Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.47A.1-13.47A.2

Lepidus's Summons and Decision to Return

Passage 378 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero receives a letter from Lepidus urging him to attend the Senate in Rome, and decides to return home just in case. He also inquires about the settlement with Publilius and shares a letter from his brother Quintus.

§13.47A.1Lepidus ad me heri vesperi litteras misit Antio. nam ibi erat. habet enim domum quam nos vendidimus.

Lepidus sent a letter to me yesterday evening from Antium, for he was there; indeed, he owns the house which we sold.

rogat magno opere ut sim Kal. in senatu; me et sibi et Caesari vehementer gratum esse facturum.

He begs me earnestly to be in the Senate on the Kalends, saying that I shall be doing what is highly agreeable both to himself and to Caesar.

puto equidem nihil esse. dixisset enim tibi fortasse aliquid Oppius, quoniam Balbus est aeger.

I myself think there is nothing in it; for Oppius would perhaps have told you something, since Balbus is ill.

sed tamen malui venire frustra quam desiderari, si opus esset. moleste ferrem postea.

But yet I preferred to come in vain rather than to be missed, if there should be need; I should be annoyed afterwards.

itaque hodie Anti cras ante meridiem domi.

And so, today I am at Antium, tomorrow before noon at home.

tu velim, nisi te impedivisti, apud nos pr. Kal. cum Pilia.

I should like you, unless you have engaged yourself, to be at my house on the day before the Kalends with Pilia.

§13.47A.2te spero cum Publilio confecisse.

I hope you have settled with Publilius.

equidem Kal. in Tusculanum recurram; me enim absente omnia cum illis transigi malo.

I myself shall hasten back to my Tusculan villa on the Kalends; for I prefer that all transactions with them should be settled in my absence.

Quinti fratris epistulam ad te misi non satis humane illam quidem respondentem meis litteris sed tamen quod tibi satis sit, ut equidem existimo.

I have sent you the letter of my brother Quintus; it is indeed not very kindly in its response to my letter, but yet such as may satisfy you, as I at least think.

tu videbis.

You will see to it.

Notes

13.47A.1Antio — Ablative of the town name Antium. Since it is a town name, it expresses the point of origin ('from Antium') without the preposition *ab*.
13.47A.1me et sibi et Caesari vehementer gratum esse facturum — An accusative with infinitive clause. The nuance of a verb of saying is supplied from the preceding *rogat*, functioning as indirect speech. *gratum facere* means 'to do a favor' or 'to do something pleasing'.
13.47A.1dixisset enim tibi fortasse aliquid Oppius — Subjunctive pluperfect. It functions as the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact condition with the protasis (such as 'if there had been anything of importance') omitted, or expresses a past conjecture.
13.47A.2non satis humane illam quidem respondentem — The pronoun *illam* (referring to *epistulam*) combined with *quidem* is an idiomatic usage expressing concession ('it is indeed..., but yet...').

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.47A.1-13.47A.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.47A.1-13.47A.2

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