Marcus Tullius Cicero

“ Do not, Fathers, regard yourselves as fallen utterly, do not faint, because you have received one blow. The wound is one which I cannot disguise, but which I yet feel sure should not be regarded with extreme fear: to fear would show us to be the greatest of cowards, to ignore it the greatest of fools. Lentulus was twice acquitted, so was Catiline, a third such criminal has now been let loose by jurors upon the Republic. ”

“ For they fully expected that when religion, morality, the honour of juries, and the prestige of the senate had sustained such a crushing fall, victorious profligacy and lawless lust would openly exact vengeance from all the best men for the mortification which the strictness of my consulship had branded in upon all the worst. ”

“ Hortensius would have it that he was the only one of us who had seen the truth. There was not a man who did not think it impossible for him to stand his trial without being condemned a thousand times over. Further, when I was produced as a witness, I suppose you have been told how the shouts of Clodius's supporters were answered by the jury rising to their feet to gather round me, and openly to offer their throats to P. Clodius in my defence. ”

“ Furthermore, that precious consul, playing as it were second fiddle to Pompey, [12] is said to have undertaken the business and to have bribery agents at his house, which I don't believe. But two decrees have already passed the house of an unpopular character, because they are thought to be directed against the consul on the demand of Cato and Domitius [13] —one that search should be allowed in magistrates' houses, and a second, that all who had bribery agents in their houses were guilty of treason. ”

“ Accordingly, with the loyalists holding completely aloof, with the forum full of slaves, twenty-five jurors were yet found so courageous that, though at the risk of their lives, they preferred even death to producing universal ruin. There were thirty-one who were more influenced by famine than fame. ”

“ Therefore I think one should play the philosopher, as you in fact do, and not care a straw for your consulships!
You say in your letter that you have decided not to go to Asia. For my part I should have preferred your going, and I fear that there may be some offence [15] given in that matter. Nevertheless, I am not the man to blame you, especially considering that I have not gone to a province myself. ”

“ Possibly they were old tribal officers who had the duty of distributing pay or collecting taxes (to which the translation supposes a punning reference) , and as such were required to be of a census immediately below that of the equites. I do not profess to be satisfied, but I cannot think that Professor Tyrrell's proposal makes matters much easier—tribuni non tam aerarii, ut appellantur, quam aerati; for his translation of aerati as "bribed" is not better supported, and is a less natural deduction than "moneyed."↑ I.e., the Athenians. ”