Cicero · Letters to Atticus §4.14.1-4.14.2

Request to Use Atticus's Library and Political News

Passage 92 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero expresses concern for Atticus, whose departure was delayed by illness, and requests access to his library to assist in his writing, while asking him to send any political news or updates about his brother.

§4.14.1Vestorius noster me per litteras fecit certiorem te Roma a. d. vi Idus Maias putari profectum esse tardius quam dixeras quod minus valuisses.

Our friend Vestorius informed me by letter that you were thought to have set out from Rome on the tenth of May later than you had said, because you had been unwell.

si iam melius vales, vehementer gaudeo.

If you are already feeling better, I rejoice greatly.

velim domum ad te scribas ut mihi tui libri pateant non secus ac si ipse adesses cum ceteri tum Varronis.

I should like you to write to your household so that your books may be open to me no differently than if you were present yourself, both the others and especially those of Varro.

est enim mihi utendum quibusdam rebus ex his libris ad eos quos in manibus habeo; quos, ut spero, tibi valde probabo.

For I must make use of certain things from these books for those which I have in hand; which, as I hope, I shall highly approve to you.

§4.14.2tu velim si quid forte novi habes, maxime a Quinto fratre, deinde a C. Caesare, et si quid forte de comitiis, de re publica (soles enim tu haec festive odorari), scribas ad me; si nihil habebis, tamen scribas aliquid.

For your part, I should like you to write to me if you happen to have any news, especially from my brother Quintus, then from C. Caesar, and if anything by chance about the elections, about the republic (for you are accustomed to scent these things out delightfully); if you have nothing, write something anyway.

numquam enim mihi tua epistula aut intempestiva aut loquax visa est.

For your letter has never seemed to me either untimely or talkative.

maxime autem rogo rebus tuis totoque itinere ex sententia confecto nos quam primum revisas.

But above all, I ask that when your business and your whole journey have been completed to your satisfaction, you visit us again as soon as possible.

Dionysium iube salvere.

Bid Dionysius greeting.

cura ut valeas.

Take care of your health.

Notes

4.14.1te Roma a. d. vi Idus Maias putari profectum esse — An accusative with infinitive clause dependent on 'fecit certiorem' (informed). The accusative 'te' serves as the subject of the passive infinitive 'putari' (to be thought), which in turn governs the perfect active infinitive 'profectum esse' (to have set out).
4.14.1velim domum ad te scribas — The subjunctive 'scribas' is directly dependent on the potential subjunctive 'velim' ('I should like') without the conjunction 'ut'. The phrase 'domum ad te' ('to your house') contextually refers to writing to his household staff or slaves left at home.
4.14.1cum ceteri tum Varronis — The correlative construction 'cum ... tum ...' ('both... and especially...') is used. 'ceteri' (nominative plural masculine) agrees with 'tui libri' (your books), while 'Varronis' is a possessive genitive with 'libri' being understood.
4.14.1est enim mihi utendum quibusdam rebus — An impersonal passive construction of the gerundive ('est utendum') expressing necessity. The dative 'mihi' functions as the dative of agent, and 'quibusdam rebus' is in the ablative case as governed by the verb 'utor'.
4.14.2tu velim ... scribas ad me — A long hyperbaton where the main structure 'tu velim ... scribas' ('I should like you to write') is interrupted by multiple conditional clauses ('si quid...', 'et si quid...') and a parenthetical remark ('soles enim...').
4.14.2rebus tuis totoque itinere ex sententia confecto — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun phrase 'rebus tuis totoque itinere' and the perfect passive participle 'confecto' in the ablative, expressing time or condition ('after your business and your entire journey have been completed to your liking').

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §4.14.1-4.14.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:4.14.1-4.14.2

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