M. Tullius Cicero, De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites, Charles Duke Yonge (Translator), 11

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[11] At present, when we are speaking of the dignity and glory of your empire, since that is the beginning of my oration, consider what feelings you think you ought to entertain. 5
Your ancestors have often waged war on account of their merchants and seafaring men having been injuriously treated. What ought to be your feelings when so many thousand Roman citizens have been put to death by one order and at one time? Because their ambassadors had been spoken to with insolence, your ancestors determined that Corinth , the light of all Greece , should be destroyed. Will you allow that king to remain unpunished, who has murdered a lieutenant of the Roman people of consular rank, having tortured him with chains and scourging, and every sort of punishment? They would not allow the freedom of Roman citizens to be diminished; will you be indifferent to their lives being taken? They avenged the privileges of our embassy when they were violated by a word; will you abandon an ambassador who has been put to death with every sort of cruelty?

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.) — 11 focus

[11] de vestri imperi dignitate atque gloria, quoniam is est exorsus orationis meae, videte quem vobis animum suscipiendum putetis.

5 maiores nostri saepe pro¹ mercatoribus² aut naviculariis nostris³ iniuriosius tractatis bella gesserunt; vos tot milibus⁴ civium Romanorum uno nuntio atque uno tempore necatis quo tandem animo esse debetis? legati quod erant appellati superbius, Corinthum patres vestri totius Graeciae lumen exstinctum esse voluerunt; vos eum regem inultum esse patiemini qui legatum populi Romani consularem vinculis ac verberibus atque omni supplicio excruciatum necavit? illi libertatem imminutam civium Romanorum⁵ non tulerunt; vos ereptam vitam⁶ neglegetis⁷? ius legationis verbo violatum illi persecuti sunt; vos legatum omni supplicio interfectum relinquetis⁸?

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

Bithyniae : this territory had been bequeathed to the Roman republic by Nicomedes III, B.C. 74.

Ariobarzanis : king of Cappadocia, which had been overrun by Mithridates.

Lucullum : Lucullus was related to both branches of the family of Metellus, and had married Clodia, sister of the notorious Publius Clodius. It was chiefly this mischievous demagogue, who was serving as one of his officers, that stirred up the dissensions and mutinies which robbed Lucullus of the fruits of his victories.

discedere , is on the point of withdrawing.

huic qui successerit , his successor, Glabrio.

non satis paratum , not adequately furnished—an understatement: Glabrio had shown himself thoroughly incompetent, but Cicero was on good terms with him. This was the Glabrio who had presided over the court in the case of Verres.

socus , i.e. Asiatics.

civibus , Romans engaged in business in Asia.

imperatorem (in pred. appos. with unum), as commander.

M. Tullius Cicero De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites 11

Charles Duke Yonge (Translator)

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