M. Tullius Cicero, Philippicae, 6

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When, as you know, during the last three or four days a report of bad news from Mutina has been creeping abroad, the disloyal part of the citizens, inflated with exultation and insolence, began to collect in one place, at that senate-house which has been more fatal to their party than to the republic. There, while they were forming a plan to massacre us, and were distributing the different duties among one another, and settling who was to seize on the Capitol, who on the rostra, who on the gates of the city, they thought that all the citizens would flock to me. And in order to bring me into unpopularity, and even into danger of my life, they spread abroad this report about the fasces. They themselves had some idea of bringing the fasces to my house; and then, on pretense of that having been done by my wish, they had prepared a band of hired ruffians to make an attack on me as on a tyrant, and a massacre of all of you was intended to follow. The fact is already notorious, O conscript fathers, but the origin of all this wickedness will be revealed in its fitting time. 16

Therefore Publius Apuleius, a tribune of the people, who ever since my consulship has been the witness and partaker of, and my assistant in all my designs and all my dangers, could not endure the grief of witnessing my indignation. He convened a numerous assembly, as the whole Roman people were animated with one feeling on the subject. And when in the harangue which he then made, he, as was natural from our great intimacy and friendship, was going to exculpate me from all suspicion in the matter of the fasces, the whole assembly cried out with one voice, that I had never had any intentions with regard to the republic which were not excellent. After this assembly was over, within two or three hours, these most welcome messengers and letters arrived, so that the same day not only delivered me from a most unjust odium, but increased my credit by that most extraordinary act with which the Roman people distinguished me

17 I have made this digression, O conscript fathers, not so much for the sake of speaking of myself (for I should be in a sorry plight if I were not sufficiently acquitted in your eyes without the necessity of making a formal defense), as with the view of warning some men of too groveling and narrow minds, to adopt the line of conduct which I myself have always pursued, and to think the virtue of excellent citizens worthy of imitation, not of envy. There is a great field in the republic, as Crassus used very wisely to say; the road to glory is open to many.

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.) — 6 focus

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus¹ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus² consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si³ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis⁴ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis⁵.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus⁶ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus⁷ consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si⁸ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis⁹ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis¹⁰.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus¹¹ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus¹² consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si¹³ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis¹⁴ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis¹⁵.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus¹⁶ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus¹⁷ consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si¹⁸ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis¹⁹ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis²⁰.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus²¹ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus²² consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si²³ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis²⁴ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis²⁵.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus²⁶ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus²⁷ consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si²⁸ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis²⁹ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis³⁰.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus³¹ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus³² consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si³³ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis³⁴ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis³⁵.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus³⁶ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus³⁷ consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si³⁸ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis³⁹ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis⁴⁰.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus⁴¹ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus⁴² consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si⁴³ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis⁴⁴ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis⁴⁵.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus⁴⁶ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus⁴⁷ consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si⁴⁸ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis⁴⁹ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis⁵⁰.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus⁵¹ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus⁵² consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si⁵³ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis⁵⁴ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis⁵⁵.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus⁵⁶ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus⁵⁷ consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si⁵⁸ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis⁵⁹ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis⁶⁰.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus⁶¹ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus⁶² consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si⁶³ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis⁶⁴ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis⁶⁵.

[6] sed quoniam significatio vestra satis declarat quid hac de re sentiatis, ad litteras veniam quae sunt a consulibus⁶⁶ et a pro praetore missae, si pauca ante quae ad ipsas litteras pertineant dixero. 3 imbuti gladii sunt, patres conscripti, legionum exercituumque nostrorum vel madefacti potius duobus⁶⁷ consulum, tertio Caesaris proelio. si hostium fuit ille sanguis, summa militum pietas: nefarium scelus, si⁶⁸ civium. quo usque igitur is qui omnis hostis scelere superavit nomine hostis carebit? nisi mucrones etiam nostrorum militum tremere voltis dubitantis⁶⁹ utrum in cive an in hoste figantur. supplicationem decernitis: hostem non appellatis⁷⁰.

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

fama , i.e. of Antony's success at Mutina. 247.12

illam curiam , i.e. the Pompeian: this was to the north of the Capitoline, and was the scene of Caesar's death (hence the term infelicem). Fig. 52 shows the famous coin struck in commemoration of the murder of Caesar.

furiis suis , their own madmen. The MSS. have viribus or juris: Klotz's conjecture partibus is adopted by Halm. 247.15

ad me , as being now the leading man in the state. 247.19

quasi , i.e. on the pretence that. 247.20

tyrannum : to the Romans rex and its Greek synonym tyrannus ( τύραννος) meant a usurper or unconstitutional monarch against whom violence would be a virtue. A dictator, though his power was practically absolute, was not a tyrannus, since his office was held in accordance with the ancient laws of the commonwealth. 247.21

quae is object and

res is subject of

patefecit .

jam inde , ever since. 247.27

contionem : see Introd. to notes on Manil. Law. 247.30

declaravit , not by a formal vote, of course, but by spontaneous cries. 247.32

optatissimi nuntii , etc., i.e. of Pansa's victory at Bononia. 248.3

auxerit , added to my dignity.

male mecum ageretur (a common Latin idiom),! should fare hard.

parum . . . purgatus , i.e. if I needed any defence against so monstrous a charge. 248.7

jejuno animo et angusto , i.e. mean and small-souled.

id fecissem : § 592 ,3(341, d); B. 323; G. 628; H. 649, i (528, I); H.-B. 535, I, a; translate, to do as I had always done, [namely to] think, etc. 248.9

campus , etc.: observe this ancient use of a figure still familiar to us. 248.10

Crassus , the great orator, who died B.C. 91 (Introd., p. xxxvii). 248.11

utinam , etc.: Cicero by this wish expresses his own sentiments of generous rivalry towards some of his great contemporaries, now dead, and in the same breath characterizes their feeling towards him as in like manner generous and noble. He is thinking of such great citizens as Lucullus, Hortensius, and Catulus. 248.12

cum . . . cederem , when I myself was ready to yield to them. 248.13

principem , the first man in the state. When a Roman had held the consulship there was no higher political office in his reach, but as a member of the Senate he retained a dignified and authoritative position in the public counsels. The emulation here referred to by Cicero ( contentione principatus, l.19) was for the first place among such men (hence consularium in 1.14).

hoc vero tempore , i.e. now, in the dearth of strong leading men like those just referred to. 248.15

quo . . . dolore , interrogative. 248.17

sententiam moderari , govern their views.

M. Tullius Cicero Philippicae 6

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