M. Tullius Cicero, De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites, Charles Duke Yonge (Translator), 37

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[37] For how can we rank a man among generals of any class at all, if centurionships ¹ are sold, and have been constantly sold in his army? What great or honourable thoughts can we suppose that that man cherishes concerning the republic, who has either distributed the money which was taken from the treasury for the conduct of the war among the magistrates, out of ambition ² to keep his province, or, out of avarice, has left it behind him at Rome , invested for his own advantage? Your murmurs show, O Romans, that you recognise, in my description, men who have done these things. But I name no one, so that no one can be angry with me, without making confession beforehand of his own malpractices. But who is there who is ignorant what terrible distresses our armies suffer wherever they go, through this covetousness of our generals?

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.) — 37 focus

[37] quem enim possumus imperatorem¹ ullo in numero putare cuius in exercitu centuriatus veneant² atque venierint? quid hunc hominem magnum aut amplum de re publica cogitare qui pecuniam ex aerario depromptam ad bellum administrandum aut propter cupiditatem provinciae magistratibus diviserit aut propter avaritiam Romae in quaestu reliquerit³? vestra admurmuratio facit, Quirites⁴, ut agnoscere videamini qui haec fecerint; ego autem nomino neminem; qua re irasci mihi nemo poterit nisi qui ante de se voluerit⁵ confiteri. itaque propter hanc avaritiam imperatorum quantas calamitates, quocumque ventum sit⁶, nostri exercitus adferant⁷ quis ignorat?

Notes on the current edition

In Defense of the Proposed Manilian Law

1. The Scholiast says that Cicero is here hinting at Glabrio the consul, or at the younger Marius.

2. Lucullus is supposed to be meant here as it is said that he had employed large sums in soliciting the votes of influential men, so as to be left in command of the province of Asia , in which he had amassed enormous riches.

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

putare (in its earlier meaning of reckon: see Vocab.), etc., count (as such).

centuriatus : two centurions commanded each manipulus of 120 men. The centurions were advanced from the ranks by the commander; hence there were opportunities for favoritism and bribery.

veneant , subj. of characteristic.

aerano : the Treasury was in the Temple of Saturn, under the superintendence of the two city quaestors. The actual management of the funds was in the hands of a large body of clerks, scribae, who formed a permanent collegium.

provinciae : dependent on

cupiditatem ; apparently the person referred to tried to purchase the influence of the magistrates in order to be allowed to retain his province longer than the regular time; but nothing is known of the case.

in quaestu , on speculation.

facit . . . ut , etc., shows that you recognize.

M. Tullius Cicero De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites 37

Charles Duke Yonge (Translator)

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