M. Tullius Cicero, De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 60

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[60] at enim¹ ne quid novi fiat contra exempla atque instituta maiorum. non dicam² hoc loco maiores nostros semper in pace consuetudini, in bello utilitati paruisse, semper ad novos casus temporum novorum consiliorum rationes accommodasse, non dicam duo bella maxima, Punicum atque Hispaniense, ab uno imperatore esse confecta duasque³ urbis potentissimas quae huic imperio maxime minitabantur, Carthaginem atque⁴ Numantiam, ab eodem Scipione esse deletas, non commemorabo nuper ita vobis patribusque vestris esse visum ut in uno C. Gaio Mario spes imperi poneretur, ut idem cum Iugurtha, idem cum Cimbris, idem cum Teutonis bellum administraret; in ipso Cn. Gnaeo Pompeio in quo novi constitui nihil volt Q. Quintus Catulus quam multa sint nova summa Q. Quinti Catuli⁵ voluntate constituta recordamini.

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.) — 60 focus

[60] But let no innovation be established contrary to the precedents and principles of our ancestors.— I will not say, at this moment, that our ancestors in peace always obeyed usage, but in war were always guided by expediency, and always accommodated themselves with new plans to the new emergencies of the times. I will not say that two most important wars, the Punic war and the Spanish war, were put an end to by one general; that two most powerful cities, which threatened the greatest danger to this empire— Carthage and Numantia , were destroyed by the same Scipio. I will not remind you that it was but lately determined by you and by your ancestors, to rest all the hopes of the empire on Caius Marius, so that the same man conducted the war against Jugurtha, and against the Cimbri, and against the Teutones. But recollect, in the case of Cnaeus Pompeius himself, with reference to whom Catulus objects to having any new regulations introduced, how many new laws have been made with the most willing consent of Quintus Catulus.

Notes on the current edition

De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites

1. at enim inquit ( om. inquit b1) novi nihil δ

2. dico δ

3. duasque duas H σ

4. atque et H

5. summa Q. E: summaque T δ: quae 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

at enim : see first note on sect. 51 .

exempla , precedents;

instituta , established customs.

non dicam , etc.: an excellent specimen of the rhetorical device known as praeteritio (cf. note on p. 88, l. 13 , above).

paruisse ,

adcommodasse , i.e. they disregarded precedents in great emergencies.

temporum depends on casus , consiliorum on rationes (chiastic order).

ab uno imperatore : Scipio Africanus the younger (Aemilianus), who captured Carthage ( B.C. 146) and Numantia ( B.C. 133). In his time there had been a law that no person should be consul twice in successlon.

ut . . . poneretur : clause of purpose with visum est (here a verb of decreeing).

C. Mario : Marius was chosen consul five years in succession, to carry on the wars here referred to.

M. Tullius Cicero De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites 60

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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