18

hastâ 12: (perdere malo 13 etsi propter turpitudinem, hoc ipsum puto esse perdere 14) aut delegationem 15 a mancipe, annuâ die 16; (quis erit, cui credam"? aut quando iste Metonis annus veniet?) aut Vecteni 19 conditionem semisse. Exέya 20 igitur. Ac vereor, ne iste jam auctionem nullam faciat, sed, ludis factis 21, κτύπω 22 subsidio currat, ne talis vir aðoynoy 23. Sed μɛλýσɛɩ 24.

23

*

The

[This Letter is written four years after the last; after Cæsar had, by his victory at Pharsalia, gained absolute power. tone of Cicero's epistles becomes henceforward less political; till that period when, after Cæsar's death, he again entered with zeal into the plans to restore Rome to freedom.]

12 Ordinary auction:" at which a hasta, or spear, was always set up. See Adams.

13 & 14 I prefer losing my money, than recovering it out of the estates of a proscribed friend of my own party nay, this recovery would be a loss, from the disgrace I might undergo."

15 & 16 "A conveyance of the debt to the purchaser at the auction, who would pay me, annuâ die, at a year's credit."

17 Whom can I trust ?" since I was an adherent of Pompey's.

18 Meto had often postponed payment. There is also a playful allusion to the year or golden number (19 years)

XLVII.

(ATT. IX. 6.)

Scr. in Tusculano, initio mensis Quint. 707.

On his nephew Quintus, who had been appointed one of the Luperci. His satisfaction at Cato's friendship. On certain money matters. Cicero asks explanation on certain historical difficulties. On the subject of Tiro's meeting Dolabella :-and other domestic details.

CICERO ATTICO, S.

QUINTUS' pater quartum, vel potius millesimum nihil sapit, qui lætetur Luperco3 filio, et Statio, ut cernat duplici dedecore cumulatam domum. Addo etiam Philotimum tertium. O stultitiam, nisi mea major esset*, singularem! quod autem os', in hanc rem pavov a te? fac, non ad διψῶσαν κρήνην, sed ad Πειρήνην eum venisse; sed μжνενμæ σeμvòv 'Aλpeoỡ' in te, ut scribis, haurire; in tantis suis præsertim angustiis; ποῖ ταῦτ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἀποσx10? sed ipse viderit".

1 viz. Cicero's only brother, father of young Quintus.

2 "Is playing the fool, for the fourth, or (I might say) the thousandth time."

Quintus, the son, had just been elected one of the priests of Pan, called Luperci; a thing not considered creditable. Statius and Philotimus, slaves of Cicero, had also been appointed his attendants in the performance of his priestly duties. See Adams.

4 It is not known to what act of his life Cicero here refers.

5 Here put for impudentia. We should say, "brass."

6 "Egavos was the contribution each person paid to a joint banquet. Here used to mean the sum Quintus desired to borrow of Atticus,

8

to support the expense of his fresh dignity. Supply, eum

rogare.

7 Thirsty, empty, fountain." Metaphorically applied to Atticus's purse, which was then ill-furnished.

8"The fountain Pirene," ever flowing.

9"The sacred breathingplace of the river Alpheus ;" viz. the fountain Arethusa, into which the Alpheus flowed, after running underground. The Greek words form the first line of one of Pindar's Odes."

10 What will be the issue of this behaviour ?"

11 But let him look to it." The future perfect is often elegantly used for the imperative.

12

Cato me quidem delectat. Sed etiam Bassum Lucilium sua.

13

De Cœlio tu quæres, ut scribis; ego nihil novi. Noscenda est natura 15, non facultas modo. De Hortensio 16 et Virginio, tu si quid dubitabis"; etsi, quod magis placeat, ego quantum aspicio, non facile inveneris. Cum Mustelâ 18, quemadmodum scribis, quum venerit Crispus. Ad Aulum 19 scripsi, ut ea, quæ bene nossem de auro 20, Pisoni demonstraret. Tibi enim sane assentior, et istud nimium diu duci1, et omnia nunc undique contrahenda 22. Te quidem nihil agere, nihil cogitare aliud, nisi quod ad me pertineat, facile perspicio; meisque negotiis impediri cupiditatem tuam ad me veniendi. Sed mecum esse te puto; non solum quod meam rem agis, verum etiam quod videre videor, quo modo agas. Neque enim ulla hora tui mihi est operis ignota 23.

24

Tubulum prætorem video L. Metello, Q. Maximo consulibus. Nunc velim25, P. Scævola pontifex maxi

12 Cicero refers to an eulogy he had written on Cato, who had put an end to his life at Utica.

13 An ignoble writer of that day. Sua; supply, scripta.

14 A banker, or moneychanger. It was Cicero's wish, in the present conjuncture, to exchange all his property into gold; and be the better enabled to carry it off, should he choose to emigrate to some more peaceful region.

15 Supply, auri. We should ascertain, not only the quality of the gold, but also the rate of exchange.

16 Supply, quæres. These, also, were money-changers.

17"If you shall have any doubts as to their fair dealing."

18 Supply, ages: "you will treat." These two individuals are supposed to have been

H

co-heirs, along with Cicero, to some bequeathed property.

19 Piso was a money-lender, and Aulus his friend, an acquaintance also of Cicero's.

20 As far as I knew about the business of the gold."

21 & 22 That the affair is much too long protracted; and that all the property should now be scraped together, for exchange."

23 Alluding to the frequent letters which Atticus wrote on the transaction.

24 Hostilius Tubulus, a man of most venal and profligate disposition. Cicero is here making several inquiries with regard to several public characters in Rome, whom he intended to describe in a book he was writing, De Finibus, still extant. Supply, fuisse. Supply, quærere; and afterwards, fuerit.

25

mus, quibus consulibus tribunus plebis. Equidem puto proximis 26, Cæpione et Pompeio. Prætor enim P. Furio, Sex. Atilio. Dabis igitur tribunatum, et, si poteris, Tubulus quo crimine". Et vide, quæso, L. Libo, ille, qui de Ser. Galbâ 28, Censorinone et Manilio, an T. Quintio, M'.29 Acilio consulibus tribunus plebis fuerit. Conturbat enim me in Bruti epitome Fannianorum 30 scriptum quod erat in extremo : idque ego secutus, hunc Fannium, qui scripsit historiam, generum esse scripseram Lælii31: sed tu me yewμeтpixos 31 refelleras: te autem nunc Brutus et Fannius 32. Ego tamen de bono auctore Hortensio 33 sic acceperam, ut apud Brutum est. Hunc igitur locum expedies 34.

31

Ego misi Tironem Dolabellæ obviam 35. Idibus revertetur. Te exspectabo postridie.

Is ad me

37

De Tulliâ meâ tibi antiquissimum 36 esse video: idque ita ut sit, te vehementer rogo. Ergo et in integro omnia: sic enim scribis. Mihi etsi Kalendæ 38 vitandæ fuerunt, Nicasionumque39 aρxéтUTα 40 fugienda, conficien

dæque tabulæ11: nihil tamen tanti, ut a te abessem, fuit. Quum Romæ essem, et te jam jamque visurum me putarem, quotidie tamen horæ, quibus exspectabam, longæ videbantur. Scis me minime esse blandum. Itaque minus aliquanto dico, quam sentio.

41"My accounts were to be settled." He again refers to

his desire of converting his moveables into gold.

XLVIII.

(AD DIV. IX. 18.)

Scr. in Tusculano, Mense Junio, 707.

Cicero gives the reasons that had induced him to train some of his friends in the art of eloquence, at his villa, just as if he were a public professor. Jokes on the taste and luxury of his suppers.

CICERO S. D. L. PAPIRIO PETO.

QUUM essem otiosus in Tusculano, propterea quod discipulos' obviam miseram, ut iidem me quam maxime conciliarent familiari suo2: accepi tuas literas, plenissimas suavitatis; ex quibus intellexi probari tibi meum consilium, quod, ut Dionysius tyrannus, quum Syracusis expulsus esset, Corinthi dicitur ludum aperuisse: sic ego, sublatis judiciis3, amisso regno forensi, ludum quasi habere cœperim. Quid quæris? me quoque delectat consilium. Multa enim consequor. Primum id, quod maxime nunc opus est, munio me ad hæc tempora. Id cujusmodi sit, nescio; tantum video, nullius adhuc consilia me huic anteponere1; nisi forte mori melius fuit. In lectulo, fateor; sed non accidit. In acie non fui5.

By his pupils, he means Hirtius and Dolabella, to whom he was giving instructions in declamation and oratory. He had just parted with them, as they were going to meet Cæsar, on his way back from Africa.

2 viz. Cæsar.

3 "As I am now longer occupied with pleadings."

"To this plan of giving instructions to my friends." 5 He was ill, or (as Wieland pretends) affected to be so, at the decisive battle of Pharsalia.