The Latin passage immediately preceding "At hic quidem augur!" in Cicero's letter to Atticus (Ad Atticum9.6.5) describes the defiant stance of the Roman commander Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus after his surrender at Corfinium, and his desire to flee Italy rather than look upon Caesar's followers.

The Original Latin Passage

"...Domitium audio Cosae esse, paratum ut naviget; si in Hispaniam, non improbo, si ad Pompeium, laudo... quovis ire maluit quam aut videre Curtius aut apud se Sextum Peducaeum habere, cum etiam privatos habere patronos consuesset. At hic quidem augur!"

The English Translation

"...I hear that Domitius is at Cosa, ready to set sail. If to Spain, I do not disapprove; if to join Pompey, I praise him... he preferred to go anywhere rather than look upon Curtius, or have Sextus Peducaeus over him—a man whose family was once accustomed to having the Domitii as their patrons. Yet he [Curtius], forsooth, is to be an augur!"

Key Contextual Elements

• The "Ire Maluit" Phrase: You'll notice the phrasing quovis ire maluit quam... ("he preferred to go anywhere rather than..."). Domitius would rather go into exile across the sea than be forced to look at Marcus Curtius Postumus.
• The Final Insult: Cicero notes that the upstart Caesarians are now lording it over old aristocratic families. This absolute inversion of the Roman social hierarchy leads right into his exasperated exclamation: "At hic quidem augur!" (Yet this man is to be an augur!).

Would you like to review how Julius Caesar reacted to these old aristocrats fleeing, or see how Atticusreplied to Cicero's complaints?