M. Tullius Cicero, Pro Archia Poeta, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 23

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[23] nam si quis minorem gloriae fructum putat ex Graecis versibus percipi quam ex Latinis, vehementer errat, propterea quod Graeca leguntur in omnibus fere gentibus, Latina suis finibus exiguis sane continentur. qua re, si res eae quas gessimus orbis terrae regionibus definiuntur, cupere debemus, quo hominum nostrorum¹ tela pervenerint, eodem² gloriam famamque penetrare, quod cum ipsis populis de quorum rebus scribitur haec ampla sunt, tum eis³ certe qui de vita gloriae causa dimicant hoc maximum et periculorum incitamentum est et laborum.

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

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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.) — 23 focus

[23]
For if any one thinks that there is a smaller gain of glory derived from Greek verses than from Latin ones, he is greatly mistaken, because Greek poetry is read among all nations, Latin is confined to its own natural limits, which are narrow enough. Wherefore, if those achievements which we have performed are limited only by the bounds of the whole world, we ought to desire that, wherever our vigour and our arms have penetrated, our glory and our fame should likewise extend. Because, as this is always an ample reward for those people whose achievements are the subject of writings, so especially is it the greatest inducement to encounter labours and dangers to all men who fight for themselves for the sake of glory.

Notes on the current edition

Pro Archia Poeta

1. hominum nostrorum Bases: minus ( om. c2k, del. Madvig) manuum nostrarum codd.

2. eodem eandem G: om. e

3. iis χς: his 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

Graeca leguntur , Greek is read. Greek was, in the ancient world, almost the universal language of polite society; cf. the use of French in modern times.

quo ( whither) relates to eodem ( thither).

cupere governs the clause

quo . . . penetrare .

populis , dat. after ampla, a noble thing for them.

eis , i.e. the individuals by whom these exploits are performed as contrasted with their peoples as a whole.

M. Tullius Cicero Pro Archia Poeta 23

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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