Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §3.11.1-3.11.2

Reasons for Staying in Thessalonica and Aid for Quintus

Passage 58 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero explains to Atticus his reasons for staying in Thessalonica and his prospects, asks for his continued assistance, expresses empathy for Atticus's own grief, and requests support for his brother Quintus.

§3.11.1me et tuae litterae et quidam boni nuntii, non optimis tamen auctoribus, et exspectatio vestrarum litterarum et quod tibi ita placuerat adhuc Thessalonicae tenebat.
Both your letter and certain good news, though not from the best authorities, and the expectation of a letter from you all, and the fact that you had so wished, were keeping me in Thessalonica until now.
si accepero litteras quas exspecto, si spes erit ea quae rumoribus adferebatur, ad te me conferam; si non erit, faciam te certiorem quid egerim.
If I receive the letter I expect, and if there is that hope which was brought by rumors, I shall betake myself to you; if there is not, I will make you informed of what I have done.
§3.11.2tu me, ut facis, opera, consilio, gratia iuva; consolari iam desine, obiurgare vero noli; quod cum facis, ut ego tuum amorem et dolorem desidero! quem ita adfectum mea aerumna esse arbitror ut te ipsum consolari nemo possit.
Do you assist me, as you do, with your help, counsel, and influence; cease now to console me, but do not reproach me; when you do this, how I miss your love and grief! Whom I think to be so affected by my ruin that no one can console you yourself.
Quintum fratrem optimum humanissimumque sustenta.
Support my excellent and most kind brother Quintus.
ad me obsecro te ut omnia certa perscribas.
I beseech you to write down all certainties to me in detail.
data iiii Kal. Quintilis.
Given on the fourth day before the Kalends of July.

Notes

  1. §3.11.1me ... tenebat — The verb tenebat is in the singular despite the compound subjects (tuae litterae, quidam boni nuntii, exspectatio, quod tibi placuerat). This is either due to grammatical agreement with the nearest subject (the noun clause quod tibi placuerat) or indicates that each of these elements individually contributed to keeping Cicero in Thessalonica.
  2. §3.11.2quod cum facis — A relative connection (nexus relativus) in which the relative pronoun quod refers back to the preceding infinitive obiurgare (to reproach), illustrating Cicero's emotional reaction to the fact that Atticus can only express his love and grief through such reproaches.
  3. §3.11.2quem ita adfectum mea aerumna esse arbitror — The relative pronoun quem acts as a relative connection (nexus relativus), referring to the second-person singular pronoun implied in the possessive adjective tuum in the preceding sentence, and functions as the subject accusative of the infinitive construction (AcI) quem ... esse.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §3.11.1-3.11.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:3.11.1-3.11.2

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

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