Ad M. Brutum 2.1

Commentary by Richard G. Spaulding, Jr., revised by J. Bailly

Introduction:

The month and day of this letter are not precisely determinable.  It appears to coincide with the crisis at Mutina, where Decimus Brutus was being besieged, about which Cicero wrote to Plancus on 30 March (ad Fam. 10.10). It also must have been written before the letter of Plancus, read before the Senate on 7 Apr., in which he explained his intention to bring aid. Beyond that, in light of its philosophical nature and specific disavowal of news content (3.1ff), it is impossible to date.

The year is 43 BCE, just months before Cicero's death. The Consuls of 43 were Hirtius and Pansa, whom Cicero distrusted. Cicero alludes to his reascendence at Rome, though he complains of delays and obstacles. The Republicans looked to Brutus and Cassius to come to their aid in Italy, where Antonius and Octavius had greater influence. Brutus and Cassius, however, preferred to stay in the East, where they had met with significant success (by the end of 43 their control reached from the Euphrates to Greece). Cicero implores Brutus to remember his duties to the Republic in success and to remain faithful in defeat.

Text:

Scr. Romae c. Kal. Apr. a. 711 (43).
CICERO BRVTO SAL.

[1] Cum haec scribebam, res existimabatur in extremum adducta discrimen. Tristes enim de Bruto nostro litterae nuntiique adferebantur. Me quidem non maxime conturbabant. His enim exercitibus ducibusque quos habemus nullo modo poteram diffidere neque adsentiebar maiori parti hominum. Fidem enim consulum non condemnabam quae suspecta vehementer erat; desiderabam non nullis in rebus prudentiam et celeritatem; qua si essent usi, iam pridem rem <publicam> reciperassemus. Non enim ignoras quanta momenta sint in re publica temporum et quid intersit idem illud utrum ante an post decernatur, suscipiatur, agatur. Omnia quae severe decreta sunt hoc tumultu, si aut quo die dixi sententiam perfecta essent et non in diem ex die dilata aut, quo ex tempore suscepta sunt ut agerentur, non tardata et procrastinata, bellum iam nullum haberemus. [2] Omnia, Brute, praestiti rei publicae quae praestare debuit is qui esset <in> eo in quo ego sum gradu senatus populique iudicio conlocatus, nec illa modo quae nimirum sola ab homine sunt postulanda, fidem, vigilantiam, patriae caritatem. Ea sunt enim quae nemo est qui non praestare debeat. Ego autem ei qui sententiam dicat in principibus de re publica puto etiam prudentiam esse praestandam nec me, cum mihi tantum sumpserim ut gubernacula rei publicae prehenderem, minus putarim reprehendendum si inutiliter aliquid senatui suaserim quam si infideliter.

[3] Acta quae sint quaeque agantur scio perscribi ad te diligenter; ex me autem illud est quod te velim habere cognitum, meum quidem animum in acie esse neque respectum ullum quaerere nisi me utilitas civitatis forte converterit; maioris autem partis animi te Cassiumque respiciunt. Quam ob rem ita te para, Brute, ut intellegas aut, si hoc tempore bene res gesta sit, tibi meliorem rem publicam esse faciendam aut, si quid offensum sit, per te esse eandem reciperandam.

Commentary:

Scr.: scripsit or scriptum (or scriptae (litterae)).
Romae: locative.
c. Kal. Apr.: circa Kalendas Apriles = near the Kalends of April. All Roman month names are usually adjectives rather than nouns.
a. 711: anno 711 (ab urbe condita) = the 711th year from the founding of the city (= 43 BCE).
Cicero Bruto sal.: = Cicero Bruto sal(utem dicit), a traditional formula in Latin letters.

1.

Despite the present difficulties, I am confident; yet I wish the Consuls and Senate would move more swiftly, as you well know that everything turns on the moment.
Cum - with indicative is purely temporal "when."
scribebam - epistolary tense; when Brutus reads the letter, the writing will be past continuous action.
res - here: "affair" "matter."
adducta (esse) - complementary infinitive with existimabatur, adducta agrees with res.
Bruto - Decimus Brutus. This letter is addressed to Marcus.
his enim exercitibus ducibusque . . . diffidere - diffido takes the dative case.
nullo modo - "by no means," "in no way."
fidem - "trustworthiness".
consulum - possessive genitive.
quae - what is its antecedent?
non nullis - that is, multis. This figure of speech, which consists of denying something's contrary, is a "litotes."
qua si essent usi . . . reciperassemus - Past contrary-to-fact condition (ppf. subj.. . ..ppf. subj.). qua is ablative with usi essent (plup. subj. of utor).
iam pridem - an idiom meaning "long ago."
reciperassemus - syncopated form of recipera(vi)ssemus, ppf. act. subj. of recipero, -are. Recip- has an alternate form, recup-, just as libet can also be spelled lubet.
momenta temporum - lit. "changes of times." Hence, "turning points."
sint - subj. in indirect question.
in re publica - not "the Republic" but the public business, or "politics."
quid intersit - an indirect question dependent on non ignoras; intersit is subjunctive of the verb interest (an impersonal).
idem illud utrum ante an - idem illud is the subject of decernatur, suscipiatur, agatur. It means something like "the very same thing." Utrum . . . an introduces a set of two alternative indirect questions. In general, all of the indirect question clause follows utrum, but here, idem illud precedes it.
decernatur, suscipiatur, agatur: all subjunctive in indirect question: the lack of connections (et or -que) is called "asyndeton," and is common in Latin.
si aut . . . perfecta essent . . . aut . . . non tardata et procrastina (essent) . . .bellum iam nullum haberemus - a mixed unreal condition. The imperfect in the apodosis indicates present continuous unreal action, while the pluperfect in the protasis indicates past unreal action.
in diem ex die - cf. our "from day to day."
dixi sententiam - sentiam dicere indicates a formal expression of opinion: "spoke my opinion in the senate."
suscepta sunt ut agerentur - suscipio can take a nominal ut clause: "suscipio ut + subj." = "I undertake to. . .."
tardata et procrastina (essent) - parallel to perfecta essent. ppf. subj. in the protasis of an unreal condition.

2.

I have done everything that could be expected of me and more, and I think that statesmanship requires good advice as well as good faith.
Brute - voc. of Brutus, -i.
rei publicae - simply indirect object (I have shown to the republic)
praestare debuit - "he was obliged to show."
is qui esset - subjunctive in a rel. clause of characteristic, "the sort of man who. . ."
in eo...gradu English word order would be in eo gradu senatus in quo ego sum.
nec modo - "not only."
nimirum - "undoubtedly."
sola - agreeing with illa, "those things."
ab homine - not by a man, but "from/of a man." The passive periphrastic takes dative of agent.
sunt postulanda - passive periphrastic.
fidem, vigilantiam, patriae caritatem are in apposition to omnia. Note the asyndeton.
quae . . . praestare debeat - quae is acc. direct object of praestare. Debeat is subj. in a relative clause of characteristic in primary sequence.
qui non -elsewhere, quin occurs with nemo est.
ei - dative of agent with gerundive praestandam.
dicat: subj. in a relative clause of characteristic.
in principibus - "among the leaders."
de re publica - "about public affairs."
puto etiam prudentiam esse praestandam - passive periphrastic in indirect statement with puto.
cum mihi tantum sumpserim - cum causal, with perfect subjunctive indicating completed action.
ut gubernacula rei publicae - cf. the modern expression "ship of state."
ut . . . prehenderem - sumo can take a nominal ut + subj. clause = "undertake to..." The whole clause functions the same way a direct object of sumo would function, and so it is called a nominal clause or an object clause.
putarim . . . si . . . suaserim - the future less vivid condition can sometimes be expressed with perfect subjunctives in both clauses.
putarim - syncopated form of putaverim, the perf. subj. of puto.
reprehendendum (esse) - passive periphrastic in indirect speech after putarim.
senatui- suadeo takes dat.
quam si infideliter: understand aliquid senatui suaserim.

3.

My mind is on the battle, though others look to you and Cassius. You must take care, then, that if things go well, you reform the state, but if there is a defeat, you restore it.
Acta quae . . . sint, agantur - a perfect and a present subjunctive in indirect questions.
perscribi - pres. pass. inf. of perscribo -ere in indirect statement. The subjects are the indirect questions preceding.
ex me - ex expresses origin, especially with verbs of taking, questioning, or perceiving, as habere cognitum, "to know for certain."
illud "the following."
velim - present subjunctive as a polite form of volo. Takes acc. + inf. or ut +subj. or just the subj.
esse . . . quaerere - infinitives in indirect statement dependent on habere cognitum.
in acie - "on the battle line."
respectus, us - "place of refuge."
nisi converterit - perf. subj. indicating action completed before that of the apodosis. Although the form could be fut. perf., here it must be subj, because the entire condition is indirect discourse, which requires that this protasis be subjunctive (subordinate clauses in indirect statement are all subjunctive unless they express facts of the matter that would not be part of the direct statement).
ita . . . ut - ita often prepares the way for a result clause.
te - direct object of paro.
para - pres. imperative of paro,- are.
ut intellegas - result clause with ita.
gesta sit - perf. subj. in the protasis of a condition in indirect statement.
tibi - dative of agent with gerundive faciendam.
esse faciendam - passive periphrastic, the apodosis of a condition in indirect statement with intellegas.
quid - (ali)quid, following si.
offensum sit - perf. subj. in the protasis of a condition in indirect statement.
per te - "by you."
esse reciperandam still indirect statement, another apodosis with intellegas.

Vocabulary

acies, -ei, f., battle line
adduco, adducere, adduxi, adductus, reach, be lead to
adsentior/assentior, -sentire, -sensi, -sensum, agree with (+dat.)
affero, affere, attuli, adlatus, bring
an, or (introduces a second indirect question)
caritas, -atis, f., dearness; love, affection
celeritas, -atis, f., speed
colloco (1), place, station, deploy
condemno, -are, condemn
conturbo (1), disturb
decerno, -ere, decrevi, decretum, decide, settle, determine
desidero (1), miss, feel the lack of
dies, -ei, m. or f., day: in diem, for a future day; diem ex die, day after day
differo, differe, distuli, dilatum, delay
diffido, -fidere, -fissus sum, mistrust (+dat.)
diligenter, with care
discrimen, -inis, n., contest
dux, ducis, m., leader, general
exercitus, -us, m., army
existimo, -are, believe
fides, -ei, f., loyalty
gradus, -us, m., rank, position
gubernaculum, -i, n., helm, of government: leadership
ignoro, -are, be ignorant of
infideliter, disloyally, unfaithfully
interest, -esse, -fuit, [-futurum], impersonal in 3rd s.: "it matters"
inutiliter, inexpediently
maior pars, majority
modo, only (has several other meanings too)
momentum, -i, n., change, movement
nimirum, certainly
nuntius, -i, m., messenger
offendo, -fendere, -fensi, -fensum, strike against
pars maior, majority
perscribo, perscribere, perscripsi, perscriptum, write out fully, describe well
postulo, -are, demand
praesto, praestare, praestiti, praestitum, give evidence of, display
prehendo/prendo, -hendere, -hensi, -hensum, lay hold of
prendo, see prehendo
pridem, long ago
procrastino, -are, put off till tomorrow
prudentia, -ae, f., good sense, prudence, discretion
recipero (1) = recupero (1)
recupero (1), recover
reprehendo, -ere, -hensi, -hensum, censure
respectus, us, m., refuge
respicio, -spicere, -spexi, -spectum, to look back to (for help)
severe, seriously, austerely
sumo, sumere, sumpsi, sumptum, to take upon oneself
suscipio, suscipere
suspicio, -spicere, -spexi, -spectum, suspect
tardo, -are, delay
tristis, -e, sad
tumultus, -us, m., uproar
utrum, whether (introduces an indirect question)
vehementer, strongly
vigilantia, -ae, vigilance

The text of the letter is from from www.thelatinlibrary.com.