Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §15.23.1

Hesitation over Departure and News of Brutus

Passage 432 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero tells Atticus that his travel plans remain open to change until the last moment of boarding, and mentions forwarding Pansa's letter, preparing a memorandum for Silius, and seeking news of Brutus's journey.

§15.23.1mirifice torqueor, sine dolore tamen; sed permulta mihi de nostro itinere in utramque partem occurrunt.
I am wonderfully racked, yet without pain; but very many things occur to me in both directions concerning our journey.
"quousque?" inquies.
"How long?" you will say.
quoad erit integrum; erit autem usque dum ad navem.
As long as it remains open; and it will remain open right up until I board the ship.
Pansa si tuae rescripserit, et meam tibi et illius epistulam mittam.
If Pansa replies to yours, I will send you both my letter and his.
Silium exspectabam; cui hypomnema compositum, si quid novi.
I was expecting Silius; for whom a memorandum has been prepared, in case there is anything new.
ego litteras misi ad Brutum.
I have sent a letter to Brutus.
cuius de itinere etiam ex te velim si quid scies cognoscere.
If you learn anything about his journey, I would like to know of it from you as well.

Notes

  1. §15.23.1mirifice torqueor — The passive verb `torqueor` (literally, "to be twisted" or "racked") is used metaphorically here to express Cicero's intense mental conflict or hesitation concerning his choice of whether to depart.
  2. §15.23.1integrum — The neuter nominative singular adjective `integrum` draws on the legal and political idiom of *res integra* (an untouched matter, an open question), indicating that his travel decision is still fully reversible and not yet finalized.
  3. §15.23.1tuae — The feminine dative singular possessive adjective `tuae` is a nominalized form with the noun `epistulae` ("letter") understood from the context, meaning "if Pansa replies to your [letter]."
  4. §15.23.1velim — The first-person singular present subjunctive `velim` is a subjunctive of modest assertion (potential subjunctive), softening the desire to "I would like to know." It governs the infinitive `cognoscere`.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §15.23.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:15.23.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.