M. Tullius Cicero, De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites, Charles Duke Yonge (Translator), 62

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[62] What was ever so unusual, as, when there were two most gallant and most illustrious consuls, for a Roman knight to be sent as proconsul to a most important and formidable war? He was so sent—on which occasion, indeed, when some one in the senate said that a private individual ought not to be sent as proconsul, Lucius Philippus is reported to have answered, that if he had his will he should be sent not for one consul, but for both the consuls. Such great hope was entertained that the affairs of the republic would be prosperously managed by him, that the charge which properly belonged to the two consuls was entrusted to the valour of one young man. What was ever so extraordinary as for a man to be released from all laws by a formal resolution of the senate, and made consul before he was of an age to undertake any other magistracy according to the laws? What could be so incredible, as for a Roman knight to celebrate a second triumph in pursuance of a resolution of the senate? All the unusual circumstances which in the memory of man have ever happened to all other men put together, are not so many as these which we see have occurred in the history of this one man.

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.) — 62 focus

[62] quid tam inusitatum quam ut¹, cum duo consules clarissimi fortissimique essent, eques Romanus ad bellum maximum formidolosissimumque pro consule mitteretur? Missus est. quo quidem tempore cum esset non nemo in senatu qui diceret non oportere mitti hominem privatum pro consule, L. Lucius Philippus dixisse dicitur non se illum sua sententia pro consule sed pro consulibus mittere. tanta in eo rei publicae bene gerendae spes constituebatur ut duorum consulum munus unius adulescentis virtuti committeretur. quid tam singulare quam ut ex senatus consulto legibus solutus consul ante fieret quam ullum alium² magistratum per leges capere licuisset? quid tam incredibile quam ut iterum³ eques Romanus ex senatus consulto triumpharet? quae in omnibus hominibus nova post hominum memoriam constituta sunt, ea tam multa non sunt quam haec quae in hoc uno homine vidimus⁴.

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

duo consules : Mamercus Lepidus and Decimus Brutus, B.C. 77. Instead of either of these being sent to Spain as proconsul the next year, against Sertorius Pompey, though a simple eques, was designated for that service.

pro consule : when it was desired to retain the services of a magistrate after his term of office had expired, his imperium was extended ( prorogatum) by the Senate, and was held by him pro consule or pro praetore, that is, as having the power of a consul or praetor while no longer actually a magistrate. It was not strictly legal to appoint a private citizen in such a capacity; but sometimes,— as in Pompey's case, —this was done.

quidem , by the way.

non nemo , a man or two.

Philippus , a prominent member of the aristocracy (consul, B.C. 91), distinguished for his wit; a man of liberal temper, but a vehement partisan.

pro consulibus , in place of both consuls.

mittere : for mitto of the dir. disc. Philippus seems to have put his bon mot into the regular form of a sententia, or formal expression of opinion in the Senate, using the simple present tense, with the qualifying

mea sententia ; § 467 (276,b); B. 259,2; G.227,N.2; H. 530(467, iii, 6); H.-B. 484.

ut . . . fieret : subst. clause of result after the analogy of the subj. with verbs of happening; § 571 ,c (332,f); G. 553,4; H. 571, I (501, i).

ex senatus consulto : another irregularity, for the comitia were the law-making body and therefore of course had the sole power of exempting from the laws.

legibus solutus , exempted from the operation of the laws, i.e. those limiting the age of magistrates ( leges annales).

magistratum : the legal age of a consul was not below forty-three, and that of a praetor not below forty. Pompey, however, was elected consul ( B.C. 70) at the age of thirty-six, which was the regular age for the quaestorship.

iterum : Pompey celebrated his second triumph Dec.31, B.C. 71, and the next day entered upon the consulship.

in , in the case of.

M. Tullius Cicero De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites 62

Charles Duke Yonge (Translator)

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