EOC Preparation Reading 6: Cicero Prōcōnsul

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8 questions

Cōnsulēs Rōmānī, post annum in officiō peractum, prōvinciīs Rōmānīs imperant. Post cōnsulātum Cicero, prōcōnsul Ciliciae, prōvinciae Āsiae Minōris, imperat. Cicero dīligēns prōcōnsul est. Ē virīs prōvinciae dōna nōn exspectat; pecūniam prō bonīs dat. Interdum casam in prōvinciā habet; interdum in castrīs Rōmānōrum habitat. Virī Ciliciae iūstitiam Cicerōnis amant. 

Caelius, amīcus Cicerōnis et aedīlis in Rōmā, in litterīs Cicerōnem beneficium rogat. Aedīlēs lūdōs Rōmānōs dant, et Caelius panthērōs ē Ciliciā cupit. E Ciliciā Cicero in litterīs Caeliō respondet, “Panthērī īrātī sunt quod īnsidiae prō panthērīs et nōn cēterīs in prōvinciā meā sunt. Itaque in Cāriam movent, et nūllōs habeō.” Quintus frāter Cicerōnis est quoque prōcōnsul. In litterīs ad Quintum frātrem Cicero dīcit, “Officium prōcōnsulis nōn sōlum probum est, sed etiam probōs virōs adhibēre. Vīta bona virōrum prōvinciae est testimōnium prōcōnsulis bonī.”
Vocabulary:
aedīl ·is –is m Roman official in charge of public buildings, games, etc.
ann ·us -ī m a year
benefici ·um -ī n favor, kindness
Cāri a -ae f Caria, a province in Asia Minor
Cicer·o - ōnis m Cicero
Cilicia -ae f Cilicia, a province in Asia Minor
cōnsul –is m consul
cōnsulāt ·us -ūs m consulship
dōn ·um -ī n gift
frāt ·er -ris m brother
imper·ō 1 to rule, command ( w dat)
īnsidi·ae –ārum f pl plot, snare
iūstiti·a –ae f justice
litter·ae –ārum f?? pl letter, epistle
lūd·us -ī m a game
offici·um -ī n office, duty
panthēr ·us -ī m a panther
pecūni·a –ae f money
prōcōnsul –is m ex-consul, governor
prōvinci·a -ae f province
Rōmān·us -ī m Roman
testimōni·um -ī n witness, evidence
dīligē·ns –ntis diligent, hard-working
īrāt·us –a –um angry
me·us –a –um my
nūll·us –a –um none
peractum completed
prob·us –a –um honest, upright
adhib·eō -ere –uī -ītus to employ, use
cup·iō -ere –īvī -ītus to want
exspect·ō 1 to look for, expect
mov·eō -ere mōvi mōtus to move (something)
respond·eō -ere respondī responsum to answer, to respond
rog·ō 1 to ask (takes double acc)
interdum adv sometimes
itaque conj therefore, and so
nōn sōlum… sed etiam not only… but also
prō prep w acc for
quoque adv also, too

Exercise 1:
Answer these questions from the story.

What did Cicero become after he had been consul?

What did he do in the post?

What did Caelius want from Cicero?

Why did Cicero say this was impossible?

What did Cicero say was the test of a good governor?

Exercise 2:

Cicero ē _______  prōvinciae _______ nōn exspectat.

Cicero in _______  Caeliō respondet, “_______  īrātī sunt.

“_______  prōcōnsulis _______  esse.

Because his secretary Tiro saved them, we have over 800 letters written by Cicero to his family, friends and associates. Many of these are informal and were never intended for publication, so we get some insight into Cicero’s inner life and ideas. The letters from which these excerpts are adapted are indicated in the parentheses.