Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.45.1-13.45.3

Caesar's Early Return, Philosophical Writing, and Vestorius

Passage 375 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero informs Atticus of Caesar's early arrival before the games based on a letter brought by Lamia, and discusses the extension of his holidays, his philosophical work, and his high estimation of Vestorius as an agent.

§13.45.1fuit apud me Lamia post discessum tuum epistulamque ad me attulit missam sibi a Caesare.
Lamia was with me after your departure and brought me a letter sent to him by Caesar.
quae quamquam ante data erat quam illae Diocharinae, tamen plane declarabat illum ante ludos Romanos esse venturum.
Although this had been dispatched earlier than those letters of Diochares, yet it clearly declared that he would arrive before the Roman Games.
in qua extrema scriptum erat ut ad ludos omnia pararet neve committeret ut frustra ipse properasset.
At the end of it, it was written that he should prepare everything for the games, and not allow it to happen that he himself had hastened in vain.
prorsus ex his litteris non videbatur esse dubium quin ante eam diem venturus esset, itemque Balbo cum eam epistulam legisset videri Lamia dicebat.
Indeed, from this letter there did not seem to be any doubt but that he would arrive before that day, and Lamia said that it seemed so to Balbus as well when he had read that letter.
dies feriarum mihi additos video sed quam multos fac, si me amas, sciam.
I see that days of holiday have been added for me, but let me know, if you love me, how many they are.
de Baebio poteris et de altero vicino Egnatio.
You will be able to find out from Baebius and from your other neighbor, Egnatius.
§13.45.2quod me hortaris ut eos dies consumam in philosophia explicanda, currentem tu quidem; sed cum Dolabella vivendum esse istis diebus vides.
As for your urging me to spend those days in expounding philosophy, you are indeed urging one who is already running; but you see that during those days I must live with Dolabella.
quod nisi me Torquati causa teneret satis erat dierum ut Puteolos excurrere possem et ad tempus redire.
Indeed, if the case of Torquatus were not detaining me, there were enough days for me to run down to Puteoli and return in time.
§13.45.3Lamia quidem a Balbo, ut videbatur, audiverat multos nummos domi esse numeratos quos oporteret quam primum dividi, magnum pondus argenti;
Lamia indeed had heard from Balbus, as it seemed, that a large amount of money had been counted out at home which ought to be distributed as soon as possible, and a great weight of silver; and that (XIII. xlv M.
auctionem XIII. xlv M. TVLLI CICERONIS praeter praedia primo quoque tempore fieri oportere.
TVLLI CICERONIS) the auction, except for the estates, ought to take place at the earliest opportunity.
scribas ad me velim quid tibi placeat.
I should like you to write to me what you think best.
equidem si ex omnibus esset eligendum, nec diligentiorem nec officiosiorem nec me hercule nostri studiosiorem facile delegissem Vestorio, ad quem accuratissimas litteras dedi; quod idem te fecisse arbitror.
For my part, if choice had to be made from all, I should not easily have chosen anyone more diligent, more dutiful, or, by Hercules, more devoted to us than Vestorius, to whom I have sent a most carefully written letter; and I suppose you have done the same.
mihi quidem hoc satis videtur.
To me, indeed, this seems sufficient.
tu quid dicis? unum enim pungit ne neglegentiores esse videamur.
What do you say? For one thing pricks me, lest we should seem to be too negligent.
exspectabo igitur tuas litteras.
I shall wait, therefore, for your letter.

Notes

  1. 13.45.1illae Diocharinae — Diocharinae is a feminine plural adjective modifying the omitted noun epistulae or litterae (letters). Diochares refers to Caesar's freedman who acted as a messenger carrying his correspondence.
  2. 13.45.1neve committeret ut frustra ipse properasset — neve is a conjunction continuing the negative purpose or command clause after ut. committeret ut... means 'to allow it to happen that...' or 'to bring it about that...', here meaning 'not to let it happen that he himself had hastened in vain'.
  3. 13.45.2currentem — Accusative singular of the present participle currens, serving as the object of the implied verb of urging (hortaris or incitas). It is a Latin proverbial expression meaning 'to urge on someone who is already running' (i.e., someone who is already eager to do it).
  4. 13.45.3XIII. xlv M. TVLLI CICERONIS — This phrase originally served as a header in the manuscripts indicating the book and letter number (Book 13, Letter 45) and the author's name (M. Tullius Cicero), which was accidentally interpolated into the main text right after the word auctionem.
  5. 13.45.3si ex omnibus esset eligendum — A contrary-to-fact conditional sentence using the imperfect subjunctive (esset eligendum) and the pluperfect subjunctive (delegissem). It implies 'even if a choice had to be made among all people (which is not actually the case)'.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.45.1-13.45.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.45.1-13.45.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.