Letter XXIII: ad Quintum fratrem 3.5
Tusculum, Oct., 54 B.C.de illis libris : the books of the de Re Publica. novendialibus iis feriis: cf. Cic. de Re Pub. 1.14 nam cam P. Africanus hic, Pauli filius, fenis Lotinis Taditano et Aquillo cos. constituisset in hortis esse. Tuditano et Aquilio consulibus: i.e. 129 B.C. sermo est, etc.: cf. Att. 4.16.2 (written in July of this year) in novem ... libros: the finished work actually contained but six books (cf. de Div. 2.3). About one-third of it is extant. hominum: i.e. Africanus, Laelius, and the others. Sallustio: probably the man to whom Fam. 2.17 is addressed, and who relates Cicero's dream in de Div. 1.59. consularis: and therefore a man of much experience in managing the affairs of a great commonwealth, and not a mere publicist like Heraclides. de ratione dicendi: the de Oratore, which purports to be a discussion that took place in Cicero's youth (B.C. 91 ).
inferiores, more recent. loquar ipse tecum: this purpose Cicero abandoned, returning to his original plan. His letters of this period Contain many references to the de Re Pub., e.g. Q.fr. 2.12 (14). 1; Att. 4.16.2; Att. 6.1.8. relictos : see Crit. Append. Tyrrell suggests refictos ('remodeled').
versibus: cf. versus rogas, Ep. XXII.4n. Cf. also Q. fr. 3.4.4. Cicero apparently yielded at last to his brother's request; cf. Q. fr. 3.9. 6 habeo absolutum suave, mihi quidem uti ridetur, ἔπος ad Caesarem. διατυπώσεις: perhaps with reference to the descriptive portions of the poem; cf. quos tu situs, etc., Ep. XXII. 4. superasti: cf. Q. fr. 3.4.4 tibi istius generis in scribendo priorespartes tribuo quam mihi. quod (mehercule) : for the acc., cf. Ter. Hec. 645 nosne hoc celatos tamdiu! Elsewhere Cicero uses de (or in) with the abl. of the thing, e.g. debes existimare te maximis de rebus a fratre esse celatum, Fam. 5.2.9. πολλὸν ... ἄλλων: Hom. Il. 6.208. defensos: cf. ex hoc labore, Ep. XXII.1n, and Vatinium, Ep. XXII.3n.
Gabinium si ... defendissem: Gabinius was accused de maisstate, de repetundis, and de ambitu (cf. Q.fr. 3.1.15; 3.3.2). On the first charge he was acquitted (Q. fr. 3.4.1) through the efforts of Pompey, his political master. Cicero was induced by Pompey and Caesar to defend him when he came up for trial under the second charge, but he was convicted (pro Rabir. Post. 20, 32 f.). Gabinius had assisted Clodius in securing Cicero's exile, for which action Cicero attacked him fiercely; cf. pro Sest. 17 ff. In the text Cicero is speaking of the first trial. Pansa: C. Vibius Pansa, a supporter of Caesar, and picked out by him for the consulship for 43 B.C. With his colleague Hirtius he was killed in the bellum Mutinense in the spring of that year. Pansa had probably urged Cicero in Caesar 5 name to undertake the defense of Gabinius. tantum ut facerem: Cicero appeared as a witness against Gabinius in the first trial; cf. Q. fr. 3.4.3.
de libris: cf. Q. fr. 3.4.5 de bibliotheca tua Graeca supplenda, libris commutandis, Latinis comparandis, valde velim ista confici, ... sed ego mihi ipsi ista per quem agam non habeo. Tyrannio, Chrysippo: expert librarii; cf. Ep. XVII. 1. ita mendose exscribuntur: an interesting bit of information in regard to the untrustworthiness of copyists. Cf. also Birt, Das antike Buchwesen, 222. C. Rebilus: probably a centurion in Quintus's legion on furlough in Rome (Tyrrell). qui omnia, etc.: see Crit. Append. de aerario: the reference is unknown. Cf. Q. fr. 3.4.5.7. Electram et Aeropam: the Electra and Eritona were probably translations of plays of the same name by Sophocles. The original of the Aeropa is not known with certainty. Cf. Ribbeck, Röm. Trag. pp. 619-62 I, and Bücheler, Quinti Ciceronis Reliquiae, 18. γνῶθι σεαυτὸν: the inscription over the entrance to the temple of Apollo at Delphi. Erigonam: Cicero first refers to this work in Sept. (cf. Q. fr. 3.1.13). It had not reached him, however, in Dec. (cf. Q. fr. 3.9.6), and he fears that it has been lost on the way. habes: sc. responsum.
