Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §5.13.1-5.13.3

Arrival at Ephesus and renewed plea against term extension

Passage 110 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero announces his arrival at Ephesus, where he was met with an enthusiastic reception, and expresses his determination to practice the principles learned from Atticus. He also strongly requests Atticus to ensure in Rome that his term of office remains strictly limited to one year.

§5.13.1Ephesum venimus a. d. xi Kal. Sextilis sexagesimo et quingentesimo post pugnam Bovillanam.
We arrived at Ephesus on the eleventh day before the Kalends of August, five hundred and sixty days after the battle of Bovillae.
navigavimus sine timore et sine nausea sed tardius propter aphractorum Rhodiorum imbecillitatem.
We sailed without fear and without seasickness, but rather slowly because of the weakness of the Rhodian undecked vessels.
de concursu legationum, privatorum et de incredibili multitudine quae mihi iam Sami sed mirabilem in modum Ephesi praesto fuit aut audisse te puto aut "quid ad me attinet?" verum tamen decumani quasi venissem cum imperio, Graeci quasi Ephesio praetori se alacres obtulerunt.
Concerning the gathering of deputations and private individuals, and the incredible crowd which was waiting for me even at Samos, but in a wonderful manner at Ephesus, I suppose either you have heard or you say, "What does that matter to me?" Nevertheless, the tax-contractors offered themselves eagerly to me as if I had come with military command, and the Greeks as if to an Ephesian praetor.
ex quo te intellegere certo scio multorum annorum ostentationes meas nunc in discrimen esse adductas.
From this I am sure you understand that my self-advertisements of many years are now brought to a test.
sed ut spero, utemur ea palaestra quam a te didicimus omnibusque satis faciemus et eo facilius quod in nostra provincia confectae sunt pactiones.
But as I hope, we shall use that training-ground which we learned from you, and we shall satisfy everyone, and that all the more easily because the agreements have been settled in our province.
sed hactenus, praesertim cum cenanti mihi nuntiarit Cestius se de nocte proficisci.
But so much for this, especially since, while I was dining, Cestius announced to me that he was starting during the night.
§5.13.2tua negotiola Ephesi curae mihi fuerunt, Thermoque, tametsi ante adventum meum liberalissime erat pollicitus tuis omnibus, tamen Philogenem et Seium tradidi, Apollonidensem Xenonem commendavi.
Your little business affairs at Ephesus have been my care; and although Thermus, even before my arrival, had made most liberal promises to all your people, yet I introduced Philogenes and Seius to him, and recommended Xenon of Apollonis.
omnino omnia se facturum recepit.
He undertook to do absolutely everything.
ego praeterea rationem Philogeni permutationis eius quam tecum feci edidi.
I moreover showed to Philogenes the account of that exchange which I made with you.
ergo haec quoque hactenus.
Therefore, so much for these things too.
§5.13.3redeo ad urbana.
I return to city affairs.
per fortunas! quoniam Romae manes, primum illud praefulci atque praemuni quaeso ut simus annui, ne intercaletur quidem.
By all you hold dear! Since you remain in Rome, first of all, pray support and fortify that first point, namely, that our office may be annual, and that there may not even be an intercalation.
deinde exhauri mea mandata maximeque si quid potest de illo domestico scrupulo quem non ignoras, dein de Caesare cuius in cupiditatem te auctore incubui nec me piget.
Next, perform all my commissions, and especially, if anything can be done, regarding that domestic worry of which you are not ignorant; next, about Caesar, to whose friendship I have devoted myself on your advice, and I do not regret it.
et si intellegis quam meum sit scire et curare quid in re publica fiat—fiat autem? immo vero etiam quid futurum sit, perscribe ad me omnia, sed diligentissime imprimisque ecquid iudiciorum status aut factorum aut futurorum etiam laboret.
And if you understand how natural it is for me to know and care about what is happening in the state—happening, did I say? Nay, rather even what is going to happen—write me a full account of everything, and that most diligently, and especially whether the state of the trials, either past or future, is in any way in difficulty.
de aqua, si curae est, si quid Philippus aget animadvertes.
As for the water, if you care about it, you will notice if Philippus does anything.

Notes

  1. 5.13.1aut audisse te puto aut "quid ad me attinet?" — The two clauses introduced by aut are in contrast. In the second clause, a governing verb like te dicere puto is ellipted, directly introducing Atticus's anticipated response in direct speech: "or [I suppose you say] 'what does that matter to me?'"
  2. 5.13.1multorum annorum ostentationes meas — The noun ostentationes refers to the political and moral ideals (such as justice and temperance) that Cicero had publicly professed and displayed for many years in Rome. These principles are now being brought to a practical test (discrimen) in provincial governance.
  3. 5.13.3ut simus annui, ne intercaletur quidem — The ut-clause is a substantive clause of purpose dependent on praefulci and praemuni. The plural adjective annui functions as a predicate nominative, meaning "that we should be of one year's duration." It reflects the political concern to prevent the extension of provincial commands by opposing the insertion of an intercalary month.
  4. 5.13.3cuius in cupiditatem — The relative pronoun cuius has Caesare as its antecedent. The noun cupiditas here means "eagerness for friendship" or "desire for intimacy" with Caesar. The phrase in cupiditatem incubui literally means "I have applied myself to the desire for [him]."
  5. 5.13.3quam meum sit scire — The neuter possessive adjective meum is used predicatively in a genitive-like sense, meaning "appropriate to me" or "characteristic of me." The infinitives scire et curare act as the subject of this indirect question clause introduced by quam.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §5.13.1-5.13.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:5.13.1-5.13.3

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

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.