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Cicero · Letters to Friends §11.4.1-11.4.2

Decimus Brutus on His Alpine Success and Request for Support

Passage 240 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Decimus Brutus reports his military successes in the Alps and his securing of the soldiers' loyalty to Cicero, requesting Cicero's support in the senate.

§11.4.1si de tua in me voluntate dubitarem, multis a te verbis peterem ut dignitatem meam tuerere, sed profecto est ita ut mihi persuasi, me tibi esse curae.
\nIf I were doubting your goodwill toward me, I would beg you with many words to defend my dignity; but indeed it is just as I have persuaded myself, that I am a care to you.
progressus sum ad Inalpinos cum exercitu non tam nomen imperatorium captans quam cupiens militibus satis facere firmosque eos ad tuendas nostras res efficere; §11.4.2quod mihi videor consecutus; nam et liberalitatem nostram et animum sunt experti.
I have advanced to the Alpine tribes with my army, not so much seeking the title of imperator as desiring to satisfy the soldiers and to make them resolute for defending our affairs;\n\nwhich I seem to myself to have achieved; for they have experienced both our generosity and our spirit.
Cum omnium bellicosissimis bellum gessi; multa castella cepi, multa vastavi.
I have waged war with the most warlike of all peoples; I have captured many strongholds, and devastated many.
non sine causa ad senatum litteras misi.
Not without cause have I sent letters to the senate.
adiuva nos tua sententia; quod cum facies, ex magna parte communi commodo inservieris.
Help us with your vote; and when you do this, you will to a great extent have served the common interest.

Notes

  1. 11.4.1me tibi esse curae — A double dative construction. 'tibi' (dative of reference) and 'curae' (dative of purpose/effect) are used with the accusative infinitive 'me esse', meaning 'that I am a care to you' (i.e., that you care for me).
  2. 11.4.1non tam nomen imperatorium captans quam cupiens — The present participles 'captans' and 'cupiens', agreeing with the subject of the main clause (first person singular), are coordinated by the comparative correlative 'non tam... quam...' ('not so much... as...').
  3. 11.4.2quod mihi videor consecutus — The relative pronoun 'quod' at the beginning of the sentence is a relative connection (connecting relative) pointing back to the preceding infinitive clauses, acting as the object of 'consecutus [esse]'. 'videor' is used in the personal construction with the perfect participle, meaning 'I seem to myself to have achieved'.
  4. 11.4.2quod cum facies, ex magna parte communi commodo inservieris — The 'quod' is a connecting relative referring to the action of helping. In the temporal-conditional 'cum' clause, the future 'facies' is used, while the main clause has the future perfect 'inservieris', confidently indicating that the service to the common good will be fully realized as soon as the action is done. The verb 'inservio' governs the dative 'communi commodo'.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §11.4.1-11.4.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:11.4.1-11.4.2

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