164. tuere: tueri, to look at, guard, watch, protect.
lecticula: diminutive of lectica, small litter.
165. concursare: to run about, travel about.
166. abundantia: ABL. OF CAUSE.
167. subinvitaras: = subinvitaveras, from subinvitare, to gently invite, suggest, hint.
168. quominus: = ne, used to introduce a negative purpose cl.; lit., by which…the less = so that…not.
paeniteret: for construction see note on line 44 above.
169. quod: = et hoc.
minus: = non, as often.
170. quod…vises: cl. in appos. with hoc.
A cordial conclusion.
Tu modo istam imbecillitatem valetudinis tuae sustenta et tuere, ut facis, ut nostras villas obire et mecum simul lecticula 165 concursare possis. Haec ad te pluribus verbis scripsi quam so-leo, non oti abundantia sed amoris erga te, quod me quadam epistula subinvitaras, si memoria tenes, ut ad te aliquid eius modi scriberem, quominus te praetermisisse ludos paeniteret. Quod si adsecutus sum, gaudeo; sin minus, hoc me tamen consolor, 170 quod posthac ad ludos venies nosque vises.
Three comic actors Fresco from Pompeii 1st century A.D. Museo Archeologico Nazionale Naples, Italy
Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY.
172. Q.Q.: = Quintus (Cicero’s brother) and Quintus (the son of Quintus); the fact that Cicero composed this letter in the names of all his family, as well as his use of plurimam (salutem), suggests the affection in which all held Tiro. Marcus Tullius Tiro, as he was called after being freed by Cicero, invented the first known system of shorthand (the so-called Notae Tironianae) for the purpose of taking down Cicero’s speeches, and he was also important in the editing of Cicero’s letters.
dic.: dicit.
173. opportunitatem: here, advantage.
174. te…valere: IND. STATE. dependent on doleo.
175. quartanam: sc. febrim (fever), quartan fever, which recurred every fourth day and was taken to be a sign of convalescence from more serious illnesses.
176. Curius: a banker at Patrae in whose care Cicero had left Tiro.
177. humanitatis tuae: characteristic of your human feeling or kindness; PRED. GEN.
178. quam commodissime: here, as expeditiously as possible.
179. ex desiderio labores: you suffer from being away.
180. nauseae molestiam: the annoyance of seasickness.
aeger:sick, ill.
181. hieme: hiems, winter; the ancients thought that winter was no time for navigation.
182. ad: = to the vicinity of. A general could not enter Rome without surrendering his imperium, unless the senate had granted him a triumph (triumphum, an honorary military parade through the city to the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus); Cicero was awaiting such a triumph for a victory in his province of Cilicia but it had not yet been decreed by the senate.
pr. Non. Ian.: pridie Nonas Ianuarias,the day before the Nones of January = January 4 (49 B.C.).
obviam: adv., in the way, towards, to meet, + dat.; with mihi and the impers. pass, est proditum (from prodire), lit., it was come forth (by the people) to meet me = the people came out to meet me.
183. ornatius: more splendidly.
incidi: incidere,to fall into, come upon.
184. cui: = et ei (bello).
mederi:to heal, cure, + dat.; actually there was practically no likelihood that Cicero’s actions could have resolved the crisis, as Rome was clearly moving toward one-man rule of some sort.
186. ex utraque parte: on both (each of two) sides, i.e., the Caesarians and the senatorial aristocracy.
187. omnino: here, the sum of the matter is this, in sum.
et…Caesar…et Curio (189):both Caesar…and Curio; Gaius Scribonius Curio, tribune in 50 B.C. and a Caesarian, read to the senate on January 1 the letter Cicero mentions here.
amicus noster: ever the mediator, Cicero had attempted to maintain reasonably amicable relations with both Pompey and Caesar, so much so in fact that he was accused by some of fence-straddling.
minacis:threatening; acc. pl.
AD FAMILIARES 16.11
