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.
- [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.
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.
-
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.
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 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.
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.