M. Tullius Cicero, Philippicae, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 45

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[45] 20 sed iam se conligit et ad extremum incipit philosophari: si me rectis sensibus euntem di immortales, ut spero, adiuverint, vivam libenter. sin autem me aliud fatum¹ manet, praecipio gaudia suppliciorum vestrorum. namque si victi Pompeiani tam insolentes sunt, victores quales futuri sint vos potius experiemini. praecipias licet gaudia: non enim tibi cum Pompeianis, sed cum universa re publica bellum est. omnes te di homines, summi medii infimi, cives peregrini, viri mulieres, liberi servi oderunt. sensimus hoc nuper falso nuntio; vero prope diem sentiemus. quae si tecum ipse recolueris², aequiore animo et maiore consolatione moriere.

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.) — 45 focus

115

Recollect then, O Marcus Antonius, that day on which you abolished the dictatorship. Set before you the joy of the senate and people of Rome ; compare it with this infamous market held by you and by your friends; and then you will understand how great is the difference between praise and profit. But in truth, just as some people, through some disease which has blunted the senses, have no conception of the niceness of food, so men who are lustful, avaricious, and criminal, have no taste for true glory. But if praise can not allure you to act rightly, still can not even fear turn you away from the most shameful actions? You are not afraid of the courts of justice. If it is because you are innocent, I praise you; if because you trust in your power of overbearing them by violence, are you ignorant of what that man has to fear, who on such an account as that does not fear the courts of justice? 116

But if you are not afraid of brave men and illustrious citizens, because they are prevented from attacking you by your armed retinue, still, believe me, your own fellows will not long endure you. And what a life is it, day and night to be fearing danger from one's own people! Unless, indeed, you have men who are bound to you by greater kindnesses than some of those men by whom he was slain were bound to Caesar; or unless there are points in which you can be compared with him.

In that man were combined genius, method, memory, literature, prudence, deliberation, and industry. He had performed exploits in war which, though calamitous for the republic, were nevertheless mighty deeds. Having for many years aimed at being a king, he had with great labor, and much personal danger, accomplished what he intended. He had conciliated the ignorant multitude by presents, by monuments, by largesses of food, and by banquets; he had bound his own party to him by rewards, his adversaries by the appearances of clemency. Why need I say much on such a subject? He had already brought a free city, partly by fear, partly by patience, into a habit of slavery.

Notes on the current edition

Philippicae

1. me aliud fatum bosv et Nonius p. 349: me aliud aut fatum t

2. recolueris b: recolis osv: coleris t

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

meis sententus , i.e. it was in consequence of Cicero's expressed opinion in the Senate that negotiations with Antony were broken off. It was on the question of sending an embassy (see note, sect. 4 , p. 243, l. 7 ) to him that Cicero delivered the fifth Philippic. The embassy was sent on January I, but came to nothing, and the Senate then declared war. 249.11

illum , Sc. esse . 249.12

ut ego , just as I [thought]. 249.13

huic , etc. [but] to this mere name, etc.

M. Tullius Cicero Philippicae 45

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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