M. Tullius Cicero, Philippicae, 14

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But that I may reduce my sentiments into a formal motion, I give my vote that, “As Caius Pansa, consul, imperator, set the example of fighting with the enemy in a battle in which the Martial legion defended the freedom of the Roman people with admirable and incredible valor, and the legions of the recruits behaved equally well; and as Caius Pansa, consul, imperator, while engaged in the middle of the ranks of the enemy received wounds; and as Aulus Hirtius, consul, imperator, the moment that he heard of the battle, and knew what was going on, with a most gallant and loyal soul, led his army out of his camp and attacked Marcus Antonius and his army, and put his troops to the sword, with so little injury to his own army that he did not lose one single man; 37 and as Caius Caesar, propraetor, imperator, with great prudence and energy defended the camp successfully, and routed and put to the sword the forces of the enemy which had come near the camp:

“On these accounts the senate thinks and declares that the Roman people has been released from the most disgraceful and cruel slavery by the valor, and military skill, and prudence, and firmness, and perseverance, and greatness of mind and good fortune of these their generals. And decrees that, as they have preserved the republic, the city, the temples of the immortal gods, the property and fortunes and families of all the citizens, by their own exertions in battle, and at the risk of their own lives; on account of these virtuous and gallant and successful achievements, Caius Pansa and Aulus Hirtius, the consuls, imperators, one or both of them, or, in their absence, Marcus Cornutus, the city praetor, shall appoint a supplication at all the altars for fifty days. 38 And as the valor of the legions has shown itself worthy of their most illustrious generals, the senate will with great eagerness, now that the republic is recovered, bestow on our legions and armies all the rewards which it formerly promised them. And as the Martial legion was the first to engage with the enemy, and fought in such a manner against superior numbers as to slay many and take some prisoners; and as they shed their blood for their country without any shrinking; and as the soldiers of the other legions encountered death with similar valor in defense of the safety and freedom of the Roman people;—the senate does decree that Caius Pansa and Aulus Hirtius, the consuls, imperators, one or both of them if it seems good to them, shall see to the issuing of a contract for, and to the erecting, the most honorable possible monument to those men who shed their blood for the lives and liberties and fortunes of the Roman people, and for the city and temples of the immortal gods; that for that purpose they shall order the city quaestors to furnish and pay money, in order that it may be witness for the everlasting recollection of posterity of the wickedness of our most cruel enemies, and the godlike valor of our soldiers. And that the rewards which the senate previously appointed for the soldiers, be paid to the parents or children or wives or brothers of those men who in this war have fallen in defence of their country; and that all honours be bestowed on them which should have been bestowed on the soldiers themselves if those men had lived who gained the victory then by death.”

Philippicae. M. Tullius Cicero. London. 1903.

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Current edition Perseus

Philippics (English) (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Vol. 4. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.)

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Philippicae Perseus (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Vol. 6. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1918.) — 14 focus

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus¹, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum², non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero³ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁴ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁵ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁶ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁷ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁸, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁹, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero¹⁰ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim¹¹ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne¹² fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum¹³ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel¹⁴ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus¹⁵, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum¹⁶, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero¹⁷ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim¹⁸ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne¹⁹ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum²⁰ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel²¹ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus²², qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum²³, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero²⁴ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim²⁵ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne²⁶ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum²⁷ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel²⁸ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus²⁹, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum³⁰, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero³¹ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim³² repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne³³ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum³⁴ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel³⁵ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus³⁶, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum³⁷, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero³⁸ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim³⁹ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁴⁰ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁴¹ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁴² potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁴³, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁴⁴, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero⁴⁵ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁴⁶ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁴⁷ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁴⁸ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁴⁹ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁵⁰, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁵¹, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero⁵² ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁵³ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁵⁴ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁵⁵ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁵⁶ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁵⁷, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁵⁸, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero⁵⁹ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁶⁰ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁶¹ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁶² qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁶³ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁶⁴, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁶⁵, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero⁶⁶ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁶⁷ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁶⁸ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁶⁹ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁷⁰ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁷¹, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁷², non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero⁷³ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁷⁴ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁷⁵ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁷⁶ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁷⁷ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁷⁸, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁷⁹, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero⁸⁰ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁸¹ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁸² fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁸³ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁸⁴ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁸⁵, qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁸⁶, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero⁸⁷ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁸⁸ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁸⁹ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁹⁰ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁹¹ potius unde iste sermo.

[14] scitis enim per hos dies creberrimum fuisse sermonem, me parilibus⁹², qui dies hodie est, cum fascibus descensurum. in aliquem credo hoc gladiatorem aut latronem aut Catilinam esse conlatum⁹³, non in eum qui ne quid tale in re publica fieri posset effecerit. an vero⁹⁴ ego qui Catilinam haec molientem sustulerim, everterim, adflixerim, ipse exstiterim⁹⁵ repente Catilina? quibus auspiciis istos fascis augur acciperem, quatenus haberem, cui traderem? quemquamne⁹⁶ fuisse tam sceleratum qui hoc fingeret, tam furiosum⁹⁷ qui crederet? Vnde igitur ista suspicio vel⁹⁸ potius unde iste sermo.

Commentary

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

sententia , i.e. a formal proposition for a decree (analogous to "a motion reduced to writing " in a modern deliberative assembly). In the Roman Senate questions were proposed only by a magistrate; and this was done not in the form of a set motion, as with us, but the whole question was presented ( de re referre) for discussion. The result of the deliberation might be several formal propositions for a decree, all, any, or none of which might be formally put to vote by the presiding officer. If one of these was carried, it would stand as the senatus consultum. (Cf. Introd., p. lvii, above).

complectar , i.e. my views on the whole question. 255.5

cum , whereas. 255.15

occidione occident : notice the set phrase, not used in ordinary language. Translate, cut to pieces with great slaughter.

senatum. . . judicare , indir. disc. depending on censeo (l. 7); in the decree it would be senatus . . . judicat 255.25

uti . . . constituat : in the decree this would depend on some word of commanding (like decernit) in the heading; hence it stands unchanged in Cicero's indirect statement. 255.26

alter ambove : the imperium of the two consuls was absolutely equal, and the power of neither was impaired by the special assignment of any duty to the other. Any such special assignment of functions was only made by mutual consent, and either had a legal right to interfere in the other's province. Of course, however, any such interference was regarded as unwarranted, and in practice the two colleagues either took turns in the administration or agreed upon a division of functions between them. 255.28

pulvinaria : see note on Cat. 3, sect. 23 ( p. 137, l. 14 ). A supplicatio was one of the few religious rites of the Romans in which the whole people took part. The proper temples were opened and the gods symbolically served with a feast The citizens repaired to these temples and paid their individual devotions to the gods in peculiar forms of humiliation not ordinarily observed in the public sacrifices.

senatum . . . soluturum : here the statement returns to the form of the indir. disc., — in the decree, senatus . . solvet. 255.33

cum . . . caederent , concessive. 256.5

locandum. . . curent : see note on Cat. 3, sect. 20 ( p. 136, l. 8 ). 256.12

si vivi vicissent , if they had survived their victory.

M. Tullius Cicero Philippicae 14

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