In 62 BCE, Cicero's former teacher Archias was accused of being an illegal alien living in Rome, a prelude to deportation. Cicero defended Archias on the facts, but went further by defending his character as a teacher of literature:
Atque idem hoc contendo, cum ad naturam eximam et illustrem accesserit ratio quaedam conformatioque doctrinae, tum illud nescioquid praeclarum ac singulare solere exsistere. Ex hoc esse hunc numero quem patres nostri viderunt, divinum hominem Africanum, ex hoc Gaium Laelium, Lucium Furium, moderatissimos homines et continentissimos, ex hoc fortissimum virum et illis temporibus doctissimum, Marcum Catonem illum senem. Qui profecto si nihil ad percipiendam colendamque virtutem litteris adiuvarentur, numquam se ad earum studium contulissent.
Quodsi non hic tantus fructus ostenderetur, et si ex his studiis delectatio sola peteretur, tamen (ut opinor) hanc animi adversionem humanissimam ac liberalissimam iudicaretis. Nam ceterae neque temporum sunt neque aetatum omnium neque locorum: Haec studia adulescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant, secundas res ornant, adversis perfugium ac solacium praeent, delectant domi, non impediunt foris, pernoctant nobiscum, peregrinanturm, rusticantur.
Perseus text (start at 5th sentence in)
English translation (start at 3rd sentence)
Vocab/Grammar
idem hoc - "exactly this"
contendo, -ere - One would expect an accusative with infinitive to follow this verb; keep that in mind when translating the subsequent cum...tum clause.
eximius, -a, -um - "distinguished"
ratio...conformatioque - Technically plural, but it's the subject of the singular verb accesserit.
doctrina, -ae "education" in general; not "doctrine"
illud nescioquid - "something or other"
adversio, -onis - "interest" (lit. "a turning toward")
alo, -ere - "to nourish"
oblecto, -are - "to charm"
res secundae - "prosperity"; this is a quaint idiom.
perfugium, -i - "refuge"
foris (adv.) - "outdoors"
Questions
Why does Cicero use the word nescioquid in the first paragraph? What effect is he after?
Feel free to comment on the Roman names and order Cicero uses. Why is Cato saved for last, and what is the effect of illum?
Why does Cicero use the subjunctive forms adjuvarentur and contulissent? Can that analysis be extended into ostenderetur and peteretur in the next paragraph? What is the overall effect of this?
What are the implied items in Cicero's word ceterae?
How do you understand the use of the genitive in temporum...aetatum...locorum? Why do you think omnium is placed where it is?
Feel free to comment on the effects of the consecutive short phrases closing the final paragraph; is Cicero "piling on"?
Cicero is the gold standard of Latin grammar and syntax. Any curious grammatical points should be well-understood, so comments on the meaning of his Latin are of course welcome
Habete ludum!
Atque idem hoc contendo, cum ad naturam eximam et illustrem accesserit ratio quaedam conformatioque doctrinae, tum illud nescioquid praeclarum ac singulare solere exsistere. Ex hoc esse hunc numero quem patres nostri viderunt, divinum hominem Africanum, ex hoc Gaium Laelium, Lucium Furium, moderatissimos homines et continentissimos, ex hoc fortissimum virum et illis temporibus doctissimum, Marcum Catonem illum senem. Qui profecto si nihil ad percipiendam colendamque virtutem litteris adiuvarentur, numquam se ad earum studium contulissent.
Quodsi non hic tantus fructus ostenderetur, et si ex his studiis delectatio sola peteretur, tamen (ut opinor) hanc animi adversionem humanissimam ac liberalissimam iudicaretis. Nam ceterae neque temporum sunt neque aetatum omnium neque locorum: Haec studia adulescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant, secundas res ornant, adversis perfugium ac solacium praeent, delectant domi, non impediunt foris, pernoctant nobiscum, peregrinanturm, rusticantur.
Perseus text (start at 5th sentence in)
English translation (start at 3rd sentence)
Vocab/Grammar
idem hoc - "exactly this"
contendo, -ere - One would expect an accusative with infinitive to follow this verb; keep that in mind when translating the subsequent cum...tum clause.
eximius, -a, -um - "distinguished"
ratio...conformatioque - Technically plural, but it's the subject of the singular verb accesserit.
doctrina, -ae "education" in general; not "doctrine"
illud nescioquid - "something or other"
adversio, -onis - "interest" (lit. "a turning toward")
alo, -ere - "to nourish"
oblecto, -are - "to charm"
res secundae - "prosperity"; this is a quaint idiom.
perfugium, -i - "refuge"
foris (adv.) - "outdoors"
Questions
Why does Cicero use the word nescioquid in the first paragraph? What effect is he after?
Feel free to comment on the Roman names and order Cicero uses. Why is Cato saved for last, and what is the effect of illum?
Why does Cicero use the subjunctive forms adjuvarentur and contulissent? Can that analysis be extended into ostenderetur and peteretur in the next paragraph? What is the overall effect of this?
What are the implied items in Cicero's word ceterae?
How do you understand the use of the genitive in temporum...aetatum...locorum? Why do you think omnium is placed where it is?
Feel free to comment on the effects of the consecutive short phrases closing the final paragraph; is Cicero "piling on"?
Cicero is the gold standard of Latin grammar and syntax. Any curious grammatical points should be well-understood, so comments on the meaning of his Latin are of course welcome
Habete ludum!