paternae necessitudinis benevolentiaeque eius, quam erga me a pueritia contulisses, ceterarumque rerum, quae ad eam sententiam pertinebant incredibilem mihi laetitiam attulerunt;
Therefore, your mention of our paternal connection and of that goodwill which you had bestowed on me from childhood, and of other matters pertaining to that topic, brought me unbelievable joy.
§10.5.2rursus declaratio animi tui, quem haberes de re p. quemque habiturus esses, mihi erat iucundissima; eoque maior erat haec laetitia, quod ad illa superiora accedebat.
On the other hand, the declaration of your mind, which you had and were going to have concerning the republic, was most pleasing to me; and this joy was all the greater because it was added to those former things.
itaque te non hortor solum, mi Plance, sed plane etiam oro, quod feci iis litteris, quibus tu humanissime respondisti, ut tota mente omnique animi impetu in rem p. incumbas.
Therefore, my dear Plancus, I not only encourage you, but plainly even beg you, as I did in that letter to which you replied most courteously, to apply yourself to the republic with all your mind and with every impulse of your soul.
nihil est quod tibi maiori fructui gloriaeque esse possit, nec quicquam ex omnibus rebus humanis est praeclarius aut praestantius quam de re p. bene mereri.
There is nothing that can be of greater fruit and glory to you, nor is there anything among all human affairs more noble or outstanding than to deserve well of the republic.
§10.5.3adhuc enim (patitur tua summa humanitas et sapientia me quod sentiam libere dicere) fortuna suffragante videris res maximas consecutus quod quamquam sine virtute fieri non potuisset, tamen ex maxima parte ea quae es adeptus fortunae temporibusque tribuuntur;
For up to now (your supreme kindness and wisdom allow me to say freely what I feel), with fortune favoring, you seem to have achieved the greatest results; and although this could not have happened without virtue, yet for the most part, what you have obtained is attributed to fortune and the times.
his temporibus difficillimis rei p. quicquid subveneris, id erit totum et proprium tuum.
In these most difficult times of the republic, whatever aid you bring will be entirely and peculiarly your own.
incredibile est omnium civium latronibus exceptis odium in Antonium, magna spes in te et in tuo exercitu, magna exspectatio; cuius, per deos! gratiae gloriaeque cave tempus amittas.
The hatred of all citizens for Antony, except for the bandits, is unbelievable, and there is great hope and expectation in you and your army; for the sake of the gods, take care not to lose the opportunity for its favor and glory.
sic moneo ut filium, sic faveo ut mihi, sic hortor ut et pro patria et amicissimum.
I advise you as a son, support you as myself, and encourage you both for the sake of our country and as a most dear friend.

Notes

  1. 10.5.1argumento mihi fuit — A double dative construction combining the dative of purpose/result (argumento) and the dative of reference/interest (mihi), meaning 'served as a proof for me'.
  2. 10.5.1amoremne erga me tuum an animum in rem p. pluris aestimandum putarem — An alternative indirect question introduced by -ne... an..., explaining the content of difficilem ad iudicandum. pluris is a genitive of value, and aestimandum is a gerundive functioning as a predicative complement of putarem.
  3. 10.5.1attulerunt — The verb is in the plural despite the singular subject commemoratio, influenced by the multiple dependent genitives (necessitudinis, benevolentiae, rerum) (agreement according to sense, or synesis).
  4. 10.5.3quod quamquam sine virtute fieri non potuisset — quod is a relative connection (connecting relative) referring back to the preceding clause (res maximas consecutus esse). potuisset is in the pluperfect subjunctive, representing a past contrary-to-fact condition ('although it could not have happened without virtue').
  5. 10.5.3cave tempus amittas — cave followed by the subjunctive (here amittas) without ne, expressing a strong prohibition or warning ('take care not to lose', 'do not lose').

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §10.5.1-10.5.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:10.5.1-10.5.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.