James Bradstreet Greenough, Notes on The Manilian Law, ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge, 1.1

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For a discussion of the structure of the opening period, see general Introd., p. xlvii. — frequens conspectus vester , the sight of you in full assembly.

hic locus , the Rostra. The scanty remains of the rostra may be seen at the left of the Temple of Concord.

ad agendum , for public business, i.e. among the many duties of a magistrate there is none more dignified ( amplissimus) than this of addressing the whole people in a political assembly; agere cum populo was the technical expression for transacting business in the comitia or a contio.

ornatissimus , honorable (of private glory as an orator).

Quirites , fellow-citizens: the name by which the Romans were addressed when acting in a civil capacity.

hoc aditu , this avenue (i.e. addressing the people on political questions).

optimo cuique , i.e. to such as the presiding magistrate would permit, for only these had a right to speak in a contio .

rationes , plan: the plural indicates the details of the plan, i.e. the particular considerations that determine a general course of conduct.

cum (temporal), while: § 546 (323, 2); B. 288, I, b; G. 585; H. 600, ii, I (521, 2); H.-B. 524.

auctoritatem : the act of speaking in a contio indicated that the speaker was a proper person to advise the people, and hence it would confer auctoritas ( weight, prestige).

attingere , aspire to.

perfectum ingenio , perfected by force of intellect, i.e. the fruit of fully developed mental power.

elaboratum , carefully wrought (such, therefore, as needed more practice than youth could give).

amicorum temporibus , exigencies of my friends. A Roman lawyer was not regarded as doing a service for hire, but was expected to defend his friends gratuitously. He was, indeed, prohibited from receiving pay; but, though no bargain was made, the obliged party was expected to give a liberal present, in some form or other, to his patronus.

Notes on The Manilian Law. James Bradstreet Greenough. ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge. Boston. 1897.

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Current edition Perseus

Notes on The Manilian Law (English) (Select Orations of Cicero (Allen and Greenough's Edition). Greenough, James Bradstreet; Kittredge, George Lyman, editors. Boston, London: Ginn & Company, 1897.)

Editions (1)

De Imperio Cn. Pompei Ad Quirites Perseus (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Volume 1. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908.) — 1 focus

[1] 1 quamquam mihi semper frequens¹ conspectus vester multo iucundissimus, hic autem locus ad agendum amplissimus, ad dicendum ornatissimus est visus, Quirites, tamen hoc aditu laudis qui semper optimo cuique maxime patuit² non mea me voluntas adhuc sed vitae meae rationes ab ineunte aetate susceptae prohibuerunt. nam cum antea³ nondum huius auctoritatem loci attingere auderem statueremque nihil huc nisi perfectum ingenio, elaboratum industria adferri oportere, omne meum tempus amicorum temporibus transmittendum putavi.

[2] ita neque hic locus vacuus fuit umquam⁴ ab eis qui vestram causam defenderent et meus labor in privatorum periculis caste integreque versatus ex⁵ vestro iudicio fructum est amplissimum consecutus. nam cum propter dilationem comitiorum ter praetor primus centuriis cunctis renuntiatus sum, facile intellexi, Quirites, et quid de me iudicaretis⁶ et quid aliis⁷ praescriberetis. nunc cum et auctoritatis in me tantum sit quantum vos honoribus mandandis esse voluistis, et ad agendum facultatis tantum quantum homini vigilanti ex forensi usu prope cotidiana dicendi exercitatio potuit adferre, certe et, si quid auctoritatis in me est, apud eos utar qui eam mihi dederunt⁸ et, si quid in⁹ dicendo consequi possum, eis ostendam potissimum qui ei quoque rei fructum suo iudicio tribuendum esse duxerunt¹⁰.

[3] atque illud in primis mihi¹¹ laetandum iure esse video quod in hac insolita mihi ex hoc¹² loco ratione dicendi causa talis oblata est in qua oratio deesse nemini possit¹³. dicendum est enim de Cn. Pompei singulari eximiaque virtute; huius autem orationis difficilius est exitum quam principium invenire¹⁴. ita mihi non tam copia quam modus in dicendo quaerendus est.

Translations (1)

In Defense of the Proposed Manilian Law Perseus (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 2. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.) — 1 focus

[1]
Although, O Romans, your numerous assembly has always seemed to me the most agreeable body that any one can address, and this place, which is most honourable to plead in, has also seemed always the most distinguished place for delivering an oration in, still I have been prevented from trying this road to glory, which has at all times been entirely open to every virtuous man, not indeed by my own will, but by the system of life which I have adopted from my earliest years. For as hitherto I have not dared, on account of my youth, to intrude upon the authority of this place, and as I considered that no arguments ought to be brought to this place except such as were the fruit of great ability, and worked up with the greatest industry, I have thought it fit to devote all my time to the necessities of my friends.

[2] And accordingly, this place has never been unoccupied by men who were defending your cause, and my industry, which has been virtuously and honestly employed about the dangers of private individuals, has received its most honourable reward in your approbation. For when, on account of the adjournment of the comitia, I was three times elected the first praetor by all the centuries, I easily perceived, O Romans, what your opinion of me was, and what conduct you enjoined to others. Now, when there is that authority in me which you, by conferring honours on me, have chosen that there should be, and all that facility in pleading which almost daily practice in speaking can give a vigilant man who has habituated himself to the forum, at all events, if I have any authority, I will employ it before those who have given it to me; and if I can accomplish anything by speaking, I will display it to those men above all others, who have thought fit, by their decision, to confer honours on that qualification.

[3] And, above all things, I see that I have reason to rejoice on this account, that, since I am speaking in this place, to which I am so entirely unaccustomed, I have a cause to advocate in which eloquence can hardly fail any one; for I have to speak of the eminent and extraordinary virtue of Cnaeus Pompey; and it is harder for me to find out how to end a discourse on such a subject, than how to begin one. So that what I have to seek for is not so much a variety of arguments, as moderation in employing them.

James Bradstreet Greenough Notes on The Manilian Law 1.1

ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge

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