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Cicero · Letters to Atticus §9.2.1

Inconsistency in Atticus's Advice and Cicero's Plans

Passage 195 of 461 · Latin

Summary

Cicero replies to a brief letter from Atticus, pointing out an apparent inconsistency between Atticus's past advice and his current stance regarding Cicero's departure, and inquires about his true opinion while still awaiting news from Brundisium.

§9.2.1Etsi Nonis Martiis die tuo, ut opinor, exspectabam epistulam a te longiorem, tamen ad eam ipsam brevem quam IIII Nonas ὑπὸ τὴν διαλῆψιν dedisti rescribendum putavi.
Although on the Nones of March, your day as I suppose, I was expecting a longer letter from you, yet I thought I ought to reply to that very brief one which you dispatched on the fourth day before the Nones, during an interval of your fever.
gaudere ais te mansisse me et scribis in sententia te manere.
You say that you are glad that I have remained, and you write that you remain of the same opinion.
mihi autem superioribus litteris videbare non dubitare quin cederem ita si et Gnaeus bene comitatus conscendisset et consules transissent.
To me, however, in your former letters, you seemed to have no doubt but that I should depart, provided only that Gnaeus had embarked well-attended and the consuls had crossed over.
utrum hoc tu parum commeministi, an ego non satis intellexi, an mutasti sententiam? sed aut ex epistula quam exspecto perspiciam quid sentias aut alias abs te litteras eliciam.
Is it that you have not remembered this very well, or that I did not understand it sufficiently, or have you changed your opinion? But either from the letter which I am expecting I shall perceive what you think, or I shall draw another letter from you.
Brundisio nihildum erat adlatum
Nothing had yet been brought from Brundisium.

Notes

  1. 9.2.1ὑπὸ τὴν διαλῆψιν — A Greek parenthetical expression, used as a medical term meaning 'during an intermission of fever'. This indicates that Atticus was suffering from a recurring fever (likely malaria) at the time.
  2. 9.2.1videbare non dubitare quin cederem — The passive form videor (here 2nd person singular imperfect videbare) is used in a personal construction ('you seemed') and governs the infinitive dubitare. Since dubito is negated (non dubitare), it is followed by a subordinate clause with quin and the subjunctive (cederem, imperfect subjunctive by sequence of tenses).
  3. 9.2.1ita si — A restrictive conditional expression meaning 'only on the condition that' or 'provided only that', specifying the prerequisite conditions under which Cicero would depart Italy to join Pompey.

Cite this passage

Cicero, Letters to Atticus §9.2.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.humanitext-lat1:9.2.1

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