What does this phrase mean "value to me the cost" [closed]

In an English translation of a letter of Cicero I came across the phrase 'they will value to me the cost of my former house and site.' (letters to Atticus IV.1). Does anyone know what this means or have a better translation? If so much obliged.

Solution 1:

It appears to be using value in a strange way, that I cannot make much sense of. The normal meaning of the verb is "to determine the value of".

The translation seems to be considerably more copious than the Latin original rem totam aestimabunt ("they will value the whole affair"), which is rendered here as "value to me the cost of a site and house". This is evidently the translator's (Evelyn Shuckburgh) attempt to make it clearer to an English reader; but to my mind he has made it less clear by this "value to me".

I find no evidence that the Latin aestimo means anything but "determine the value of" (like the English verb value). Lbf's answer seems to suggest that the implication is that the state will pay Cicero that value if they take his land. That is as good an interpretation as any; but I don't think that the English word value normally has this meaning - certainly the OED does not list it.

Solution 2:

Letters of Cicero

They will value to me the cost of my former house and site.

As in:

He will be paid if they (the state ) take his land ect.

or

He will be given land etc ... of same value.

In any event he is happy with the arrangement ( i read the paragraphs before and after ).