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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §1.2.1-1.2.2

Birth of Cicero's Son and Plans to Defend Catiline

Passage 2 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero informs Atticus of the birth of his son and his plan to defend his electoral rival, Catiline. He also requests Atticus's early return to Rome in January to help secure the support of the nobility.

§1.2.1L. Iulio Caesare, C. Marcio Figulo consulibus filiolo me auctum scito salva Terentia.
In the consulship of L. Iulius Caesar and C. Marcius Figulus, know that I have been blessed with a little son, and Terentia is well.
abs te tam diu nihil litterarum! ego de meis ad te rationibus scripsi antea diligenter.
Not a word of a letter from you for so long! I wrote to you before diligently about my plans.
hoc tempore Catilinam competitorem nostrum defendere cogitamus.
At this time, I am thinking of defending our competitor Catiline.
iudices habemus quos voluimus, summa accusatoris voluntate.
We have the very judges we wanted, with the full cooperation of the prosecutor.
spero, si absolutus erit, coniunctiorem illum nobis fore in ratione petitionis; sin aliter acciderit, humaniter feremus.
I hope that if he is acquitted, he will be more closely joined to us in our candidacy; but if it happens otherwise, I shall bear it like a man.
§1.2.2tuo adventu nobis opus est maturo; nam prorsus summa hominum est opinio tuos familiaris nobilis homines adversarios honori nostro fore.
I have need of your speedy arrival; for it is absolutely the general opinion of people that your noble friends will be opponents to my ambition.
ad eorum voluntatem mihi conciliandam maximo te mihi usui fore video.
I see that you will be of the greatest use to me in winning over their goodwill.
qua re Ianuario mense, ut constituisti, cura ut Romae sis.
Therefore, take care to be in Rome in the month of January, as you have resolved.

Notes

  1. 1.2.1filiolo me auctum scito — auctum is the perfect participle of augeo (to increase, enrich). "me auctum [esse] scito" literally means "know that I have been increased (by a child)," a standard Roman idiom for having a child born. "filiolo" is a diminutive of "filius" (son).
  2. 1.2.1summa accusatoris voluntate — Ablative of attendant circumstances. Literally "with the greatest goodwill of the prosecutor." It suggests that the prosecutor cooperated with Cicero in selecting the judges, strongly hinting at a collusive prosecution (praevaricatio).
  3. 1.2.2nobis opus est maturo — "nobis" is dative, and "adventu...maturo" is ablative. This is the "opus est" + dative (person in need) + ablative (thing needed) construction. The adjective "maturo" modifies "adventu" (speedy arrival).

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §1.2.1-1.2.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:1.2.1-1.2.2

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