M. Tullius Cicero, De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites, Charles Duke Yonge (Translator), 10

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[10] However; the danger on one side, the danger from Sertorius and from Spain , which had much the most solid foundation and the most formidable strength, was warded off by the divine wisdom and extraordinary valour of Cnaeus Pompeius. And on the other side of the empire, affairs were so managed by Lucilius Lucullus, that most illustrious of men, that the beginning, of all those achievements in those countries, great and eminent as they were, deserve to be attributed not to his good fortune but to his valour; but the latter events which have taken place lately, ought to be imputed not to his fault, but to his ill-fortune. However, of Lucullus I will speak hereafter, and I will speak, O Romans, in such a manner, that his true glory shall not appear to be at all disparaged by my pleading, nor, on the other hand, shall any undeserved credit seem to be given to him.

De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites. M. Tullius Cicero. Charles Duke Yonge (Translator). London. 1856.

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Current edition Perseus

In Defense of the Proposed Manilian Law (English) (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 2. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.)

Editions (1)

De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites Perseus (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Volume 1. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908.) — 10 focus

[10] sed tamen alterius partis periculum, Sertorianae atque Hispaniensis, quae multo plus firmamenti ac roboris habebat, Cn. Gnaei Pompei divino consilio ac singulari virtute depulsum est; in altera parte ita res ab¹ L. Lucio Lucullo, summo viro, est administrata ut initia illa rerum gestarum² magna atque praeclara non felicitati eius sed virtuti, haec autem extrema quae nuper acciderunt non culpae sed fortunae tribuenda esse videantur. sed de Lucullo dicam alio loco, et ita dicam, Quirites, ut neque vera laus ei detracta oratione mea neque falsa adficta³ esse videatur;

Commentary

Notes on The Manilian Law (Select Orations of Cicero (Allen and Greenough's Edition). Greenough, James Bradstreet; Kittredge, George Lyman, editors. Boston, London: Ginn & Company, 1897.) focus

alterius corresponds to altera , 1.6, below.

firmamenti , outward support

roboris , internal strength.

Cn. Pompei : Pompey and Metellus Pius conducted the war against Sertorius from B.C. 77 till B.C. 72 without being able to subdue him. In 72 Sertorius was assassinated by his lieutenant Perperna, whom Pompey had no difficulty in defeating. Cicero, it will be observed, suppresses these details, preferring to give Pompey credit, in general terms, for putting an end to "the danger from Sertorius."

in altera parte , i.e. in the East.

felicitati : observe the chiastic order of the ideas, — felicitati virtuti ; culpae, fortunae.

haec extrema (an intentional euphemism), these late disasters,

tribuenda , attributable. In fact the ill success of Lucullus was in great part due to the machinations of politicians at Rome; he was not properly supported by the home government.

M. Tullius Cicero De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites 10

Charles Duke Yonge (Translator)

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