Cicero · Letters to Atticus §12.38.1-12.38.2

Distraction through Writing and Quintus's Misconduct

Passage 311 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero assumes Atticus has been too busy to write and mentions that he himself is distracting his mind from grief through constant writing. He also comments on the shameful behavior of their relative Quintus, noting that he is too sorrowful already to feel any new grief.

§12.38.1non dubito quin occupatissimus fueris qui ad me nihil litterarum; sed homo nequam qui tuum commodum non exspectarit, cum ob eam unam causam missus esset.

I do not doubt that you have been extremely busy, seeing that you have sent me no letter; but he is a worthless fellow who did not wait for your convenience, although he had been sent for that single purpose.

nunc quidem, nisi quid te tenuit, suspicor te esse in suburbano.

For now indeed, unless something has detained you, I suspect you are at your suburban villa.

at ego hic scribendo dies totos nihil equidem levor sed tamen aberro. §12.38.2Asinius Pollio ad me scripsit de impuro nostro cognato.

As for me, though I am not at all relieved by writing here all day long, yet I do distract my mind.\n Asinius Pollio has written to me about our shameful relative.

quod Balbus minor nuper satis plane, Dolabella obscure, hic apertissime.

As to this, Balbus the younger wrote recently clearly enough, Dolabella obscurely, but this man most openly.

ferrem graviter si novae aegrimoniae locus esset.

I should take it heavily if there were any room for new sorrow.

sed tamen ecquid impurius? o hominem cavendum! quamquam mihi quidem—sed tenendus dolor est.

But yet, is there anything more shameful? Oh, what a man to be guarded against! Although to me indeed—but my pain must be kept in check.

tu, quoniam necesse nihil est, sic scribes aliquid si vacabis.

Since there is no necessity, you will write something in this way if you have leisure.

Notes

12.38.1qui ad me nihil litterarum — The relative pronoun qui introduces a clause of reason or fact indicating why Atticus did not write, with its antecedent being the subject of occupatissimus fueris (tu). litterarum is a partitive genitive.
12.38.1homo nequam qui tuum commodum non exspectarit — The verb est is omitted. The qui clause, with the perfect subjunctive exspectarit (syncopated from exspectaverit), describes the character of the messenger or the reason for the speaker's disapproval.
12.38.2ferrem graviter si novae aegrimoniae locus esset — A conditional sentence contrary to present fact, using the imperfect subjunctives ferrem and esset. It expresses that Cicero is already so consumed by grief over his daughter's death that there is no remaining capacity to feel any new sorrow.
12.38.2quamquam mihi quidem— — An instance of aposiopesis, where the sentence is abruptly cut off. A continuation such as 'although to me indeed it matters little' is omitted, immediately followed by self-restraint (sed tenendus dolor est).

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §12.38.1-12.38.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:12.38.1-12.38.2

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