7. cum…tum (8): = non solum…sed etiam.
cognitione: cognitio,study, consideration.
8. familiaritate: familiaritas, close friendship.
9. prodessem: prosum, to be useful to, benefit.
11. persona: originally mask (worn by an actor); hence personality, character.
ea ipsa: not with amicitia, but n. pi. dir. obj.
12. dissereret: disserere, to discuss, argue; with quae, a REL. CL. OF RESULT.
disputata: sc. esse.
14. plus: with gravitatis.
15. amicissimus: = a completely devoted friend; a fine tribute to Cicero’s friendship with Atticus.
17. socerum: socer, father-in-law.
19. te ipse cognosces: Cicero complimented Atticus not only by dedicating the De Amicitia to him but by imagining their relationship as equal to the proverbially close friendship of Scipio and Laelius.
20. quaerunt: the subj. is general, people ask.
quonam: from the interrog. adj. quinam, quaenam, quodnam, who, which, what (in the world).
pacto: pactum,pact, agreement, way.
LAELIUS DE AMICITIA
Preface and dedication to Atticus.
Scipio Africanus the Elder Museo Archeologico Nazionale Naples, Italy
Scala/Art Resource, NY.
Tum Scaevola exposuit nobis sermonem Laeli de amicitia habitum ab illo secum et cum altero genero C. Fannio paucis diebus post mortem Africani. Eius disputationis sententias memoriae mandavi, quas hoc libro exposui arbitratu meo; quasi 5 enim ipsos induxi loquentes ut tamquam a praesentibus coram haberi sermo videretur. Cum enim saepe mecum ageres ut de amicitia scriberem aliquid, digna mihi res cum omnium cognitione tum nostra familiaritate visa est. Itaque feci non invitus ut prodessem multis rogatu tuo. Cum accepissemus a patribus 10 maxime memorabilem C. Laeli et P. Scipionis familiaritatem fuisse, idonea mihi Laeli persona visa est quae de amicitia ea ipsa dissereret quae disputata ab eo meminisset Scaevola. Genus autem hoc sermonum, positum in hominum veterum auctoritate et eorum illustrium, plus videtur habere gravitatis. (Sed hoc 15 libro ad amicum amicissimus de amicitia scripsi.) Nunc Laelius, amicitiae gloria excellens, de amicitia loquitur. C. Fannius et Q. Mucius ad socerum veniunt post mortem Africani. Ab his sermo oritur, respondet Laelius, cuius tota disputatio est de amicitia, quam legens te ipse cognosces. (3–5, excerpts)
Introductory conversation: how Laelius bore the loss of Scipio.
20 FANNIUS. Itaque ex me quaerunt quonam pacto mortem Africani feras.
SCAEVOLA. Quaerunt quidem, C. Laeli, multi, ut est a Fannio dictum; sed id respondeo quod animum adverti: te dolorem quem acceperis cum summi viri tum amicissimi morte 25 ferre moderate, nec potuisse non commoveri.
23. animum adverti: taken as a unit, I have noticed, perceived.
25. nec potuisse non: a common formulation, you were unable not (to), you could not have failed (to).
27. viderint: a parenthetical POTENTIAL SUBJUNCT.; i.e., if Laelius should deny his grief (philosophers would understand and approve such denial), he would be concealing the truth.
28. sapientes: philosophers, particularly the Stoics, whose ideal of imperturbability would theoretically not permit them to be disturbed by any circumstance.
mentiar: mentiri,to lie.
29. orbatus: orbare, + abl., to deprive of.
recordatione: recordatio,recollection.
30. fruor: frui, + abl., to enjoy.
31. ista: with sapientiae…fama, that reputation for wisdom.
32. quam…quam (33): the first is a rel. pron. with fama as antecedent; the second a correlative conj. with tam.
falsa:(since it is) untrue.
praesertim: adv., especially (since).
33. quod: the fact that, introducing a noun cl. that, like fama, is a subj. of delectat.
sempiternam:enduring, eternal.
34. fore: = futuram esse.
eo: ABL. OF DEGREE OF DIFFERENCE with magis, more by this much = this much more.