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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §10.3.1

Inquiry about Caesar's Movements and the Situation

Passage 224 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero explains to Atticus that, having nothing else to write, he is sending this letter to ask for crucial news regarding Caesar's movements and the political situation, and will wait for his reply at Arcanum.

§10.3.1cum quod scriberem plane nihil haberem, haec autem reliqua essent quae scire cuperem, profectusne esset, quo in statu urbem reliquisset, in ipsa Italia quem cuique regioni aut negotio praefecisset, ecqui essent ad Pompeium et ad consules ex senatus consulto de pace legati, ut igitur haec scirem dedita opera has ad te litteras misi.
Since I have absolutely nothing to write, but on the other hand, there remain these things which I am eager to know—namely, whether he has set out, in what state he has left the city, whom he has appointed over each region or business in Italy itself, and whether there are any envoys sent for peace to Pompey and the consuls in accordance with the decree of the senate—therefore, in order that I might know these things, I have sent this letter to you on purpose.
feceris igitur commode mihique gratum si me de his rebus et si quid erit aliud quod scire opus sit feceris certiorem.
You will therefore do what is convenient and very pleasing to me, if you make me more certain about these matters, and about anything else which there may be need to know.
ego in Arcano opperior dum ista cognosco.
For my part, I am waiting at Arcanum until I learn those things from you.

Notes

  1. §10.3.1quod scriberem — The subjunctive scriberem is used in a relative clause after the negative antecedent nihil, expressing characteristic or purpose/suitability ('what to write').
  2. §10.3.1profectusne esset — The four clauses starting with profectusne esset and ending with legati are indirect questions in apposition to haec, all standing in the subjunctive.
  3. §10.3.1feceris ... feceris certiorem — Both feceris (in the main clause) and feceris (in the conditional clause) are future perfect, forming a polite idiomatic expression of request ('you will have done a favor if you will have informed me').
  4. §10.3.1dum ista cognosco — The conjunction dum with the present indicative cognosco denotes the future limit ('until I learn those things'), presenting the expectation vividly in connection with the current waiting.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §10.3.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:10.3.1

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