Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.40.1-13.40.2

Brutus's Report on Young Quintus and Advice on Returning

Passage 370 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero receives news from Brutus about his nephew, the younger Quintus, and reacts to it with irony, while asking Atticus for advice on whether he should return to Rome.

§13.40.1itane? nuntiat Brutus illum ad bonos viros? εὐαγγέλια.
Is that so? Does Brutus report that he has gone over to the honest men? Good news!
sed ubi eos? nisi forte se suspendit. †hic autem ut fultum est. † ubi igitur φιλοτέχνημα illud tuum quod vidi in Parthenone, Ahalam et Brutum? sed quid faciat? illud optime, "sed ne is quidem qui omnium flagitiorum auctor bene de nostro. " at ego verebar ne etiam Brutus eum diligeret; ita enim significarat iis litteris quas ad me, "at vellem aliquid degustasses de fabulis. " sed coram, ut scribis.
But where are they? Unless perhaps he has hanged himself. †But here, how things are supported.† Where, then, is that masterpiece of yours which I saw in your Parthenon, I mean Ahala and Brutus? But what is he to do? That other thing is excellent: 'But not even he, who is the author of all crimes, speaks well of our man.' But I was afraid that even Brutus might be fond of him; for he had indicated as much in the letter he sent me, 'But I wish you had tasted something of our talk.' But in person, as you write.
§13.40.2etsi quid mi auctor es? advolone an maneo? equidem et in libris haereo et illum hic excipere nolo; ad quem, ut audio, pater hodie ad Saxa †acrimonia. † mirum quam inimicus ibat ut ego obiurgarem.
Although, what do you advise me to do? Shall I fly to you, or stay? For my part, I am both stuck in my books and unwilling to receive him here; to whom, as I hear, his father has gone today at Saxa with †bitterness.† It is wonderful how hostile he was as he started, so that I had to reprove him.
sed ego ipse κεκέπφωμαι.
But I myself have been made a gull.
itaque posthac.
And so, in future.
tu tamen vide quid de adventu meo censeas et τὰ ὅλα, cras si perspici potuerint, mane statim ut sciam.
You, however, see what you think about my arrival; and as for the whole matter, if it can be seen through tomorrow, let me know first thing in the morning.

Notes

  1. §13.40.1nuntiat Brutus illum ad bonos viros? εὐαγγέλια. sed ubi eos? nisi forte se suspendit. — The expression of going to the 'boni viri' (honest/good men) is humorously reinterpreted as going to the deceased good men in the underworld by committing suicide. 'nisi forte' (unless perhaps) introduces an ironic assumption.
  2. §13.40.1bene de nostro — A verb of speaking or thinking (such as 'loquitur' or 'sentit') is omitted after 'nostro'. 'nostro' is an ablative used substantively, referring to 'our man' (the younger Quintus).
  3. §13.40.1vellem aliquid degustasses — 'vellem' is the imperfect subjunctive of 'volo', expressing an unfulfilled wish ('I wish that...'). 'degustasses' is a syncopated form of 'degustavisses' (pluperfect subjunctive).
  4. §13.40.2advolone an maneo — The deliberative nuance ('Should I fly...?') which normally requires the subjunctive (advolemne...) is here expressed using the present indicative 'advolo' and 'maneo' with the enclitic '-ne'. This is a colloquial and epistolary idiom.
  5. §13.40.2κεκέπφωμαι — The first-person singular perfect passive of the Greek verb κεπφόομαι (to be made a gull, to be fooled). Cicero self-deprecatingly refers to his own foolishness or to having been deceived by the younger Quintus.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.40.1-13.40.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.40.1-13.40.2

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