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Cicero · Letters to Friends §13.23.1-13.23.2

Recommendation of Cossinius's Freedman Anchialus

Passage 320 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero describes his close friendship with Cossinius and recommends his freedman Anchialus, assuring the recipient of his outstanding character and requesting support for him as long as it causes no trouble.

§13.23.1L. Cossinio, amico et tribuli tuo, valde familiariter utor; nam et inter nosmet ipsos vetus usus intercedit et Atticus noster maiorem etiam mihi cum Cossinio consuetudinem fecit.
I am on very intimate terms with Lucius Cossinius, your friend and fellow-tribesman; for not only does an old friendship exist between us, but our friend Atticus has made my intimacy with Cossinius even greater.
itaque tota Cossini domus me diligit in primisque libertus eius, L. Cossinius Anchialus, homo et patrono et patroni necessariis, quo in numero ego sum, probatissimus.
Therefore, the whole household of Cossinius loves me, and especially his freedman, Lucius Cossinius Anchialus, a man highly approved both by his patron and by his patron's close friends, among whom I am numbered.
§13.23.2hunc tibi ita commendo, ut, si meus libertus esset eodemque apud me loco esset quo est apud suum patronum, maiore studio commendare non possem.
I recommend him to you in such a way that, if he were my own freedman and held the same place with me as he does with his own patron, I could not recommend him with greater zeal.
qua re pergratum mihi feceris, si eum in amicitiam tuam receperis atque eum, quod sine molestia tua fiat, si qua in re opus ei fuerit, iuveris.
Therefore, you will do me a very great favor if you receive him into your friendship and assist him, so far as it may be done without inconvenience to you, if he stands in need of anything.
id et mihi vehementer gratum erit et tibi postea iucundum; hominem enim summa probitate, humanitate observantiaque cognosces.
This will be exceedingly gratifying to me and a pleasure to you hereafter; for you will find him to be a man of the highest integrity, refinement, and respectfulness.

Notes

  1. §13.23.1L. Cossinio... utor — The deponent verb utor (to associate with, make use of) governs its object in the ablative case (L. Cossinio).
  2. §13.23.1et patrono et patroni necessariis — Datives of reference (patrono and necessariis) modifying the superlative adjective probatissimus (highly approved).
  3. §13.23.2si meus libertus esset... non possem — A conditional sentence expressing a present counterfactual situation, using the imperfect subjunctive in both the protasis (esset) and apodosis (possem).
  4. §13.23.2quod sine molestia tua fiat — A restrictive relative clause with the subjunctive (fiat), expressing a limitation: "provided that it happens without inconvenience to you" or "so far as it may be done without trouble to you."

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §13.23.1-13.23.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:13.23.1-13.23.2

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