Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §12.33.1-12.33.2

Damasippus' Land and Concern for Attica's Illness

Passage 305 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero requests Atticus to approach Damasippus regarding a property transaction if negotiations with Silius or Drusus fail, while expressing his deep anxiety over the illness of young Attica.

§12.33.1ego, ut heri ad te scripsi, si et Silius is fuerit quem tu putas nec Drusus facilem se praebuerit, Damasippum velim adgrediare.
As I wrote to you yesterday, if Silius turns out to be the man you think he is, and Drusus does not show himself accommodating, I should like you to approach Damasippus.
is, opinor, ita partis fecit in ripa nescio quotenorum iugerum ut certa pretia constitueret; quae mihi nota non sunt.
He, I believe, has made partitions on the river bank of I know not how many jugera, in such a way as to fix definite prices; these are not known to me.
scribes ad me igitur quicquid egeris.
Therefore, write to me whatever you do.
§12.33.2vehementer me sollicitat Atticae nostrae valetudo ut verear etiam ne quae culpa sit.
The health of our dear Attica disquiets me so much that I even fear lest there has been some negligence.
sed et paedagogi probitas et medici adsiduitas et tota domus in omni genere diligens me rursus id suspicari vetat.
But the integrity of her tutor, the attentiveness of the doctor, and the whole household, diligent in every way, forbid me on the other hand to suspect this.
cura igitur; plura enim non possum.
Take care of her, then; for I can write no more.

Notes

  1. 12.33.1velim adgrediare — 'I should like you to approach'. velim is a potential subjunctive expressing a polite wish, and adgrediare (the alternative second-person singular present subjunctive ending of the deponent verb, instead of adgrediaris) is subordinated to velim with the omission of ut.
  2. 12.33.1nescio quotenorum iugerum — 'of I know not how many jugera'. nescio quoteni functions as a compound indefinite adjective meaning 'I know not how many', modifying iugerum, which is the genitive plural of iugerum (a unit of land area, equivalent to iugerorum).
  3. 12.33.2ut verear etiam ne quae culpa sit — 'so that I even fear lest there is some fault'. ut introduces a clause of result, corresponding to the adverb vehementer in the main clause, and takes the subjunctive verear. ne quae culpa sit is a substantive clause after a verb of fearing (verear), where quae is the indefinite adjective (feminine singular nominative, modifying culpa) used after ne in place of aliquae.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §12.33.1-12.33.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:12.33.1-12.33.2

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