L.Lt.3- Cicero

Marcus Tullius Ciceronis: Ad Atticum, Liber I

(Atticus was a wealthy aristocrat and Cicero's best friend)

Synopsis: Cicero writes a letter to his friend Atticus who had gone to visit Athens. He informs Atticus that his family has grown; tells him off for not writing and that he is planning to defend his political competitor, Catilina, of the opposite political party. If he wins the case he hopes Catilina can become his supporter, and urges Atticus to return to Rome to manage his forthcoming campaign for election to Consul.

1- L. Iulio Caesare, C. Marcio Figulo consulibus¹, filiolo² me auctum scito, salva Terentia.

2- Abs te³ tam diu nihil litterarum!⁴ Ego de meis⁵ ad te rationibus⁶ scripsi antea diligentia.

3- Hoc tempore⁷ Catilinam⁸, competitorem nostrum, defendere cogitamus⁹.

4- Iudices habemus¹⁰, quos voluimus¹¹, summa accusatoris¹² voluntate.

5- Spero, si absolutus erit, coniunctiorem¹³ illum nobis fore in ratione petitionis¹⁴, sin aliter acciderit¹⁵, humaniter¹⁶ feremus.

6- Tuo adventu¹⁷ nobis opus est maturo; nam¹⁸ prorsus summa hominum est opinio¹⁹ tuos familiares nobile homines adversarios honori²⁰ nostro fore.

7- Ad eorum voluntatem²¹ mihi conciliandam maximo te mihi usui fore video²².

8- Quare Ianuario mense²³, ut constituisti, cura ut Romae sis²⁴.

1- Under the consulate of L. Julius Caesar and C. Marcius Figulus you should know that a tender little son has enlarged my [family]; Terentia's life is safe.

2- From you, instead, and for such a long time, not a single letter! I, from my side, wrote to you previously and reasoned about my projects diligently.

3- At this time I am thinking of defending Catilina, our competitor,

4- We have the judges that we have wanted with the full agreement of the plaintiff's barrister.

5- I hope, if he will be absolved, that the gentleman may side closer with me on the matter of my candidature, but if it happens otherwise, I will have to bear it with dignity.

6- I need you to come back immediately because it is a widely known opinion that the nobility, your peers, will side against my nomination.

7- To bring them on my side I see that your help is mandatory.

8- Hence, try to be back speedily for the month of January, as you had planned; think of Rome, I beg you.

A more flowing translation, with a small amount of background information added in, could go like this:

"Under the consulate of L. Julius Caesar and C. Marcius Figulus I write to tell you that I have a new little son and that Terentia, thanks be to Jupiter, is doing fine. As for you, my dear Atticus, I have heard nothing, and for quite a long time, too.

I wrote to you previously to explain about my plan for the forthcoming election campaign for Consul. Now then, I am thinking of defending Catilina, our political enemy. The judges assigned to the case are agreeable both with me and the plaintiff's legal counsel. I hope that the verdict of the Court will find in my favour, thus, hopefully, I can gain his support for the election campaign. If they find against me, never mind, I will bear it without loss of dignity.

I really need you to come back right away as the general opinion of the aristocrats, your peers, is not in my favour and likely to side against me than for me, despite being the nominee of their Aristocratic Party.

So, please, come back quickly and no later than the month of January, as you had planned. Leave whatever pleasant things you are doing in Athens and take care of the things of Rome, I beg you."

For background information on Roman public offices go to the subpage Cursus Honorum under Topics. For a short biography of Cicero go to the page Statues under View Gallery.

Translation Notes:

1- Consulibus can be the dative pl. or ablative pl. of consul, 3rd Decl. noun. In this case it refers to the year of the consulate of L. Iulius Caesar and C. Marcius Figulus Thermus, i.e. 64 BC, and both names are spelt in the ablative case, hence the form is ablative. Incidentally, the following year Cicero was elected Consul together with C. Antonius Hybrida, 63 BC.

It was common to date events using this form, and not just A.U.C. as discussed in the section on Topics subpage Calendar.

2- filiolo (dat. & abl. of filiolus-wee son) is a diminutive of filius (son) with the added expression of tenderness.

Most translators use the simpler form: "Under the consulate .... a new son was born to me and Terentia is fine." This approach is perfectly correct. However, I feel that maintaining a more literal translation brings out additional aspects of life in those days which, would otherwise be passed over, such as the expression at the end of the sentence, "Terentia is safe". This implies that the risk of mortality during birth for the woman in labour was high, a real apprehension, and not just negligible as is the case today.

3- Abs te from your side, as for you.

4- tam diu nihil litterarum (gen. pl), for such a long time not a single line!

5- ego de meis, adj. 1 Class, dat. pl. or abl.pl. of meus, my, mine; de with ablative=from, hence: from me, from my side.

6- ad te rationibus (dat. pl. or abl.pl.); ad is a preposition and supports the accusative which in this case is "te", accusative of "tu": hence "to you"; ad te rationibus = to you I reasoned [about my projects].

7- Hoc tempore (abl. sing. of tempus) At this time.

8- Catilinam (acc. of Catilina), an aristocrat belonging to the People's Party as opposed to Cicero, who was not an aristocrat by birth, but homus novus by carrear, and belonged to the Aristocratic Party. The two parties contended for elections to the main public offices, of which the highest was that of Consul, equivalent to Prime Minister. The People's Party can be likened to the Labour Party and the Aristocratic Party to the Conservative Party.

9- Cogitamus, we are thinking of; not I but we; thus it implies that Cicero was informing Atticus that the decision had the support of their Party.

10- Iudices habemus (verb, 2nd Conj.; habeo, habere, we have the judges

11- quos voluimus (verb, Ind. Perfect of volere) that we wanted

12- summa accusatoris voluntate; accusatoris is gen. sing. of accusator, 3rd Decl.; with the full agreement of the plaintiff's barrister. When the Courts assigned the judges to a case they had to be acceptable to both the defendant's and the plaintiff's barristers.

13- coniunctiorem comparative adjective 2nd class (not yet covered) meaning more closely, closer

14- in ratione petitionis in the matter of the candidature [of the election campaign]

15- sin aliter acciderit but if it happens otherwise

16- humaniter with dignity, feremus will bear it.

17- adventu abl. 4th Decl., opus est maturo, your quick return is necessary

18- nam for, because

19- summa...opinio, nom sing., opinion; widely known opinion

20- honori normally honour but in this case it refers to the nomination

21- ad eorum voluntaten for their benevolence

22- mihi usui fore video you will be of great advantage, I see: I see is used metaphorically in the sense of: I see the situation clearly, and you will be of grat advantage.

23- quare Ianuario mense both abl. sing. hence for the month of January; quare=whence

24- cura ut Romae sis I beg you, graciously; cura verb. imperative present, take care, occupy yourself of

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