Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §7.13.1-7.13.2

Apology for Silence and Advice on the Gallic Situation

Passage 135 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero explains to Testa that the interruption in his correspondence was due to not knowing his whereabouts, not anger, while playfully teasing his success under Caesar. He also cautions him about the volatile situation in Gaul, where force prevails over law, and advises him to stay safe.

§7.13.1adeone me iniustum esse existimasti ut tibi irascerer, quod parum mihi constans et nimium cupidus decedendi viderere, ob eamque causam me arbitrarere litteras ad te iam diu non misisse? mihi perturbatio animi tui, quam primis litteris perspiciebam, molestiam attulit; neque alia ulla fuit causa intermissionis epistularum, nisi quod ubi esses plane nesciebam.
Did you think me to be so unjust as to be angry with you, because you seemed to me to be insufficiently constant and too eager to depart, and for that reason did you suppose that I had not sent letters to you for a long time? The disturbance of your mind, which I perceived from your first letters, brought me distress; nor was there any other cause for the intermission of letters, except that I did not know at all where you were.
hic tu me etiam insimulas nec satisfactionem meam accipis? audi, Testa mi: utrum superbiorem te pecunia facit, an quod te imperator consulit? moriar ni, quae tua gloria est, puto te malle a Caesare consuli quam inaurari.
On this, do you even accuse me and not accept my satisfaction? Listen, my Testa: does money make you more arrogant, or is it that the commander consults you? May I die if I do not think—which is your glory—that you prefer to be consulted by Caesar than to be gilded.
si vero utrumque est, quis te feret praeter me, qui omnia ferre possum?
But if it is indeed both, who will endure you except me, who can endure all things?
§7.13.2sed ut ad rem redeam, te istic invitum non esse vehementer gaudeo et, ut illud erat molestum, sic hoc est iucundum.
But to return to the matter, I rejoice greatly that you are not unwilling there, and as that was distressing, so this is pleasant.
tantum metuo ne artificium tuum tibi parum prosit; nam, ut audio, istic " non ex iure manum consertum, sed magis ferro rem repetunt, " et tu soles ad vim faciundam adhiberi, neque est quod illam exceptionem in interdicto pertimescas: 'QVOD TV PRIOR vi HOMINIBVS ARMATIS NON VENERIS'; scio enim te non esse procacem in lacessendo.
I only fear that your art may profit you too little; for, as I hear, there they "seek to recover property not by law, by joining hands, but rather with iron, "and you are accustomed to be called upon to employ force, nor is there any reason why you should dread that exception in the interdict: 'UNLESS YOU HAD NOT COME FIRST WITH FORCE AND ARMED MEN'; for I know that you are not provocative in attacking.
sed ut ego quoque te aliquid admoneam de vestris cautionibus, Treviros vites censeo.
But so that I also may advise you something regarding your cautions, I think you should avoid the Treviri.
audio capitalis esse; mallem 'aere, argento, auro' essent.
I hear they are capital; I should prefer they were 'of copper, silver, and gold'.
sed alias iocabimur.
But we shall joke at another time.
tu ad me de istis rebus omnibus scribas velim quam diligentissime.
I would like you to write to me about all these matters as carefully as possible.
D. IIII non. Mart
Given on the 4th day before the Nones of March.

Notes

  1. §7.13.1adeone me iniustum esse existimasti ut tibi irascerer... ob eamque causam me arbitrarere... non misisse — The adverb adeone (adeo + interrogative clitic -ne) modifying the main verb existimasti (2nd sg. perfect) introduces the ut-clause of result. Within this ut-clause, two verbs are coordinated: irascerer (imperfect subjunctive) and arbitrarere (an alternative form of arbitrareris, imperfect subjunctive). The quod-clause (with viderere, imperfect subjunctive) represents the reported or subjective reason subordinate to irascerer.
  2. §7.13.1moriar ni — An idiomatic expression meaning 'may I die if not...' used to express strong emphasis or oath. Moriar is a present subjunctive (1st sg.) of wish, and ni is equivalent to nisi. It takes the present indicative puto ('I think'), creating a double-negative emphasis: 'may I die if I do not think...'.
  3. §7.13.2non ex iure manum consertum, sed magis ferro rem repetunt — A quotation from Ennius' Annales. Consertum in 'manum consertum' is the supine in -um (accusative of purpose) from consero ('to join hands, engage in combat'), expressing the purpose of an implied motion or action.
  4. §7.13.2capitalis... aere, argento, auro — A clever pun by Cicero. Capitalis means 'fatal, deadly, dangerous', but also evokes the Roman minor magistrates 'tresviri capitales' (who dealt with criminal and capital matters). The words 'aere, argento, auro' refer to the formal title of the mint magistrates: 'tresviri aere argento auro flando feriundo' (triumvirs for melting and striking bronze, silver, and gold). Playing on the name of the Treviri tribe, Cicero jokes that he wishes they were the 'moneyers' (aere, argento, auro) rather than 'capital executioners' (capitalis).

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §7.13.1-7.13.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:7.13.1-7.13.2

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