Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §7.4.1

Arrival at Cumae, Upcoming Visit, and Advice on Health

Passage 126 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero arrives at his Cuman villa and shares his plans to move to his Pompeian villa, humorously advising his friend to stay healthy, avoid gout, and await his arrival.

§7.4.1A. d. xiiii K. in Cumanum veni cum Libone tuo vel nostro potius;
On the fourteenth day before the Kalends, I arrived at my Cuman villa with your Libo, or rather ours; I am thinking of going to my Pompeian villa immediately, but I shall let you know beforehand.
in Pompeianum statim cogito, sed faciam ante te certiorem. te cum semper valere cupio tum certe, dum hic sumus; vides enim quanto post una futuri simus.
I desire you to be well at all times, and certainly now while we are here; for you see how long it will be before we are together again.
qua re, si quod constitutum cum podagra habes, fac ut in alium diem differas.
Therefore, if you have any appointment with your gout, see that you put it off to another day.
cura igitur ut valeas, et me hoc biduo aut triduo exspecta.
Take care of your health, then, and expect me in two or three days.

Notes

  1. §7.4.1in Pompeianum statim cogito — Omission of the infinitive ire (to go) or proficisci (to set out). In epistolary Latin, cogito with an accusative of direction (or a prepositional phrase) frequently omits the verb of motion to mean 'I am thinking of going to...'.
  2. §7.4.1quanto post una futuri simus — An indirect question clause. quanto is an ablative of degree of difference modifying the adverb post ('how much later'). The verb futuri simus is a periphrastic future subjunctive, consisting of the active future participle futurus and the present subjunctive simus, representing a future action subordinate to the primary tense verb vides in the main clause.
  3. §7.4.1constitutum cum podagra — 'An appointment with gout.' constitutum means an agreement, appointment, or engagement. Here, gout (podagra) is personified, creating a humorous expression between close friends, wishing that the recipient does not have a 'previous engagement' with a gout attack.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §7.4.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:7.4.1

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Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.