Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §16.4.1-16.4.4

Concerns over Medical Treatment and Urging Tiro to Recover

Passage 394 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero strongly urges the ailing Tiro not to rush his journey and to focus on fully recovering, while expressing concerns over his doctor's treatment and detailing the support available from others.

§16.4.1Varie sum adfectus tuis litteris, valde priore pagina perturbatus, paulum altera recreatus.
I was variously affected by your letter, greatly disturbed by the first page, and a little reassured by the other.
qua re nunc quidem non dubito quin, quoad plane valeas, te neque navigationi neque viae committas.
Therefore, now indeed I do not doubt that you will not commit yourself either to a voyage or to a journey until you are fully recovered.
satis te mature videro, si plane confirmatum videro.
I shall have seen you soon enough if I see you fully restored.
de medico et tu bene existimari scribis et ego sic audio; sed plane curationes eius non probo; ius enim dandum tibi non fuit, quom kakosto/maxos esses.
About the doctor, you too write that he is well regarded, and I hear the same; but I do not at all approve of his treatments; for broth ought not to have been given to you when you were suffering from a bad stomach.
sed tamen et ad illum scripsi accurate et ad Lysonem.
Nevertheless, I have written carefully both to him and to Lyso.
§16.4.2ad Curium vero, suavissimum hominem et summi offici summaeque humanitatis, multa scripsi, in his etiam ut, si tibi videretur, te ad se traferret; Lyso enim noster vereor ne neglegentior sit, primum quia omnes Graeci, deinde quod, cum a me litteras accepisset, mihi nullas remisit.
But to Curius, a most charming man of the highest sense of duty and the greatest kindness, I have written at length, and in this letter also that, if it should seem good to you, he should transfer you to his own house; for I fear that our friend Lyso may be somewhat negligent, first because all Greeks are so, and next because, although he received a letter from me, he sent none back to me.
sed eum tu laudas; tu igitur quid faciendum sit iudicabis.
But you praise him; you therefore will judge what ought to be done.
illud, mi Tird, te rogo sumptu ne parcas ulla in re, quod ad valetudinem opus sit.
My Tiro, I ask you this, not to spare expense in any matter which is necessary for your health.
scripsi ad Curium quod dixisses daret.
I have written to Curius to give whatever you might say.
Medico ipsi puto aliquid dandum esse, quo sit studiosior.
I think something should be given to the doctor himself, so that he may be more attentive.
§16.4.3innumerabilia tua sunt in me officia domestica, forensia, urbana, provincialia, in re privata, in publica, in studiis, in litteris nostris; omnia viceris, si, ut spero, te validum videro.
Your services to me are countless, at home, in the forum, in the city, in the province, in private affairs, in public ones, in our studies, and in our literature; you will have surpassed them all if, as I hope, I see you in good health.
ego puto te bellissime, si recte erit, cum quaestore Mescinio decursurum.
I think that you, if all goes well, will travel very comfortably in the company of the quaestor Mescinius.
non inhumanus est teque, ut mihi visus est, diligit.
He is not unkind and, as it seemed to me, is fond of you.
et cum valetudini tuae diligentissime consulueris, tum, mi Tiro, consulito navigationi.
And when you have most carefully consulted your health, then, my Tiro, consult about your voyage.
nulla in re iam te festinare volo; nihil laboro, nisi ut salvus sis.
I do not want you to hurry now in any matter; I have no anxiety except that you may be safe.
§16.4.4sic habeto, mi Tiro, neminem esse qui me amet quin idem te amet, et cum tua et mea maxime interest te valere, tum multis est curae.
Be assured of this, my Tiro, that there is no one who loves me who does not also love you; and while it is of the greatest importance to both you and me that you are well, it is also a care to many.
adhuc dum mihi nullo loco deesse vis, numquam te confirmare potuisti; nunc te nihil impedit; omnia depone, corpori servi.
Up to now, while you wished to fail me in no place, you have never been able to recover your strength; now nothing hinders you; lay aside everything, be a servant to your body.
quantam diligentiam in valetudinem tuam contuleris, tanti me fieri a te iudicabo.
By how much care you bestow on your health, by so much shall I judge that I am valued by you.
vale, mi Tiro, vale, vale et salve.
Farewell, my Tiro, farewell, farewell and be well.
Lepta tibi salutem dicit et omnes.
Lepta sends his regards to you, and so do all.
vale.
Farewell.
VII id. Nov. Leucade.
November 7, from Leucas.

Notes

  1. §16.4.1quom kakosto/maxos esses — The subjunctive imperfect esses in the clause introduced by quom (= cum) describes the past situation ('when you were') or provides the reason ('since you were'). The loanword kakostomachos (dyspeptic) of Greek origin functions as a predicate nominative.
  2. §16.4.2quod dixisses daret — The subjunctive daret introduces an indirect command following scripsi ad Curium, with the conjunction ut omitted. In the relative clause quod dixisses, which is the object of daret, the pluperfect subjunctive dixisses represents what Tiro 'would have said' from a past perspective (subjunctive of virtual future-perfect in past sequence).
  3. §16.4.4tua et mea maxime interest — The construction of the impersonal verb interest (it is of importance to). When the persons concerned are of the first or second person, the ablative feminine singular of the possessive pronominal adjectives (meā, tuā) is used instead of the genitives (mei, tui). The actual subject of interest is the accusative and infinitive clause te valere (that you are well).
  4. §16.4.4tanti me fieri a te — The genitive of value tanti modifies the passive infinitive fieri (to be valued, esteemed). Corresponding to the relative quantam, it forms a correlative structure expressing proportion: 'by how much (quantam) care you bestow... by so much (tanti) shall I judge that I am valued by you.'

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §16.4.1-16.4.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:16.4.1-16.4.4

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