Cicero's long silence broken. Caesar's pardon of Marcellus is the earnest
of a restored republic.
diuturni silenti
:
it was now more than six years since the defence of Milo, which was
followed almost immediately by Cicero's absence as proconsul in Cilicia,
whence he returned only on the eve of the Pharsalian campaign.
eram . . . usus
, had kept
verecundia
, modesty, i.e.
distrust of himself under the circumstances.
vellem
: not subj. of indir. question, but
informal indir. disc.; § [592], 2 (341, c); B. 323;
G. 662; 11.649, ii (528, I); H.-B. 535, I, a.
tantam mansuetudinem
, etc.: no doubt these
words express the genuine and grateful surprise felt at Caesar's
clemency, so different from the conduct of former conquerors in civil
wars (as Sulla, for example).
rerum omnium
, in every respect
.
in eadem causa
: Cicero also had been on Pompey's
side.
versari me
: this phrase belongs as well with persuadere as with fas
esse, but its construction is determined by the latter.
in multis . . . in me ipso
, in the case of many, and
especially in my own.
paulo ante
, just now.
[in]
omnibus
, i.e. by
pardoning Marcellus, whom he thought a most violent opponent, Caesar had
shown that his clemency would extend to all, however much they had opposed
him.
suspicionibus
: Caesar is said to have
suspected Marcellus of plotting his assassination (cf. sect. [21]).
ille
,
i.e. Marcellus too.
This pardon is the greatest of Caesar's deeds. His other exploits were
glorious victories: this is the conquest of himself. He shares this
conquest with no one.
usurpare
, dwell on.
et certe
, etc., and it is certainly
true that etc.
Fortuna
: see Manil. Law, sect. [47].
hujus gloriae
, i.e. the glory of granting
this pardon.
centurio
, the infantry officer (see note on [p. 83, l. 31]).
praefectus
, the commander of the auxiliary
cavalry. So
cohors and turma
correspond to each other, as the infantry and cavalry divisions.
immanitate barbaras
, i.e. barbarous
and fierce: his first conquests had subdued the Gauls, Germans,
and Britons.
locis infinitas
: Caesar moved from Gaul, B.C. 49, into Italy, and the same year to Spain.
In 48 he crossed over to Greece, and thence to Egypt; in 47 he carried
on war in Asia Minor, and in 46 gained the crowning victory of Thapsus
in Africa.
animum vincere
, to rule his spirit;
cf. Proverbs xvi, 32: "He that is slow to anger is better than the
mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."
victoriam temperare
, to control the
passions of victory (cf. sect. [9], [p. 216, l. 27]).
nobilitate . . .
praestantem
: this description is
inserted to enhance the credit of Caesar's act, inasmuch as the greater
the adversary the more dangerous his restoration would seem.
haec qui facit
: a slight break in the
construction (anacoluthon); the proper predicate of the preceding
infins. would be connected with them by est;
the proper object of facit would be a
result clause with ut. The effect of
the Latin can be exactly reproduced in translation.
illae quidem
: the pronoun (as often in
concessive sentences) is inserted only to carry
quidem, adding nothing to the sense; § [298],
a (195, c) ; H.-B. 274, 3.
nescio quo modo
: here (as often) with a slight
tone of regret; Cf. our colloquial "somehow or other."
tubarum
, of
trumpets: the tuba was a
long, straight horn, used in infantry; the
lituus a curved one, used in cavalry.
ut velis
: for this rare constr., see § [571],c (332,f); Cf. G. 553,4; cf. H. 571, 2 (501, i,
2); Cf. H.-B. 521,3 and N.
studiis prosequemur
, the figure is that of
a distinguished Roman escorted by a throng with enthusiastic
acclamations (studiis).
hujus curiae
: the old Curia Hostilia, on
the north side of the
Comitium, was destroyed by fire in the riots after the
death of Clodius, B.C. 52 (see Milo, sect. [33]); but was rebuilt by Faustus Sulla, son of
the dictator.
C. Marcelli
: Cos. B.C. 50,
cousin of M. Marcellus.
suam
: § [301], c (196,
g); B. 244, a, 4; G. 309, 2; H. 503, 4 (449, 2); H.-B. 264, 2.
tropaeis et monumentis
: the tropaea were memorials of victory,
consisting of armor of the conquered, arranged in human form, and either
erected by itself or attached to some monument, as a column or arch. As
to monuments, Caesar did not live to carry out his plans fully; he
built, however, a new enclosure for assemblies, the Saepta Julia, and laid out a
new forum for courts of justice, the Forum
Julium, north of the old Forum.
adlatura sit
, though in form introduced by ut, is not the real result of tanta est, which should be some verb in
sect. [12]; this, however, by a change in the
construction, is suppressed, and the sentence begins again with a future
(florescet ).
operibus
, dat.: § [381]
(229); B. 188, 2, d; G. 345; H. 426, 2 (385, 2); H.-B. 371.
victores
, i.e. Cinna, Marius, and Sulla.
perinde. . . atque
, just as.
omnes
, all
of us (as is shown by sumus
).
occidissemus
, had fallen: a
rhetorical exaggeration for "had forfeited our lives."
This pardon reaches far beyond Caesar's other acts. Peace has always been
his aim. His clemency in the hour of triumph contrasted with the fury of
the Pompeians. Let him continue his noble moderation.
illa
, i.e. Pompey's.
sibi
: see note on Cat. 2, sect. [17] ([p. 120, l. 17]
).
reddidit
, restored, by
inspiring them with confidence that no vengeance would follow, so that
they have returned to their homes.
hostis
,
acc. plur.
Ilagitantium
: before the outbreak of the
Civil War, Caesar sent C. Curio (son of C. Curio, Verr. 1, sect. [18]) to Rome with offers of compromise,
which were spurned by the Senate.
hominem
(emphat.), the man
(Pompey), not his measures.
consilio
, reasons.
grati animi
:
at the time of Cicero's recall, Pompey interested himself to go in
person to several of the Italian towns to encourage the general feeling
in his favor, and so atoned in part for the tardiness of his support and
his earlier hesitating, cold, and ungracious course.
integra re
, before anything had
been done (i.e. before peace was broken).
cum capitis mei periculo
: it is said that after
Pompey's defeat the command was urged upon Cicero by Cato; and on his
refusal to conduct the war, Sextus Pompey would have stabbed him unless
Cato had interfered.
statim censuerit
: Cicero was welcomed and
kindly treated by Caesar on his return to Italy, B.C.
47. The war was not finished till the next year, hence incertus exitus, etc.
victor
, when
victorious (opposed to incertus,
etc.).
certorum hominum
: such senatorial leaders
as Metellus, Scipio, and Dolabella. Cicero says, in a letter to M.
Marius (Fam. 7.3): "Excepting the chief and a few besides, the others —
the leaders I mean — were so grasping in the campaign and so cruel in
their talk, that I shuddered at the thought of victory. There was
nothing good except the cause." And to Atticus (Att. 9.7)," It is their
plan to stifle (suffocare) the city
and Italy by famine, then ravage the fields, set fire, and not spare the
money of the rich." Pompey, he says, would often say, Sulla potuit: ego non potero? (Att. 9. 10).
ut . . . debeat
, clause of result.
excitaret
: more exactly excitaturus fuerit; cf. § [
517], d (308, d, N.); B. 322; G. 597, R5, a; H. 541, N.1 (496,
N.2); cf. H-B. 581, b, 2.
otiosis
, the
neutral.
contulisse ad
, made all hope,
etc., depend on, etc.
est
,
comes.
quae
, things
which. The Stoics held that virtue was the summum bonum, and Cicero here alludes to
that doctrine.
commodata
, loaned.
praesertim
belongs with
lapsis
.
opinione
, notion.
specie
, etc., i.e. with the idea of
following the apparently established government (that of the Senate,
which was on Pompey's side).
si . . . timuerunt
: cf. § [572],
b, N. (333, R.); the protasis is
logically the subject of est.
senserunt
, found by experience
.
Caesar has nothing to fear from Marcellus. All good citizens desire the
safety of Caesar, for the restoration of the state depends on him.
querelam
, etc., that the partisans of
Pompey wished to kill him.
de tuis
,
i.e. his immediate companions;
qui uni
, those on the same side.
qui fuerunt
, Sc.
inimici.
nihil . . . cogitans
, inconsiderate
equidem
, for
my part
dumtaxat
, merely (i.e. even
the ordinary chances of life, to say nothing of violence and plots).
The wounds of war must be healed. Caesar has a great task yet to perform.
His work is not done till the state is restored: only then will his fame
be secure.
constituenda judicia
, etc.: the short
period of Caesar's dictatorship was distinguished by a number of
salutary enactments, almost equivalent to a complete revision of the
constitution.
propaganda suboles
: the waste of population
by incessant wars had already begun to alarm the best minds of Rome. It
was, in fact, the chief direct cause of the ruin of the Empire.
diffiuxerunt
, have run wild
(like vines).
fuisset
, subj. of integral part.
faceret
, in the same constr. as perderet -
prohibuisset, cont. to fact apod.; the prot. is implied in togatus.
sananda
, to be healed
(referring to the result);
mederi
, to
remedy (referring to treatment).
doctorum hominum
, philosophers
.
tam
, referring (as often) to the protasis which follows: § [
512], b (304, b); G. 590, N.1; H.-B. 578,5.
hic
, ill
these circumstances.
immo vero
, on the contrary.
futurus fuit
, was to be.
si quidem
, since in fact: § [515], a, N. (306, a, N.); G. 595, R1; H. 574, I
(507, 3, N.2); Cf. H-B. 582, 9.
hic . . . actus
, as in a play; hence elaborandum, a word used of literary
composition.
dicito
,
fut. as referring to the time designated by
tum
: § [449], I (269,d,
I); B. 281, I, a; G. 268, 2; H. 560, 4(487, 21); H-B. 496.
diu
: § [33] (29, c); G.
20, iii; H-B. 58, 3.
angustus
, narrow bounds.
[ut]
inservias
: § [565] (331,f R.); cf. B. 295, 8; cf. G. 553, a.1; cf.
H. 554, ii,1 (502, I); cf. H.-B. 513, 5.
quae quidem
, i.e.
aeternitas.
quae miretur
, purpose clause; the subject
is vita.
certe
,
doubtless.
imperia
, etc., obj. of audientes and
legentes. 222 29 munera,
gifts to the people, such as monuments and spectacular
performances.
sedem
,
abiding-place;
domicilium
, home.
requirent
, will miss.
fllud
, i.e. the war; hoc, i.e. the public
safety.
servi eis judicibus
, pay regard to
those judges.
The Civil War is finished. Boundless gratitude is due to Caesar, not only
for restoring Marcellus to his country but for all which that act
implies.
non pertinebit
, will have no
concern for. Such was the doctrine of the Epicureans, who
believed in annihilation after death.
obscuritas
, uncertainty,
i.e. as to which side a good citizen ought to take.
deceret
, was becoming, i.e.
to their position and circumstances. A Senator, for example, however
well affected to Caesar, might have felt it his duty to side with his
class (who were in general partisans of Pompey). Such conflicts of mind
of course constantly arise in civil wars.
liceret
, was
legat Both Caesar and Pompey claimed to be
acting under the laws.
perfuncta est
, has done with
.
inllammaret
, etc.: cf. sect. [16] and note ([p. 219, l. 4]
).
ab
, etc.: the first
ab means by; the second, from.
sanitatis
, a sound mind
(ordinary intelligence).
haec
(with a gesture), this glorious
city.
oppositus
, interposition,
literally plur.: § [
100], c (75, c); B. 55,4, c; G. 204, N.1; H. 138, 2 (130, 2);
H-B. 240,5, b.
unde
, with
which (in Latin the beginning is regarded as the source from
which).
agimus
,
express;
habemus
, feel.
mea
, on
my pa;].
cum id . . . praestiterim
, while I have
fulfilled it
me . . . conservato
, while I have been
preserved.
quod . . . non arbitrabar
, which I thought no
longer possible.