Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §12.5.1-12.5.2

The Impudence of Quintus and His Son and the Cato Treatise

Passage 276 of 461 · Latin

Summary

The author criticizes the shameful behavior of Quintus and his son, along with their impudence in asking Atticus for a contribution, while also mentioning the progress of his own writing on Cato.

§12.5.1Quintus pater quartum vel potius millesimum nihil sapit qui laetetur Luperco filio et Statio ut cernat duplici dedecore cumulatam domum.
Quintus the father has no sense for the fourth, or rather the thousandth time, in rejoicing over his son Lupercus and Statius, only to see his house heaped with double disgrace.
addo etiam Philotimum tertium.
I add also Philotimus as a third.
o stultitiam, nisi mea maior esset, singularem! quod autem os in hanc rem ἔρανον a te! fac non ad "διψῶσαν κρήνην" sed ad Πειρήνην eum venisse, "ἄμπνευμα σεμνὸν Ἀλφειοῦ" in te "κρήνῃ," ut scribis, haurire in tantis suis praesertim angustiis, ποῖ ταῦτα ἄρα
Oh, what singular folly, were my own not greater! But what face to ask a contribution from you for this matter! Suppose that he has come not to a "thirsty spring" but to Peirene, "the august breathing-place of Alpheus," to draw from you as a "spring," as you write, especially in his so great embarrassments—where on earth will this lead?
§12.5.2sed ipse viderit.
But let him see to it himself.
Cato me quidem delectat, sed etiam Bassum Lucilium sua.
Cato indeed delights me, but Lucilius Bassus also is delighted by his own works.

Notes

  1. 12.5.1qui laetetur — The relative pronoun qui, referring to the subject of the main clause Quintus, is followed by the subjunctive laetetur to express the reason or ground (in that he rejoices) for the judgment in the main clause (nihil sapit).
  2. 12.5.1quod autem os — Accusative of exclamation, meaning "what face!" or "what impudence!". A verb of requesting or demanding (such as poscere or petere) is omitted before "ἔρανον a te".
  3. 12.5.1fac — Imperative singular of facere, meaning "suppose" or "assume", taking an accusative and infinitive construction (eum venisse... haurire).
  4. 12.5.2Bassum Lucilium sua — After the conjunction sed etiam ("but also"), the verb delectant ("delight") and its subject, the neuter plural pronoun sua ("his own works"), are omitted. They are understood from the preceding clause "Cato me quidem delectat".

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §12.5.1-12.5.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:12.5.1-12.5.2

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