Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §4.10.1-4.10.2

Rumors of Ptolemy and Solace in Books

Passage 88 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero reports rumors of Ptolemy's restoration, describes how he finds comfort in reading in Faustus's library rather than pursuing political ambitions, and asks Atticus to check on his building projects.

§4.10.1Puteolis magnus est rumor Ptolomaeum esse in regno.
There is a great rumor at Puteoli that Ptolemy is in his kingdom.
si quid habes certius velim scire.
If you have any more certain news, I should like to know.
ego hic pascor bibliotheca Fausti.
Here I am feeding on the library of Faustus.
fortasse tu putabas his rebus Puteolanis et Lucrinensibus.
Perhaps you thought I was feeding on these pleasures of Puteoli and Lucrinus.
ne ista quidem desunt.
Indeed, not even those are lacking.
sed me hercule ut a ceteris oblectationibus deseror voluptatum propter rem publicam, sic litteris sustentor et recreor maloque in illa tua sedecula quam habes sub imagine Aristotelis sedere quam in istorum sella curuli tecumque apud te ambulare quam cum eo quocum video esse ambulandum.
But, by Hercules, just as I am deserted by all other consolations of pleasure on account of the republic, so am I sustained and recreated by literature; and I prefer to sit in that little seat of yours which you have under the bust of Aristotle than in their curule chair, and to walk with you at your house than with him with whom I see I must walk.
sed de illa ambulatione fors viderit aut si qui est qui curet deus; §4.10.2nostram ambulationem et Laconicum eaque quae Cyrea sint velim quod poterit invisas et urgeas Philotimum ut properet, ut possim tibi aliquid in eo genere respondere.
But as to that other walk, let fortune see to it, or if there is any god who cares; as for our walk and the Laconicum and those things which are in the style of Cyrus, I would like you to visit them as far as possible, and urge Philotimus to make haste, so that I may be able to give you some answer in that department.
Pompeius in Cumanum Parilibus venit.
Pompey arrived at his Cuman villa on the Parilia.
misit ad me statim qui salutem nuntiaret.
He immediately sent someone to me to bring his greetings.
ad eum postridie mane vadebam, cum haec scripsi.
I was going to see him the next morning, as I wrote this.

Notes

  1. 4.10.1Puteolis — Locative case of the plural place-name Puteoli, meaning "at Puteoli."
  2. 4.10.1pascor bibliotheca Fausti — The verb pascor (to feed on, graze) is used metaphorically with the ablative of means (here bibliotheca) to mean "to enjoy, feast upon."
  3. 4.10.1sedecula — A diminutive of sedes (seat), coined by Cicero. It highlights the contrast between Atticus's modest "little seat" in his study and the "curule chair" (sella curuli) representing political power.
  4. 4.10.1cum eo quocum video esse ambulandum — "eo" refers to Pompey. Within the relative clause introduced by "quocum" (= cum quo), the impersonal passive periphrastic construction "esse ambulandum" (with the accusative subject "me" omitted) functions as the object infinitive clause of "video" ("I see/realize that [I] must walk").
  5. 4.10.2quod poterit — An impersonal idiomatic expression meaning "as far as possible." The future tense "poterit" is used because the main verb of wishing ("velim invisas") refers to a future action.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §4.10.1-4.10.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:4.10.1-4.10.2

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

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