Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §12.30.1-12.30.2

Visit to Lentulus and Settling Various Business Matters

Passage 302 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero writes to Atticus regarding the visit to Lentulus, the allocation of slaves, and concerns over the negotiations for Silius's estate, while asking him to settle various business matters with Egnatius and Ovia, and expecting a fuller letter soon.

§12.30.1quaero quod ad te scribam, sed nihil est: eadem cotidie.
I am looking for something to write to you, but there is nothing: the same things every day.
quod Lentulum invisis valde gratum.
That you are visiting Lentulus is very pleasing.
pueros attribue ei quot et quos videbitur.
Assign to him as many and such slaves as shall seem fit.
de Sili voluntate vendendi et de eo, quanti, tu vereri videris primum ne nolit, deinde ne tanti.
Regarding Silius's willingness to sell, and concerning the price, you seem to be afraid first that he may be unwilling, and secondly that it may be at such a high price.
Sicca aliter; sed tibi adsentior.
Sicca thinks otherwise; but I agree with you.
qua re, ut ei placuit, scripsi ad Egnatium.
Therefore, as he wished, I have written to Egnatius.
quod Silius te cum Clodio loqui vult, potes id mea voluntate facere commodiusque est quam quod ille a me petit, me ipsum scribere ad Clodium.
As to Silius's wish that you should speak with Clodius, you may do so with my full consent, and it is more convenient than what he asks of me, namely, that I should write to Clodius myself.
§12.30.2de mancipiis Castricianis commodissimum esse credo transigere Egnatium, quod scribis te ita futurum putare.
As to the Castrician slaves, I believe it is most convenient for Egnatius to settle the transaction, which you write you think will be the case.
cum Ovia, quaeso, vide ut conficiatur.
As for the matter with Ovia, please see to it that it is settled.
quoniam, ut scribis, nox erat, in hodierna epistula plura exspecto.
Since, as you write, it was night, I expect more in today's letter.

Notes

  1. 12.30.1ne tanti — A `ne` clause dependent on the verb of fearing `vereri`, with the verb (likely `sit`) omitted. `tanti` is a genitive of value or price, meaning 'of so great a price,' expressing the fear that the price might be too high.
  2. 12.30.1videbitur — Future indicative passive, third-person singular. It can be interpreted impersonally as 'as shall seem good (to you)' or personally with `pueri` as the subject ('as they shall seem fit'). Taking it impersonally is more natural in this context.
  3. 12.30.2transigere Egnatium — An accusative and infinitive construction (with `Egnatium` as the subject accusative and `transigere` as the infinitive). `transigere` is used intransitively or transitively here meaning 'to settle the transaction,' and the whole clause functions as the object of `credo` with `commodissimum` as the predicate.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §12.30.1-12.30.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:12.30.1-12.30.2

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.