M. Tullius Cicero, Pro Archia Poeta, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 15

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[15] 7 quaeret quispiam: quid? illi ipsi summi viri quorum virtutes litteris proditae sunt istane doctrina quam tu effers laudibus eruditi fuerunt? difficile est hoc de omnibus confirmare, sed tamen est certum quid¹ respondeam. ego multos homines excellenti animo ac virtute fuisse sine doctrina, et² naturae ipsius habitu prope divino per se ipsos et moderatos et gravis exstitisse fateor; etiam illud adiungo, saepius ad laudem atque virtutem naturam sine doctrina³ quam sine natura valuisse doctrinam. atque idem ego hoc⁴ contendo, cum ad naturam eximiam et⁵ inlustrem accesserit ratio quaedam conformatioque⁶ doctrinae, tum illud nescio quid praeclarum ac singulare solere exsistere.

Pro Archia Poeta. M. Tullius Cicero. ed. Albert Curtis Clark. Oxford. 1911.

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

Current edition Perseus

Pro Archia Poeta (Latin) (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Volume 6. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1911.)

Translations (1)

For A.L. Archias Perseus (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 2. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.) — 15 focus

[15]
Some one will ask, “What? were those identical great men, whose virtues have been recorded in books, accomplished in all that learning which you are extolling so highly?” It is difficult to assert this of all of them; but still I know what answer I can make to that question: I admit that many men have existed of admirable disposition and virtue, who, without learning, by the almost divine instinct of their own mere nature, have been, of their own accord, as it were, moderate and wise men. I even add this, that very often nature without learning has had more to do with leading men to credit and to virtue, than learning when not assisted by a good natural disposition. And I also contend, that when to an excellent and admirable natural disposition there is added a certain system and training of education, then from that combination arises an extraordinary perfection of character;

Notes on the current edition

Pro Archia Poeta

1. quod GEea

2. sine doctrina et Schütz: et ( om. p: etiam b χ1) sine doctrina codd.

3. naturae ... doctrina om. Ee

4. hoc GEe: om. cett.

5. et GEe: atque cett.

6. oratio ςb1gp conformatio GE: confirmatio cett.

Commentary

Commentary on Oration For Archias (Select Orations of Cicero (Allen and Greenough's Edition). Greenough, James Bradstreet; Kittredge, George Lyman, editors. Boston, London: Ginn & Company, 1897.) focus

Silvani lege , etc., i.e. the Lex Plautia-Papiria, of the tribunes M. Plautius Silvanus and C. Papirius Carbo (not to be confounded with his infamous cousin Cneius, the Marian leader after the death of Cinna), extended the Roman citizenship to all Italian communities which had not yet received it. These towns now exchanged their independence for Roman citizenship, and became incorporated with the republic; though many of them, as Heraclia, hesitated about making the change, and did it with great reluctance. They lost all rights of independent government (such as that of coining money, the jus exsili, etc.). Latin became the official language; justice was administered by Roman law; and in most cases their government was organized on the model of Rome, having duumviri,for consuls, and a curia for the Senate. The passage here given from the Plautian-Papirian Law contains its application to citizens of foreign birth, like Archias.

si qui , etc.: the law is quoted in indir. disc., but the main clause is omitted, being implied in

data est ; see § 592 , 2 (341, c) ; G. 663, 2, b; H.-B. 535, I, a.

essent professi , should have declared their intention.

Q. Metellum [ Pium], praetor, B.C. 89: the most eminent living member of this family, and one of the leaders of the aristocracy.

M. Tullius Cicero Pro Archia Poeta 15

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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