Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §5.6.1-5.6.3

Blocking Sestius's Successor and Cicero's Debts

Passage 80 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero reports to Sestius about his efforts to block the appointment of Sestius's successor, explains his own massive debt along with the current financial climate, and mentions his defense of Antonius.

§5.6.1Cum ad me Decius librarius venisset egissetque mecum, ut operam darem ne tibi hoc tempore succederetur, quamquam illum hominem frugi et tibi amicum existimabam, tamen, quod memoria tenebam, cuius modi ad me litteras antea misisses, non satis credidi homini prudenti tam valde esse mutatam voluntatem tuam.
When Decius the copyist had come to me and entreated me to take care that a successor should not be appointed to you at this time, although I considered him an honest man and a friend to you, yet, because I kept in mind what kind of letters you had sent to me before, I did not quite believe that the will of a prudent man like you had been so greatly changed.
sed, postea quam et Cornelia tua Terentiam convenit, et ego cum Q. Cornelio locutus sum, adhibui diligentiam, quotienscumque senatus fuit, ut adessem, plurimumque in eo negoti habui ut Q. Fufium, tr.
But, after your Cornelia met with Terentia, and I spoke with Q. Cornelius, I took diligence to be present whenever the senate met, and I had a great deal of trouble in forcing Q.
pl. , et ceteros, ad quos tu scripseras, cogerem is mihi potius credere quam tuis litteris.
Fufius, the tribune of the plebs, and the others to whom you had written, to believe me rather than your letters.
omnino res tota in mensem Ianuarium reiecta erat, sed facile obtinebatur.
On the whole, the entire matter was postponed to the month of January, but it was easily maintained.
§5.6.2ego tua gratulatione commotus, quod ad me pridem scripseras velle te bene evenire, quod de Crasso domum emissem, cmi cani ipsam domum X_X_X_V_ aliquanto post tuam gratulationem.
Moved by your congratulation, because you had written to me some time ago that you wished it to turn out well that I had bought a house from Crassus, I bought that very house for X_X_X_V_ some time after your congratulation.
itaque nunc me scito tantum habere acris alieni, ut cupiam coniurare, si quisquam recipiat; sed partim odio inducti me excludunt et aperte vindicem coniurationis oderunt, partim non credunt et a me insidias metuunt nec putant ei nummos desse posse, qui ex obsidione feneratores exemerit.
And so, know that I now have so much debt that I should desire to conspire, if anyone would receive me; but some, led by hatred, exclude me and openly hate the punisher of the conspiracy, while others do not believe it and fear a trap from me, nor do they think that money can be lacking to a man who rescued the usurers from blockade.
omnino semissibus magna copia est; ego autem meis rebus gestis hoc sum adsecutus, ut bonum nomen existimer.
On the whole, there is a great abundance of money at six percent; as for me, by my achievements I have attained this, that I am considered a good credit.
§5.6.3domum tuam atque aedificationem omnem perspexi et vehementer probavi.
I inspected your house and all the building works, and highly approved of them.
Antonium, etsi eius in me officia omnes desiderant, tamen in senatu gravissime ac diligentissime defendi senatumque vehementer oratione mea atque auctoritate commovi.
As for Antonius, although everyone regrets his lack of services toward me, yet I defended him in the senate with great gravity and diligence, and strongly moved the senate by my speech and authority.
tu ad me velim litteras crebrius mittas.
I would wish you to send me letters more frequently.

Notes

  1. 5.6.1ne tibi hoc tempore succederetur — The verb succedere (to succeed, be appointed in place of) takes a dative. Therefore, its passive form is used impersonally in the third person singular. "tibi" is the dative of reference governed by succederetur, literally meaning "lest it be succeeded to you".
  2. 5.6.1homini prudenti tam valde esse mutatam voluntatem tuam — "homini prudenti" (a prudent man) refers to Sestius. It functions either as a dative of possession or reference modifying "voluntatem tuam" (your will, as a prudent man's) or as a dative of judgment. "credidi" governs the accusative-with-infinitive clause "tam valde esse mutatam voluntatem tuam".
  3. 5.6.2ut cupiam coniurare, si quisquam recipiat — "ut cupiam" is a consecutive clause (ut + subjunctive) introduced by "tantum...aeris alieni" (so much debt). In the conditional clause "si quisquam recipiat", the present subjunctive "recipiat" expresses a hypothetical possibility ("if anyone should receive me").
  4. 5.6.2qui ex obsidione feneratores exemerit — A relative clause whose antecedent is implied in "ei" (a man who...). It refers to the historical fact that Cicero, by suppressing the Catilinian conspiracy, rescued creditors (usurers) from ruin (metaphorically "blockade"). "exemerit" is in the subjunctive, characteristic of relative clauses of characteristic.
  5. 5.6.2semissibus magna copia est — "semissibus" is the dative or ablative plural of "semis" (half, i.e., six-twelfths of an as, meaning a 6% interest rate). The phrase means "there is an abundant supply of money at six percent interest".
  6. 5.6.3etsi eius in me officia omnes desiderant — "desiderant" here means "to regret the absence of" or "to find wanting". The concessive clause (introduced by "etsi") describes a situation where everyone notices and regrets the lack of Antonius's ("eius") services ("officia") toward Cicero.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §5.6.1-5.6.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:5.6.1-5.6.3

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