Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §11.1.1-11.1.6

Decimus Brutus on Their Precarious State and Plan to Depart

Passage 237 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Decimus Brutus informs Marcus Brutus and Cassius of Antony's hostile attitude and their precarious situation, revealing his plan to seek a free legation and withdraw from Italy.

§11.1.1Qvo in statu simus cognoscite.
Learn what state we are in.
heri vesperi apud me Hirtius fuit; qua mente esset Antonius demonstravit, pessima scilicet et infidelissima.
Yesterday evening Hirtius was at my house; he showed what mind Antony had, a most evil and faithless one, of course.
nam se neque mihi provinciam dare posse aiebat neque arbitrari tuto in urbe esse quemquam nostrum; adeo esse militum concitatos animos et plebis.
For he said that he could neither give a province to me, nor did he think that any of us could be safely in the city; so excited, he said, were the minds of the soldiers and the populace.
quod utrumque esse falsum puto vos animadvertere atque illud esse verum, quod Hirtius demonstrabat, timere eum ne, si mediocre auxilium dignitatis nostrae habuissemus, nullae partes iis in re p. relinquerentur.
Both of which statements I think you perceive to be false, and that to be true which Hirtius was showing, namely, that he fears lest, if we should obtain even a moderate support for our dignity, no part would be left for them in the republic.
§11.1.2Cum a in his angustiis versarer, placitum est mihi ut postularem legationem liberam mihi reliquisque nostris, ut aliqua causa proficiscendi honesta quaereretur.
When I was in these straits, it seemed good to me to demand a free legation for myself and the rest of our friends, so that some honorable cause for departure might be sought.
haec se impetraturum pollicitus est, nec tamen impetraturum confido; tanta est hominum insolentia et nostri insectatio.
He promised that he would obtain this, yet I do not trust that he will obtain it; so great is the insolence of these men and their persecution of us.
ac si dederint quod petimus, tamen paulo post futurum puto ut hostes iudicemur aut aqua et igni nobis interdicatur.
And even if they grant what we ask, yet I think it will happen shortly after that we shall be judged public enemies or be interdicted from water and fire.
§11.1.3'quid ergo a est' inquis 'tui consili?' dandus est locus fortunae, cedendum ex Italia, migrandum Rhodum aut aliquo terrarum arbitror.
"What then," you ask, "is your plan?" I think we must give way to fortune, depart from Italy, and migrate to Rhodes or somewhere in the world.
si melior casus fuerit, revertemur Romam; si mediocris, in exsilio vivemus; si pessimus, ad novissima auxilia descendemus.
If fortune improves, we shall return to Rome; if it remains moderate, we shall live in exile; if it is worst, we shall descend to the last resources.
§11.1.4succurret fortasse hoc loco alicui vestrum cur novissimum tempus exspectemus potius quam nunc aliquid moliamur.
Perhaps at this point it will occur to some of you why we should wait for the last moment rather than attempt something now.
quia ubi consistamus non habemus praeter Sex. Pompeium et Bassum Caecilium; qui mihi videntur hoc nuntio de Caesare adlato firmiores futuri.
Because we have no place where we may make a stand, except Sextus Pompeius and Caecilius Bassus; who seem to me likely to be firmer on receiving this news about Caesar.
satis tempore ad eos accedemus, ubi quid valeant scierimus.
We shall approach them in good time, when we know what strength they have.
pro Cassio et te si quid me velitis recipere recipiam; postulat enim hoc Hirtius ut faciam.
On behalf of Cassius and you, if you wish me to undertake any guarantee, I will do so; for Hirtius demands that I do this.
§11.1.5rogo vos quam primum mihi rescribatis (nam non dubito quin de his rebus ante horam quartam Hirtius certiorem me sit facturus); quem in locum convenire possimus, quo me velitis venire rescribite.
I ask you to write back to me as soon as possible (for I do not doubt that before the fourth hour Hirtius will inform me about these matters); write back as to what place we can meet in, and where you wish me to come.
§11.1.6post novissimum Hirti sermonem placitum est mihi postulare ut liceret nobis Romae esse publico praesidio.
After the latest conversation with Hirtius, it seemed good to me to demand that we be allowed to be in Rome with a public guard.
quod illos nobis concessuros non puto; magnam enim invidiam iis faciemus.
Which I do not think they will grant us; for we shall cause them great odium.
nihil tamen non postulandum putavi quod aequum esse statuerem.
Yet I thought nothing should not be demanded which I determined to be fair.

Notes

  1. 11.1.1quemquam nostrum — nostrum is the genitive plural of the personal pronoun nos. While nostri is generally used as an objective genitive, nostrum is used as a partitive genitive. Here it modifies quemquam, meaning 'any of us'.
  2. 11.1.1timere eum ne — The conjunction ne following a verb of fearing (timere) introduces a noun clause expressing a positive apprehension ('fearing lest/that'). This entire clause explains the content of the accusative-and-infinitive construction (eum timere...) depending on demonstravit.
  3. 11.1.2legationem liberam — A Roman political and legal term meaning 'free legation'. It was a privilege granted to senators allowing them to travel abroad on private business while retaining the official status, rights, and privileges of a state envoy. Here it is sought as a legitimate pretext to escape from Rome.
  4. 11.1.2futurum puto ut hostes iudicemur — The periphrastic construction of futurum [esse] ut with the subjunctive is used here as a substitute for the future passive infinitive (here, iudicemur). It means 'I think that it will come to pass that we are judged public enemies'.
  5. 11.1.3tui consili — consili (genitive singular of consilium) is a partitive genitive depending on the interrogative pronoun quid. Literally meaning 'what of your plan?', it translates to 'what is your plan?'.
  6. 11.1.4ubi consistamus — The subjunctive consistamus (present subjunctive first-person plural of consistere) is used in a relative clause introduced by ubi to express purpose or characteristic, meaning 'a place where we may make a stand'.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §11.1.1-11.1.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:11.1.1-11.1.6

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