vestrum ut eadem postulentur a vobis quae ab amplissimis civibus. Sed de hoc tu videbis, quippe cum de me ipso ac de meis te considerare velim. 4. Reliquum est ut et quid agatur quoad poteris explores scribasque ad me et quid ipse coniectura adsequare, quod etiam a te magis exspecto. Nam acta omnibus nuntiantibus a te exspecto futura. Μάντις δ' ἄριστος Loquacitati ignosces,

quae et me levat ad te quidem scribentem et elicit tuas litteras. Aenigma [Oppiorum ex Velia] plane non intellexi. Est enim numero Platonis obscurius.

308. CICERO TO ATTICUS (ATT. VII. 13 b).

MINTURNAE; JANUARY 23 OR 24; A. U. C. 705; B. C. 49; AET, CIC. 57.

M. Cicero Attico de re familiari alviyμatikās scribit, de L. Caesare a se Minturnis viso, de Labieno et de infirmitate partium Pompeianarum atque consilii inopia. Litteras ab Attico exspectat.

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

1. Iam intellexi tuum. Oppios enim de Velia saccones dices. In eo aestuavi diu; quo aperto reliqua patebant et cum Terentiae

153). Cicero translates the verse thus (De Div. ii. 12), bene qui coniciet vatem hunc perhibebo optimum.

Aenigma... obscurius] O. E. Schmidt (p. 120 f.) rightly considers this sentence concludes the letter. Cicero did not understand the riddle as yet. When he found the solution of it,he at once wrote Ep. 308. For Plato's nuptial number' cp. Rep. viii. 545 C ff., and Adam's note in his edition, vol. ii. pp. 264-312. The words Oppiorum ex l'elia are probably a gloss, which has crept in from a marginal

note.

1. Iam intellexi tuum] Cicero at once on guessing the allusion of Att. writes off to him about it: see on 307. 4.

Oppios... dices] I take it I shall find you mean the Oppii by the 'baggards of Velia.' The word sacco is invented by Atticus on the analogy of substantives with the depreciatory termination in -0, like bucco, glutto, cachinno, lurco, popino,

summa congruebant. 2. L. Caesarem vidi Menturnis a. d. vii Kal. Febr. mane cum absurdissimis mandatis, non hominem sed scopas solutas; ut id ipsum mihi ille videatur irridendi causa fecisse qui tantis de rebus huic mandata dederit, nisi forte non dedit et hic sermone aliquo adrepto pro mandatis abusus est. 3. Labienus, vir mea sententia magnus, Teanum venit a. d. Ix Kal. Ibi Pompeium consulesque convenit. Qui sermo fuerit et quid actum sit scribam ad te cum certum sciam. Pompeius a Teano Larinum versus profectus est a. d. vIII Kal. Eo die mansit Venafri. Aliquantum animi videtur nobis attulisse Labienus. Sed ego nondum habeo quod ad te ex his locis scribam. Ista magis exspecto, quid illim adferatur, quo pacto de Labieno ferat,

nebulo. We have a depreciatory termination in words like coward, dotard, wizard, braggart. Schütz reads succones, and ascribes a too elaborate joke to Atticus, who, he supposes, applies the term succones to the Oppii because succus may be the Latin for onós, juice.' The Oppii were bankers and friends of Atticus (338. 3; 382. 12; 388. 3). Perhaps that is the reason why Cicero continues with a banking phrase reliqua patebant, the balance was clear.' For reliqua ep. Att. vi. 1. 19 (252). The Oppii appear to have done banking business for Terentia (382. 12).

dices] It is possible that this is a mere slip for dieis; but the future is defensible. It will mean no doubt you call,' that is, you will be found to call,' 'the solution of the riddle will be found to be that you call' the Oppii baggards from Velia.' This use of the future is characteristic of the comic drama: cp. non credibile dices, 'you will be found to be mistaken in what you say,' Plaut. Trin. 606; hic inerunt viginti minae, there will be found to be in it 20 minae,' As. 734, where Mr. Gray gives many examples; conveniet, 'you'll find it right,' Ter. Phorm. 53; and sie erit, so it will be found to be,' common in Plautus (e.g. Pseud. 677).

2. L. Caesarem] On the negotiations of Lucius Caesar and Roscius Fabatus with Julius Caesar in January, 49, see Addenda to the Commentary, ii.

non hominem sed] The words introduce, as usual, a strong metaphor: see on Att. i. 18, 1 (24). Here L. Caesar is described as being as worthless as a broom

in which all the twigs have got loose, so that it cannot sweep at all. The message entrusted to him seemed to Cicero so absurd that he doubted whether Caesar had not deliberately chosen such a creature as his emissary to throw ridicule on the diplomacy of his opponents; or perhaps,' he adds, he was not commissioned by Caesar at all; may be he picked up some gossip and passed it off as a diplomatic note entrusted to himself.'

scopus solutas] cp. Orat. 235, Isti autem cum dissolvunt orationem in qua nec res nec verbum ullum est nisi abiectum, non clipeum sed, ut in proverbio est-etsi humilius dictum est, tamen simile estscopas, ut ita dicam, mihi videntur dissolvere.

3. Teanum] sc.
certum sciam]

Sidicinum.

know for certain': cp. certum nescio, I do not know for certain,' Att. xii. 23, 2 (559). certo scio generally means, I am fully persuaded'; certum scio, I have certain intelligence'; certe scio, I am sure that I know': but these distinctions are not always strictly maintained.

profectus est] An epistolary tense is setting out.' This was the intention of Pompey, but it was not carried out. He did not leave till the 25th: cp. 311. 2 compared with 327. 2.

illim] This form, instead of the form illinc, is frequent in Cicero's letters and in the comic drama. It is allowed by most edd. to stand in Phil. ii. 77, and De Har. Resp. 42. I am rather expecting to hear from you what news is brought from. Caesar.'

quid agat Domitius in Marsis, Iguvi Thermus, P. Attius Cinguli, quae sit populi urbani voluntas, quae tua coniectura de rebus futuris. Haec velim crebro et quid tibi de mulieribus nostris placeat et quid acturus ipse sis scribas. Si scriberem ipse longior epistula fuisset, sed dictavi propter lippitudinem.

309. CICERO AND HIS SON TO TERENTIA AND TULLIA (FAM. XIV. 14).

MINTURNAE; JANUARY 23; A. U. C. 705; B. C. 49; AET. CIC. 57.

M. Cicero, cum Pompeius fugisset cum senatu ex urbe, iubet suas deliberare maneantne in urbe necne.

TULLIUS TERENTIAE ET PATER TULLIAE, DUABUS ANIMIS SUIS, ET CICERO MATRI OPTIMAE, SUAVISSIMAE SORORI S. P. D.

1. Si vos valetis, nos valemus. Vestrum iam consilium est, non solum meum, quid sit vobis faciendum. Si ille Romam modeste venturus est, recte in praesentia domi esse potestis: sin homo amens diripiendam urbem daturus est, vereor ut Dolabella ipse satis nobis prodesse possit. Etiam illud metuo, ne iam intercludamur, ut cum velitis exire non liceat. Reliquum est quod ipsae optime considerabitis, vestri similes feminae sintne Romae. Si enim non sunt, videndum est ut honeste vos esse possitis. Quo modo quidem nunc se res habet, modo ut haec nobis loca tenere liceat, bellissime vel mecum vel in nostris praediis esse poteritis.

Domitius in Marsis] With this letter should be read Caesar Bell. Civ. i. 8-12. The absurdissima mandata are given in c. 9, and the positions of Domitius, Thermus, and Attius are described (c. 12 ff.), but Attius is spoken of (12. 3) as being not in Cingulum but in Auximum. Perhaps he was at first at Cingulum, and afterwards at Auximum.

DUABUS ANIMIS SUIS] This is the most affectionate superscription to any of the letters for the expression animae meae cp. 306. 1. This letter was written on the same day as 307 and 308.

1. modeste] quietly,' 'in an orderly way,' i.e. without military licence.

domi esse] i.e. in Rome: cp. Att. vi. 5. 1 (269), and Index s. v. domus. intercludamur] cp. 312. 4. exire] 306. 2.

vestri similes feminae] 306. 2; cp. bonos in 306. 1; 307. 3.

videndum est ut] cp. 306. 2; 310. 2. Quo modo res se habet] cp. Q. Fr. ii. 2, 1 (100), Quoquo modo res se habet.

bellissime] You will be able to stay very nicely either with me or in my country houses.'

praediis] cp. note to 306. 1.

Etiam illud verendum est ne brevi tempore fames in urbe sit. 2. His de rebus velim cum Pomponio, cum Camillo, cum quibus vobis videbitur consideretis, ad summam animo forti sitis. Labienus rem meliorem fecit. Adiuvat etiam Piso quod ab urbe discedit et sceleris condemnat generum suum. Vos, meae carissimae animae, quam saepissime ad me scribite et vos quid agatis et quid istic agatur. Quintus pater et filius et Rufus vobis salutem dicunt. Valete. VIII Kalend. Menturnis.

310. CICERO TO ATTICUS (ATT. VII. 14)

CALES; JANUARY 25; A. U. C. 705; B. C. 49; AET. CIC. 57

M. Cicero scribit se Calibus Capuam proficisci, et exponit qua condicione mandata Caesaris a Pompeio accepta sint, se a Pompeio ad dilectum adiuvandum arcessi, de gladiatoribus Caesaris qui Capuae fuerint, mulieres suas Roma exire et in praedia sua maritima proficisci cupit, ab Attico de re publica edoceri vult, se pacis auctorem esse.

CICERO ATTICO SAL.

1. A. d. vi Kal. Febr. Capuam Calibus proficiscens, cum leviter lippirem, has litteras dedi. L. Caesar mandata Caesaris detulit ad Pompeium a. d. vIII Kal. cum is esset cum consulibus Teani. Probata condicio est, sed ita ut ille de iis oppidis quae extra suam provinciam occupavisset praesidia deduceret. fecisset, responsum est ad urbem nos redituros esse et rem per senatum confecturos. Spero [esse] in praesentia pacem nos habere:

nam et illum furoris et hunc nostrum copiarum suppaenitet. 2. Me Pompeius Capuam venire voluit et adiuvare dilectum, in quo parum prolixe respondent Campani coloni. Gladiatores Caesaris qui Capuae sunt, de quibus ante ad te falsum ex A. Torquati litteris scripseram, sane commode Pompeius distribuit bincs singulis patribus familiarum. Scutorum in ludo 100 fuerunt. Eruptionem facturi fuisse dicebantur. Sane multum in eo rei publicae provisum est. 3. De mulieribus nostris, in quibus est tua soror, quaeso videas ut satis honestum nobis sit eas Romae

spero the Mss. give esse. Editors either omit it with Schütz, or read posse with Moser. Perhaps the word has only got out of place, and we should take it with confecturos: see Adn. Crit.

illum furoris] Caesar is beginning to feel somewhat uncomfortable about his insane enterprise, and Pompey about the condition of his army.'

suppaenitet] Cicero affects verbs compounded with sub-, e.g. subvereri, 536. 1: suppudebat, 456. 2; subdubitare Fam. ii. 13. 2 (207): cp. Stinner, p. 19.

2. dilectum] ep. 304. 5.

6

parum prolixe] not very extensively.' Campani] This is the adjective of Capua, not Capuanus: cp. Att. i 18. 2 (45), and often in the Leg. Agr.: cp. Phil. ii 86: 101. These colonists had served under Pompey in Asia, and had received lands in Campania by Caesar's Law in 59.

falsum] For falsum, used as a subst., see Dr. Reid on De Sen. 4. O. E. Schmidt (p. 121) supposes that this false information was given in a lost letter of Jan. 24, as we have extant no letter that can be fixed to that date, and Cicero wrote every day: cp. 311. (A letter of the 21st or 22nd has also been lost.) The false information may have been a rumour that Lentulus had offered the gladiators liberty and horses if they would serve as soldiers, and that he was dissuaded from carrying out this promise (Caesar B. C. i. 14. 5 monitus a suis) by his friends. The rumour had some inherent probability owing to the temper of the Optimates; so Caesar may be in a measure excused for accepting it as true. Caesar attributes to Lentulus the distribution of the gladiators among the citizens.

Scutorum]five thousand heavy-armed gladiators. So, according to some com

mentators, we should understand the term scuta, though we do not find other instances of such an usage except in very late Latin. An usage, however, might be found in a letter though it never established its position in formal literature. But a less improbable view is that there was found a large collection of shields, which were stored with a view to an armed revolutionary outbreak at some time: cp. Mil. 64. But it is quite improbable that Cic. should have written secutorum, as Vict. suggested; for it is highly unlikely that all the gladiators should have belonged to the one class, secutores; and even if this were so, Cicero would hardly have thought it necessary to specify the particular class to which they belonged. Besides, as Prof. Goligher has pointed out, secutores do not appear before the time of Caligula (Suet. Cal. 30).

Eruptionem] If prospects of freedom and military service had been offered these gladiators, and the offer withdrawn, an outbreak on their part might well have been feared.

3. videas ut] 'take care will it look respectable.' This use of vide ut is not infrequent in the letters: cp. vide ut possit, take care that he does not prove unable,' Quintus Cic. ap. Fam. xvi. 26, 1 (814). For videre ne cp. 306. 2. Just as vereor ut veniat is lit., I have my fears about his coming'; hence I fear he will not come'; so, videas ut honestum sit means 'take care about its being respecable'; that is, 'take care lest it be not respectable.' Boot, not recognising this usage, would read num for ut. If any change were necessary, we should prefer to read videas tu satin honestum nobis sit. Of course ride ut usually has the same meaning as fac ut, cura ut. Thus vide ut