Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §15.13.1-15.13.3

Appeal to Paullus for an Honor and against Prorogation

Passage 382 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero expresses to Paullus his regret over his absence from Rome during Paullus's consulship and asks him, in light of their mutual goodwill, to ensure a swift and honorable senatorial decree for his military deeds and to prevent any extension of his provincial command.

§15.13.1maxime mihi fuit optatum Romae esse tecum multas ob causas sed praecipue ut et in petendo et in gerendo consulatu meum tibi debitum studium perspicere posses.
It was my greatest desire to be with you in Rome for many reasons, but especially so that both in seeking and in administering the consulship you might be able to perceive my due devotion to you.
ac petitionis quidem tuae ratio mihi semper fuit explorata, sed tamen navare operam volebam; in consulatu vero cupio equidem te minus habere negoti, sed moleste fero me consulem tuum studium adulescentis perspexisse, te meum, cum id aetatis sim, perspicere non posse.
And indeed, though the course of your candidacy was always certain to me, nevertheless I wished to devote my efforts to you; but in your consulship, I indeed desire that you have less trouble; yet I am vexed that, whereas I when consul perceived your devotion as a young man, you cannot perceive mine now that I am of this age.
§15.13.2sed ita fato nescio quo contigisse arbitror ut tibi ad me ornandum semper detur facultas, mihi ad remunerandum nihil suppetat praeter voluntatem.
But I think it has happened by some fate or other that to you is always given the opportunity to honor me, while to me nothing is available to repay you except my goodwill.
ornasti consulatum, ornasti reditum meum.
You honored my consulship, you honored my return.
incidit meum tempus rerum gerendarum in ipsum consulatum tuum.
My own time for achieving deeds has fallen right upon your consulship.
itaque cum et tua summa amplitudo et dignitas et meus magnus honos magnaque existimatio postulare videatur ut a te plurimis verbis contendam ac petam ut quam honorificentissimum senatus consultum de meis rebus gestis faciendum cures, non audeo vehementer a te contendere, ne aut ipse tuae perpetuae consuetudinis erga me oblitus esse videar aut te oblitum putem.
Therefore, since both your supreme greatness and dignity and my own high honor and reputation seem to demand that I should entreat and beg of you with many words to take care that a most honorable decree of the senate concerning my achievements be passed, I do not dare to entreat you too earnestly, lest I myself should seem to have forgotten your constant friendship toward me, or should think that you have forgotten it.
§15.13.3qua re, ut te velle arbitror, ita faciam atque ab eo, quem omnes gentes sciunt de me optime meritum, breviter petam.
Therefore, as I believe you wish, I will do so, and will briefly make my request of him whom all nations know to have deserved best of me.
si alii consules essent, ad te potissimum, Paulle, mitterem ut eos mihi quam amicissimos redderes; nunc cum tua summa potestas summaque auctoritas notaque omnibus nostra necessitudo sit, vehementer te rogo ut et quam honorificentissime cures decernendum de meis rebus gestis et quam celerrime.
If others were consuls, I would send to you above all, Paullus, that you might make them as friendly to me as possible; now, since your supreme power and authority, and our intimacy known to all, are what they are, I earnestly ask you both to care that a decree concerning my achievements be passed as honorably as possible, and as quickly as possible.
dignas res esse honore et gratulatione cognosces ex iis litteris, quas ad te et conlegam et senatum publice misi.
You will learn that my deeds are worthy of honor and thanksgiving from those letters which I have sent publicly to you, your colleague, and the senate.
omniumque mearum reliquarum rerum maximeque existimationis meae procurationem susceptam velim. habeas, in primisque tibi curae sit, quod abs te superioribus quoque litteris petivi, ne mihi tempus prorogetur.
And I should like you to hold the care of all my other affairs, and especially of my reputation, as something undertaken by you, and above all, take care—as I also requested of you in my previous letters—that my term not be prolonged.
cupio te consulem videre omniaque quae spero cum absens tum etiam praesens te consule adsequi
I desire to see you as consul, and to attain all that I hope for, both while absent and also when present, during your consulship.

Notes

  1. §15.13.1me consulem tuum studium adulescentis — me consulem serves as the subject accusative and predicative accusative of the infinitive clause, meaning 'when I was consul'. In tuum studium adulescentis, the genitive singular noun adulescentis ('of a young man') is in apposition to the person implied by the possessive adjective tuum ('your'), meaning 'your devotion as a young man'. This is set in contrast to the following clause: te meum, cum id aetatis sim...
  2. §15.13.3procurationem susceptam velim habeas — velim habeas is a polite request where the subjunctive habeas follows velim with the omission of ut. The perfect participle susceptam ('undertaken') modifies procurationem, emphasizing that the writer wishes the recipient to regard the care of his affairs as already undertaken.
  3. §15.13.3cum absens tum etiam praesens — absens and praesens are nominative adjectives agreeing with the subject of the main verb cupio (Cicero himself), serving as the implied subject of the infinitive adsequi. Because the subject of the infinitive is the same as that of the main verb, it stands in the nominative by attraction rather than the accusative.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §15.13.1-15.13.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:15.13.1-15.13.3

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