Humanitext Reader

Cicero · Letters to Atticus §8.8.1-8.8.2

Sharp Rebuke of Pompey's Dishonorable Flight

Passage 175 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero vehemently criticizes Pompey, who nurtured Caesar but is now fleeing in a completely unplanned manner. Upon hearing of Domitius's surrender, Cicero expresses his deep grief over Pompey's continued flight, having abandoned all sense of honor.

§8.8.1o rem turpem et ea re miseram! sic enim sentio, id demum aut potius id solum esse miserum quod turpe sit.
Oh shameful deed, and therefore miserable! For I feel thus: that only that, or rather that alone, is miserable which is shameful.
aluerat Caesarem; eundem repente timere coeperat, condicionem pacis nullam probarat, nihil ad bellum pararat, urbem reliquerat, Picenum amiserat culpa, in Apuliam se compegerat, ibat in Graeciam, omnis nos ἀπροσφωνήτουσ, expertis sui tanti, tam inusitati consili relinquebat.
He had nurtured Caesar; suddenly he began to fear the very same man, approved no condition of peace, prepared nothing for war, left the city, lost Picenum by his own fault, shut himself up in Apulia, was going to Greece, leaving all of us unaddressed, without sharing such a great, such an unusual plan.
§8.8.2ecce subito litterae Domiti ad illum, ipsius ad consules.
Look, suddenly letters from Domitius to him, and from him himself to the consuls!
fulsisse mihi videbatur τὸ καλὸν ad oculos eius et exclamasse ille vir qui esse debuit, " πρὸσ ταῦθ' ὅ τι χρὴ καὶ παλαμάσθων καὶ πάντ' ἐπ' ἐμοὶ τεκταινέσθων: τὸ γὰρ εὖ μετ' ἐμοῦ.
It seemed to me that the Honorable shone before his eyes and that he, the hero he ought to be, cried out: "Therefore let them devise what they must, and build all things against me; for the good is with me.
" at ille tibi πολλὰ χαίρειν τῷ καλῷ dicens pergit Brundisium.
"But he, I tell you, bidding a long farewell to the Honorable, continues on his way to Brundisium.
Domitium autem aiunt re audita et eos qui una essent se tradidisse.
And they say that Domitius and those who were with him, on hearing the news, surrendered.
o rem lugubrem! itaque intercludor dolore quo minus ad te plura scribam.
Oh mournful event! Therefore, I am cut off by grief from writing more to you.
tuas litteras exspecto.
I await your letter.

Notes

  1. §8.8.1expertis — Accusative plural of the adjective `expers` (having no share in, ignorant of), with the archaic ending `-is` equivalent to `-es`. It agrees with `omnis nos` and governs the genitive phrase `sui tanti, tam inusitati consili`.
  2. §8.8.2tibi — So-called ethical dative (dativus ethicus), used to engage the reader Atticus's attention and express the writer's surprise or dismay at Pompey's behavior.
  3. §8.8.2quo minus — Construction of `quo minus` with the present subjunctive (`scribam`), following the passive verb of hindering `intercludor`. It expresses a negative result: "I am prevented by grief from writing more."

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §8.8.1-8.8.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:8.8.1-8.8.2

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