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Cicero · Letters to Friends §13.78.1-13.78.2

Recommendation and Request for Protection of Democritus

Passage 358 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero recommends Democritus of Sicyon as an exceptionally close guest-friend and a leader of Achaea. He opens the way for Democritus's acquaintance and requests that he be received under protection and eventually embraced as a dear friend.

§13.78.1Democritus Sicyonius non solum hospes meus est sed etiam, quod non multis contigit, Graecis praesertim, valde familiaris; est enim in eo summa probitas, summa virtus, summa in hospites liberalitas et observantia, meque praeter ceteros et colit et observat et diligit.
Democritus of Sicyon is not only my guest-friend but also, a privilege that has fallen to the lot of not many, especially Greeks, a very intimate friend; for in him there is the highest integrity, the highest virtue, the highest liberality and respect toward guest-friends, and he honors, respects, and loves me above all others.
Eum tu non modo suorum civium verum paene Achaiae principem cognosces.
You will find him to be a leading man, not only among his own fellow citizens, but almost of all Achaea.
§13.78.2huic ego tantum modo aditum ad tuam cognitionem patefacio et munio; cognitum per te ipsum, quae tua natura est, dignum tua amicitia atque hospitio iudicabis.
To him I do but open and pave the way to your acquaintance; once he is known to you by yourself, such is your nature, you will judge him worthy of your friendship and hospitality.
peto igitur a te ut his litteris lectis recipias eum in tuam fidem, polliceare omnia te facturum mea causa.
I beg of you, therefore, that upon reading this letter you receive him into your protection, and promise that you will do everything for my sake.
de reliquo si, id quod confido fore, dignum eum tua amicitia hospitioque cognoveris, peto ut eum complectare, diligas, in tuis habeas.
For the rest, if, as I trust will be the case, you find him worthy of your friendship and hospitality, I beg that you embrace him, love him, and keep him among your close friends.
erit id mihi maiorem in modum gratum.
That will be extremely pleasing to me.
vale.
Farewell.

Notes

  1. 13.78.1quod non multis contigit — The neuter relative pronoun quod refers back to the preceding clause as its antecedent (that Democritus is a highly intimate friend of Cicero). The verb contigit (perfect of contingere) is used impersonally with the dative multis, meaning 'to fall to the lot of' or 'to be granted to.'
  2. 13.78.2cognitum per te ipsum — The perfect passive participle cognitum (accusative singular masculine) agrees with eum (him), which is the omitted direct object of the main verb iudicabis. It functions temporally or conditionally: 'when (or once) he has been made known to you by yourself.'
  3. 13.78.2polliceare — The second-person singular present subjunctive of the deponent verb polliceri (to promise), using the alternative ending -re instead of the standard -ris (pollicearis). It is coordinate with recipias and governed by peto ... ut.
  4. 13.78.2id quod confido fore — A parenthetical clause. The antecedent of the relative quod, namely id, refers to the realization of the following conditional clause (dignum eum ... cognoveris). fore (the future infinitive of esse, equivalent to futurum esse) is used in an accusative-and-infinitive construction dependent on confido ('which I trust will be the case').

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §13.78.1-13.78.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:13.78.1-13.78.2

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