*

viderit; quanquam illud turpiter ignorat. Catonem primum sententiam putat de animadversione dixisse2; quam omnes ante dixerant, præter Cæsarem3: et quum ipsius Cæsaris tam severa1 fuerit, qui tum prætorio loco dixerit, consularium putat leniores fuisse. * * Cur ergo in sententiam Catonis. Quia verbis luculentioribus et pluribus rem eandem comprehenderat. Me autem hic laudat, quod retulerim, non quod patefecerim, quod cohortatus sim, quod denique ante, quam consulerem, ipse judicaverim. Quæ omnia, quia Cato laudibus extulerat in cœlum', perscribendaque censuerat; idcirco in ejus sententiam est facta discessio. Hic autem se etiam tribuere multum mihi putat, quod scripserit, optimum consulem. Quis enim jejunius dixit inimicus? ad cætera vero tibi quemadmodum rescripsit? Tantum rogat, de senatus-consulto ut corrigas. Hoc quidem fecisset, etiamsi a Ranio admonitus esset. Sed hæc iterum ipse viderit.

8

De hortis, quoniam probas, effice aliquid. Rationes 10

In a former letter, Brutus had requested Atticus to correct certain statements, if he found them incorrect. Atticus made corrections; and the letter here alluded to contains Brutus's answer.

2 This alludes to the discussion in the senate, which took place on the discovery of Catiline's conspiracy, and the arrest of the principal conspirators. See Sallust's Catiline, ad locum. After animadversione, supply in conjuratos.

3 Cæsar was prætor designate that year; Cato, tribune: owing, therefore, to his higher rank, Cæsar preceded Cato in delivering his opinion.

4 "And though Cæsar's own proposition was so severe. He moved that the

meas nosti. Si vero etiam a Faberio aliquid accedit", nihil negotii est. Sed etiam sine eo posse videor contendere. Venales certe sunt Drusi 13; fortasse et Lamiani 14 et Cassiani; sed coram 15.

De Terentiâ 16 non possum commodius scribere, quam tu scribis. Officium sit nobis antiquissimum. Si quid nos fefellerit, illius malo me, quam mei pœnitere.

Oviæ" C. Lollii curanda sunt H-S c.18 Negat Eros posse sine me"; credo, quod accipienda aliqua sit et danda æstimatio 20. Vellem tibi dixisset. Si enim res

est, ut mihi scribit, parata; nec in eo ipso mentitur: per te confici potuit. Id cognoscas, et conficias velim.

21

Quod me in forum vocas; eo vocas, unde, etiam bonis meis rebus 22, fugiebam. Quid enim mihi cum foro, sine judiciis, sine curiâ, in oculos incurrentibus iis, quos æquo animo videre non possum? Quod autem homines a me postulare scribis, ut Romæ sim, neque mihi, ut absim, concedere, jam primum scito esse; quum unum te pluris, quam omnes illos, putem; ne me quidem contemno; meoque judicio multo stare malo, quam omnium reliquorum. Neque tamen progredior longius, quam

11 If any more favourable terms are offered, there is no difficulty."

12 Whether, or no, Faberius lowers his terms, I can try for such other gardens as are for sale.

13 Supply, horti. "Drusus's garden is for sale."

14 Those of Lamia, and Cassius." It was as common in Latin, as it is now in German, to coin possessive adjectives from proper names. 15 Supply "de hoc negotio tecum agam."

16 Cicero's divorced wife. He was arranging about the restoration of her dowry.

17 & 18 We must look about the 100,000 sesterces due to Ovia, Lollius's wife.

19 Curari, understood.

20 The valuation of property must be given in on both sides, prior to payment of money. Cæsar had appointed commissioners to value estates &c. which belonged to partisans of Pompey, that they might have no injustice done them in claiming their property.

21 Atticus had advised Cicero to resume his occupation at the bar, in order to relieve his harassed mind

22 Even in my prosperity."

3 When the regular course of justice is stopped, and the senate is no longer independent during the present despotism.

mihi doctissimi homines concedunt; quorum scripta omnia, quæcunque sunt in eam sententiam, non legi solum, quod ipsum erat fortis ægroti, accipere medicinam, sed in mea etiam scripta transtuli, quod certe afflicti et fracti animi non fuit. Ab his me remediis noli in istam turbam vocare, ne recidam 24.

24 Lest I have a tumble." A metaphor taken from gladiatorial practice.

LIII.

(ATT. XII. 32.)

Scr. Asturæ, exeunte Martio, 708.

Cicero explains his dislike of any interview with Publilia, and her mother and brother.-On the sum to be assigned his son, for his academic expenses at Athens.

CICERO ATTICO, S.

PUBLILIA' ad me scripsit, matrem suam cum Publilio2 ad me venturam, et se una, si ego paterer: orat multis et supplicibus verbis, ut liceat, et ut sibi rescribam. Res quam molesta sit, vides. Rescripsi, me etiam gravius esse affectum, quam tum, quum illi dixissem, me solum esse velle; quare nolle me hoc tempore eam ad me venire. Putabam, si nihil rescripsissem, illam cum matre venturam nunc non puto. Apparebat enim, illas literas non esse ipsius3. Illud autem, quod fore video, ipsum volo vitare, ne illi ad me veniant. Et una est vitatio, ut ego absim. Nolim sed necesse est. Te

'Cicero's new-married wife, from whom he now wished to be separated, paying her back her large fortune.

2 Publilia's brother. 3 Not Publilia's own, but her mother's.

4 Publilius.

5 There is but one way of avoiding an interview; viz. my absence." Ut, which is generally caused by a verb, here is caused by the active substantive, vitatio.

hoc nunc rogo ut explores, ad quam diem hic ita possim esse, ut ne opprimar. Ages, ut scribis, temperate.

Ciceroni velim hoc proponas, (ita tamen, si tibi non iniquum videbitur), ut sumptus hujus peregrinationis, quibus, si Romæ esset, domumque conduceret, quod facere cogitabat, facile contentus futurus erat, accommodet ad mercedes Argileti et Arentini: et quum ei proposueris, ipse 10 velim reliqua moderere, quemadmodum ex iis mercedibus suppeditemus ei quod opus sit. Præstabo", nec Bibulum 12, nec Acidinum, nec Messalam, quos Athenis futuros audio, majores sumptus facturos, quam quod ex eis mercedibus recipietur. Itaque velim videas, primum, conductores 13 qui sint, et quanti; deinde, ut sit, qui ad diem solvat1; et, quid viatici", quid instrumenti satis sit. Jumento certe Athenis nihil opus est. Quibus autem in viâ utatur, domi 16 sunt plura, quam opus erat: quod etiam tu animadvertis.

"That I may not be surprised, at home."

? The young Cicero, who was going to Athens, for his education.

8 Residence from home, at Athens.

9 Cicero had purchased several houses with shops in this quarter of Rome (see a Map); and had promised his son the rent of them, if he wished to live in Rome. He now proposes that the proceeds should go toward the expenses of his stay at Athens, and that his son should limit himself to that sum.

10 Tu, is understood. After velim, as usual, the ut is

LIV.

(AD DIV. IV. 12.)

Scr. Athenis, pr. Cal. Jun. 708.

Sulpicius gives Cicero the details of an assassination that had been perpetrated at Athens.

SCR. SULPICIUS M. CICERONI, S. D.

ETSI scio, non jucundissimum nuntium me vobis allaturum: tamen quoniam casus et natura in nobis dominatur, visum est faciendum, quoquo modo res se haberet, ut vos certiores facerem.

Ante diem x Calendas Junias, quum ab Epidauro Piræeum navi advectus essem, ibi Marcellum, collegam nostrum, conveni, eumque diem ibi consumpsi, ut cum eo essem. Postero die, quum ab eo digressus essem, eo consilio, ut ab Athenis in Boeotiam irem, reliquamque jurisdictionem absolverem', ille, ut aiebat, vnèp Maλéas2, in Italiam versus navigaturus erat. Postridie ejus diei, quum ab Athenis proficisci in animo haberem, circiter horam decimam3 noctis, Sp. Postumius, familiaris ejus, ad me venit, et mihi nuntiavit, Marcellum, collegam nostrum, post cœnæ tempus, a P. Magio Chilone, familiare ejus, pugione percussum esse, et duo vulnera accepisse, unum in stomacho, alterum in capite, secundum aurem, sperare tamen se eum vivere posse. Magium se ipsum interfecisse; postea se a Marcello ad me missum esse, qui hæc nuntiaret, uti cogerem medicos. Coegi, et e vestigio eò sum profectus primâ luce. Quum non longe a Piræeo abessem, puer Acidini obviam mihi venit

"Finish the circuit of my judicial duties."

2 "Doubling the Cape of Malea." It was more usual to cross the Adriatic from Dyracchium, than to go round the Peloponnesus by sea.

3 From sunset to sunrise

was divided into twelve equal portions, called hours.

4 Valerius Maximus states, that this Magius was exasperated at the unfairness Marcellus had shewn in the distribution of some offices. Book IX. Chap. 11.