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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §13.52.1-13.52.2

Caesar's Visit and Entertainment at the Villa

Passage 383 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero vividly reports to Atticus about the visit of the dictator Caesar and his vast retinue, whom he sumptuously entertained at his villa.

§13.52.1o hospitem mihi tam gravem ἀμεταμέλητον! fuit enim periucunde.
O what a guest, so burdensome to me, yet causing no regret! For it went off very pleasantly. O what a guest, so burdensome to me — yet one I do not regret having had! For it passed off very pleasantly.
sed cum secundis Saturnalibus ad Philippum vesperi venisset, villa ita completa a militibus est ut vix triclinium ubi cenaturus ipse Caesar esset vacaret; quippe hominum ciↃ ciↃ. sane sum commotus quid futurum esset postridie; ac mihi Barba Cassius subvenit, custodes dedit.
But when he had arrived at Philippus' house on the evening of the second day of the Saturnalia, the villa was so crammed with soldiers that there was scarcely a dining-room free where Caesar himself was to dine; there were indeed two thousand men. I was quite alarmed as to what would happen the next day; but Barba Cassius came to my aid and posted guards.
castra in agro, villa defensa est. ille tertiis Saturnalibus apud Philippum ad h. vii nec quemquam admisit; rationes, opinor, cum Balbo.
A camp was pitched in the grounds, and the villa was guarded. On the third day of the Saturnalia he stayed at Philippus' house until the seventh hour and admitted no one — settling his accounts, I suppose, with Balbus.
inde ambulavit in litore.
After that he took a walk on the shore.
post h. viii in balneum.
After the eighth hour he went to the bath.
tum audivit de Mamurra, vultum non mutavit.
Then he heard the news about Mamurra without changing his expression.
unctus est, accubuit.
He was anointed and took his place at table.
ἐμετικὴν agebat. itaque et edit et bibit ἀδεῶσ et iucunde, opipare sane et apparate nec id solum sed " bene cocto et condito sermone bono et, si quaeris, libenter. "
He was following a course of emetics, and so he ate and drank without restraint and with enjoyment — lavishly indeed and elegantly served — and not only that, but with fare, as the poet says, 'well cooked and seasoned, with good talk and, if you care to know, right gladly.'
§13.52.2praeterea tribus tricliniis accepti οἱ περὶ valde copiose.
Besides, his suite were entertained very generously at three separate tables. Besides, his retinue was entertained very abundantly at three tables.
libertis minus lautis servisque nihil defuit.
Nothing was lacking for the less grand freedmen and the slaves.
nam lautiores eleganter accepi.
For the grander ones I entertained elegantly.
quid multa? homines visi sumus. hospes tamen non is quoi diceres, "amabo te, eodem ad me cum revertere.
Why say more? We proved that we are civilized men. Still, he is not the sort of guest to whom you would say, 'Do please look me up again on your way back.'
" semel satis est. σπουδαῖον οὐδὲν in sermone, φιλόλογα multa.
Once is enough. There was nothing serious in the conversation, but much on literary matters. There was nothing serious in the conversation, but plenty of literary talk.
quid quaeris? delectatus est et libenter fuit.
In short, he was delighted and had a pleasant time.
Puteolis se aiebat unum diem fore, alterum ad Baias. habes hospitium sive ἐπισταθμείαν odiosam mihi, dixi, non molestam. ego paulisper hic, deinde in Tusculanum.
He said he would stay one day at Puteoli, and another at Baiae. He said he would spend one day at Puteoli and another at Baiae. There you have my piece of hospitality — or rather billeting — which, as I said, was irksome to me though not troublesome. There you have my hospitality — or rather billeting — which, as I said, was irksome to me though not troublesome. For my part, I shall stay here a little while, and then move on to my place at Tusculum. I shall stay here for a little while, and then go to my Tusculan estate.
Dolabellae villam cum praeteriret, omnis armatorum copia dextra sinistra ad equum nec usquam alibi. hoc ex Nicia.
When he was passing by Dolabella's villa, the whole escort of armed men rode on his right and left hand close to his horse, and nowhere else. As he passed Dolabella's villa, the whole armed escort rode close to his horse on right and left, and nowhere else. This I had from Nicias. This I got from Nicias.

Notes

  1. 13.52.1fuit enim periucunde — The subject of the verb `fuit` can be understood either as Caesar (the guest) or impersonally as the stay itself. The adverb `periucunde` used with `esse` expresses that the whole affair went off in a very pleasant manner.
  2. 13.52.1ἐμετικὴν agebat — The Greek feminine accusative `ἐμετικήν` (emetic treatment) implies an ellipsis of a noun such as `ἕξιν` or `δίαιταν` (regimen). Here, `agebat` means "was intending to undergo" or "was preparing for," referring to the contemporary practice of taking emetics before a sumptuous meal.
  3. 13.52.1bene cocto et condito sermone bono et, si quaeris, libenter — A quotation or adaptation from the poet Lucilius. The participles `cocto` (cooked) and `condito` (seasoned) literally qualify the food, but also metaphorically play on `sermone bono` (good conversation). The adverb `libenter` signifies the guest's satisfaction and hearty enjoyment.
  4. 13.52.2homines visi sumus — Literally, "we seemed to be human beings." Here, `homines` carries the nuance of "civilized, refined gentlemen." It conveys Cicero's pride that, despite hosting a powerful dictator, they interacted as social and intellectual equals.
  5. 13.52.2amabo te — A colloquial formula for friendly or polite entreaty ("please," "be so good as"). Cicero uses this to humorously remark that one would not feel comfortable using such casual, welcoming hospitality-talk with a guest of Caesar's daunting authority.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §13.52.1-13.52.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:13.52.1-13.52.2

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