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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.34.1

Arrival at Astura and Postponing Return to Rome

Passage 365 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero reports his arrival at Astura and requests Atticus to arrange that he does not have to return to Rome before the Nones, and to settle the business with Publilius in his absence.

§13.34.1Asturam veni viii Kal. vesperi.
I arrived at Astura on the evening of the eighth day before the Kalends.
vitandi enim caloris causa Lanuvi tris horas acquieveram.
For I had rested for three hours at Lanuvium for the sake of avoiding the heat.
tu velim, si grave non erit, efficias ne ante Nonas mihi illuc veniendum sit (id potes per Egnatium Maximum), illud in primis, cum Publilio me absente conficias.
I would like you, if it will not be a trouble, to manage that I do not have to come there before the Nones (you can do that through Egnatius Maximus); above all, that you settle the business with Publilius in my absence.
de quo quae fama sit scribes.
You will write what the rumor is about this.
"id populus curat scilicet!" non me hercule arbitror; etenim haec decantata erat fabula.
"The public cares about that, of course!" By Hercules, I do not think so; for indeed this was a well-worn story.
sed complere paginam volui.
But I wanted to fill up the page.
quid plura? ipse enim adsum, nisi quid tu prorogas.
Why write more? For I shall be there in person, unless you postpone anything.
scripsi enim ad te de hortis.
For I have written to you about the gardens.

Notes

  1. §13.34.1viii Kal. — An abbreviation for *ante diem octavum Kalendas Iulias* (the eighth day before the Kalends of July), which corresponds to June 24 in the reformed Julian calendar. The Romans used inclusive counting, including both the target day (July 1) and the departure day.
  2. §13.34.1Lanuvi — The locative case of the proper noun *Lanuvium*, indicating the place where the action occurred ('at Lanuvium').
  3. §13.34.1tu velim ... efficias — A hortatory/optative subjunctive construction where *velim* (present subjunctive of *volo*, expressing a polite wish) is directly followed by the present subjunctive *efficias* without *ut*. The explicit pronoun *tu* emphasizes the request to Atticus.
  4. §13.34.1illud in primis, cum Publilio me absente conficias — The pronoun *illud* acts proleptically as the object of *efficias* (or an implied *velim*), with its content explained by *cum Publilio... conficias*. *conficias* is a subjunctive dependent on *velim* (or continuing the hortatory force). *me absente* is an ablative absolute.
  5. §13.34.1id populus curat scilicet! — An anticipated objection from Atticus quoted proleptically with irony. *scilicet* lends a sarcastic tone to the imaginary objection about public interest in Cicero's private affairs (his divorce/financial dispute with Publilia).

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.34.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.34.1

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