Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §16.16F.1-16.16F.2

Renewed Appeal to Capito to Intercede with Plancus

Passage 461 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero appeals to Capito, a close friend of Plancus, asking for his influence to persuade Plancus to uphold the consular decrees regarding Atticus's interests.

§16.16F.1non dubito quin mirere atque etiam stomachere quod tecum de eadem re agam saepius.
I do not doubt that you wonder and are even annoyed that I address you so often about the same matter.
hominis familiarissimi et mihi omnibus rebus coniunctissimi permagna res agitur, Attici.
A very great interest is at stake of Atticus, a man most intimate and bound to me in all things.
cognovi ego tua studia in amicos, etiam in te amicorum.
I have known your devotion toward your friends, and also that of your friends toward you.
multum potes nos apud Plancum iuvare.
You can help us greatly with Plancus.
§16.16F.2novi humanitatem tuam; scio quam sis amicis iucundus.
I know your kindness; I know how pleasant you are to your friends.
nemo nos in hac causa plus iuvare potest quam tu.
No one can help us more in this cause than you.
et res ita est firma ut debet esse, quam consules de consili sententia decreverunt cum et lege et senatus consulto cognoscerent.
And the matter is as secure as it ought to be, which the consuls decreed in accordance with the opinion of their council, since they were holding an inquiry both by law and by a decree of the senate.
tamen omnia posita putamus in Planci tui liberalitate; quem quidem arbitramur cum offici sui et rei publicae causa decretum consulum comprobaturum tum libenter nostra causa esse facturum.
Nevertheless, we think that everything depends on the generosity of your Plancus; whom indeed we judge will not only approve the decree of the consuls for the sake of his duty and the public interest, but also will do so willingly for our sake.
adiuvabis igitur, mi Capito.
Therefore you will help us, my Capito.
quod ut facias te vehementer etiam atque etiam rogo.
That you may do this, I earnestly ask you again and again.

Notes

  1. 16.16F.1mirere — `mirere` and `stomachere` are second-person singular present subjunctive forms of the deponent verbs `miror` and `stomachor`, using the alternative ending `-re` instead of `-ris` (common in Cicero's letters). They are triggered by the preceding construction `non dubito quin`.
  2. 16.16F.1etiam in te amicorum — An elliptical construction representing `tua studia in amicos, etiam [studia] amicorum in te`. The noun `studia` is omitted in the second clause, where `amicorum` is a subject genitive and `in te` designates the object of their devotion.
  3. 16.16F.2quem quidem arbitramur — The relative pronoun `quem` serves as a connecting relative referring back to Plancus, and simultaneously functions as the subject accusative of the accusative-and-infinitive construction dependent on `arbitramur`. It governs the future infinitives `comprobaturum [esse]` and `esse facturum`.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §16.16F.1-16.16F.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:16.16F.1-16.16F.2

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