ad Familiares 16.12

Ad Familiares 16.12
January 27, 49 BCE
Commentary by Dan Houston: revised by Jacques Bailly

Introduction
Caesar had been ordered to relinquish his military post and return to Rome. Instead, he crossed the Rubicon with his army and marched toward Rome in early January of 49.
For us, this letter is poignant because of events that would soon unfold. In February, Caesar would fight Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (ad Att. 8.14). By March, Caesar would be master of Italy. His foe, Pompey, the hope of the Republicans, would fly first to Brundisium and then to Greece, where he would lose the battle of Pharsalus and flee.
In this letter, Cicero is working for peace, which will not come to pass. But he also speaks of joining the republican troops with Pompey and leading troops should war erupt. His hopes are raised by the defection of Labienus from Caesar, and he expects more of Caesar's men to defect.

Text
From thelatinlibrary.com

Scr. Capuae IV. Kal. Februarias a.u.c. 705.
TULLIUS S. D. TIRONI SUO.
1. Quo in discrimine versetur salus mea et bonorum omnium atque unversae rei publicae, ex eo scire potes, quod domos nostras et patriam ipsam vel diripiendam vel inflammandam reliquimus: in eum locum res deducta est, ut, nisi qui deus vel casus aliquis subvenerit, salvi esse nequeamus. Equidem, ut veni ad urbem, non destiti omnia et sentire et dicere et facere, quae ad concordiam pertinerent; sed mirus invaserat furor non solum improbis, sed etiam iis, qui boni habentur, ut pugnare cuperent me clamante nihil esse bello civili miserius. Itaque, quum Caesar amentia quadam raperetur et oblitus nominis atque honorum suorum Ariminum, Pisaurum, Anconam, Arretium occupavisset, urbem reliquimus: quam sapienter aut quam fortiter, nihil attinet disputari; quo quidem in casu simus, vides.

2. Ferunter omnino condiciones ab illo, ut Pompeius eat in Hispaniam, delectus, qui sunt habiti, et praesidia nostra dimittantur; se ulteriorem Galliam Domitio, citeriorem Considio Noniano—his enim obtigerunt—traditurum; ad consulatus petitionem se venturum, neque se iam velle absente se rationem haberi sui; se praesentem trinum nundinum petiturum. Accepimus condiciones, sed ita, ut removeat praesidia ex iis locis, quae occupavit, ut sine metu de iis ipsis condicionibus Romae senatus haberi possit.

3. Id ille si fecerit, spes est pacis, non honestae—leges enim imponuntur—, sed quidvis est melius quam sic esse, ut sumus; sin autem ille suis condicionibus stare noluerit, bellum paratum est, eiusmodi tamen, quod sustinere ille non possit, praesertim quum a suis condicionibus ipse fugerit, tantummodo ut eum intercludamus, ne ad urbem possit accedere, quod sperabamus fieri posse; delectus enim magnos habebamus putabamusque illum metuere, si ad urbem ire coepisset, ne Gallias amitteret, quas ambas habet inimicissimas praeter Transpadanos, ex Hispaniaque sex legiones et magna auxilia Afranio et Petreio ducibus habet a tergo: videtur, si insaniet, posse opprimi, modo ut urbe salva. Maximam autem plagam accepit, quod is, qui summam auctoritatem in illius exercitu habebat, T. Labienus, socius sceleris esse noluit: reliquit illum et nobiscum est, multique idem facturi esse dicuntur.

4. Ego adhuc orae maritimae praesum a Formiis: nullum maius negotium suscipere volui, quo plus apud illum meae litterae cohortationesque ad pacem valerent; sin autem erit bellum, video me castris et certis legionibus praefuturum. Habeo etiam illam molestiam, quod Dolabella noster apud Caesarem est. Haec tibi nota esse volui, quae cave ne te perturbent et impediant valetudinem tuam. Ego A. Varroni, quem quum amantissimum mei cognovi, tum etiam valde tui studiosum, diligentissime te commendavi, ut et valetudinis tuae rationem haberet et navigationis et totum te susciperet ac tueretur: quem omnia facturum confido; recepit enim et mecum locutus est suavissime.

5. Tu, quoniam eo tempore mecum esse non potuisti, quo ego maxime operam et fidelitatem desideravi tuam, cave festines aut committas, ut aut aeger aut hieme naviges: numquam sero te venisse putabo, si salvus veneris. Adhuc neminem videram, qui te postea vidisset quam M. Volusius, a quo tuas litteras accepi: quod non mirabar; neque enim meas puto ad te litteras tanta hieme perferri. Sed da operam, ut valeas et, si valebis, quum recte navigari poterit, tum naviges. Cicero meus in Formiano erat, Terentia et Tullia Romae. Cura, ut valeas. IIII K. Februar. Capua.

References
(G) Gildersleeve, B.L. and Lodge, G, Latin Grammar. London: Duckworth, 2005.
(W) Woodcock, E.C. A New Latin Syntax. London: Bristol, 2002.
(BA) Mountford, J.F. ed., Bradley's Arnold Latin Prose Composition. London: Longman's, 1938.
(LS) Lewis, C.T. and Short, C. Latin Dictionary. Oxford: OUP, 1956.
(OCD) Oxford Classical Dictionary. Hornblower, S. and Spawforth, A., ed. Oxford: OUP, 1996.

Commentary

1. Quo in discrimine versetur salus mea et bonorum omnium atque universae rei publicae, ex eo scire potes, quod domos nostras et patriam ipsam vel diripiendam vel inflammandam reliquimus: in eum locum res deducta est, ut, nisi qui deus vel casus aliquis subvenerit, salvi esse nequeamus. Equidem, ut veni ad urbem, non destiti omnia et sentire et dicere et facere, quae ad concordiam pertinerent; sed mirus invaserat furor non solum improbis, sed etiam iis, qui boni habentur, ut pugnare cuperent me clamante nihil esse bello civili miserius. Itaque, quum Caesar amentia quadam raperetur et oblitus nominis atque honorum suorum Ariminum, Pisaurum, Anconam, Arretium occupavisset, urbem reliquimus: quam sapienter aut quam fortiter, nihil attinet disputari; quo quidem in casu simus, vides.

quo, interrogative adjective introducing indirect question (hence versetur is subjunctive: primary sequence because of potes).
salus mea et bonorum..., salusis nominative and is modified by mea, but should also be understood with the genitives that follow (bonorum...rei publicae). Note that salus mea is shorter than bonorum omnium, which is shorter than universae rei publicae: such a three-part list with each part longer than the last (and more important) is called a "tricolon crescens" for obvious reasons (tri + colon + crescens).
ex eo ... quod...reliquimus, grammatically, eo is the antecedent of the relative pronoun quod which is an accusative of respect, but that does not help to translate or understand it, because it is idiomatic (any construction in which the meaning or grammar of the individual parts does not add up to the meaning or structure of the whole is "idiomatic"). When translating ex eo ... quod into English, however, use "from the fact that" or "because" instead of the literal-but-nonsensical "from this with respect to which." Reliquimus is indicative because the author thinks of the statement in this relative clause as a fact.
diripiendam ... inflammandam, gerundives are verbal adjectives that are passive and often necessitative: the ive in 'gerundive should remind you of those other three ive's. These modify patriam (and also domos: understand an additional diripiendas vel inflammandas with domos). Literally, reliqui patriam diripiendam means "I left the to-be-ripped-apart country": massage the literal into better English "I left the country to be ripped apart."
locum, figurative "place": res "the situation, the matter, affairs" is not in a physical place.
ut ... salvi esse nequeamus, result clause in primary sequence. Why is salvi nominative?
nisi qui deus vel casus aliquis subvenerit, 1) "after si, nisi, num, and ne, all the ali-s drop away" and so qui = aliqui because it follows nisi. But then why casus aliquis? Occasionally an ali- stays: the grammars say that it stays for "emphasis," but it is not clear what is being emphasized here: it seems that sometimes an ali- does not drop away. 2) Normally, aliquis is a pronoun, while aliqui is an adjective, but here aliquis is used as an adjective. The grammars say that that happens occasionally. Some 'rules' are more statistical than mandatory.
Subvenerit is, in form, either future perfect indicative or perfect subjunctive. If subjunctive, it would be by attraction into the mood of its leading clause (nequeamus).
equidem, = ego + quidem
ut veni, not every ut takes subjunctive: ut + perf. indic. = "as soon as ... ." or, as here "from the time when ... ."
et sentire et dicere et facere, complementary infinitives dependent on destiti. Note the climax: feeling to saying to doing.
quae ad concordiam pertinerent, subj. in a relative clause of characteristic.
non solum ... sed etiam ..., a favorite Ciceronian antithesis.
invaserat ... improbis ... his, compound verbs frequently take the dative where English has a direct object.
habentur, a mental meaning: habeo = "I consider" or "I hold ...." Understood esse: boni is predicate nominative.
cuperent, result clause, secondary sequence.
me clamante, abl. abs. with concessive meaning ("although ..."). Note that the indirect discourse that follows depends on clamante.
cum ... raperetur et ... occupavisset, subj. is normal in a cum temporal clause referring to time prior to leading verb, but the action of raperetur is contemporaneous with reliquimus, so this cum clause is causal (causal cum always takes subjunctive). Secondary sequence.
oblitus nominis atque honorum, verbs of memory take the genitive. Nomen can refer to one's race or nation: by invading Italian towns, Cicero implies, Caesar was acting like a foreign enemy.
Ariminum, Pisaurum, Anconam, Arretium, modern Rimini, Pesaro, Ancona, and Arezzo.
urbem reliquimus, urbs often means Rome. reliquimus is a "plural of modesty" used for a single person.
quam, adverbial "how," "to what degree" modifying sapienter and fortiter, which modify an understood reliquimus.
disputari, subject of attinet (nihil is adverbial and modifies attinet).
simus, subjunctive. Why?

2. Feruntur omnino condiciones ab illo, ut Pompeius eat in Hispaniam, delectus, qui sunt habiti, et praesidia nostra dimittantur; se ulteriorem Galliam Domitio, citeriorem Considio Noniano—his enim obtigerunt—traditurum; ad consulatus petitionem se venturum, neque se iam velle absente se rationem haberi sui; se praesentem trinum nundinum petiturum. Accepimus condiciones, sed ita, ut removeat praesidia ex iis locis, quae occupavit, ut sine metu de iis ipsis condicionibus Romae senatus haberi possit.

Feruntur ... petiturum, a long sentence consisting of a main clause plus 2 indirect commands plus 4 indirect statements, and 2 short relative clauses and an ablative absolute:

Feruntur omnino condiciones ab illo, (main clause with verb of saying: illo=Julius Caesar)

ut Pompeius eat in Hispaniam, (indirect command dependent on main clause)
delectus, ...(2nd ind. command dependent on main clause)

qui sunt habiti, (relative clause reporting a fact: hence indicative)

... et praesidia nostra dimittantur; (conclusion of 2nd ind. command)
se ulteriorem Galliam Domitio, citeriorem Considio Noniano— (begin new clause w/switch to indirect statement, dependent on main clause)

his enim obtigerunt (relative clause reporting a fact: hence indicative)

—traditurum; (conclude indirect statement: sc. esse)
ad consulatus petitionem se venturum, (2nd indirect statement)
neque se iam velle ... (begin 3d indirect statement)

absente se (abl. abs.)

... rationem haberi suam; (conclude 3rd ind. statement)
se praesentem trinum nundinum petiturum. (4th ind. statement: sc. esse)

se ulteriorem Galliam Domitio, citeriorem Considio Noniano—his enim obtigerunt—traditurum, se = Julius Caesar. Domitius=Lucius Ahenobarbus Domitius, who had been consul in 54BCE with Appius Claudius Pulcher and would die fighting for Pompey at Pharsalus 18 months after this letter; he stood against the advance of Caesar in February of 49 at Corfinium and was defeated (cf. ad. Att. 8.3, 8.11a, 8.12a, 8.12d (Pompey writes to Domitius), 8.14); Considio Noniano=Marcus Considius Nonianus, prominent on Pompey's side.
obtigerunt, subject is Domitius et Considius Nonianus. Obtingo takes the dat. This means that the senate had appointed these two as proconsuls of those provinces.
traditurum, ... venturum, ... petiturum, understand esse with each, and consulatum with petiturum.
rationem haberi sui, perhaps refers to officially declaring his candidacy, but it's not clear how these words mean that.
trinum nundinum, "a triple market day." The nundinum was every 9th day, so the time that covers three market days wouldbe 17 days.
ita, ut removeat, ... ut, ita prepares for the result clause ut ("in such a way that"). The second ut clause is a purpose clause.

id, i.e. ut removeat praesidia ex iis locis.
leges enim imponuntur, sc. a Caesare.
quidvis est melius quam sic esse, ut sumus, quidvis is being compared to sic esse ut sumus ("anything is better than being ...": remember that the infinitive is a nominative or accusative noun and so it agrees here in case with quidvis). sic ... ut ... are correlative adverbs.

sin autem ille suis condicionibus stare noluerit, (protasis w/fut. perf.)

bellum paratum est, eiusmodi tamen, (apodosis/main clause, with an afterthought)

quod sustinere ille non possit, (relative clause of characteristic: eiusmodi = antecedent)

praesertim quum a suis condicionibus ipse fugerit, (cum temporal clause: fut. perf.)

tantummodo ut eum intercludamus, (proviso clause "only if")

ne ad urbem possit accedere, (ne clause dependent on positive verb of hindering)
quod sperabamus fieri posse; (relative clause: thought of previous 2 clauses = antecedent)

delectus enim magnos habebamus (main clause)
putabamusque (main clause)

illum metuere, (indirect speech dependent on putabamus)

si ad urbem ire coepisset, (protasis to following ne clause)

ne Gallias amitteret, (fearing clause: apodosis to previous si clause: 2ndary sequence)

quas ambas habet inimicissimas praeter Transpadanos, (relative clause, antecedent = Gallias)

ex Hispaniaque sex legiones et magna auxilia ... (main clause begun)

Afranio et Petreio ducibus (abl. abs.)

...habet a tergo: (conclusion of main clause)
videtur, ... (main clause begun: apodosis to si clause)

si insaniet, (protasis to main clause)

... posse opprimi, (main clause concluded)

modo ut (proviso clause with understood verb such as accidat "provided that it happen" or opprimatur "provided that he be crushed")

urbe salva. (abl. abs.)

sin, "but if," used when the second of two conditional statements excludes the first.
intercludamus, ne ... possit ..., a positive verb of hindering takes a ne or quominus clause with the subjunctive.
quod sperabamus, quod relative pronoun with the whole thought of the previous 2 clauses as its antecedent.
si ad urbem ire coepisset, this would probably be a future-more-vivid condition in oratio recta (i.e. if we imagine what is was that Caesar actually thought to himself). The pluperfect subjunctive is in secondary sequence (putabamus), time prior to its leading verb amitteret.
quas ambas, Transalpine and Cisalpine gaul: where English says "both of which," Latin quas ambas literally means "which both." An adjective like ambas is frequently put in the relative clause in Latin, but must be translated outside of the relative clause in English.
habet, mental meaning, "considers."
transpadanos, the part of Cisalpine Gaul that is on the farther side of the Po (Latin Padus).
autem, although often "but" or "however," autem can be so weakly adversative that "and" or no translation at all fits better, as here.
T. Labienus, Titus Labienus was Caesar's lieutenant in Gaul, but deserted to Pompey in 49, and would fight at Pharsalus and die at Munda in 45.
sceleris, refers to Caesar's crime.
noluit, "refuse" rather than "not want." The word has both meanings.
idem, obj. of facturi esse(which is predicate nominative future infinitive dependent on dicuntur). Refers to refusing to be associated with Caesar's crime.

Formiis, Formiae, a popular resort town on the via Appia. It lies off of the Via Appia north of Naples: the Via Appia stretched from Rome to Brundisium, the port from which one often sailed to Greece and points east. Cicero had put distance between himself and Rome, but wanted to preserve plausible deniability should he need to claim he was not on his way to join the republicans. Cicero would be assassinated at Formiae in 43BCE.
nullum maius negotium, maius negotium would involve going to join the republicans. Cicero wanted to preserve a vestige of neutrality to maintain influence with Caesar, as the next clause indicates.
quo plus, purpose clauses which contain a comparative are introduced by quo. Cicero would soon explicitly join the republican cause, as he intimates in the next clause.
praefuturum, sc. esse. Praesum takes dative.
Dollabella, Cicero's son-in-law, who started out on Pompey's side, but then went over to Caesar (ad Fam. 2.16.5 suggests he expected his debts to be cancelled under Caesar) and was consul suffectus after Caesar's assassination. Cicero's worries about Dolabella were thus well-founded politically, but also personally: he and Tullia would divorce in 46 BCE.
cave ne ..., an imperative plus clause of fearing. Cave ne is an alternative to the negative imperative noli + inf.
A. Varroni, indirect object of commendavi. Aulus Terentius Varro. Probably the same as the Aulus Varro who was among the Pompeiians sent to a conference with the Caesareans at the Apsus River (Caesar Bellum Civile 3.19).
quum ... tum ... quum is another way to spell cum. Often cum ... tum ... mean "both ... and ...."
amantissimum mei ... tui studiosum, adjectives modifying quem, which refers to Varo. mei and tui are genitives of ego and tu: they are used exclusively in the objective or subjective genitive usage. mei mentio, for example, means "mention of me" and "me" is the 'object' of the mentioning. Hence it is called "objective genitive."
ut ... haberet ... susciperet ... tueretur, final clauses in secondary sequence dependent on commendavi.
rationem haberet, rationem habere + gen. = "have a care for something." The genitives valetudinis and navigationis go with rationem.
totum te, object of susciperet and tueretur.
facturum, sc. esse, infinitive in indirect discourse dependent on confido.
recepit, refers either to how Varro treated Cicero ("received (me)") or that he has undertaken to help Tiro ("undertook (it)").

eo tempore ... quo ..., tempore is the antecedent of quo.
cave, cave + subj. ("beware of hurrying or undertaking to...").
ut ... naviges, a nominal ut clause dependent on committas.
putabo ... veneris, future-more-vivid conditional.
videram, epistolary tense.
postea vidisset quam, subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic. postea and quam go together "later than." A verb (such as vidisset te) must be supplied with Volusius.

da operam, main clause

ut
valeas et, 1st subj. final clause

si valebis, protasis to naviges clause
quum recte navigari poterit, cum temporal clause, impersonal

tum naviges, 2nd subj. final clause

Cicero meus, Cicero's son.
Formiano, refers to Cicero's villa at Formiae.
Romae, locative.

a (ab), prep. w. abl. – from, by
accedo (3) – to approach
accipio (3) – to accept
adhuc, adv. – to this point
aeger, aegra, aegrum – sick
ambo, ae – both
amentia, ae – madness
amitto (3) – dismiss
apud, prep. w. acc. – at, by, near, with
attineo (2) – to hold fast
auctoritas, atis – authority
autem, conj. – but, however
auxilium, ii – reinforcement
bellum, i – war
castra, orum – camp
casus, us – accident, occasion, chance
caveo (2) – take care, beware
certus, a, um – certain, distinct
citerior, us – nearer
civilis, e – civil
clamo (1) – to shout
coepio (3) – to begin
cognosco (3) – learn, understand
cohortatio, onis – encouragement
commendo (1) – entrust
committo (3) – to commit, begin
concordia, ae – harmony, concord
condicio, onis – an agreement; condition, term (of an agreement)
confido (3) – to trust
consulatus, us – the consulship
cum, conj. – when, since
cupio (4) – to desire
curo (1) – to take care
deduco (3) – to lead from, deduce
delectus, us – conscripts
desidero (1) – to desire
desisto, ere, destiti – to stop, cease
deus, i – god
dico (3) – to say
diligens, entis – careful
dimitto (3) – to disband, send apart
discrimen, inis – distinction, risk, danger
domus, us – house
dux, ducis – leader, general
eo, ire, ii (ivi), itum – to go
equidem, adv. – indeed, for my part
etiam, conj. – and also, too, even
ex, prep. w. abl. – from
exercitus, us – army
facio (3) – to do
fero –ere, tuli, latus – make known, report
festino (1) – to hasten, hurry
fidelitas, tatis – fidelity
fio, fieri, factus sum – to be done, happen
fugio (3) – to flee, run
furor, oris – fury, madness
habeo (2) – to have, hold, esteem
hiems, emis – storm, winter
honestus, a, um – sincere
ille, illa, illud, pron. – that one
impedio (4) – hinder
impono (3) – to impose, put upon
improbus, i –person of low character
in, prep. – to, toward
inflammo (1) – to inflame
inimicus, a, um – personal enemy
insanio (4) – to be mad
intercludo (3) – to close off
itaque, conj. – therefore
legio, onis – legion
lex, legis – law
littera, ae – letter
locus, i – place, situation
loquor (3) – speak, say
magnus, a, um – big, large
maritimus, a, um – coastal, maritime
maxime, adv. – greatly
maximus, a, um – biggest, greatest
metuo (3) – to fear
metus, us – fear, anxiety
miror (1) – to wonder at
mirus, a, um – remarkable
miser, misera, miserum – wretched
molestia, ae – trouble
navigatio, onis n – sailing
navigo (1) – to sail
negotium, ii – office, business
nemo, inis – no one
nequeo (2) – to be unable
nihil, indec. noun – nothing
nisi, conj. – unless, except
nolo, nolle, nolui – to not want
nomen, inis – name
noster, nostra, nostrum – our
notus, a, um – known, familiar
nullus, a, um – no (not any)
numquam, adv. – at no time, never
nundinum, i – the ninth day, market day
obliviscor (3) – to forget
obtingo (3) – to fall to one’s lot (+ dat.)
occupo (1) – to seize, occupy
omnino, adv. – altogether, generally
omnis, e – all, every
opera, ae – work, attention, care
opprimo (3) – to oppress, put down
ora, ae – border, coast
patria, ae – homeland
pax, pacis – peace
perfero, ere, -tuli, -latum – to carry, convey
pertineo (2) – to pertain, matter
perturbo (1) – confuse, trouble
petitio, onis – petition
peto (3) – to seek
plaga, ae – region
possum, -ere, potui – to be able
postea, adv. – afterwards
praesens, entis – present
praesertim, adv. – especially
praesidium, ii – garrison
praesum, esse, fui – to be in charge of (+ dat.)
praeter, prep. w. acc. – beyond
pugno (1) – to fight
puto (1) – to think
quivis, quaevis, quidvis (quodvis), pron. – who or what you please
quo, adv. – where to, whither
quod, conj. – because
quoniam, adv. – since, because
rapio (3) – to seize
ratio, onis – reason, cause, interest
recipio, (3), undertake, take upon oneself; receive
relinquo (3) – to leave, abandon
removeo (2) – to remove
res, rei – thing, matter, advantage
salus, utis – health, well-being
salvus, a, um – safe
scelus, eris – crime
scio (4) – to know
sed, conj. – but
senatus, us – senate; a meeting of the senate
sero, adv. – late
sex – six
sine, prep w. abl. – without
socius, ii – ally
solum, adv. – only, merely
spes, ei – hope
studiosus, a, um – eager, zealous
suavis, e – sweet, pleasant
subvenio (4) – to assist, relive (+ dat.)
summus, a, um – highest, greatest
supero (1) – to overcome, defeat
suscipio (3) – to take up, assume
tergum, i – back
totus, a, um – all, entire
trado (3) – to hand over
ulterior, us – farther
universus, a, um – whole, entire
urbs, urbis – city
valde, adv. – exceedingly
valeo (2) – to take effect, have influence
valetudo, inis – health, well-being
venio (4) – to come
verso (1) – to turn continually, be engaged in
video (2) – to see
volo, velle, volui – to want, wish