Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §14.6.1-14.6.2

Tiro's Recovery and the Defense of Caesar's Acts

Passage 389 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero receives Tiro's letter at Fundi, rejoicing in his recovery and better news, while lamenting the deep political inconsistency of protecting the tyrant's acts while glorifying the tyrannicides.

§14.6.1pridie Idus Fundis accepi tuas litteras cenans.
On the day before the Ides at Fundi, I received your letter while dining.
primum igitur melius esse, deinde meliora te nuntiare.
First, then, that you are better; next, that you are reporting better news.
odiosa illa enim fuerant, legiones venire.
For those had been unpleasant tidings, that the legions are coming.
nam de Octavio susque deque.
As for Octavius, it is a matter of indifference.
exspecto quid de Mario; quem quidem ego sublatum rebar a Caesare.
I am waiting to hear what is happening about Marius, whom indeed I thought had been put out of the way by Caesar.
Antonio conloquium cum heroibus nostris pro re nata non incommodum.
A conference for Antonius with our heroes is not disadvantageous under the circumstances.
sed tamen adhuc me nihil delectat praeter Idus Martias.
But still, so far nothing pleases me except the Ides of March.
nam quoniam Fundis sum cum Ligure nostro, discrucior Sextili fundum a verberone Curtilio possideri.
For since I am at Fundi with our friend Ligus, I am tormented that the estate of Sextilius is possessed by the scoundrel Curtilius.
§14.6.2quod cum dico, de toto genere dico.
When I say this, I speak of the whole class.
quid enim miserius quam ea nos tueri propter quae illum oderamus? etiamne consules et tribunos pl.
For what is more miserable than that we should defend the very things for which we hated him?
in biennium quos ille voluit? nullo modo reperio quem ad modum possim πολιτεύεσθαι.
Even the consuls and tribunes of the plebs for the two years' term whom he wished? I find no way at all how I can play a part in politics.
nihil enim tam σόλοικον quam tyrannoctonos in caelo esse, tyranni facta defendi.
For nothing is so incongruous as that the tyrannicides should be in heaven, while the tyrant's deeds are defended.
sed vides consules, vides reliquos magistratus, si isti magistratus, vides languorem bonorum.
But you see the consuls, you see the other magistrates, if those are magistrates; you see the apathy of the honest men.
exsultant laetitia in municipiis.
In the towns they are exulting with joy.
dici enim non potest quanto opere gaudeant, ut ad me concurrant, ut audire cupiant mea verba de re p.
For it cannot be expressed how much they rejoice, how they flock to me, how they long to hear my words on the state.
nec ulla interea decreta.
And yet, meanwhile, no decrees.
sic enim πεπολιτεύμεθα ut victos metueremus.
For we have so conducted public affairs that we fear the vanquished.
haec ad te scripsi apposita secunda mensa; plura et πολιτικώτερα postea, et tu quid agas quidque agatur.
I have written this to you as the second course was being served; more and more political matters later, and tell me what you are doing and what is going on.

Notes

  1. §14.6.1primum igitur melius esse, deinde meliora te nuntiare — Accusative with infinitive clauses dependent on the idea of the content of the letter received (accepi tuas litteras). The subject of melius esse is the omitted accusative te (referring to Tiro's health), whereas in the second clause te is explicitly expressed as the subject of nuntiare.
  2. §14.6.1susque deque — An idiomatic, indeclinable colloquial expression literally meaning "up and down," functioning here as an adverbial predicate meaning "of no consequence" or "a matter of indifference." It typically occurs with verbs like habeo, which is omitted here.
  3. §14.6.2tyrannoctonos in caelo esse, tyranni facta defendi — Two accusative with infinitive clauses introduced by nihil enim tam σόλοικον quam... ("for nothing is so incongruous as..."). The first contains the active infinitive esse with tyrannoctonos as subject, and the second contains the passive infinitive defendi with facta as subject, contrasting the glorification of the tyrannicides with the defense of the tyrant's acts.
  4. §14.6.2apposita secunda mensa — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the perfect participle apposita and the noun phrase secunda mensa (literally "second table", i.e., dessert or second course), indicating the time of writing at the end of the meal.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §14.6.1-14.6.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:14.6.1-14.6.2

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