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Cornelius Nepos · Atticus §7.1-7.3

Neutrality and Prudence during Caesar's Civil War

Passage 7 of 22 · Latin

Summary

When the Caesarian civil war broke out, Atticus remained neutral due to his age, acting prudently toward both Pompey and Caesar. Consequently, he avoided danger from both sides and even secured the safety of his relatives.

§7.1Incidit Caesarianum civile bellum.
The Caesarian civil war broke out.
cum haberet annos circiter sexaginta, usus est aetatis vacatione neque se quoquam movit ex urbe.
Since he was about sixty years old, he availed himself of the exemption of his age and did not move himself anywhere from the city.
quae amicis suis opus fuerant ad Pompeium proficiscentibus, omnia ex sua re familiari dedit, ipsum Pompeium coniunctum non offendit.
Everything that had been necessary for his friends who were setting out to Pompey, he gave from his own private property, and he did not offend Pompey himself, with whom he was closely connected.
§7.2nullum ab eo habebat ornamentum, ut ceteri, qui per eum aut honores aut divitias ceperant: quorum partim invitissimi castra sunt secuti, partim summa cum eius offensione domi remanserunt.
He held no office or honor from him, as did the others, who had received either honors or riches through him; of whom some followed his camp most reluctantly, while others remained at home to his great resentment.
§7.3Caesari autem Attici quies tanto opere fuit grata, ut victor, cum privatis pecunias per epistulas imperaret, huic non solum molestus non fuerit, sed etiam sororis filium et Q. Ciceronem ex Pompei castris concesserit.
On the other hand, the neutrality of Atticus was so pleasing to Caesar that, when as victor he demanded money from private individuals by letters, he was not only not troublesome to this man, but even spared his sister's son and Quintus Cicero from the camp of Pompey.
sic vetere instituto vitae effugit nova pericula.
Thus, by his old principle of life, he escaped new dangers.

Notes

  1. 7.1aetatis vacatione — Ablative case acting as the object of the deponent verb `utor` (`usus est`). In Roman custom, citizens around sixty years of age were granted exemption (`vacatio`) from public and military service.
  2. 7.1quae amicis suis opus fuerant — `quae` is the relative pronoun (neuter plural nominative) referring to the antecedent `omnia`, functioning as the subject of `opus fuerant`. While `opus est` usually takes the ablative of the thing needed, it can also take the nominative when the thing needed is a neuter pronoun.
  3. 7.1coniunctum — Perfect passive participle used adjectively, modifying `Pompeium`. It means "closely connected" (with Atticus), explaining that Atticus did not harm their close personal bond despite refusing to join his camp.
  4. 7.3concesserit — Subjunctive perfect in a result clause introduced by `ut`. Here, `concedere` means to pardon or spare someone (at the request of Atticus). It refers to Caesar sparing Atticus's nephew (the son of his sister) and his brother-in-law Quintus Cicero.

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Atticus §7.1-7.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo025.humanitext-lat2:7.1-7.3

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