Chapter 1 | ||| | Chapter 2 | ||| | Chapter 3 | ||| | Chapter 4 | ||| | Chapter 5 | ||| | Chapter 6 | ||| | Chapter 7 | ||| | Chapter 8 | ||| | Chapter 9 | ||| | Chapter 10 | ||
Chapter 11 | ||| | Chapter 12 | ||| | Chapter 13 | ||| | Chapter 14 | ||| | Chapter 15 | ||| | Chapter 16 | ||| | Chapter 17 | ||| | Chapter 18 | ||| | Chapter 19 | ||| | Chapter 20 | ||
Chapter 21 | ||| | Chapter 22 | ||| | Chapter 23 | ||| | Chapter 24 | ||| | Chapter 25 | ||| | Chapter 26 | ||| | ||| | ||| | ||| |
Conscripti patres, est mihi magna copia
Conscript fathers, there is to me a great opportunity
.
memorandi, qui reges aut qui populi
of relating, [supply of examples], what kings or what peoples
.
impulsi ira aut misericordia, consuluerint
(people) impelled by anger or by pity, may have consulted (have consulted)
.
(perf. sub.) male: sed malo dicere ea,
badly: but I had-rather mention those (things),
.
quae nostri majores fecere recte atque ordine
which our ancestors have done rightly and in order
.
contra lubidinem sui animi. Macedonico bello,
against the passion of their mind, In the Macedonian war,
.
quod gessimus cum rege Perse, magna atque
which we carried-on with king Perses, the great and
.
magnifica civitas Rhodiorum, quae creverat
magnificent state of the Rhodians, which had increased
.
opibus Romani populi, fuit infida atque advorsa
by the resources of the Roman people, was faithless and adverse
.
nobis: sed postquam, bello confecto, consultum-est
to us: but after-that, the war having been finished, it was deliberated
.
de Rhodiis, nostri majores dimisere e06
concerning the Rhodians, our ancestors dismissed them
.
impunitos, ne quis diceret bellum
unpunished, lest any-one might say the war (to have been)
.
inceptum magis divitiarum, quam
undertaken rather (on-account-of ) of riches, than of (repelling)
.
injuriae. Item in omnibus Punicis bellis, cum
injury. Likewise in all the Punic wars, When
.
Carthaginienses saepe fecissent multa
the Carthaginians [often] might have done (had done) many
.
nefanda facinora et in pace et per induoias,
abominable acts both in peace and through truces,
.
ipsi nunquam fecere talia per occasionem;
they never did such (things) through opportunity though opportunity offered];
.
quaerebant magis quod foret
they did seek rather what might be
.
dignum se, quam quod posset fieri jure
worthy themselves, than what might to be done with right
.
in illos. Conscripti patres, hoc est item providendum
unto them. Consoript fathers, this is likewise to be-provided-for
.
vobis, scelus Publii Lentuli et
to (by) you, (that) the wickedness of Publius Lentulus and
.
caeterorum ne-valeat plus apud vos, quam
the rest may not-prevail more among (with) you, than
.
vestra dignitas, neu consulatis vostrae irae
your-own dignity, nor (that) you may consult to your anger
.
magis quam famae. Nam si digna. poena
more than to character, For if worthy punishment
.
reperitur pro factis eorum, approbo novum consilium:
is found for the deeds of them, I approve the new counsel,
.
sin magnitudo sceleris exsuperat ingenia
But-if the magnitude of the wickedness exceed the understandings
.
omnium; censeo utendum iis
of all; I think to-us (we must use) those (punishments),
.
quae comparata-sunt legibus. Plerique eorum, qui
which have been provided by the laws, Most of those, who
.
dixerunt sententias ante me, miaerati-sunt
have expressed (their) opinions before me, have bewailed
.
casum reipublicae composite atque
the misfortune of the republic elegantly (in fine language) and
.
magnifice: enumeravere quae esset saevitis belli:
Magnificently: they have enumerated what might be the cruelty of war:
.
quae acciderent victis; virgines, pueros rapi;
what might befall to the conquered; virgins, boys to be dragged-away;
.
liberos divelli a complexu parentum; matres
children to be torn from the embrace of parents; mothers
.
familiarum pati, quae collibuissent victoribus;
of families to suffer, what might have pleased to the eonquerors;
.
fana atque domos expoliari; caedem, incendia.
temples and houses to be pillaged; slaughter, burnings
.
fieri; postremo, omnia compleri armis,
to be made; lastly, all (places) to be filled with arms,
.
cadaveribus, cruore, atque luctu. Sed, per
dead-bodies, gore, and grief. But, by (in the name of)
.
immortalis (immortales) deos, quo illa oratio pertinuit?
the immortal gods, where that speech has tended? [What was the object of that speech)?
.
An uti faceret vos infestos conjurationi?
Whether that he might make you hostile to the conspiracy?
.
Scilicet, oratio accendet eum, quem tanta.
Forsooth, a speech shall inflame him, whom so-great
.
atque tam atrox res non-permovit!
and so heinous a thing has not affected!
.
Est non ita: neque suae injuriae
It is not so neither their-own injuries
.
videntur parvae cuiquam mortalium: multi habuere
seem small to any of mortals: many have had (accounted)
.
eas gravius aequo. Sed, conscripti
them more-severely (than) just. But, conscript
.
patres, alia licentia est aliis.
fathers, another (difference) license is to different (persons). [there is a difference in the freedom of action.]
.
Qui demissi agunt vitam in obscuro, si deliquere
(They) who cast-down spend life in obscure (obscurity), [if they] have offended
.
quid, iracundia pauci sciunt: fama
(in) any (thing) [by anger] few know (it): the fame
.
atque fortuna eorum sunt pares: cuncti mortales
and fortune of them are equal: all mortals
.
novere facta eorum qui, praediti magno
have known (know) the deeds of those who, endowed with great
.
imperio, agunt aetatem in excelso. Ita
authority, spend (their) life in lofty (station). Thus
.
minuma licentia est in maxuma fortuna.
the least license [of action] is in the greatest fortune
.
Decet neque studere, neque odisse, sed
It becemes neither to favour, neither to have hated (to hate), but
.
minume irasci. Ea quae dicitur iracundia apud
least-of-all to- be-angry. That which is called anger amongst
.
alios, appellatur superbia atque crudelitas in
others (some), is called pride and cruelty in
.
imperio. Equidem, conscripti patres, ego sic existume
authority. Indeed, conscript fathers, I thus think
.
omnis cruciatus esse minores quam facinora illorum
all tortures to be less than the crimes of them
.
Sed plerique mortales meminere postrema,
But most mortals have remembered (remember) the last
.
et obliti sceleris eorum, disserunt
(occurrences), and having forgotten the crime of them, discuss
.
de poeni in impiis hominibus, si ea
of punishment in (the case of) impious men, if it
.
fuerit paulo severior. Scio certe
may have been a little more-severe (too-severe). I know surely
.
Decium Silanum, fortem atque strenuum virum,
Decius Silanus, a bave and strenuous man,
.
dixisse, quae dixerit (perf. sub.) studio reipublicae:
to have said, what he may have said (has said) from seal for the repnblic:
.
neque illum exercere gatiam
neither him to exereise favour [that he neither exercised]
.
aut inimicitias tanti re: cognovi eos
or enmities in so-great a thing: I have known these (to be)
.
mores, eam modestiam viri. Verum sententia
the principles, that the moderation of the man. But the opinion
.
ejus videtur mihi non crudelis (enim quid potest
of him seems to me not cruel (for what can
.
fieri crudele in talis (tales) homines?) sed aliena
be done cruel against such men?) but foreign (averse)
.
a nostril republica. Nam profecto,
from our republic (constitution). For indeed,
.
Silane, aut metus aut injuria subegit te consulem
Silane, either fear or injury compelled you a consul
.
designatum, decernere novum genus poenae.
elect, to decree a new kind or punishment.