Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §10.6.1-10.6.3

Weather Delays and Difficulty with Young Quintus

Passage 229 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero, while waiting for the weather to clear, confirms his plans already shared, laments the difficulty of managing young Quintus due to his brother's indulgence, and notes his consideration of his own route based on reports of Pompey's movement.

§10.6.1me adhuc nihil praeter tempestatem moratur.
Nothing but the weather delays me so far.
astute nihil sum acturus, fiat in Hispania quidlibet: et tamen †recitet et†.
I am not going to act craftily; let whatever will happen in Spain. And yet †...†.
meas cogitationes omnis explicavi tibi superioribus litteris.
I have explained all my thoughts to you in my previous letters.
quocirca hae sunt breves, †et tamen† quia festinabam eramque occupatior.
Therefore this letter is brief, †and yet† because I was in a hurry and rather busy.
§10.6.2de Quinto filio fit a me quidem sedulo; sed nosti reliqua.
As to young Quintus, indeed, diligence is being shown by me; but you know the rest.
quod dein me mones, et amice et prudenter me mones, sed erunt omnia facilia si ab uno illo cavero.
As to your subsequent advice to me, you advise me both in a friendly and a prudent manner; but everything will be easy if I guard against that one man.
magnum opus est, mirabilia multa, nihil simplex, nihil sincerum.
It is a great task; many strange things, nothing straightforward, nothing sincere.
vellem suscepisses iuvenem regendum; pater enim nimis indulgens, quicquid ego adstrinxi relaxat.
I wish you had undertaken the guidance of the youth; for his father is too indulgent, and whatever I have tightened, he loosens.
si sine illo possem, regerem; quod tu potes.
If I could do it without him, I would guide him; which you can do.
sed ignosco; magnum, inquam, opus est.
But I excuse you; it is, I say, a great task.
§10.6.3Pompeium pro certo habemus per Illyricum proficisci in Galliam.
We hold it for certain that Pompey is marching through Illyricum into Gaul.
ego nunc qua et quo videbo.
I shall now see by what route and to what place I should go.

Notes

  1. 10.6.2fit a me quidem sedulo — The verb fit is used impersonally in the passive, with the agent expressed by a me. sedulo is an adverb meaning 'diligently.' The phrase literally translates as 'indeed, it is being done by me diligently with respect to young Quintus.'
  2. 10.6.2vellem suscepisses iuvenem regendum — vellem is the imperfect subjunctive expressing an unfulfilled wish ('I wish that...'). It is followed by suscepisses (pluperfect subjunctive, with the conjunction ut omitted) representing an unfulfilled wish in the past. regendum is a gerundive agreeing with iuvenem, expressing purpose or a task ('to be guided').
  3. 10.6.2quod tu potes — The relative pronoun quod (neuter singular accusative) refers back to the action of guiding implied by the preceding verb regerem, and functions as the direct object of potes.
  4. 10.6.3qua et quo videbo — An indirect question structure using qua (relative/interrogative adverb in the ablative, 'by what route') and quo (interrogative adverb, 'whither' / 'to what place'). It serves as the object of videbo, with the verb of the indirect clause (such as eundum sit) omitted.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §10.6.1-10.6.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:10.6.1-10.6.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

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