Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.2B.1

Urging Atticus to Visit and Regret over Dionysius

Passage 331 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero mentions the auction of Peducaeus and a potential delay caused by Faberius, urging Atticus to visit when possible, while expressing his regret over Dionysius's prolonged absence from his pupils.

§13.2B.1cras igitur auctio Peducaei.
Tomorrow, then, is the auction of Peducaeus.
cum poteris ergo; etsi impediet fortasse Faberius.
Come, therefore, when you can; although perhaps Faberius will prevent you.
sed tamen cum licebit.
But anyway, when it is possible.
Dionysius noster graviter queritur et tamen iure a discipulis abesse tam diu.
Our friend Dionysius complains bitterly, and yet with good reason, about being away from his pupils so long.
multis verbis scripsit ad me, credo item ad te.
He wrote to me at great length, and I believe likewise to you.
mihi quidem videtur etiam diutius afuturus.
To me, indeed, he seems likely to be away even longer.
ac nollem; valde enim hominem desidero.
I wish it were not so; for I miss the man greatly.
a te litteras exspectabam, nondum scilicet; nam has mane rescribebam.
I was expecting a letter from you—not yet, of course, for I am writing this reply in the morning.

Notes

  1. 13.2B.1cum poteris — A verb such as venies (you will come) or scribes (you will write) is omitted after 'when you can'. Based on the context, it is understood as urging Atticus to visit.
  2. 13.2B.1abesse — An accusative with infinitive construction functioning as the object of queritur (complains), with the reflexive pronoun se (himself) omitted as the subject. The author's parenthetical assessment et tamen iure (and yet with good reason) is inserted, meaning 'he complains about being away, though there is a valid reason for it'.
  3. 13.2B.1afuturus — A personal construction (nominative with infinitive) used with videtur, where afuturus is part of the future active infinitive afuturus [esse]. It agrees in gender, number, and case (masculine singular nominative) with the subject (Dionysius). It is equivalent to the impersonal construction videtur eum afuturum esse.
  4. 13.2B.1nollem — The subjunctive imperfect in an independent clause expressing an unattainable wish in the present, or a polite negative wish ('I wish it were not so'). Here it refers to Dionysius's prolonged absence.
  5. 13.2B.1exspectabam — An epistolary imperfect. A Roman epistolary convention where an action ongoing at the time of writing ('I am expecting') is put into the past tense, viewing it from the recipient's perspective when they read the letter. The same applies to rescribebam below, and thus they are translated into natural present tenses in modern languages.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.2B.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.2B.1

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