Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.14.1-13.14.2

Inclusion of Varro and Atticus in the Dialogue

Passage 345 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero consults Atticus regarding the dedication of the 'Academica' to Varro and the inclusion of Atticus as a character, while expressing concern for Attica's health amidst a lack of letters.

§13.14.1illud etiam atque etiam consideres velim, placeatne tibi mitti ad Varronem quod scripsimus.
I would like you to consider again and again whether it pleases you for what we wrote to be sent to Varro.
etsi etiam ad te aliquid pertinet.
Although this also concerns you in some way.
nam scito te ei dialogo adiunctum esse tertium.
For you must know that you have been added as a third party to that dialogue.
opinor igitur consideremus.
Therefore, I think we should consider it.
etsi nomina iam facta sunt; sed vel induci vel mutari possunt.
Although the names have already been written, they can either be erased or changed.
§13.14.2quid agit, obsecro te, Attica nostra? nam triduo abs te nullas acceperam; nec mirum.
Our Attica, I beseech you, how is she doing? For I had received no letters from you for three days; and no wonder.
nemo enim venerat nec fortasse causa fuerat.
For no one had come, and perhaps there had been no reason.
itaque ipse quod scriberem non habebam.
Therefore, I myself had nothing to write.
quo autem die has Valerio dabam exspectabam aliquem meorum.
But on the day I was giving this letter to Valerius, I was expecting one of my men.
qui si venisset et a te quid attulisset, videbam non defuturum quod scriberem.
If he should arrive and bring something from you, I saw that I would not lack anything to write.

Notes

  1. §13.14.1consideres velim — The subjunctive present 'consideres' is used without 'ut' as the object of 'velim' (the present subjunctive of 'volo' expressing a polite wish), meaning 'I would like you to consider.'
  2. §13.14.1te ei dialogo adiunctum esse tertium — The accusative 'te' functions as the subject accusative of the infinitive 'adiunctum esse', while 'tertium' is a predicative adjective agreeing in case with 'te', meaning 'as a third party.'
  3. §13.14.1induci — The verb 'induco' is used here in the sense of 'to erase, rub out, or cross out' (originally referring to spreading wax over writing on a tablet).
  4. §13.14.2dabam ... exspectabam ... videbam — These are examples of epistolary tenses, a Latin epistolary convention where actions happening at the time of writing (present) are put into past tenses (imperfect or perfect) from the perspective of the recipient reading the letter.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.14.1-13.14.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.14.1-13.14.2

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

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