M. Tullius Cicero, Philippicae, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 14

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[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.

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

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Funding provided by National Endowment For The Humanities (NEH).

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.) — 14 focus

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.”

Notes on the current edition

Philippicae

1. Parilibus t: per Idus Quint. bhov

2. conlatum Halm: consultum hosv: consulatum (-sult- b) bt

3. an vero scripsi: an ut ( i. e. ũ pro ů) codd.: an Faernus

4. exsisterem Manutius

5. quaequam bs: quamquam nec cett.: corr. Ferrarius

6. furiosum fuit t: fatuum coni. Halm

7. vel vel fusum ( i e. furiosum) t: vel susum b: vel summum coni. Halm

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

Parilibus : the Parilia or Palilia (April 21) was one of the most ancient Roman festivals, in honor of Pales, a goddess of flocks. This day was regarded as the anniversary of the founding of the city.

qui dies , etc., which occur this very day. 247.1

cum fascibus descensurum , i.e. was coming down to the Forum with the insignia of usurped power, as if to assume the throne.

hoc esse conlatum , that this [intention] was attributed. 247.3

ne quid : § 537 , a, N. (319, a, N.); G. 553; cf. H.-B. 502, 3, a, footnote I 247.4

ut : if this word is retained, the expression is subj. of exclam.; § 462 , a (332, c); G. 558; H. 559, 5(486, ii, N.); H.-B. 503, a; if omitted, a rhetorical question, § 444 (268); B. 277; G. 259; H. 557 (486, ii); H.-B. 503. 247.5

exsisterem , etc., should turn out of a sudden another Catiline: imperf., as referring back to the time when his enemies said "descendet"

quibus auspiciis : the whole Roman polity was based on the assumed approval of the gods, secured in every case by auspices ( auspicia), taken by the proper authority. Only magistrates had the right to take the auspices (see note, Cat. 4, sect., p. 142, l. 4 ). The augur was not in any sense a magistrate, though he had the power of interpreting the auspices. Hence Cicero, though an augur, would be unable to take the first step to any usurpation of power. A technical obstacle like this would not stand long in the way of a modern usurper; but the stress here laid upon it illustrates the degree to which the peculiar formalism of the Roman religion had become worked into the Roman mind, and, further, the power that lay in this formalism to protect the institutions of the state. 247.6

augur , I, an augur (emphatic): i.e. an augur would know his science too well for such an attempt. This was the latest of Cicero's official honors received ten years before, and he fully appreciated the dignity of the priestly craft. 247.7

cui traderem : as the usurped authority would be illegal in its inception, so it could not be legally transferred to any successon

quemquamne fuisse : § 462 (274); B. 334; G. 534; H. 616, iii (539, iii); H.-B. 596. 6

M. Tullius Cicero Philippicae 14

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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