Part 1

M. Tullii Ciceronis De Amicitia 8


Laelius: Gaius Laelius Sapiens, the chief speaker of this dialogue, is speaking here to his sons-in-law, Fannius and Scaevola.

vim hoc quidem est adferre...: "this indeed is to bring to bear force."

quid refert: "what does it matter...?"

studiis: object of obsistere, a compound verb which is followed by the dative case.

in re bona: "in a good cause."

cum...tum: when these correlatives use a single verb (difficile est), translate "not only ... but also."

 Part 2

Saepissime: translate with the main verb, solet.

mihi... cogitanti: dative case after videri solet. The participle is equivalent to a temporal clause, e.g., dum cogito de amicitia....

maxime: translate with considerandum.

illud: "that thing."

considerandum: introduces the indirect question utrum ... an.

utrum...causa: this is the kind of sentence that made Cicero famous. His Roman readers would wait with bated breath for the whole thing to come together.
The central question is this:
UTRUM propter imbecillitatem atque inopiam desiderata sit amicitia
AN esset hoc ... sed ... alia causa.

ut: introduces a purpose construction, followed by the subjunctives posset, acciperet, redderet.

dandis recipiendisque meritis: this phrase interrupts the ut clause. Remember that in a gerundive construction, the noun is the object of the verbal idea. Translate: "in giving... benefits."

quod ... id: the antecedent id follows its relative pronoun quod; translate: "what ... this."

hoc: "this idea" (i.e.,the exchange of benefits).

proprium: a "property" of friendship.

sed...: supply esset and translate according to the following order: alia causa, antiquior et pulchrior et magis profecta a natura ipsa.

 Part 3

princeps: a predicate adjective modifying amor or a noun; translate: "the first" or "of chief importance."

ad benevolentiam coniungendam: in a gerundive phrase the noun is the object of the verbal idea; ad indicates purpose; translate: "for establishing good will."

temporis causa: "for the sake of the occasion."

Part 4

orta amicitia: amicitia is the subject of orta [est]; they are the subject and verb governing the entire sentence.

potius: correlative with quam: "rather than." This expression is synonymous with magis...quam, which occurs in the next line.

applicatione animi: an ablative of means, parallel to the a ... ab construction in the beginning of the sentence; "by an inclination of mind," i.e., mental or intellectual attraction.

cum quodam sensu amandi: "with a certain sense of loving." Cicero relates the attraction of friendship to both the intellect (animus) and the emotions (sensus).

quantum...: an indirect question introduced by cogitatione, which here, balanced against applicatione, suggests the meaning "calculation."

utilitatis: partitive genitive after quantum.

illa res: refers to friendship and is the subject of habitura esset.

Part 5

quod: "which," refers back to the idea just expressed, that amicitia arises from nature. Often Cicero uses the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod where English would use the demonstrative pronoun "this"; it is the subject of quale sit.

animadverti potest: the subject is the indirect question quale sit "What sort of thing this is ... can be observed."

quae: this relative pronoun refers back to bestiis, and is the subject of amant and amantur.

ex se: refers to the subject of the main verb; translate after the perfect participle natos.

ita ... ut: a result clause.

sensus appareat: i.e., we can easily see the feelings of puppies, kittens, cubs, etc., for their mothers.

quod: again, "this."

multo: modifies evidentius.

quae ...quae: the antecedent is caritate.

deinde: additionally, amicitia is natural not only because it exists between parents and children of all species, but also because we have a special attraction to people who are like ourselves or who represent our personal ideal.

cuius cum moribus: =cum cuius moribus...; the antecedent of cuius is aliquem.

congruamus: the subjunctive is used in a relative clause of characteric.

aliquod quasi lumen: "something like a light."

videamur: the subjunctive indicates a possible cause after quod.

Part 6

quippe cum: "since," a causal construction which uses the subjunctive (diligamus: "we esteem").

quod magis ...adliciat: a relative pronoun with an indefinite antecedent is followed by a subjunctive verb: "which attracts more."

Quis est qui: the subjunctive (usurpet ... oderit) is used in a relative clause with an indefinite antecedent.

C. Fabrici: Gaius Fabricius Luscinus was a Roman statesman and general in the early 3rd century BCE, extolled as an example of old-fashioned Roman virtue and honesty. When Fabricius was at war with the Greek general, Pyrrhus, one of the latter's men secretly wrote to Fabricius, offering to poison his commander. Fabricius responded by informing Pyrrhus directly of the plot.

M'. Curi: Manius Curius Dentatus was also a Roman statesman of the early 3rd century BCE, often linked with Fabricius as a hero. He, too, was respected for his courage and adherence to Roman traditions.

memoriam usurpet: translate: "cherish the memory of...."

Part 7

Tarqinium Superbum, Sp. Cassium, Sp. Maelium: examples of the dregs of Roman history. Tarquinius The Proud was the 7th and last king of Rome, driven out of the city after he raped a noble Roman matron, Lucretia, which led to the institution of the Roman republic in 509 BCE. Spurius Cassius Vecellinus, a patrician of the early 5th century BCE, was executed for conspiring to overthrow the Republic. Later in the same century, Spurius Maelius, a wealthy plebeian, was suspected of seeking to become king by dishing out grain to the Roman poor during the famine of 440 BCE.

decertatum est: impersonal use of the verb; literally: "it was contested."

Pyrrho: a Greek general who invaded Italy in the early third century BCE at the invitation of Greeks living in Sicily. He won two major battles against the Romans, but lost so many of his own men in the process that he eventually had to withdraw. Hence the expression, "Pyrrhic victory." He earned a reputation for fair play by returning Roman prisoners in exchange for Fabricius' information about the plot to poison him.

Hannibale: the famous Carthaginian commander invaded Italy in the late 3rd century BCE. Though he remained unbeaten in the field, the Romans managed to outlast him, and finally forced him to withdraw by invading Africa themselves. Although we have no reason to think that Hannibal was unusually cruel, the Romans stereotyped the entire Carthaginian people as cruel and treacherous.

ab altero: refers to Pyhrrus.

alterum: refers to Hannibal.