Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §11.25.1-11.25.3

Abandoning Consolation and Anxiety over Tullia's Dowry

Passage 271 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero tells Atticus that he will no longer seek advice or consolation, though he wishes to continue receiving letters. He also mentions the unconfirmed rumor of Caesar's departure and expresses deep anxiety over securing his daughter Tullia's property and resolving her dowry issues.

§11.25.1facile adsentior tuis litteris quibus exponis pluribus verbis nullum consistere consilium quo a te possim iuvari.
I readily agree with your letter in which you explain at length that there is no plan by which I can be helped by you.
consolatio certe nulla est quae levare possit dolorem meum.
There is certainly no consolation that can relieve my pain.
nihil est enim contractum casu (nam id esset ferendum), sed omnia fecimus iis erroribus et miseriis et animi et corporis quibus proximi utinam mederi maluissent! quam ob rem quoniam neque consili tui neque consolationis cuiusquam spes ulla mihi ostenditur, non quaeram haec a te posthac; tantum velim ne intermittas, scribas ad me quicquid veniet tibi in mentem cum habebis cui des et dum erit ad quem des; quod longum non erit.
For nothing has been brought about by chance (for that would be endurable), but we have brought everything upon ourselves by those errors and miseries both of mind and body, which I wish my family had preferred to cure! Therefore, since no hope either of your advice or of anyone's consolation is shown to me, I will not seek these from you hereafter; I would only wish that you do not cease, but write to me whatever comes into your mind, as long as you have someone to give it to, and while there is someone to give it to; which will not be for long.
§11.25.2illum discessisse Alexandria rumor est non firmus ortus ex Sulpici litteris; quas cuncti postea nuntii confirmarunt.
There is an unconfirmed rumor, arising from Sulpicius's letter, that he has left Alexandria; which all subsequent messengers have later confirmed.
quod verum an falsum sit, quoniam mea nihil interest, utrum malim nescio.
Whether this is true or false, since it does not concern me at all, I do not know which I would prefer.
§11.25.3quod ad te iam pridem de testamento scripsi, apud †epistulas velim ut possim adversas.
As to what I wrote to you some time ago about the will, †I wish I could deal with those letters†.
† ego huius miserrimae †facultate† confectus conflictor.
I am worn out and tormented by the †means (misfortune)† of this most wretched girl.
nihil umquam simile atum puto.
I think nothing like this has ever happened.
quoi si qua re consulere aliquid possum, cupi a te admoneri.
If I can be of any help to her in any way, I desire to be advised by you.
video eandem esse difficultatem quam in consilio dando ante.
I see that there is the same difficulty as before in giving advice.
tamen hoc me magis sollicitat quam omnia.
Yet this troubles me more than everything.
in pensione secunda caeci fuimus.
In the second installment, we were blind.
aliud mallem; sed praeteriit.
I should have preferred another way; but it is past.
te oro, ut in perditis rebus si quid cogi, confici potest quod sit in tuto, ex argento atque satis multa ex supellectile, des operam.
I beg you, in this desperate situation, if anything can be collected and secured in safety from the silver and a sufficient amount from the furniture, to apply yourself to it.
iam enim mihi videtur adesse extremum nec ulla fore condicio pacis eaque quae sunt etiam sine adversario peritura.
For indeed the end seems to me to be near, and there will be no condition of peace, and those things which exist are bound to perish even without an enemy.
haec etiam, si videbitur, cum Terentia loquere opportune.
Speak of these things too with Terentia at a favorable opportunity, if it seems best.
non queo omnia scribere.
I cannot write everything.
vale.
Farewell.
iii Non. Quintil.
July 5th.

Notes

  1. 11.25.1quibus proximi utinam mederi maluissent! — utinam maluissent is a pluperfect subjunctive expressing an unachievable wish in the past ("would that they had preferred"). quibus is a relative pronoun referring back to erroribus et miseriis, and it is in the dative case because it is governed by the verb mederi (to cure, remedy). proximi ("those closest", "family") in this context refers to Cicero's family, especially Terentia.
  2. 11.25.2quoniam mea nihil interest — Syntactic construction of the impersonal verb interest (it concerns/matters). When the person concerned is a first- or second-person pronoun, the feminine ablative singular of the possessive adjective (mea, tua, etc.) is used instead of the genitive (mei, tui, etc.). nihil functions adverbially to mean "not at all."
  3. 11.25.3te oro, ut in perditis rebus si quid cogi, confici potest quod sit in tuto, ex argento atque satis multa ex supellectile, des operam — The main structure is te oro, ut... des operam ("I beg you to take pains..."). Inside the ut clause, the conditional clause si quid cogi, confici potest is inserted, along with the prepositional phrases ex argento atque satis multa ex supellectile ("from the silver and a sufficient amount from the furniture") which specify the source of quid ("anything"). quod sit in tuto is a relative clause (in the subjunctive) modifying quid.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §11.25.1-11.25.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:11.25.1-11.25.3

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