Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §7.21.1

Silius's Inheritance Case and Request for Trebatius's Aid

Passage 143 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero informs Trebatius that Silius visited him and shared the opinions of prominent jurists on his legal dispute, and strongly urges Trebatius to offer Silius his assistance.

§7.21.1Sili causam te docui.
I have explained Silius's case to you.
is postea fuit apud me.
He was at my house afterwards.
Cum ei dicerem tibi videri sponsionem illam nos sine periculo facere posse, 'SI BONORVM TVRPILIAE POSSESSIONEM Q. CAEPIO PRAETOR EX EDICTO SVO MIHI DEDIT,' negare aiebat Servium tabulas testamenti esse eas, quas instituisset is qui factionem testamenti non habuerit; hoc idem Ofilium dicere;
When I told him that it seemed to you that we could make that wager without danger—namely, "IF THE PRAETOR Q. CAEPIO HAS GIVEN ME POSSESSION OF THE PROPERTY OF TURPILIA ACCORDING TO HIS EDICT"—he said that Servius denied that those tablets were a will, which had been drawn up by one who had no right to make a will; and that Ofilius said the very same thing.
tecum se locutum negabat meque rogavit ut se et causam suam tibi commendarem.
He denied that he had spoken with you, and asked me to recommend him and his case to you.
nec vir melior, mi Testa, nec mihi amicior P. Silio quisquam est, te tamen excepto.
There is no better man, my dear Testa, nor anyone more friendly to me than P. Silius, you however excepted.
gratissimum mihi igitur feceris si ad eum ultro veneris eique pollicitus eris, sed, si me amas, quam primum.
You will therefore do me a very great favor if you go to him of your own accord and make him this promise—but, if you love me, as soon as possible.
hoc te vehementer etiam atque etiam rogo.
This I earnestly ask of you again and again.

Notes

  1. 7.21.1Sili — Genitive singular of the proper name Silius (contracted form), modifying 'causam'. The verb 'doceo' (to explain) takes a double accusative: 'te' (person) and 'Sili causam' (thing).
  2. 7.21.1negare aiebat Servium tabulas testamenti esse eas — The main verb is 'aiebat' (Silius said), which takes an accusative with infinitive clause 'Servium negare...' (that Servius denied) as its object. The object of 'negare' (to deny / to assert that... is not) is 'eas [tabulas] esse tabulas testamenti' (that those tablets were a testament). Thus, the whole construction means 'he said that Servius denied that those tablets (which had been drawn up by someone without the right to make a will) were a testament.'
  3. 7.21.1tecum se locutum negabat — The auxiliary verb 'esse' is omitted after 'locutum'. 'negabat' (he denied / said that ... not) with the accusative and infinitive 'se locutum [esse] tecum' means 'he denied that he had spoken with you,' i.e., 'he said he had not spoken with you.'
  4. 7.21.1P. Silio — Ablative of comparison with the comparatives 'melior' and 'amicior' ('than P. Silius').
  5. 7.21.1te tamen excepto — Ablative absolute expressing an exception: 'you, however, excepted.'

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §7.21.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:7.21.1

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