Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §13.56.1-13.56.3

Request for Aid in Recovering Debts for Cluvius

Passage 343 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero requests the provincial governor's assistance in recovering debts for his friend Cluvius from various cities and individuals such as Mylasa and Alabanda, emphasizing also the interest of Pompey in this matter.

§13.56.1Cluvius Puteolanus valde me observat valdeque est mihi familiaris.
Cluvius of Puteoli values me highly and is a very close friend of mine.
is ita sibi persuadet, quod in tua provincia negoti habeat nisi te provinciam obtinente meis commendationibus confecerit, id se in perditis et desperatis habiturum.
He is so persuaded that, as for whatever business he has in your province, unless he settles it by my recommendations while you hold the province, he will regard it as lost and desperate.
nunc quoniam mihi ab amico officiosissimo tantum oneris imponitur, ego quoque tibi imponam pro tuis in me summis officiis, ita tamen ut tibi nolim molestus esse.
Now, since so great a burden is imposed on me by a most obliging friend, I too shall impose it on you in return for your utmost favors toward me, yet on the condition that I would not wish to be troublesome to you.
*mulasei=s et *)alabandei=s pecuniam Cluvio debent.
The Mylaseis and Alabandeis owe money to Cluvius.
dixerat mihi Euthydemus, cum Ephesi essem, se curaturum ut ecdici a Mylasinis Romam mitterentur.
Euthydemus had told me, when I was at Ephesus, that he would see to it that public advocates (ecdici) were sent from the Mylasians to Rome.
id factum non est.
This was not done.
legatos audio missos esse, sed malo ecdicos, ut aliquid confici possit.
I hear that legates have been sent, but I prefer public advocates, so that something may be settled.
qua re peto a te ut et eos et *)alabandei=s iubeas ecdicos Romam mittere.
Therefore, I ask of you to order both them and the Alabandeis to send public advocates to Rome.
§13.56.2praeterea Philocles Alabandensis u(poqh/kas Cluvio dedit.
Furthermore, Philocles of Alabanda gave mortgages to Cluvius.
eae commissae sunt.
These have become foreclosed.
velim cures ut aut de hypothecis decedat easque procuratoribus Cluvi tradat aut pecuniam solvat, praeterea Heracleotae et Bargylietae, qui item debent, aut pecuniam solvant aut fructibus suis satis faciant.
I would like you to see to it that he either withdraws from the mortgaged properties and delivers them to Cluvius's agents, or pays the money; furthermore, that the Heracleots and Bargylietans, who likewise owe money, either pay the money or satisfy the debt with their own produce.
§13.56.3Caunii praeterea debent, sed aiunt se depositam pecuniam habuisse.
The Caunians also owe money, but they say that they have kept the money deposited.
id velim cognoscis et, si intellexeris eos neque ex edicto neque ex decreto depositam habuisse, des operam ut usurae Cluvio instituto tuo conserventur.
I would like you to investigate this, and if you find that they had it deposited neither according to an edict nor according to a decree, to take care that the interest is secured for Cluvius according to your custom.
his de rebus eo magis laboro, quod agitur res Cn.
I am the more active in these matters because the business of Cn.
Pompei etiam, nostri necessari, et quod is magis etiam mihi labo rare videtur quam ipse Cluvius; cui satis factum esse a nobis valde volo.
Pompey, our friend, is also at stake, and because he seems to me to be even more anxious about it than Cluvius himself; I am very desirous that we should give him full satisfaction.
his de rebus te vehementer etiam atque etiam rogo.
On these matters I earnestly entreat you again and again.

Notes

  1. 13.56.1quod in tua provincia negoti habeat — quod is a relative pronoun (neuter singular accusative) governing the partitive genitive negoti, forming a phrase meaning 'whatever business he has in your province.' This is proleptically resumed by id in the main infinitive clause.
  2. 13.56.2eae commissae sunt — committere is a legal technical term meaning 'to be forfeited' or 'to be foreclosed,' referring to mortgaged property passing into the ownership of the creditor because the debtor failed to pay on time.
  3. 13.56.2aut fructibus suis satis faciant — The ablative of means fructibus suis (by their own produce/revenues) is used with satis facere (to satisfy/pay a debt), referring to offsetting or discharging the debt with the profits or agricultural yield of their land instead of immediate monetary payment.
  4. 13.56.3depositam pecuniam habuisse — A construction consisting of habeo + perfect participle (depositam in agreement with the feminine singular accusative pecuniam). Compared to a simple perfect infinitive (deposuisse), it emphasizes the continued state of 'having kept the money deposited.'

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §13.56.1-13.56.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:13.56.1-13.56.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.