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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §10.8B.1-10.8B.2

Caesar's Appeal to Cicero to Remain Neutral

Passage 234 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Caesar strongly entreats Cicero not to take a step, now that the situation is decided, which he would not have taken even when the issue was intact, and urges him to remain neutral and keep away from the civil conflict.

§10.8B.1etsi te nihil temere, nihil imprudenter facturum iudicaram, tamen permotus hominum fama scribendum ad te existimavi et pro nostra benevolentia petendum ne quo progredereris proclinata iam re quo integra etiam progrediendum tibi non existimasses.
Although I had judged that you would do nothing rashly, nothing imprudently, yet, moved by the rumors of men, I thought I should write to you and, for the sake of our mutual goodwill, ask you not to proceed, now that the issue is already decided, in a direction in which you would not have thought you should proceed even when the situation was intact.
namque et amicitiae graviorem iniuriam feceris et tibi minus commode consulueris, si non fortunae obsecutus videberis (omnia enim secundissima nobis, adversissima illis accidisse videntur), nec causam secutus (eadem enim tum fuit cum ab eorum consiliis abesse iudicasti), sed meum aliquod factum condemnavisse; quo mihi gravius abs te nil accidere potest. §10.8B.2quod ne facias pro iure nostrae amicitiae a te peto.
For indeed you will have done a graver injury to friendship and consulted less for your own advantage, if you seem not to have yielded to fortune (for all things seem to have fallen out most favorably for us, and most adversely for them), nor to have followed a cause (for the cause was the same then when you judged you should be absent from their counsels), but to have condemned some act of mine; than which nothing more grievous can happen to me from you. That you may not do this, I ask of you by the right of our friendship.
postremo quid viro bono et quieto et bono civi magis convenit quam abesse a civilibus controversiis? quod non nulli cum probarent, periculi causa sequi non potuerunt; tu explorato et vitae meae testimonio et amicitiae iudicio neque tutius neque honestius reperies quicquam quam ab omni contentione abesse. xv Kal.
Finally, what is more fitting for a good and quiet man, and a good citizen, than to keep away from civil conflicts? Although some approved of this, they could not pursue it because of danger; but you, having tested both the testimony of my life and the judgment of our friendship, will find nothing safer or more honorable than to keep away from all contention. xv Kal.
Maias ex itinere.
Maias on the journey.

Notes

  1. §10.8B.1proclinata iam re quo integra etiam progrediendum tibi non existimasses — Translated as "now that the issue is already decided (proclinata iam re), in a direction (quo) in which you would not have thought (non existimasses) you should proceed (progrediendum tibi) even when the situation was intact (integra)." Both proclinata iam re and (re) integra are ablative absolute constructions. quo is a relative adverb of direction. tibi is the dative of agent with the gerundive. existimasses (syncopated form of existimavisses) is subjunctive pluperfect, expressing a past counterfactual assumption.
  2. §10.8B.1si non fortunae obsecutus videberis ... nec causam secutus ... sed meum aliquod factum condemnavisse — In the conditional clause (si...), the verb videberis (future perfect, meaning "if you seem") governs the two perfect participles obsecutus and secutus (as nominative complements) and the perfect active infinitive condemnavisse in parallel. The structure is: "if you seem not to have yielded to fortune, nor to have followed a cause, but to have condemned some act of mine."
  3. §10.8B.2quod non nulli cum probarent, periculi causa sequi non potuerunt — The introductory quod is a relative connection (connecting relative) referring to the preceding clause (abesse a civilibus controversiis, "to keep away from civil conflicts"). The object of the main verb sequi ("to pursue, practice") is also understood from this same reference.
  4. §10.8B.2explorato et vitae meae testimonio et amicitiae iudicio — explorato is a perfect participle in the ablative neuter singular. It forms an ablative absolute construction with the two following neuter ablative nouns, testimonio and iudicio, serving as its subjects. It means "having tested (or verified) both the testimony of my life and the judgment of our friendship."

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §10.8B.1-10.8B.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:10.8B.1-10.8B.2

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