M. Tullius Cicero, Philippicae, 17

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Oh miserable man, not only in fact, but also in the circumstance of not perceiving yourself how miserable you are! But listen to the most serious charge of all. “In fact, what have you not sanctioned,—what have you not done? what would be done if he were to come to life again, by?—”

By whom? For I suppose he means to bring forward some instance of a very wicked man. “Cnaeus Pompeius himself?”

Oh how base must we be, if indeed we have been imitating Cnaeus Pompeius! “Or his son, if he could be at home?”

He soon will be at home, believe me; for in a very few days he will enter on his home, and on his father's villas. “Lastly, you declare that peace can not be made unless I either allow Brutus to quit Mutina , or supply him with corn.”

It is others who say that: I say, that even if you were to do so, there never could be peace between this city and you. “What? is this the opinion of those veteran soldiers, to whom as yet either course is open?”

I do not see that there is any course so open to them, as now to begin and attack that general whom they previously were so zealous and unanimous in defending.¹ 35 “Since you yourselves have sold yourselves for flatteries and poisoned gifts.”

Are those men depraved and corrupted, who have been persuaded to pursue a most detestable enemy with most righteous war? “But you say, you are bringing assistance to troops who are hemmed in. I have no objection to their being saved, and departing wherever you wish, if they only allow that man to be put to death who has deserved it.”

How very kind of him! The soldiers availing themselves of the liberality of Antonius have deserted their general, and have fled in alarm to his enemy; and if it had not been for them, Dolabella, in offering the sacrifice which he did to the shade of his general, would not have been beforehand with Antonius in propitiating the spirit of his colleague by a similar offering. 36

“You write me word that there has been mention of peace made in the senate, and that five ambassadors of consular rank have been appointed. It is hard to believe that those men, who drove me in haste from the city, when I offered the fairest conditions, and when I was even thinking of relaxing somewhat of them, should now think of acting with moderation or humanity. And it is hardly probable, that those men who have pronounced Dolabella a public enemy for a most righteous action, should bring themselves to spare us who are influenced by the same sentiments as he.”

Does it appear a trifling matter, that he confesses himself a partner with Dolabella in all his atrocities? Do you not see that all these crimes flow from one source? He himself confesses, shrewdly and correctly enough, that those who have pronounced Dolabella a public enemy for a most righteous action (for so it appeal's to Antonius), can not possibly spare him who agrees with Dolabella in opinion.

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.)

Editions (1)

Philippicae Perseus (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Vol. 6. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1918.) — 17 focus

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim¹—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus² solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum³ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim⁴—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus⁵ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum⁶ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim⁷—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus⁸ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum⁹ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim¹⁰—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus¹¹ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum¹² spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim¹³—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus¹⁴ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum¹⁵ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim¹⁶—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus¹⁷ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum¹⁸ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim¹⁹—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus²⁰ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum²¹ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim²²—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus²³ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum²⁴ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim²⁵—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus²⁶ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum²⁷ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim²⁸—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus²⁹ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum³⁰ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim³¹—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus³² solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum³³ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim³⁴—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus³⁵ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum³⁶ spe tum timore moderari?

[17] haec interposui, patres conscripti, non tam ut pro me dixerim³⁷—male enim mecum ageretur, si parum vobis essem sine defensione purgatus—quam ut quosdam nimis ieiuno animo et angusto monerem, id quod semper ipse fecissem, uti excellentium civium virtutem imitatione dignam, non invidia putarent. Magnus est in re publica campus, ut sapienter dicere M. Crassus³⁸ solebat, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. 7 Vtinam quidem illi principes viverent qui me post meum consulatum, cum eis ipse cederem, principem non inviti videbant! hoc vero tempore in tanta inopia constantium et fortium consularium quo me dolore adfici creditis, cum alios male sentire, alios nihil omnino curare videam, alios parum constanter in suscepta causa permanere sententiamque suam non semper utilitate rei publicae, sed tum³⁹ spe tum timore moderari?

Notes on the current edition

Orations

1. There is some difficulty here, Many editors propose to read offenderint, which Orellius thinks would hardly be Latin. He says, “Antonius is here speaking of those veterans who had deserted him indeed, but who, at the time of his writing this letter, had not acted against him.” Therefore, he says it is open to them to become reconciled to him again (wishing to conciliate them, and to alarm his enemies). On the other hand, Cicero replies, Nothing is so open to them now as to do what their duty to the republic requires. That is to say, openly to attack you, whose party they have already abandoned.

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

publice , i.e. by way of public eulogy. 254.24

bustis , burial-mounds. The bustum was properly the heap of ashes left after the body had been consumed with the rogris ; but the term was also applied to the mound erected on the spot where the body was burned. For an elaborate bustum, see the round tomb of Caecilia Metella in the view of the Appian Way (text, p.169).

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.

M. Tullius Cicero Philippicae 17

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