M. Tullius Cicero, De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 36

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[36] 13 est haec divina atque incredibilis virtus imperatoris. quid? ceterae quas paulo ante commemorare coeperam quantae atque quam multae sunt! non enim bellandi virtus solum in summo ac perfecto imperatore quaerenda est sed multae sunt artes eximiae huius administrae comitesque virtutis. ac primum quanta innocentia debent esse imperatores, quanta deinde in omnibus¹ rebus temperantia, quanta fide, quanta facilitate², quanto ingenio, quanta humanitate! quae breviter qualia sint in Cn. Gnaeo Pompeio consideremus. summa enim sunt omnia³, Quirites⁴, sed ea magis ex⁵ aliorum contentione quam ipsa per sese cognosci atque intellegi possunt.

De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites. M. Tullius Cicero. ed. Albert Curtis Clark. Oxford. 1908.

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Funding provided by National Endowment For The Humanities (NEH).

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (1)

In Defense of the Proposed Manilian Law Perseus (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 2. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.) — 36 focus

[36]
This is the godlike and incredible virtue of that general. What more shall I say? How many and how great are his other exploits which I began to mention a short time back; for we are not only to seek for skill in war in a consummate and perfect general, but there are many other eminent qualities which are the satellites and companions of this virtue. And first of all, how great should be the incorruptibility of generals! How great should be their moderation in everything! How perfect their good faith! How universal should be their affability! how brilliant their genius! how tender their humanity! And let us briefly consider to what extent these qualities exist in Cnaeus Pompeius. For they are all of the highest importance, O Romans, but yet they are to be seen and ascertained more by comparison with the conduct of others than by any display which they make of themselves.

Notes on the current edition

De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites

1. in omnibus HE: omnibus cett.

2. facilitate πδ: felicitate HEt

3. sunt omnia H: omnia sunt cett. ( cf. §§13, 51)

4. Quirites om. H

5. ex inex H

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

propter , at hand.

quo : abl. of degree of difference with aegrius .

adventa ipso , by his mere coining.

maritimum , i.e. the war against the pirates, which Pompey had just finished with great glory.

ceterarum provinciarum , i.e. those assigned to Pompey by the Gabinian Law, which gave him power over the entire Mediterranean and the coasts fifty miles inland. This would not include the province of Bithynia, nor the greater part of Asia. The Manilian Law extended his power over the entire East.

quorum . . . commendetis : § 535 ,f(320,f); B. 282,3; G. 631,1; H. 591, 7 (503, ii, 2); H.-B. 513, 3.

etiam si defendant : subj. of integral part.

non multum , etc.: the expression was hardly too strong for the general type of provincial governors. cf. "The Plunder of Syracuse," ( Verr. 2.4.42 , Verr. 2.4.46 ) where Cicero contrasts the moderation of Marcellus in time of war with the rapacity of Verres in time of peace.

M. Tullius Cicero De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites 36

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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