Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Friends §9.7.1-9.7.2

Letter to Paetus: Adapting to the Times and African News

Passage 179 of 413 · Latin

Summary

Cicero acknowledges receiving a letter from Paetus, mentions his frequent dining with Caesar's associates to adapt to the times, and discusses Caesar's expected return route and the tense situation in Africa, expressing a desire to align his plans with Paetus's.

§9.7.1cenabam apud Seium, cum utrique nostrum redditae sunt a te litterae.
I was dining at Seius's house, when letters from you were delivered to both of us.
mihi vero iam maturum videtur; nam quod ante calumniatus sum, indicabo malitiam meam; volebam prope alicubi esse, si quid bonae salutis, su/n te du/' e)rxome/nw; nunc quoniam confecta sunt omnia, dubitandum non est quin equis viris.
To me indeed it already seems to be high time; for as to my previous prevarication, I will confess my cunning; I wanted to be somewhere near, in case of any good news, "when two go together"; now, since everything is finished, there is no doubt but that we must go with all speed.
nam ut audivi de L. Caesare filio, mecum ipse: " quíd hic mihi faciét patri? " itaque non desino apud istos, qui nunc dominantur, cenitare.
For when I heard about L. Caesar's son, I said to myself: "What will this man do to me, a father?" Therefore, I do not cease to dine frequently with those who are now in power.
§9.7.2quid faciam? tempori serviendum est.
What should I do? One must yield to the times.
sed ridicula missa, praesertim cum sit nihil quod rideamus: " Africa terribili tremit horrida terra tumultu. " itaque nullum est a)poprohgme/non quod non verear.
But let us put jokes aside, especially since there is nothing for us to laugh at: "Africa, a rugged land, trembles with a terrible tumult." Therefore, there is no "dispreferred thing" that I do not fear.
sed quod quaeris, quando, qua, quo, nihil adhuc scimus.
But as to what you ask—when, by what route, whither—we know nothing as yet.
istuc ipsum de Baiis, non nulli dubitant an per Sardiniam veniat; illud enim adhuc praedium suum non inspexit nec ullum habet deterius, sed tamen non contemnit.
As to that very matter of Baiae, some doubt whether he may not come by way of Sardinia; for he has not yet inspected that estate of his, and he has none worse, but yet he does not despise it.
ego omnino magis arbitror per Siciliam Veliam, sed iam sciemus; adventat enim Dolabella.
On the whole, I rather think he will come via Sicily to Velia, but we shall know soon; for Dolabella is approaching.
Eum puto magistrum fore.
I think he will be our teacher.
" polloi\ maqhtai\ krei/ssones didaska/lwn. " sed tamen, si sciam quid tu constitueris', meum consilium accommodabo potissimum ad tuum; qua re exspecto tuas litteras.
"Many disciples are better than their teachers." But yet, if I should know what you have decided, I will adapt my plan especially to yours; therefore, I await your letter.

Notes

  1. §9.7.1equis viris — An idiomatic expression meaning "with horses and men" in the ablative, figuratively meaning "with all one's might" or "at full speed." It implies that since everything is settled, they must act without delay.
  2. §9.7.1quíd hic mihi faciét patri? — A quotation from Terence's comedy *Andria* (line 112). `mihi` is an ethical dative (or dative of reference) and `patri` is in apposition to it ("to me, a father"). Cicero quotes this to express his concern about how Caesar might treat him after hearing news about L. Caesar's son.
  3. §9.7.2tempori serviendum est — An impersonal gerundive construction expressing necessity. `tempori` is in the dative, governed by the intransitive verb `servire`, meaning "one must adapt to the times."
  4. §9.7.2sed ridicula missa — The adjective `missa` is part of an elliptical expression for `missa [faciamus]` ("let us dismiss"). Literally, "but let jokes be set aside," used as a conventional transition to serious matters.
  5. §9.7.2an per Sardiniam veniat — The conjunction `an` introduces an indirect question depending on `dubitant` ("some wonder whether..."), with the present subjunctive `veniat` expressing uncertain conjecture about Caesar's route.
  6. §9.7.2constitueris' — The apostrophe at the end of the word is a remnant of textual critical marks or manuscript variants. Grammatically, it is parsed as the perfect subjunctive second-person singular `constitueris` in an indirect question governed by `quid` ("what you have decided").
  7. §9.7.2polloi\ maqhtai\ krei/ssones didaska/lwn — A quotation of the Greek proverb "many disciples are better than their teachers." Cicero ironically applies this to his relationship with Dolabella, suggesting he will learn from Caesar's younger associate.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Friends §9.7.1-9.7.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi056.humanitext-lat1:9.7.1-9.7.2

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