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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §3.26.1

Receipt of the Senate Decree and Waiting for the Bill

Passage 74 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero reports receiving a letter from his brother Quintus containing a senatorial decree concerning him, declares his plan to wait for the legislation and face any opposition, and urges Atticus to hasten to him.

§3.26.1litterae mihi a Quinto fratre cum senatus consulto quod de me est factum adlatae sunt.
A letter was brought to me from my brother Quintus with the decree of the senate which was passed concerning me.
mihi in animo est legum lationem exspectare et, si obtrectabitur, utar auctoritate senatus et potius vita quam patria carebo.
I intend to wait for the proposing of the law, and, if opposition is made, I will use the authority of the senate and will rather lack life than my country.
tu, quaeso, festina ad nos venire.
You, I beg, hasten to come to us.

Notes

  1. §3.26.1obtrectabitur — Future passive 3rd person singular of the intransitive verb obtrecto (to oppose, object). Used impersonally to mean "if opposition is made" or "if there is objection" (referring to the proposing of the law).
  2. §3.26.1vita quam patria carebo — carebo is the future active indicative 1st person singular of careo (to lack, be deprived of), which governs the ablative cases vita and patria. Framed by potius... quam... (rather... than...), it expresses the resolution: "I will rather lack life than my country" (i.e., I will choose death over being deprived of my homeland).

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §3.26.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:3.26.1

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