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Cicero · Letters to Friends §11.26.1

Decimus's Appeal for Legions and Financial Support

Passage 263 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Decimus Brutus expresses to Cicero his bittersweet consolation that his fears have been realized, and urges the senate to make proper and swift decisions regarding legion deployments and financial support through trustworthy men.

§11.26.1maximo meo dolore hoc solacio utor, quod intellegunt homines non sine causa me timuisse ista quae acciderunt.
To my great sorrow, I enjoy this consolation, that people understand that I did not fear without reason those things which have happened.
deliberent utrum traiciant legiones ex Africa necne et ex Sardinia, et Brutum accersant necne, et mihi stipendium dent an decernant.
Let them deliberate whether they should transport the legions from Africa or not, and from Sardinia, and whether they should summon Brutus or not, and whether they should give me the pay or merely decree it.
ad senatum litteras misi.
I have sent a letter to the senate.
crede mihi, nisi ista omnia ita fiant quem ad modum scribo, magnum nos omnis adituros periculum.
Believe me, unless all those things are done just as I write, we shall all encounter great danger.
rogo te, videte quibus hominibus negotium detis qui ad me legiones adducant.
I ask you, see to it to whom you give the task, who are to bring the legions to me.
et fide opus est et celeritate.
There is need of both loyalty and speed.
iii Non. Iun. ex castris.
June 3, from the camp.

Notes

  1. §11.26.1maximo meo dolore — An ablative of attendant circumstances, meaning "to my great sorrow" or "at the cost of my deepest grief."
  2. §11.26.1magnum nos omnis adituros periculum — An accusative with infinitive construction with the omission of `esse` (from `adituros esse`; `periculum adire` means "to encounter danger"). A governing verb of knowing or thinking, such as `scito` ("know that") or `cogita` ("reflect that"), is understood from the context, or it serves as an indirect statement continuing the force of `crede mihi`.
  3. §11.26.1qui ad me legiones adducant — A relative clause of purpose ("who are to bring...") or characteristic ("of such a kind as to bring...") containing the subjunctive `adducant`, modifying the antecedent `quibus hominibus`.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §11.26.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:11.26.1

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