Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.44.1-13.44.3

Caesar's Procession and Textual Corrections

Passage 374 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero responds to Atticus's letters, expressing his reluctance to write to Caesar due to the offensive procession, while noting the public's disapproval. He also inquires about Varro's reaction to his book, requests certain texts, and instructs Atticus to correct a naming error in his speech for Ligarius.

§13.44.1suavis tuas litteras! (etsi acerba pompa.
What sweet letters of yours! (Although the procession was bitter.
verum tamen scire omnia non acerbum est, vel de Cotta) populum vero praeclarum quod propter malum vicinum ne Victoriae quidem ploditur! Brutus apud me fuit;
But still, to know everything is not bitter, even about Cotta.) Indeed, what a splendid public, since on account of the bad neighbor, not even Victoria is applauded!
quoi quidem valde placebat me aliquid ad Caesarem.
Brutus was with me; he indeed was highly pleased at the idea of my writing something to Caesar.
adnueram; sed pompa deterret.
I had assented; but the procession deters me.
§13.44.2tu tamen ausus es Varroni dare! exspecto quid iudicet.
Yet you dared to give it to Varro! I am waiting to see what he judges.
quando autem pelleget? de Attica probo.
But when will he read it through? Regarding Attica, I approve.
est quiddam etiam animum levari cum spectatione tum etiam religionis opinione et fama.
There is indeed something in the mind being relieved, not only by the spectacle, but also by religious belief and reputation.
§13.44.3Cottam mi velim mittas; Libonem mecum habeo et habueram ante Cascam.
I should like you to send me Cotta; I have Libo with me, and before that I had Casca.
Brutus mihi T. Ligari verbis nuntiavit, quod appelletur L. Corfidius in oratione Ligariana, erratum esse meum.
Brutus informed me on the authority of T. Ligarius that my naming L. Corfidius in the speech for Ligarius was an error of mine.
sed, ut aiunt, μνημονικὸν ἁμάρτημα.
But, as they say, a slip of memory.
sciebam Corfidium pernecessarium Ligariorum; sed eum video ante esse mortuum.
I knew that Corfidius was a very close friend of the Ligarii; but I see that he had died before then.
da igitur, quaeso, negotium Pharnaci, Antaeo, Salvio ut id nomen ex omnibus libris tollatur.
Therefore, please give instructions to Pharnaces, Antaeus, and Salvius, so that this name may be erased from all the copies.

Notes

  1. §13.44.1suavis tuas litteras — Accusative of exclamation. The adjective form suavis is an archaic spelling for the accusative plural suaves. It expresses strong emotion without a verb.
  2. §13.44.1ploditur — Impersonal passive of the intransitive verb plodo (a variant spelling of plaudo), meaning 'applause is given.' The dative Victoriae indicates the recipient of the applause ('to Victoria').
  3. §13.44.1me aliquid ad Caesarem — An accusative with infinitive (ACI) clause serving as the subject of the impersonal verb placebat ('it pleased [him]'), with the infinitive (such as scribere 'to write' or mittere 'to send') being omitted.
  4. §13.44.2est quiddam — est expresses existence ('there is [something]'). The content of the subject quiddam ('a certain thing') is explained by the accusative with infinitive clause animum levari ('that the mind is relieved').
  5. §13.44.3Cottam — A metonymic expression where personal names refer to the writings of these individuals or the dialogues in which they feature. Cottam refers to the work of L. Aurelius Cotta, Libonem to that of L. Scribonius Libo, and Cascam to that of C. Servilius Casca.
  6. §13.44.3quod appelletur L. Corfidius in oratione Ligariana, erratum esse meum — The main clause of the indirect speech depending on nuntiavit ('he informed') is the accusative with infinitive (ACI) erratum esse meum ('that it was my error'). The quod clause is an explanatory noun clause ('the fact that...') specifying what the error was.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.44.1-13.44.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.44.1-13.44.3

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