This passage is part of a ‘letter’ written by Francesco Petrarch to Marcus Tullius Cicero. Petrarch lived from 1304 to 1374 and was one of the first intellectuals of the Renaissance in Italy. He is often referred to as the 'Father of Humanis'. In 1345 Petrarch had personally discovered a previously unknown collection of Cicero’s letters written to Atticus. The letters revealed a lot about Cicero’s philosophy and his personal feelings about many issues, and showed that he often gave good advice to others.
In this passage Petrarch gives Cicero his opinion of some of Cicero’s actions, referring to sections
of the letters he discovered - but his admiration for Cicero is apparent even when he criticises him.
In this passage Petrarch gives Cicero his opinion of some of Cicero’s actions, referring to sections
of the letters he discovered - but his admiration for Cicero is apparent even when he criticises him.
apud superos = ‘written in the land of the living’- Petrarch is giving his ‘address’!
casus : remember this is a 4th declension noun
cogitantem : translate this before ‘de’ on the previous line
conveniens : this agrees with a neuter noun
corruo corruere corrui to fall in a heap, be in a state of ruin
dominus -i m. (here) = a tyrant
fasces : the ceremonial axes, can be used metaphorically to mean ‘political power’
fundo –ere fudi fusus to pour out, to speak, to say
inflo –are –avi –atus (inflasse = inflavisse) to breathe out, blow into, to puff up, make proud
inhio –are -avi -atus (inhiasse-inhiavisse) to breathe in, to gape at, look at open-mouthed, to covet
praeceptor -oris m. a guide, teacher, mentor
simultas -atis f. argument, rivalry, disagreement leading to fierce enmity
vario –are –avi –atus to have or give opinions on a wide range of issues
People referred to in the passage, in alphabetical order :
Antonius : Mark Antony, whom Cicero hated, criticising him in his Philippics.
Brutus : he criticised Cicero’s actions.
Catiline : (there was really only one Catiline!) When Cicero was consul he was very
proud of his actions in crushing the conspiracy started by this man. Cicero had
several Roman citizens put to death for supporting Catiline.
Octavian : he later became more famous as Augustus. Cicero supported him.
N.B. You might like to know that the school which hosts the Italian CICERO competition is named after Maffeo Vegio, who was another Italian humanist born in Lodi, near Milan, in 1407. He is regarded by some as the finest Latin poet of the 15th century and he composed a ‘Book XIII’ for Virgil’s Aeneid, telling of Aeneas’ marriage to Lavinia and his subsequent deification.
U6 translate the whole passage. L6 omit paragraphs 3 and 4.
Franciscus Ciceroni suo salutem.
1. epistulas tuas diu quaesitas avidissime perlegi. multa te dicentem, multa deplorantem, multa variantem audire videor, Marce Tulli, et ego, qui iampridem qualis praeceptor aliis fuisses noveram, nunc tandem qualis tu tibi esses agnovi. haec vicissim audi, ubicumque es, quae unus posterorum, tui nominis amantissimus, non sine lacrimis fundit.
2. o inquiete semper atque anxie, vel – ut verba tua recognoscas – ‘o praeceps et calamitose senex’, quid tibi profuerunt tot contentiones et simultates? ubi et aetati et professioni et fortunae tuae conveniens otium reliquisti? quis falsus gloriae splendor te senem adulescentium bellis implicuit et per omnes iactatum casus ad indignam philosopho mortem rapuit?
3. heu et fraterni consilii immemor et tuorum tot salubrium praeceptorum, ceu nocturnus viator lumen in tenebris ferens, ostendisti secuturis viam, in quo ipse satis miserabiliter lapsus es.
4. sed quis te furor in Antonium impegit ? amor fortasse reipublicae, (quamquam eam funditus iam corruisse fatebaris tu ipse!) quodsi pura fides, si libertas te trahebat, quid tibi tam familiare cum Octavio? quid enim Bruto tuo inimico responsurus es? ‘si quidem’ inquit Brutus, ‘Octavius tibi placet, non dominum odisse sed amiciorem dominum quaesisse videberis’.
5. heu, quanto satius fuerat philosopho praesertim in tranquillo rure senuisse, de ‘perpetua illa’, ut ipse scribis, ‘non de hac iam exigua vita cogitantem’; nullos habuisse fasces, nullis triumphis inhiasse, nullis inflasse tibi animum Catilinis.
6. sed haec quidem frustra. aeternum vale, mi Cicero. apud superos, anno ab ortu Dei illius quem tu non noveras, MCCCXLV.
