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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §9.18.1-9.18.4

Meeting with Caesar and Refusal to Go to Rome

Passage 220 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero reports on his personal meeting with Caesar, explaining how he stood his ground and refused to go to Rome under Caesar's terms. He also expresses his deep anxiety about the future and describes his alarm at the desperate characters among Caesar's retinue.

§9.18.1utrumque ex tuo consilio; nam et oratio fuit ea nostra ut bene potius ille de nobis existimaret quam gratias ageret, et in eo mansimus, ne ad urbem.
Both things were according to your advice; for my speech was of such a character that he would think well of me rather than feel grateful, and I stood firm in this, that I would not go to the city.
illa fefellerunt facilem quod putaramus; nihil vidi minus.
I was mistaken in thinking him easy; I have seen nothing less so.
damnari se nostro iudicio, tardiores fore reliquos, si nos non venerimus, dicere.
He said that he was condemned by my judgment, and that the rest would be slower to come if I did not.
ego dissimilem illorum esse causam.
I said that their case was different.
cum multa, "veni igitur et age de pace. " "meone" inquam "arbitratu?" "an tibi" inquit "ego praescribam?" "sic" inquam "agam, senatui non placere in Hispanias iri nec exercitus in Graeciam transportari, multaque," inquam "de Gnaeo deplorabo. " tum ille, "ego vero ista dici nolo. " "ita putabam," inquam; "sed ego eo nolo adesse quod aut sic mihi dicendum est multaque quae nullo modo possem silere si adessem aut non veniendum. " summa fuit, ut ille quasi exitum quaerens, "ut deliberarem. " non fuit negandum.
After many words, "Come then and treat of peace." "On my own terms?" I said. "Am I to dictate to you?" he said. "I shall plead thus," I said, "that it does not please the Senate that we go to Spain, nor that armies be transported to Greece, and I shall lament much," I said, "concerning Gnaeus." Then he said, "But I do not wish those things to be said." "So I thought," I said; "but I do not wish to be present there for this reason, that I must either speak in this manner and say many things which I could by no means keep silent if I were present, or I must not come." The upshot was, as though he were seeking a way out, "that I should deliberate." This could not be refused.
ita discessimus.
Thus we parted.
credo igitur hunc me non amare.
I believe, therefore, that he does not love me.
at ego me amavi, quod mihi iam pridem usu non venit.
But I was pleased with myself, which has not happened to me for a long time.
§9.18.2reliqua, o di! qui comitatus, quae, ut tu soles dicere, νέκυια! in qua erat ἥρωσ Celer.
As for the rest, oh gods! What a retinue! What a νέκυια, as you are wont to say! In which was the ἥρωσ Celer.
o rem perditam! o copias desperatas! quid quod Servi filius, quod Titini in iis castris fuerunt quibus Pompeius circumsederetur! sex legiones; multum vigilat, audet.
Oh, ruined cause! Oh, desperate forces! What of the fact that the son of Servius, and the Titinii, were in that camp by which Pompeius was to be blockaded! Six legions; he is very watchful, he is daring.
nullum video finem mali.
I see no end to the evil.
nunc certe promenda tibi sunt consilia.
Now indeed your counsels must be brought forth.
hoc fuerat extremum.
This had been the final crisis.
§9.18.3illa tamen κατακλεὶσ illius est odiosa quam paene praeterii, si sibi consiliis nostris uti non liceret, usurum quorum posset ad omniaque esse descensurum.
Yet that κατακλεὶσ of his is hateful, which I almost passed over: that if he were not allowed to use my advice, he would use whosever he could, and would descend to anything.
"vidisti igitur virum, ut scripseras? ingemuisti?" certe.
"Did you then see the man, as you had written? Did you groan?" Certainly.
"cedo reliqua. " quid? continuo ipse in Pedi Norbanum, ego Arpinum; inde—exspecto equidem λαλαγεῦσαν illam tuam.
"Give me the rest." What? Immediately he himself went to Pedi Norbanum, I to Arpinum; thence—I am indeed expecting that λαλαγεῦσαν of yours.
"tu malim" inquies "actum ne agas. " etiam illum ipsum quem sequimur multa fefellerunt
"I would rather," you will say, "that you did not do what is already done." Yet even that very man whom we follow was deceived by many things.
§9.18.4sed ego tuas litteras exspecto.
But I am expecting your letters.
nihil est enim iam ut antea "videamus hoc quorsum evadat. " extremum fuit de congressu nostro; quo quidem non dubito quin istum offenderim.
For there is no longer any room, as before, to say, "Let us see where this turns out." Our meeting was the final crisis; in which indeed I do not doubt that I offended him.
eo maturius agendum est.
Therefore, we must act the more speedily.
amabo te, epistulam et πολιτικήν! valde tuas litteras nunc exspecto.
Please, a letter, and a πολιτικήν! I am now eagerly awaiting your letters.

Notes

  1. 9.18.1illa fefellerunt facilem quod putaramus — The subject `illa` (neuter plural) refers to the expectation or assumption that Caesar would be easy to handle (`facilem quod putaramus`). `fefellerunt` is the perfect of `fallo` (to disappoint, deceive).
  2. 9.18.1dicere — Historical infinitive, used as the main verb of the sentence with the value of an imperfect `dicebat` ("he was saying"). The subject is the contextually understood `ille` (Caesar), not the accusative `se`.
  3. 9.18.1in Hispanias iri — An impersonal passive construction using the passive infinitive of the intransitive verb `ire`, meaning "that there should be a going into the Spains" (i.e., marching to Spain). It serves as the subject clause of `placere`.
  4. 9.18.1ut deliberarem — A double `ut` construction where the first `ut` (explaining `summa fuit`) is followed by a second `ut` expressing Caesar's indirect command or request ("that I should deliberate"), with an ellipsis of a verb of speaking or commanding.
  5. 9.18.3Pedi Norbanum — A highly corrupt and difficult reading in the manuscripts. It is commonly emended to `in Pedanum` (to his estate at Pedum), indicating that Caesar departed for the nearby town of Pedum. This translation follows that emendation.
  6. 9.18.3actum ne agas — An ancient Latin proverb meaning "do not do what is already done," advising against reopening settled matters or making redundant efforts.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §9.18.1-9.18.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:9.18.1-9.18.4

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

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