Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §15.19.1-15.19.2

The Buthrotian Affair and Concerns over Young Quintus

Passage 428 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero thanks Atticus for his efforts regarding the Buthrotians, expresses concern over young Quintus's declared intention to defect to Brutus and Cassius, and seeks advice on his own future course of action.

§15.19.1quidnam est quod agendum amplius de Buthrotiis sit? sat egisse enim te frustra scribis.
What on earth is there that should be done further concerning the Buthrotians? For you write that you have done enough in vain.
quid autem se refert Brutus? doleo me hercules te tam esse distentum, quod decem hominibus referendum est acceptum.
But why is Brutus returning? By Hercules, I am sorry that you are so busy, which ought to be credited to ten men.
est illud quidem ἐργῶδεσ sed ἀνεκτὸν mihique gratissimum.
That is indeed laborious but bearable and most pleasing to me.
de armis nihil vidi apertius.
Concerning the arms, I have seen nothing more obvious.
fugiamus igitur et, ut ais, coram.
Let us fly therefore and, as you say, in person.
Theophanes quid velit nescio.
I do not know what Theophanes wants.
scripserat enim ad me.
For he had written to me.
cui rescripsi ut potui.
To whom I replied as best I could.
mihi autem scribit venire ad me se velle ut et de suis rebus et quaedam quae ad me pertinerent.
But he writes to me that he wants to come to me, so that he may discuss both about his own affairs and certain things which concern me.
tuas litteras exspecto.
I am awaiting your letter.
vide, quaeso, ne quid temere fiat.
See to it, I beg, lest anything be done rashly.
§15.19.2Statius scripsit ad me locutum secum esse Q. Ciceronem valde adseveranter se haec ferre non posse; certum sibi esse ad Brutum et Cassium transire.
Statius wrote to me that Quintus Cicero had spoken with him, saying very assertively that he could not bear these things; that he was determined to go over to Brutus and Cassius.
hoc enim vero nunc discere aveo, hoc ego quid sit interpretari non possum.
For indeed I now long to learn this; what this means, I myself cannot interpret.
potest aliquid iratus Antonio, potest gloriam iam novam quaerere, potest totum esse σχεδίασμα; et nimirum ita est.
He may be doing something in anger at Antony, he may now be seeking a new glory, the whole thing may be a mere whim; and doubtless so it is.
sed tamen et ego vereor et pater conturbatus est; scit enim quae ille de hoc, mecum quidem ἄφατα olim.
But nevertheless, I too am afraid, and his father is troubled; for he knows what that boy said about him—indeed, once to me they were unspeakable things.
plane quid velit nescio.
Clearly, I do not know what he wants.
a Dolabella mandata habebo quae mihi videbuntur, id est nihil.
I shall have from Dolabella such commissions as I think fit, that is, nothing.
dic mihi, C. Antonius voluitne fieri septemvir? fuit certe dignus.
Tell me, did Gaius Antony wish to become a septemvir? He was certainly worthy.
de Menedemo est ut scribis.
Concerning Menedemus, it is as you write.
facies omnia mihi nota.
You will make everything known to me.

Notes

  1. 15.19.1sat egisse enim te frustra scribis — sat is an abbreviation of satis. egisse is the infinitive of the accusative-and-infinitive construction, with te as its subject. The adverb frustra (in vain) modifies egisse, meaning that Atticus wrote that his sufficient efforts had produced no result.
  2. 15.19.1referendum est acceptum — The phrase acceptum referre is a Roman bookkeeping term meaning 'to enter as received' or 'to credit/attribute to'. Here, referring to Atticus's being extremely busy (distentum esse), Cicero remarks that 'it ought to be credited to ten men' (i.e. either the burden should fall on ten men, or they should be the ones receiving the credit). quod is a relative pronoun referring back to the whole situation.
  3. 15.19.2quae ille de hoc, mecum quidem ἄφατα olim — de hoc (about this man) refers in context to Quintus Cicero (the father). A verb of speaking (such as dixerit or cogitarit) is omitted after quae ille de hoc, meaning 'what he said about this father of his'. In mecum quidem ἄφατα olim, the verb is also omitted, using the Greek adjective ἄφατα (unspeakable, unutterable) predicatively to form a highly elliptical structure: 'the things he once said to me were indeed unspeakable'.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §15.19.1-15.19.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:15.19.1-15.19.2

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