Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §13.11.1-13.11.3

Request to Assist Arpinum's Envoys Collecting Revenues in Gaul

Passage 309 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero requests the governor to assist the envoys sent to collect revenues owned by his native municipium of Arpinum in the province of Gallia, mentioning his family members who took office as aediles this year.

§13.11.1quia semper animadverti studiose te operam dare ut ne quid meorum tibi esset ignotum, propterea non dubito quin scias non solum cuius municipi sim, sed etiam quam diligenter soleam meos municipes Arpinatis tueri.
Because I have always observed that you diligently take pains that nothing of mine should be unknown to you, therefore I do not doubt that you know not only of which municipium I am a citizen, but also how diligently I am accustomed to protect my fellow citizens of Arpinum.
quorum quidem omnia commoda omnesque facultates, quibus et sacra conficere et sarta tecta aedium sacrarum locorumque communium tueri possint, consistunt in iis vectigalibus, quae habent in provincia Gallia.
Indeed, all their advantages and all their resources, by which they can both perform their sacred rites and maintain the repairs of their sacred temples and public places, consist in those revenues which they have in the province of Gallia.
ad ea visenda pecuniasque, quae a colonis debentur, exigendas totamque rem et cognoscendam et administrandam legatos equites Romanos misimus, Q. Fufidium Q. f.
To inspect these, to collect the moneys which are owed by the tenants, and both to investigate and manage the whole business, we have sent as ambassadors Roman knights, Q.
, M. Faucium M. f.
Fufidius, son of Q., M.
, Q. Mamercium Q. f.
Faucius, son of M., and Q. Mamercius, son of Q.
§13.11.2peto a te in maiorem modum pro nostra necessitudine ut tibi ea res curae sit operamque des ut per te quam commodissime negotium municipi administretur quam primumque conficiatur, ipsosque, quorum nomina scripsi, ut quam honorificentissime pro tua natura et quam liberalissime tractes.
I beg of you in a special manner, in accordance with our close relationship, that this matter may be a care to you, and that you exert yourself so that the business of the municipium may be managed as conveniently as possible through you and finished as soon as possible, and that you treat those very men whose names I have written as honorably as possible in accordance with your nature and as generously as possible.
§13.11.3bonos viros ad tuam necessitudinem adiunxeris municipiumque gratissimum beneficio tuo de. vinxeris, mihi vero etiam gratius feceris, quod cum semper tueri municipes meos consuevi, tum hic annus praecipue ad meam curam officiumque pertinet.
By doing so, you will have attached good men to your friendship and bound a most grateful municipium to you by your kindness, and indeed you will have done what is even more pleasing to me, because not only have I always been accustomed to protect my fellow citizens, but this year in particular pertains to my care and duty.
nam constituendi municipi causa hoc anno aedilem filium meum fieri volui et fratris filium et M. Caesium, hominem mihi maxime necessarium;
For, for the sake of organizing the municipium, I wished my son to be made an aedile this year, and my brother's son, and M.
is enim magistratus in nostro municipio nec alius ullus creari solet.
Caesius, a man very close to me; for that magistrate and no other is accustomed to be elected in our municipium.
quos cohonestaris in primisque me, si res p. municipi tuo studio, diligentia bene administrata erit.
You will honor them, and especially me, if the public affairs of the municipium are well managed through your zeal and diligence.
quod ut facias te vehementer etiam atque etiam rogo.
That you may do this, I earnestly ask you again and again.

Notes

  1. 13.11.1sarta tecta — Literally 'repaired and covered,' an asyndetic combination of adjectives. It is a Roman legal and administrative term referring to the 'maintenance and repair' of public buildings.
  2. 13.11.1quae habent — The relative pronoun 'quae' is neuter plural accusative, referring back to 'vectigalia'. The subject of 'habent' is the third-person plural, referring to the citizens of Arpinum.
  3. 13.11.2ipsosque... ut... tractes — In the subordinate clause dependent on 'peto a te,' the object 'ipsos' is placed before 'ut' by prolepsis.
  4. 13.11.3adiunxeris... devinxeris... feceris — These are future perfect indicative verbs used to express a logical consequence that is immediately accomplished upon the completion of the condition.
  5. 13.11.3cum... tum — A correlative construction meaning 'not only..., but especially...'. It contrasts Cicero's general custom of protecting his fellow citizens with the particular importance of this year.
  6. 13.11.3constituendi municipi causa — The genitive of the gerundive 'constituendi' agrees with 'municipi,' expressing purpose (for the sake of organizing the municipium) when combined with 'causa.'
  7. 13.11.3quos cohonestaris — 'quos' is a relative connection in the accusative referring to the aforementioned new aediles. 'cohonestaris' is a syncopated form of the future perfect 'cohonestaveris,' acting as the apodosis of the conditional clause.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §13.11.1-13.11.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:13.11.1-13.11.3

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