M. Tullius Cicero, Philippicae, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 10

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[10] si vero coloniarum et municipiorum sine ulla dubitatione hostis est, quid tandem huius censetis urbis quam ille ad explendas¹ egestates latrocini sui concupivit, quam iam peritus metator et callidus decempeda sua Saxa diviserat? recordamini, per deos immortalis! patres conscripti, quid hoc biduo timuerimus a domesticis hostibus² rumoribus improbissimis dissipatis. quis liberos, quis coniugem aspicere poterat sine fletu? quis domum, quis tecta, quis larem familiarem? aut foedissimam mortem omnes aut miserabilem fugam cogitabant. haec a quibus timebantur, eos hostis appellare dubitamus? gravius si quis attulerit nomen, libenter adsentiar: hoc volgari contentus vix sum, leviore non utar.

Philippicae. M. Tullius Cicero. ed. Albert Curtis Clark. Oxford. 1918.

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Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (1)

Philippics Perseus (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Vol. 4. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.) — 10 focus

Why need I speak of Hirtius? who, the moment he heard of what was going on, with incredible promptness and courage led forth two legions out of the camp; that noble fourth legion, which, having deserted Antonius, formerly united itself to the Martial legion; and the seventh, which, consisting wholly of veterans, gave proof in that battle that the name of the senate and people of Rome was dear to those soldiers who preserved the recollection of the kindness of Caesar. With these twenty cohorts, with no cavalry, while Hirtius himself was bearing the eagle of the fourth legion,—and we never heard of a more noble office being assumed by any general,—he fought with the three legions of Antonius and with his cavalry, and overthrew, and routed, and put to the sword those impious men who were the real enemies to this temple of the all good and all powerful Jupiter, and to the rest of the temples of the immortal gods, and the houses of the city, and the freedom of the Roman people, and our lives and actual existence; so that that chief and leader of robbers fled away with a very few followers, concealed by the darkness of night, and frightened out of all his senses.

Oh what a most blessed day was that, which, while the carcasses of those parricidal traitors were strewed about every where, beheld Antonius flying with a few followers, before he reached his place of concealment. 28

But will any one hesitate to call Caesar imperator? Most certainly his age will not deter any one from agreeing to this proposition, since he has gone beyond his age in virtue. And to me, indeed, the services of Caius Caesar have always appeared the more deserving of thanks, in proportion as they were less to have been expected from a man of his age. For when we conferred military command on him we were in fact encouraging the hope with which his name inspired us and now that he has fulfilled those hopes, he has sanctioned the authority of our decree by his exploits. This young man of great mind, as Hirtius most truly calls him in his letter, with a few cohorts defended the camp of many legions and fought a successful battle And in this manner the republic has on one day been preserved in many places by the valor and wisdom, and good fortune of three imperators of the Roman people.

Notes on the current edition

Philippicae

1. explendas bo: expiandas htv

2. hostibus id est, qui intra moenia hostes sunt add. codd., del. Ferrarius

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

hujus urbis , Sc. eum esse:

urbis limits

quid in the same sense in which coloniarum limits hostis.

explendas , replenishing. 245.17

latrocini , gang of robbers. 245.18

Saxa , L. Decidius: a Celtiberian by birth, originally a land surveyor, a creature of Caesar's and now of Antony's. The reference here is to a law of Antony, passed in the June preceding, for the establishment of colonies of veterans. In

peritus . . . decempeda Cicero alludes to Saxa's humble origin and also implies that, in laying out confiscated territory, he habitually appropriated more than the forfeited area. 245.20

rumoribus , i.e. of the success of Antony's arms. 245.22

larem : the lar familiaris was the protector of the family, and especially of the hearth. 245.24

a quibus , from whom (not by whom).

M. Tullius Cicero Philippicae 10

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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