[1] 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
214.3
verecundia
,
modesty, i.e. distrust of himself under the circumstances.
214.4
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.
214.5
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).
214.6
rerum omnium
, in
every respect .
214.13
in eadem causa
: Cicero also had been on Pompey's side.
214.15
versari me
: this phrase belongs as well with
persuadere as with
fas esse, but its construction is determined by the latter.
214.21
in multis . . . in me ipso
,
in the case of many, and especially in my own.
214.22
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.
214.26
suspicionibus
: Caesar is said to have suspected Marcellus of plotting his assassination (cf. sect.
21
).
214.26
ille
, i.e. Marcellus too.
[4] 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.
215.16
usurpare
,
dwell on.
215.28
et certe
, etc.,
and it is certainly true that etc.
215.30
Fortuna
: see Manil. Law, sect.
47
.
215.32
hujus gloriae
, i.e. the glory of granting this pardon.
216.3
centurio
, the infantry officer (see note on
p. 83, l. 31
).
216.4
praefectus
, the commander of the auxiliary cavalry. So
cohors and
turma correspond to each other, as the infantry and cavalry divisions.
216.9
immanitate barbaras
, i.e.
barbarous and fierce: his first conquests had subdued the Gauls, Germans, and Britons.
216.10
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.
216.13
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."
216.14
victoriam temperare
,
to control the passions of victory (cf. sect.
9
,
p. 216, l. 27
).
216.15
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.
216.17
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.
216.19
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.
216.22
nescio quo modo
: here (as often) with a slight tone of regret; Cf. our colloquial "somehow or other."
216.23
tubarum
,
of trumpets: the
tuba was a long, straight horn, used in infantry; the
lituus a curved one, used in cavalry.
216.31
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.
217.2
studiis prosequemur
, the figure is that of a distinguished Roman escorted by a throng with enthusiastic acclamations (
studiis).
217.4
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.
217.6
C. Marcelli
: Cos.
B.C. 50, cousin of M. Marcellus.
217.10
suam
: §
301
, c (196, g); B. 244, a, 4; G. 309, 2; H. 503, 4 (449, 2); H.-B. 264, 2.
217.18
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 ).
217.22
operibus
, dat.: §
381
(229); B. 188, 2, d; G. 345; H. 426, 2 (385, 2); H.-B. 371.
217.23
victores
, i.e. Cinna, Marius, and Sulla.
217.25
perinde. . . atque
,
just as.
217.28
omnes
,
all of us (as is shown by
sumus ).
217.29
occidissemus
,
had fallen: a rhetorical exaggeration for "had forfeited our lives."
[13] 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.
218.7
sibi
: see note on Cat. 2, sect.
17
(
p. 120, l. 17
).
218.8
reddidit
,
restored, by inspiring them with confidence that no vengeance would follow, so that they have returned to their homes.
218.9
hostis
, acc. plur.
218.15
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.
218.18
hominem
(emphat.),
the man (Pompey), not his measures.
consilio
,
reasons.
218.19
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.
218.23
integra re
,
before anything had been done (i.e. before peace was broken).
218.24
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.
218.27
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.
218.29
victor
,
when victorious (opposed to
incertus, etc.).
219.4
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).
219.11
ut . . . debeat
, clause of result.
219.12
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.
219.16
otiosis
,
the neutral.
219.22
contulisse ad
,
made all hope, etc.,
depend on, etc.
219.26
est
,
comes.
219.31
quae
,
things which. The Stoics held that virtue was the
summum bonum, and Cicero here alludes to that doctrine.
220.3
commodata
,
loaned.
220.4
praesertim
belongs with
lapsis
.
220.5
opinione
,
notion.
220.6
specie
, etc., i.e. with the idea of following the apparently established government (that of the Senate, which was on Pompey's side).
220.7
si . . . timuerunt
: cf. §
572
, b, N. (333, R.); the
protasis is logically the subject of
est.
220.8
senserunt
,
found by experience .
[21] 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.
220.16
de tuis
, i.e. his immediate companions;
qui uni
, those on the same side.
220.17
qui fuerunt
, Sc.
inimici.
220.28
nihil . . . cogitans
,
inconsiderate
220.30
equidem
,
for my part
220.31
dumtaxat
,
merely (i.e. even the ordinary chances of life, to say nothing of violence and plots).
[23] 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.
221.9
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.
221.10
diffiuxerunt
,
have run wild (like vines).
221.13
fuisset
, subj. of integral part.
221.15
faceret
, in the same constr. as
perderet -
prohibuisset, cont. to fact apod.; the prot. is implied in
togatus.
221.16
sananda
,
to be healed (referring to the result);
mederi
,
to remedy (referring to treatment).
221.22
doctorum hominum
,
philosophers .
221.25
tam
, referring (as often) to the
protasis which follows: §
512
, b (304, b); G. 590, N.1; H.-B. 578,5.
221.29
hic
,
ill these circumstances.
222.1
immo vero
,
on the contrary.
222.5
futurus fuit
,
was to be.
222.8
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.
222.11
hic . . . actus
, as in a play; hence
elaborandum, a word used of literary composition.
222.15
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.
222.16
diu
: §
33
(29, c); G. 20, iii; H-B. 58, 3.
222.19
angustus
,
narrow bounds.
222.24
[
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.
222.25
quae quidem
, i.e.
aeternitas.
quae miretur
, purpose clause; the subject is vita.
222.27
certe
,
doubtless.
imperia
, etc., obj. of
audientes and
legentes. 222 29
munera,
gifts to the people, such as monuments and spectacular performances.
223.2
sedem
,
abiding-place;
domicilium
,
home.
223.6
requirent
,
will miss.
223.7
fllud
, i.e. the war; hoc, i.e. the public safety.
223.8
servi eis judicibus
,
pay regard to those judges.
[30] 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.
223.17
obscuritas
,
uncertainty, i.e. as to which side a good citizen ought to take.
223.20
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.
223.20
perfuncta est
,
has done with .
223.22
inllammaret
, etc.: cf. sect.
16
and note (
p. 219, l. 4
).
223.24
ab
, etc.: the first
ab means
by; the second,
from.
224.1
sanitatis
,
a sound mind (ordinary intelligence).
224.4
haec
(with a gesture),
this glorious city.
224.9
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.
224.10
unde
,
with which (in Latin the beginning is regarded as the source
from which).
224.11
agimus
,
express;
habemus
,
feel.
224.19
mea
,
on my pa;].
224.22
cum id . . . praestiterim
,
while I have fulfilled it
224.25
me . . . conservato
,
while I have been preserved.
224.27
quod . . . non arbitrabar
,
which I thought no longer possible.
Commentary on The Pardon of Marcellus. James Bradstreet Greenough. ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge. Boston. 1897.
Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.
Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.