M. Tullius Cicero, De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 44

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[44] an vero ullam usquam esse oram tam desertam putatis quo non illius diei¹ fama pervaserit, cum universus populus Romanus referto foro completisque omnibus templis ex quibus hic locus conspici potest unum sibi ad commune omnium gentium bellum Cn. Gnaeum Pompeium imperatorem depoposcit? itaque ut plura non dicam neque aliorum exemplis confirmem quantum auctoritas² valeat in bello, ab eodem Cn. Pompeio omnium rerum egregiarum exempla sumantur. qui quo die a vobis maritimo bello praepositus est imperator, tanta repente³ vilitas ex summa inopia et caritate rei frumentariae consecuta est unius hominis spe ac nomine quantam vix in⁴ summa ubertate agrorum diuturna pax efficere potuisset.

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

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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.) — 44 focus

[44] Do you believe that there is anywhere in the whole world any place so desert that the renown of that day has not reached it, when the whole Roman people, the forum being crowded, and all the adjacent temples from which this place can be seen being completely filled,—the whole Roman people, I say, demanded Cnaeus Pompeius alone as their general in the war in which the common interests of all nations were at stake? Therefore, not to say more on the subject, nor to confirm what I say by instances of others as to the influence which authority has in war, all our instances of splendid exploits in war must be taken from this same Cnaeus Pompeius. The very day that he was appointed by you commander-in-chief of the maritime war, in a moment such a cheapness of provisions ensued, (though previously there had been a great scarcity of corn, and the price had been exceedingly high,) owing to the hope conceived of one single man, and his high reputation, as could scarcely have been produced by a most productive harvest after a long period of peace.

Notes on the current edition

De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites

1. illius dici ( sic) nomen ac fama illius H

2. auctoritas H, Angelius: huius auctoritas cett.

3. repentina H: fort. tamque repentina vilitas H: vilitas annonae cett.

4. in H: ex cett.

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

ullam usquam : see note on sect. 27 ( p. 78, l. 25 ).

illius diei : that of the passage of the Lex Gabinia, which conferred upon Pompey the command against the pirates.

commune : as being against pirates, enemies of all mankind.

aliorum exemplis : it is not necessary to cite examples of other generals; Pompey's own history furnishes instances enough.

qui quo die , on the day on which be, etc.: the relatives, admissible in Latin, cannot be literally reproduced in English.

potuisset : § 517 , c, N.1 (308, c, N.1) B. 304, 3, a, N.; G. 597, R.3, b; of. 14.511, I, N.1 (583); H-B. 582,3,0. The protasis is implied in in summa ubertate, etc.

M. Tullius Cicero De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites 44

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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