M. Tullius Cicero, De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites, Charles Duke Yonge (Translator), 25

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[25] And accordingly he, when conquered, was able to accomplish what, when he was in the full enjoyment of his powers, he never dared even to wish for. For when he had returned to his kingdom, he was not content (though that had happened to him beyond all his hopes) with again setting his foot on that land after he had been expelled from it; but he even volunteered an attack on your army, flushed as it was with glory and victory. Allow me, in this place, O Romans, (just as poets do who write of Roman affairs,) to pass over our disaster, which was so great that it came to Lucius Lucullus's ears, not by means of a messenger despatched from the scene of action, but through the report of common conversation.

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.) — 25 focus

[25] itaque tantum victus efficere potuit quantum incolumis numquam est ausus optare. nam cum se in regnum suum recepisset, non fuit eo contentus quod ei praeter spem acciderat, ut illam postea quam pulsus erat terram umquam attingeret, sed in exercitum nostrum clarum atque victorem impetum fecit. sinite hoc loco, Quirites, sicut poetae solent qui res Romanas scribunt, praeterire me nostram calamitatem, quae tanta fuit ut eam ad auris imperatoris¹ non ex proelio nuntius sed ex sermone rumor adferret. hic in illo ipso malo gravissimaque belli offensione L².

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

victus , when beaten.

incolumis , at the height of his power.

ut . . . attingeret , in appos. with

eo following

contentus . We should regularly have quod with the indic.: cf. § 571 , a (333, b); G. 542; H. 614 (535, iii); H.-B. 594, c; but the form of the clause appears to be determined by acciderat, which takes a subst. clause of result; § 569 , 2 (332, a, 2); B. 297, 2; G. 553, 3; H. 571, I (501, i, 1) 14.-B. 521,3, a.

umquam : not aliquando, on account of the neg. idea implied in

praeter spem ; § 311 (105, h).

victorem : as adj.; § 321 , c (188, d); G. 288, R.; H. 495, 3 (441, 3); H-B. 240, 2, b.

poetae : such were Naevius, who wrote a Bellum Punicum, and Ennius, author of Annales, recounting events of Roman history; both lived in the third century B.C.

calamitatem : i.e. the defeat of Triarius ( B.C. 67), who was leading reinforcements to Lucullus. Only a severe wound of Mithridates saved the Roman army from utter destruction. As it was, the rout was so complete that no [regular] messenger, etc.

sermone , common talk.

M. Tullius Cicero De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites 25

Charles Duke Yonge (Translator)

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