Ad Atticum VII.10
c. January 17, 49 B.C.
Commentary by Dan Houston: revised by Jacques Bailly

Text

[X] Scr. ad urbem xiv sub noctem aut xiiii ante lucem in K. Febr. a. 705 (49). 
CICERO ATTICO SAL.
Subito consilium cepi ut ante quam luceret exirem, ne qui conspectus fieret aut sermo, lictoribus praesertim laureatis. De reliquo neque hercule quid agam neque quid acturus sim scio; ita sum perturbatus temeritate nostri amentissimi consili. Tibi vero quid suadeam cuius ipse consilium exspecto? Gnaeus noster quid consili ceperit capiatve nescio, adhuc in oppidis coartatus et stupens. Omnes, si in Italia consistat, erimus una; sin cedet, consili res est. Adhuc certe, nisi ego insanio, stulte omnia et incaute. Tu, quaeso, crebro ad me scribe vel quod in buccam venerit.

Introduction

Caesar and Pompey are fighting a civil war: Cicero, of consular rank, is in the middle. Pompey (the 'Gnaeus' of this letter) has left Rome shortly before this letter, and Cicero is trying to avoid alienating Caesar. Cicero will eventually go join Pompey.
Written near Rome (ad Fam. 16.11 tells us that Cicero approached the city but stayed outside the walls: Ad Atticum 7.13 says he then he left for Capua to take up a naval command to which he had been assigned).
The tone of the letter is anxious and terse, the style consummate, a quick succession of ideas.

(G) Glidersleeve, 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

Scr. ad urbem xiv sub noctem aut xiiii ante lucem in K. Febr. a. 705 (49). 
CICERO ATTICO SAL.

Scr.: abbreviation of scripsit or perhaps scriptum for "Cicero wrote" or "written." | ad urbem: ad + acc. = "near": the urbs is Rome. | xiv sub noctem aut xiiii ante lucem in K. Febr. a. 705: in this case the Roman dating system counts backward from the first of the next month, so the "14th day" refers to the 14th day before the Kalends of February (Kalends is always the first day of the month), which translates to the 18th of January. sub noctem = 'shortly before night' or 'at night' and ante lucem = 'at daybreak.' a. 705 is short for anno 705 ab urbe condita, which is 49 BCE in our system. | CICERO ATTICO SAL.: short for Cicero Attico salutem dixit, a standard way to open a letter.

1] Subito consilium cepi ut ante quam luceret exirem, ne qui conspectus fieret aut sermo, lictoribus praesertim laureatis. De reliquo neque hercule quid agam neque quid acturus sim scio; ita sum perturbatus temeritate nostri amentissimi consili. Tibi vero quid suadeam cuius ipse consilium exspecto? Gnaeus noster quid consili ceperit capiatve nescio, adhuc in oppidis coartatus et stupens. Omnes, si in Italia consistat, erimus una; sin cedet, consili res est. Adhuc certe, nisi ego insanio, stulte omnia et incaute. Tu, quaeso, crebro ad me scribe vel quod in buccam venerit.

lictoribus laureatis: the lictores, attendants of magistrates with imperium, carried the fasces (wrapped in laurel after Cicero’s victory in Cilicia). These men would have made Cicero all the more visible at his departure. | de reliquo: used figuratively (LS, s.v. reliquus I.B.1). | quid agam…quid acturus sim scio: indirect questions in primary sequence after scio (G460)(BA163); the repetition of ago, variously inflected, is called polyptoton. | temeritate: an instrumental ablative (G401)(BA269): we don't know with certainty why Cicero says this. | suadeam: a deliberative subjunctive. We may guess that Atticus has asked Cicero’s advice, and vice versa. | cuius: the antecedent is tibi. | Gnaeus noster: Pompey. | quid… ceperit … capiatve nescio: indirect question in primary sequence depending on nescio. | in oppidis coartatus et stupens: Pompey had been moving his legions from Capua to Luceria to prepare for Caesar’s approach. HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? Cicero says he was confined and stunned, perhaps because of Caesar’s remarkable speed and the general confusion. | omnes, si in Italia consistat, erimus una: an ideal condition (G596)(BA455) with the future indicative in the apodosis; the ideal condition states the situation as still in suspense and intellectual; but the indicative apodosis lends immediacy to the thought; remember that omnes refers to a collection of individuals, hence una. | sin cedet, consili res est: sin is used when the second condition excludes the first (592); this condition has a future indicative in the protasis and a present indicative in the apodosis; cf. id ille si fecerit, spes est pacis, ad Fam. XVI.12. | nisi ego insanio, stulte omnia et incaute: nisi denies the whole protasis (G591b)(BA464); this is a logical condition with present indicatives, understand facta sunt in the apodosis.  | buccam: different from gena, and more frequently meaning the head.  | quod…venerit: an indirect question with the perfect subjunctive.

Vocabulary

adhuc, adv. – still, to this point
ago (3) – to do
amens, ntis – mindless, mad
bucca, ae – cheek
capio (3) – to catch, seize
cedo (3) – to go, walk, yield, succeed
certe, adv. – certainly
coarto (1) – to confine
consilium, ii – plan, purpose
conspicio (3) – to catch sight of, see
crebro, adv. – frequently
exeo, ire, ivi (ii) itum – to depart
exspecto (1) – to await, anticipate
fio, fieri, factus sum – to become
incaute, adv. – incautiously
insanio (4) – to be mad
lictor, oris – lictor
laureatus, a, um – crowned with laurel
luceo (2) – to shine, be bright
ne, conj. – lest, in order that not
nisi, conj. – unless, except
omnis, e – all, every
oppidum, i – town
perturbo (1) – to confuse, frighten
praesertim, adv. – especially
quaeso (3) – to seek, ask
reliquum, i – remains, future
res, rei – thing, matter, affair
scio (4) – to know
scribo (3) – to write
sermo, onis – talk, discussion
stulte, adv. – foolishly
stupeo (2) – to be astonished
suadeo (2) – to suggest, recommend
subito, adv. – suddenly
temeritas, atis  - recklessness
ut, conj. – that, in order that
venio (4) – to come, go