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canos, quos habuit amantissimos sui, tertium iam men- 75 sem vexat neque iis a senatu responsum dari patitur: ita nos cogimur reliquis de rebus nihil decernere, antequam publicanis responsum sit; quare etiam legationes reiectum iri puto. Nunc vides, quibus fluctibus iactemur, 8 et, si ex iis, quae scripsimus tanta, etiam a me non scrip- 80 ta perspicis, revise nos aliquando et, quamquam sunt haec fugienda, quo te voco, tamen fac, ut amorem nostrum tanti aestimes, ut eo vel cum his molestiis perfrui velis; nam, ne absens censeare, curabo edicendum et proponendum locis omnibus, sub lustrum autem cen- 85

pressed here of his character is confirmed by all we know of him. miseros publicanos: the taxes imposed upon the provinces were farmed out by the censors (p. 65, § 58) to publicani, men of the ordo equestris. They paid a round sum into the treasury for the chance of squeezing a larger sum out of the provincials. Those who had lately bought the revenues of Asia had bid more than they could collect, and had asked the senate (p. 74, § 98) to release them from their contract.

76-78. cogimur nihil decernere: in order to put a stop to persistent opposition, the senate sometimes voted that no other business should receive attention until the question at issue was settled. This action had been taken about Clodius' trial, and now about the petition of the publicani. legationes, from foreign nations. February was the regular month for attending to foreign affairs: cf. p. 74, § 97. reiectum iri, 'will be made to

wait:' for form cf. Ep. III. 2. 34.

...

§ 8. 80-84. ex iis tanta: for trans. see on Mur. 12. 26. quo = what? Cf. IV. 21. 25; III. 28. 25; Mur. 28. 18. tanti: case, and why? vel, intensive with the phrase cum molestiis : cf. Ep. III. 5. 83. ne absens censeare, 'that you shall not be registered in your absence.' Atticus would naturally prefer to be present when the list of his possessions was made out (p. 65, § 56), and still his interests in Epirus might demand his presence there as long as possible. Cicero hints that to appear before the censors at the very last moment allowed was not good form.

85. sub lustrum, 'just at the expiration of the time.' The word originally meant the ceremony of purification that had in ancient times ended the registration, and so Cicero uses it here of the period (18 months) which the censors actually served; for its more usual meaning see p. 65, § 56.

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seri germani negotiatoris est. Quare cura, ut te quam primum videamus. Vale. XI. Kal. Febr. Q. Metello L. Afranio coss.

V.

(AD ATT. II. 23.)

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

Numquam ante arbitror te epistolam meam legisse, nisi mea manu scriptam: ex eo colligere poteris, quanta occupatione distinear; nam, cum vacui temporis nihil haberem et cum recreandae voculae causa necesse esset 2 mihi ambulare, haec dictavi ambulans. Primum igitur

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86-88. germani negotiato- | ing election, and was already beris, of a tradesman pure and ginning to utter threats against simple:' for case cf. IV. 8. 22. Cicero. The letter shows how Vale: see Exc. V. § 13 ad fin. little the latter comprehended the XI... Coss. So full a date is political manoeuvres of Caesar, and unusual. coss.: this (or cos.) is the how blindly he still trusted regular abbreviation for consulibus Pompeius. Read p. 41, §§ 75, 76. where used to fix the year, and § 1. 2-5. nisi scriptam: shows that n before s must have see Exc. V. § 6; for nisi with parhad a very weak sound; cons. did ticiple cf. Ep. III. 5. 67. occunot come into use before 200 A.D. patione, 'business,' explained in § 3. voculae, 'what is left of my voice,' will fairly represent the INTRODUCTORY NOTE: Written diminutive. mihi: for case A. from Rome to Atticus in Epirus 272, a 1. 1; G. 535, Rem. 1; what (see on Ep. IV. 2. 32), in August other case should we expect? 59, therefore eighteen months after ambulare, walking in the open the preceding letter. The adop-air was believed to be good for the tion of Clodius had been at last voice. What other mood could accomplished, he was a candidate we have had ? cf. Ep. IV. for the tribunate at the approach-2. 30.

V.

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illud te scire volo, Sampsiceramum, nostrum amicum, vehementer sui status poenitere restituique in eum locum cupere, ex quo decidit, doloremque suum impertire nobis et medicinam interdum aperte quaerere, quam ego posse inveniri nullam puto; deinde omnes 10 illius partis auctores ac socios nullo adversario consenescere, consensionem universorum nec voluntatis nec sermonis maiorem umquam fuisse. Nos autem nam id te scire cupere certo scio publicis consiliis nullis intersumus totosque nos ad forensem operam 15 laboremque contulimus, ex quo, quod facile intelligi possit, in multa commemoratione earum rerum, quas gessimus, desiderioque versamur. Sed foónidos nostrae βοώπιδος consanguineus non mediocres terrores iacit atque denuntiat et Sampsiceramo negat, ceteris prae se fert et 28

§ 3. 14-20. certo scio. Cicero uses the form certo with scio only, and only when the verb is in the 1st pers. sing. and has an infinitive clause dependent upon it; certum scio (nescio) he always uses absolutely, i.e., without a

§ 2. 6-13. Sampsiceramum, a nickname given to Pompeius from a petty prince whom he defeated in the East, and whom he may have mentioned too often in his despatches: for case and that of status see refs. on factorum IV. 20. 8. poenitere, cupere. dependent clause. in . . . verPompeius was dissatisfied with the inferior part in politics which he had to take under Caesar, but he did not have enough decision of character to do more than coquet with the senate. Notice that Sampsiceramum is object of poenitere and subject of cupere: for a similar double construction, friend:' the 'soft-eyed one' is cf. quibus II. 25. 12. universo- Clodia, the elder sister of Clodius. rum . sermonis, 'unanimity consanguineus, Clodius. Samp. on the part of all in policy and negat, denies the threats word:' for the double genitives cf. Pompeius.' ceteris prae se IV. 15. 24; for voluntas in politi- fert, asserts them openly to cal sense see on Sull. 10. 34. others.'

samur, 'we live amid much talk of the deeds which we have done and great desire for them.' He means that he often hears men speaking of his consulship, and wishing that he would resume his political activity. Bownidos [boōpidos] nostrae of our soft-eyed

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ostentat; quamobrem, si me amas tantum, quantum profecto amas, si dormis, expergiscere, si stas, ingredere, si ingrederis, curre, si curris, advola: credibile non est, quantum ego in consiliis et prudentia tua, quodque 25 maximum est, quantum in amore et fide ponam. Magnitudo rei longam orationem fortasse desiderat, coniunctio vero nostrorum animorum brevitate contenta est: permagni nostra interest te, si comitiis non potueris, at declarato illo esse Romae. Cura, ut valeas.

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VI.

(AD Q. FRATREM 1. 2 [§ 15 FOLL.].)

MARCUS QUINTO FRATRI SAL.

Nunc ea cognosce, quae maxime exoptas: rem publicam funditus amisimus, adeo ut C. Cato, adolescens

VI.

24–29. quodque, etc., refer to begins (p. 63, § 48 ad fin.). cura, the following words. permagni ut valeas : see Exc. V. § 13 ad fin., nostra interest, 'it is of the and cf. Ep. IV. 8. 87. Atticus greatest moment to me.' per- returned to Rome in November, magni: for case cf. tanti, Ep. IV. and exerted himself manfully but 8. 83; is the intensive per- ever unsuccessfully in Cicero's behalf. used with verbs? See on Sull. 23. 33. nostra: for case cf. Sull. 2. 23; IV. 9. 1. comitiis: INTRODUCTORY NOTE: Written sc. tribuniciis. The election of from Rome to Quintus in Asia in Clodius was so certain that Cicero the latter part of November or first does not insist on the coming of part of December, 59, therefore Atticus before the comitia, the three or four months after the predate of which we do not know. ceding letter. Clodius had been at declarato, etc., 'at least be at elected tribune, but had as yet Rome after his election,' i.e., be-accomplished nothing to alarm fore his term as tribune actually Cicero. Read p. 42, § 77. The

nullius consilii, sed tamen civis Romanus et Cato, vix vivus effugerit, quod, cum Gabinium de ambitu vellet postulare neque praetores diebus aliquot adiri possent 5 vel potestatem sui facerent, in contionem escendit et Pompeium privatum dictatorem appellavit: propius nihil est factum, quam ut occideretur. Ex hoc, qui sit status totius rei publicae, videre potes. Nostrae tamen 16 causae non videntur homines defuturi: mirandum in 10 modum profitentur, offerunt se, pollicentur. Equidem cum spe sum maxima, tum maiore etiam animo, spe,

greater part of the letter is omitted, | adverb in -us cf. Ep. III. 9. 125. as having nothing to do with Cicero's political affairs.

C. Cato, a man of shifting principles, strong prejudices, and vioMarcus lent temper. nullius consilii: for case cf. modi, Sull. 64. 27; III. 25. 23. et Cato, and a Cato,' i.e., his mere name entitled him to respect. Gabinium. Aulus Gabinius and L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus were the consuls-elect, both men of the basest character and tools of the triumvirate. postulare, ' to accuse,' ' bring suit against,' a legal term, praetores, p. 65, § 59, Exc. II. § 7.

SALUTATION: Quinto: see Exc. V. § 12. Fratri. Q. Tullius Cicero was the orator's younger and only brother, and had been educated with him at home and abroad. He married Pomponia, the sister of Atticus, but his hasty temper and her sensitiveness made their married life unhappy, and they separated in 45. Quintus was aedile in 65, praetor in 62, and propraetor of Asia from 61 to 58. He left his 6-8. potestatem sui faceprovince about the time Cicero rent,' would not allow themselves went into exile and hurried to to be spoken to,' lit. 'would not Rome, fearing a prosecution for give him a chance at them;' in a misgovernment. This he escaped, different sense Caes. I. 40. 8. in and he worked zealously for his contionem, 'the platform:' give brother's recall. In 57 he was the three meanings of this word, legatus to Pompeius in Sardinia, Mur. 50. 6. quam ut occiderein 54 to Caesar in Gaul and tur: for the clause see A. 332 b: Britain. He took sides with G. 647 Rem. 4; H. 502 2; B.284 4. Pompeius in the civil war, but Ex hoc = ex hac re: gender of was pardoned by Caesar, only to hoc? Parallel use of the neuter? fall a victim to the proscription of Cf. Sull. 31. 19. What is the 43. objection to this substantive use § 15.2-5. funditus: for another of the pronoun ?

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