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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.47.1

Response to Writing Request, Marcus's Expenses, and Inheritance

Passage 377 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero reports that he immediately complied with Atticus's writing request, using tragic quotations, and mentions his son Marcus's expenses, sending Pollex back for the inheritance procedure, canceling his trip to Puteoli, and Dolabella's upcoming visit.

§13.47.1"postea quam abs te, Agamemno," non "ut venirem" (nam id quoque fecissem nisi Torquatus esset) sed ut scriberem "tetigit auris nuntius, extemplo" instituta omisi; ea quae in manibus habebam abieci, quod iusseras edolavi.
"After [the messenger] from you, Agamemnon..." not "to come" (for I would have done that too had it not been for Torquatus) but to write, "the news touched my ears, straightway" I abandoned my undertakings; I threw away what I had in hand, and I finished off what you had ordered.
tu velim e Pollice cognoscas rationes nostras sumptuarias.
I would like you to learn about our expense accounts from Pollex.
turpe est enim nobis illum, qualiscumque est, hoc primo anno egere.
For it is disgraceful for us that he, whatever he is like, should be in want in this first year.
post moderabimur diligentius.
Later we shall regulate it more carefully.
idem Pollex remittendus est ut ille cernat.
The same Pollex must be sent back so that he may make the formal acceptance of the inheritance.
plane Puteolos non fuit eundum cum ob ea quae ad te scripsi tum quod Caesar adest.
Clearly there was no need to go to Puteoli, both on account of those things I wrote to you and because Caesar is near.
Dolabella scribit se ad me postridie Idus.
Dolabella writes that he is coming to me on the day after the Ides.
o magistrum molestum!
Oh, what an annoying master!

Notes

  1. §13.47.1postea quam abs te, Agamemno, — A quotation from a tragedy (likely by Accius). Cicero humorously adapts these theatrical lines to depict his immediate obedience to Atticus's request to write, comparing himself to a character responding instantly to a message from Agamemnon.
  2. §13.47.1nisi Torquatus esset — A conditional clause in the subjunctive. The apodosis is implied, referring to Aulus Torquatus (a friend of Cicero, then in exile), meaning "had it not been for the situation (or obligations) regarding Torquatus."
  3. §13.47.1illum, qualiscumque est, hoc primo anno egere — Accusative with Infinitive construction serving as the subject of the impersonal expression "turpe est". "illum" refers to Cicero's son Marcus, who was studying in Athens.
  4. §13.47.1ut ille cernat — A purpose clause. The verb "cernere" refers to the formal, legal acceptance of an inheritance (cretio). "ille" refers to the person involved in Cluvius's estate (a co-heir or agent mentioned in the preceding context).
  5. §13.47.1se ad me postridie Idus — An accusative with infinitive construction in indirect speech with the verb of motion (such as "venturum esse") omitted. "postridie" governs the accusative "Idus".

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.47.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.47.1

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