Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §6.9.1-6.9.2

Recommendation of Caecina to Furfanius

Passage 109 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero describes his long-standing deep friendship with Aulus Caecina and recommends him to Furfanius, asking that a special favor, commensurate with his esteem for Cicero, be added to the goodwill Furfanius already naturally has towards Caecina.

§6.9.1Cum A. Caecina tanta mihi familiaritas consuetudoque semper fuit, ut nulla maior esse possit; nam et patre eius, claro homine et forti viro, plurimum usi sumus et hunc a puero, quod et spem magnam mihi adferebat summae probitatis summaeque eloquentiae et vivebat mecum coniunctissime non solum officiis amicitiae sed etiam studiis communibus, sic semper dilexi, nullo ut cum homine coniunctius viverem.
With Aulus Caecina I have always had such great intimacy and social intercourse that none could be greater; for I was on very close terms with his father, an illustrious and brave man, and this man himself from his boyhood—since he brought me great hope of the highest integrity and the highest eloquence, and lived with me most closely, not only in the duties of friendship but also in our common studies—I have always loved in such a way that I lived more closely with no other man.
§6.9.2nihil attinet me plura scribere; quam mihi necesse sit eius salutem et fortunas quibuscumque rebus possim tueri, vides.
There is no need for me to write more; you see how necessary it is for me to protect his safety and fortunes by whatever means I can.
reliquum est ut, cum cognorim pluribus rebus quid tu et de bonorum fortuna et de rei p. calamitatibus sentires, nihil a te petam nisi ut ad eam voluntatem, quam tua sponte erga Caecinam habiturus es, tantus cumulus accedat commendatione mea, quanti me a te fieri intellego.
It remains that, since I have learned from many circumstances what you think both of the fortune of good men and of the calamities of the republic, I ask nothing of you except that to that goodwill which you of your own accord are going to have towards Caecina, there may be added, by my recommendation, such a great addition as I understand I am valued by you.
hoc mihi gratius facere nihil potes.
You can do nothing more pleasing to me than this.
vale.
Farewell.

Notes

  1. §6.9.1mihi — Dative of possession, used with fuit to mean 'I have had...'.
  2. §6.9.1usi sumus — The perfect first-person plural of the verb utor, which governs the ablative case, taking patre eius (and its appositives claro homine et forti viro) as its object. The plural form refers to Cicero himself ('editorial we').
  3. §6.9.2quanti — Genitive of value, indicating the degree of esteem. Used with fieri (the passive of facio, meaning 'to be valued/esteemed') to express 'how highly I am valued.' It corresponds to tantus cumulus.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §6.9.1-6.9.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:6.9.1-6.9.2

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.