Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §11.20.1-11.20.2

Pardon of Young Quintus and Doubts on Caesar

Passage 266 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero learns from a messenger arriving from Seleucia Pieria that his nephew Quintus has successfully obtained Caesar's favor, yet he remains deeply suspicious of Caesar's universal clemency and eagerly awaits Atticus's advice while contemplating a move closer to Caesar.

§11.20.1xvii K. Septembris venerat die xxviii Seleucea Pieria C. Treboni libertus qui se Antiocheae diceret apud Caesarem vidisse Quintum filium cum Hirtio; eos de Quinto quae voluissent impetrasse nullo quidem negotio.
On August 16, a freedman of Gaius Trebonius arrived, twenty-eight days from Seleucia Pieria. He said that he had seen the younger Quintus with Hirtius in Antioch in the presence of Caesar, and that they had obtained what they wanted regarding the elder Quintus with absolutely no difficulty.
quod ego magis gauderem si ista nobis impetrata quicquam ad spem explorati haberent.
I should rejoice more at this if those things obtained for us held any degree of certainty for our hope.
sed et alia timenda sunt ab aliis Quintis que, et ab hoc ipso quae dantur, ut a domino, rursus in eiusdem sunt potestate.
But there are other things to be feared from the other Quintuses, and whatever is granted by this man himself, as if from a master, remains once more in his own power.
etiam Sallustio ignovit.
He has even pardoned Sallust.
§11.20.2omnino dicitur nemini negare; quod ipsum est suspectum, notionem eius differri.
On the whole, Caesar is said to deny no one; but this very fact is suspicious, that his investigation of cases is being deferred.
M. Gallius Q. f. mancipia Sallustio reddidit.
Marcus Gallius, son of Quintus, has restored the slaves to Sallust.
is venit ut legiones in Siciliam traduceret.
The latter has come to transport the legions into Sicily.
eo protinus iturum Caesarem Patris.
It is said that Caesar will go there directly from Patrae.
quod si faciet ego, quod ante mallem, aliquo propius accedam.
If he does so, I shall move somewhat closer to him, though previously I should have preferred otherwise.
tuas litteras ad eas quibus a te proxime consilium petivi vehementer exspecto.
I am eagerly awaiting your letter in reply to those in which I recently asked for your advice.
vale.
Farewell.
xvi Kal. Septembris.
August 17.

Notes

  1. §11.20.1die xxviii Seleucea Pieria — The ablative of place from which, "Seleucea Pieria," is combined with "die xxviii" (on the twenty-eighth day) to mean "on the twenty-eighth day after leaving Seleucia Pieria."
  2. §11.20.1qui se Antiocheae diceret — The subjunctive "diceret" in the relative clause expresses a subjective report or characteristic. "se" is the subject accusative of the infinitive "vidisse," and "Antiocheae" is a locative.
  3. §11.20.1quod ego magis gauderem si ista... haberent — The sentence-connecting relative pronoun "quod" refers to the preceding statement. Both "gauderem" and "haberent" are imperfect subjunctives expressing a present contrary-to-fact condition.
  4. §11.20.2notionem eius differri — "notionem" refers to Caesar's "investigation" or "judicial inquiry." This accusative-and-infinitive clause with "differri" (to be deferred) stands in apposition to the preceding "quod ipsum est suspectum," explaining the nature of the suspicion.
  5. §11.20.2quod ante mallem — "mallem" is an imperfect subjunctive expressing an unrealized past wish, or a potentiality ("I should have preferred otherwise in the past").

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §11.20.1-11.20.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:11.20.1-11.20.2

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