Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §12.7.1-12.7.2

Defending Cassius and Urging Immediate Action

Passage 273 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero reports how passionately he defended the addressee's dignity in both the senate and the public assembly, urging them to fulfill his promise by taking immediate action to defend the republic without waiting for formal decrees.

§12.7.1quanto studio dignitatem tuam et in senatu et ad populum defenderim ex tuis te malo quam ex me cognoscere; quae mea sententia in senatu facile valuisset, nisi Pansa vehementer obstitisset.
How much zeal I used in defending your dignity both in the senate and before the people, I prefer that you learn from your own people rather than from me; which opinion of mine would have easily prevailed in the senate, had Pansa not vehemently opposed it.
ea sententia dicta productus sum in contionem a tr. pl. M. Servilio.
After that opinion was delivered, I was brought out to the public assembly by the tribune of the plebs, Marcus Servilius.
dixi de te quae potui tanta contentione quantum forum est, tanto clamore consensuque populi ut nihil umquam simile viderim.
I spoke about you as much as I could, with as great an exertion of voice as the forum is wide, and with such clamor and consensus of the people that I have never seen anything like it.
id velim mihi ignoscas quod invita socru tua fecerim.
I would like you to forgive me for doing this against the wishes of your mother-in-law.
mulier timida verebatur ne Pansae animus offenderetur.
That timid woman was afraid lest Pansa’s mind should be offended.
in contione quidem Pansa dixit matrem quoque tuam et fratrem illam a me sententiam noluisse dici.
Indeed, in the assembly, Pansa said that your mother also and your brother did not want that opinion to be delivered by me.
sed me haec non movebant, alia valebant; favebam et rei p. , cui semper favi, et dignitati ac gloriae tuae.
But these things did not move me; other things had weight; I was favoring both the republic, which I have always favored, and your dignity and glory.
§12.7.2quod autem et in senatu pluribus verbis disserui et dixi in contione, in eo velim fidem meam liberes.
As to what I discussed at greater length in the senate and said in the assembly, I would like you to redeem my pledge in that matter.
promisi enim et prope confirmavi te non exspectasse nec exspectaturum decreta nostra sed te ipsum tuo more rem p. defensurum.
For I promised and almost guaranteed that you did not wait, nor would wait, for our decrees, but that you yourself, in your own manner, would defend the republic.
et quamquam nihildum audieramus nec ubi esses nec quas copias haberes, tamen sic statuebam, omnis quae in istis partibus essent opes copiaeque tuas esse, per teque Asiam provinciam confidebam iam rei p. reciperatam.
And although we had as yet heard nothing, neither where you were nor what forces you had, yet I was so resolving, that all the resources and forces that were in those parts were yours, and I trusted that through you the province of Asia was already recovered for the republic.
tu fac in augenda gloria te ipsum vincas.
See to it that you surpass yourself in increasing your glory.
vale.
Farewell.

Notes

  1. §12.7.1quae mea sententia — The relative pronoun `quae` at the beginning of the clause is a relative of connection (relativum connectionis), referring to the opinion/resolution implied in the preceding sentence, translated as 'this (opinion of mine).' The following `valuisset, nisi... obstitisset` is a conditional sentence in the pluperfect subjunctive, expressing a past contrary-to-fact condition.
  2. §12.7.1tanta contentione quantum forum est — 'With as much exertion (of voice) as the forum is wide,' a figurative expression describing the volume and energy of his speech using the correlative structure `tanta... quantum`.
  3. §12.7.2fidem meam liberes — Literally 'that you free my pledge,' an idiom meaning 'to redeem my pledge' or 'to save my credit/honor.' Since Cicero had guaranteed Cassius's actions to the public and the senate, he is urging Cassius to fulfill this promise through actual deeds, thereby releasing Cicero from his moral guarantee (fides).
  4. §12.7.2quod autem... in eo — The introductory `quod` introduces a relative clause indicating the topic ('as to what...'), which is subsequently resumed by `in eo` ('in that matter') in the main clause.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §12.7.1-12.7.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:12.7.1-12.7.2

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