Letter XCII: ad familiares 11.28

Rome, Aug. 23-30, 44 B.C. In the correspondence of Cicero perhaps there is no letter written more strongly, more skilfully constructed, and better calculated to accomplish its purpose than Cicero's letter to Matius. It is a work of artbut in that very fact lies its defect, and in that respect it is in contrast to the reply of Matius. The latter reveals that fides in amicitia, which the name of Matius always suggests, while the sincerity of his statements and the simplicity of his style make this one of the most admirable of the non-Ciceronian letters. Upon Matius and this letter, cf. Schmalz in Commentationes Wlffiinianae (Lips. 1891), 269 ff.

speraram atque optaram: cf. Intr. 82.

quia aestimabam: quia for quod after laborabam is probably colloquial; cf. Ep. LXXVII. 2n.

par [gap in text] bonitate: par, like aequus, governs the abl. occasionally, especially in early Latin. Cf. Plaut. Pers. 834 et me haud par est. Bckel. 2.

nota [gap in text] sunt quae contulerint: for the reference, cf. Ep. XCI. 7 ea tu si, etc.

patriam [gap in text] praeponendam esse: cf. Ep. XCI. 8.

proinde ac: cf. perinde at, Ep. LXVII.1n.

vicerint: sc. dicendo; cf. 4, below. For the same use of vincere, cf. Plaut. Most. 95 profecto esse [gap in text] vera vincam; Hor. Sat. 2.3.225 vincet enim stultos ratio insanire nepotes.

Caesarem: sc. the statesman or general.

summe: as an intensive adverb summe is found in Cicero's earlier writings (e.g. Div. in Caecil. 57), in the de Fin., and in his correspondence (e.g. Fam. 4.7.2).

in victoria: in with the abl. is used colloquially for a conditional or temporal clause. Here in victoria, etc., is equivalent to cum vicisset homo necessarius.

lege Caesaris: the lex Iulia de modo credendi et possidendi intra Italiam, limiting the extent to which land could be mortgaged, etc. Cf. Lange, Rm. Alterth. 3(2). 435.

remanserunt : their debts would otherwise have prevented them from doing this.