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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §10.3A.1-10.3A.2

Atticus's Conduct and a Copy of Caesar's Letter

Passage 225 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero tells Atticus that he is sending a second letter on the same day following a longer one the day before, expresses understanding regarding Atticus's appearance in the Regia, and shares a copy of Caesar's letter which excuses Cicero's absence.

§10.3A.1A. d. vii Idus alteram tibi eodem die hanc epistulam dictavi et pridie dederam mea manu longiorem.
On the seventh day before the Ides, I dictated this second letter to you on the same day, having sent a longer one in my own hand the day before.
visum te aiunt in regia, nec reprehendo, quippe cum ipse istam reprehensionem non fugerim.
They say you were seen in the Regia, and I do not blame you, since I myself have not escaped that very blame.
sed exspecto tuas litteras neque iam sane video quid exspectem, sed tamen, etiam si nihil erit, id ipsum ad me velim scribas.
But I am waiting for your letter, and indeed I no longer see what to expect; nevertheless, even if there is nothing, I should like you to write just that to me.
§10.3A.2Caesar mihi ignoscit per litteras quod non venerim, seseque in optimam partem id accipere dicit.
Caesar excuses me by letter for not having come, and says that he takes it in the best part.
facile patior, quod scribit, secum Titinium et Servium questos esse quia non idem sibi quod mihi remisisset.
I am well pleased that he writes that Titinius and Servius complained to him because he had not granted the same indulgence to them as to me.
homines ridiculos! qui cum filios misissent ad Cn. Pompeium circumsedendum, ipsi in senatum venire dubitarint.
Ridiculous men! Who, though they had sent their sons to besiege Gnaeus Pompey, hesitated themselves to come to the Senate.
sed tamen exemplum misi ad te Caesaris litterarum.
But anyway, I have sent you a copy of Caesar's letter.

Notes

  1. §10.3A.1A. d. vii Idus — Abbreviation for "ante diem septimum Idus" (the seventh day before the Ides). In the Roman calendar, dates are calculated inclusively, meaning it refers to the sixth day before the Ides (which fell on either the 13th or 15th of the month).
  2. §10.3A.1visum te — An accusative-with-infinitve construction in indirect speech, where the auxiliary verb *esse* of the perfect passive infinitive *visum esse* is omitted. The phrase serves as the object of *aiunt* ("they say").
  3. §10.3A.1velim scribas — The present subjunctive *scribas* depends directly (without the conjunction *ut*) on *velim* (the present subjunctive of *volo* expressing a polite wish), representing the subjective hope "I should like you to write."
  4. §10.3A.2facile patior, quod scribit — The *quod*-clause means "the fact that he writes..." or "as for his writing that..." The phrase *facile patior* literally means "I bear it easily," but is used here in an ironic or positive sense meaning "I am well pleased with" or "I am glad."
  5. §10.3A.2ad Cn. Pompeium circumsedendum — A construction consisting of the preposition *ad* + accusative noun (*Cn. Pompeium*) + agreeing gerundive in the accusative (*circumsedendum*), expressing purpose ("to besiege Gnaeus Pompey").
  6. §10.3A.2qui... dubitarint — A relative clause introduced by *qui*, referring back to the exclamatory accusative *homines ridiculos*. The subjunctive perfect (*dubitarint*, a syncopated form of *dubitaverint*) is used to express a tone of reproach or to characterize the subjects based on their contradictory behavior ("who, having done the former, yet hesitated to do the latter").

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §10.3A.1-10.3A.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:10.3A.1-10.3A.2

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