Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §4.9.1-4.9.2

Inquiry on the Censorship and Meeting with Pompey

Passage 87 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero asks Atticus about the political maneuvers surrounding the censorship in Rome and reports on his meeting and impressions of Pompey, who visited his Cuman villa. He also mentions the maintenance of his villas, family plans, and his travel itinerary.

§4.9.1sane velim scire num censum impediant tribuni diebus vitiandis (est enim hic rumor) totaque de censura quid agant, quid cogitent.
I should certainly like to know whether the tribunes are hindering the census by declaring the days invalid (for there is such a rumor here), and what they are doing and thinking about the censorship as a whole.
nos hic cum Pompeio fuimus.
We have been here with Pompey.
multa mecum de re publica sane sibi displicens, ut loquebatur (sic est enim in hoc homine dicendum), Syriam spernens, Hispaniam iactans, hic quoque, ut loquebatur; et opinor usque quaque, de hoc cum dicemus, sit hoc quasi καὶ τόδε.
He talked much with me about the republic, being quite dissatisfied with himself, as he spoke (for that is how one must speak of this man), despising Syria, boasting of Spain—here too, as he spoke; and I think, everywhere, when we speak of him, let this be, as it were, καὶ τόδε.
tibi etiam gratias agebat quod signa componenda suscepisses; in nos vero suavissime hercule est effusus.
He also thanked you because you had undertaken the arranging of the statues; indeed, by Hercules, he poured himself out most sweetly towards me.
venit etiam ad me in Cumanum a se.
He even came to me at my Cuman villa from his own place.
nihil minus velle mihi visus est quam Messallam consulatum petere.
He seemed to me to wish nothing less than that Messalla should stand for the consulship.
de quo ipso si quid scis velim scire.
If you know anything about this matter itself, I should like to know.
§4.9.2quod Lucceio scribis te nostram gloriam commendaturum et aedificium nostrum quod crebro invisis, gratum.
As to your writing to Lucceius that you will recommend my glory, and your frequently visiting our building, I am grateful.
Quintus frater ad me scripsit se, quoniam Ciceronem suavissimum tecum haberes, ad te Nonis Maias venturum.
My brother Quintus wrote to me that, since you have the most delightful Cicero with you, he will come to you on the Nones of May.
ego me de Cumano movi ante diem v Kal. Maias.
I moved from my Cuman villa on the fifth day before the Kalends of May.
eo die Neapoli apud Paetum.
On that day I was at Naples with Paetus.
ante diem IIII Kal. Maias iens in Pompeianum bene mane haec scripsi.
On the fourth day before the Kalends of May, on my way to my Pompeian villa very early in the morning, I wrote this.

Notes

  1. §4.9.1diebus vitiandis — A shift of cause/means in the ablative gerundive construction, literally 'by rendering the days faulty'. It refers to the political and religious tactic of declaring unfavorable auspices to block or postpone public assemblies and elections.
  2. §4.9.1sane sibi displicens — 'Quite dissatisfied with himself'. It describes Pompey's posture of pretending to be unhappy with his current political standing. Cicero treats this with irony, as shown by the parenthetical comment and the repetition of 'ut loquebatur' (as he spoke).
  3. §4.9.1nihil minus velle mihi visus est quam Messallam consulatum petere — The idiom 'nihil minus ... quam' (literally 'to wish nothing less than...') acts as a strong negative meaning 'he wished least of all that...'. The phrase 'Messallam consulatum petere' is an accusative with infinitive (A.C.I.) functioning as the object of 'velle'.
  4. §4.9.2Ciceronem — Refers not to the author Cicero, but to his young nephew (the son of his brother Quintus, Quintus Cicero the younger). Since Atticus was hosting the delightful child, his father Quintus planned to visit Atticus's house.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §4.9.1-4.9.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:4.9.1-4.9.2

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