Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.17.1-13.17.2

Attica's Health and Final Confirmation on Varro

Passage 347 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero awaits fresh news from Rome and inquires about the health of young Attica. He reflects on his frequent correspondence with Atticus and, having completed a work dedicated to Varro on Atticus's advice, asks for final clarification on whether to send it.

§13.17.1iv Kal. exspectabam Roma aliquid; †non imperassem.

On the fourth day before the Kalends, I was expecting something from Rome; †I should not have given orders.

igitur aliquid tuis†.

Therefore, something from your people†.

nunc eadem illa, quid Brutus cogitet, aut si aliquid egit, ecquid a Caesare.

Now it is those same matters: what Brutus is thinking, or if he has done anything, whether there is anything from Caesar.

sed quid ista quae minus curo? Attica nostra quid agat scire cupio.

But why these things, which I care less about? I desire to know how our Attica is doing.

etsi tuae litterae (sed iam nimis veteres sunt) recte sperare iubent, tamen exspecto recens aliquid.

Although your letter (but it is already too old) bids me to have good hope, yet I am waiting for something fresh.

§13.17.2vides propinquitas quid habeat.

You see what proximity brings.

nos vero conficiamus hortos.

Let us indeed settle the business of the gardens.

conloqui videbamur in Tusculano cum essem. tanta erat crebritas litterarum.

We seemed to be conversing when I was in my Tusculan villa, so great was the frequency of our letters.

sed id quidem iam erit.

But that indeed will soon be the case again.

ego interea admonitu tuo perfeci sane argutulos libros ad Varronem sed tamen exspecto quid ad ea quae scripsi ad te, primum qui intellexeris eum desiderare a me cum ipse homo πολυγραφώτατοσ numquam me lacessisset; deinde quem ζηλοτυπεῖν nisi forte Brutum, quem si non ζηλοτυπεῖσ multo Hortensium minus aut eos qui de re publica loquuntur.

Meanwhile, by your advice, I have finished some truly neat books dedicated to Varro; yet I am waiting to hear what you have to say in reply to what I wrote to you: first, how you understood that he was wishing for something from me, when he himself, a most prolific writer (πολυγραφώτατοσ), had never challenged me; second, whom he envies (ζηλοτυπεῖν), unless perhaps Brutus; whom if he does not envy, he envies Hortensius much less, or those who speak about the republic.

plane hoc mihi explices velim, in primis maneasne in sententia ut mittam ad eum quae scripsi, an nihil necesse putes.

I would like you to explain this to me clearly, especially whether you remain in the opinion that I should send him what I have written, or whether you think it is not at all necessary.

sed haec coram.

But we shall discuss these things in person.

Notes

13.17.1non imperassem. igitur aliquid tuis — A corrupt passage marked with obeli (†). The first part is interpreted with "imperassem" (subjunctive pluperfect) used independently to mean "I should not have given orders," and the second part is understood by supplying omitted words such as "aliquid tuis [tabellariis/litteris]" (something from your messengers/letters).
13.17.2exspecto quid ad ea — A verb introducing an indirect question (such as "respondeas") is omitted after "quid": "exspecto quid [respondeas] ad ea" (I am waiting [to hear what you reply] to those things).
13.17.2ζηλοτυπεῖσ — Although the manuscript reads the second person singular "ζηλοτυπεῖσ" (you envy), the context requires Varro (third person singular) as the subject. It is therefore interpreted as a scribal error for "ζηλοτυπεῖ" (he envies) and translated in the third person.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.17.1-13.17.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.17.1-13.17.2

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