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V. Peroratio (§§ 92-104).

[92] Milo deserves the compassion of the judges. He bids the ungrateful city an affectionate farewell. Calmly resigned, he appeals to the judgment of posterity.

208.2

orationem , manner of speech . 208.3

hoc , on this account: § 414 , a, N. (250, N.); B. 223; G. 403; 11.479 (423); Cf. H.-B. 424, a. 208.5

infimi. . . fortuna , in regard to the lot and fortunes of men of the lowest class (i.e. the gladiators). 208.6

ut liceat depends on obsecrantis (acc. plur.). 208.8

cupimus : in gladiatorial contests, if one combatant bad the other at his mercy, he waited the will of the people, who expressed their wishes by turning their thumbs up or down. If most thumbs were turned up, he was put to death.

208.12

exanimant , etc., these words of Milo dishearten and depress me. 208.14

valeant , valeant: translate (to preserve the lit. meaning of the word, which is here played upon) good-bye to my fellow-citizens, may heaven bless them! 208.17

licet , Sc. perfrui . 208.18

propter me , through my efforts .

208.23

re publica oppressa , when the government was crushed. 208.24

acceperam , had found. 208.26

Clodianis armis (abl. of cause), i.e. on account of the violence of Clodius. 208.27

putarem , should I have thought? § 444 and N. (268 and R.); B. 227; G. 466; 11.559, 4 (484, v); H.-B. 503. 208.31

tui : Cicero was of an equestrian family and throughout his career favored the interests of the equites and was supported by them in turn (cf. Manil., sect. 4 ).

209.4

quo videtis , sc. eum esse. 209.5

ingratis civibus , that it is for ungrateful fellow-citizens that he has, etc.: the Latin, from its freedom in the use of emphatic position, is able to say this in a single clause. 209.8

se fecisse ut , etc., that he has succeeded in, etc. 209.9

tribus patrimonus : Milo was by birth a member of the Papian gens, but was adopted by his maternal grandfather, C. Annius. This accounts for two patrimonies; the third, Asconius thinks, was probably his mother's. The orator here makes a civic virtue out of Milo's lavish bribery. 209.10

ne . . . non conciliarit , that he has not won over: § 564 (331 f); B. 295, 2, a; G. 550, 2; 11.567, 2 (498, iii, N.2); H.-B. 502, 4. 209.15

ablaturum , shall tear away (i.e. the memory of them).

209.16

vocem praeconis , etc.: i.e. the election was practically decided when the comitia were broken up by a mob. The election could not therefore be formally and legally complete, and no announcement could be made by the herald, but the will of the people had been already expressed. 209.18

si haec , etc., this case shall go against him. 209.19

facinoris suspicionem , etc., the suspicion of a great crime, not the indictment for this act That is, as the last chapters have shown, it was, in Cicero's view, not Clodius's death, but suspicion of designs against Pompey and the state, that decided the case against Milo. 209.22

recte facta : § 32 r, b (207, c); G. 437, R.; H.-B. 250, 2, b, N.

209.25

qui beneficio , etc., who hove surpassed their fellow-citizens in good services, i.e. have done more for their fellow-citizens than the latter have repaid by gratitude. 209.27

si . . . ratio , ( if regard were to be had (cont. to fact, implying that it is not a question of rewards at all): to this prot. we should expect an apod. of corresponding form; but this (which would be "we should say," or the like) is supplanted by a simple acc. and inf. of indir. disc. ( amplissimum esse, etc.) expressing that which we "should say." 209.29

consolaretur : this and the following imperfects are due to the change in sequence effected by esset habenda above. This change of tense, however, is only formal, and the imperfect may be translated by the present.

210.3

faces , etc.: for the figure, cf. Cat. 1, sect. 29 . 210.5

Etruriae festos dies : holidays appointed by the people of Etruria, whom Clodius had cheated and robbed, at the good news of his death.

et actos et institutos , agreeing with festos dies: the celebrations that have already taken place, and the anniversaries that have been established. 210.7

qua .. . en , wherever. . . there (abl. of way by which). 210.9

non laboro , I have no concern . 210.10

versatur , abides.

[99] Milo's cause is Cicero's own: Cicero appeals to the judges in his own name. The exile of Milo will be a calamity to the defenders of Rome.

210.12

his , i.e. those present at the trial. 210.13

cum . . . es : Cf. cum timemus, sect. 67 ( p. 197, l. 31 ). 210.17

ut. . . possim : § 571 , c (332,f); G. 557, a.; 11. 571, 4 (501, iii); cf. H.-B. 521, 3, a, footnote2. 210.22

quanti , pred. gen. of indefinite value.

quae oblivio , forgetfulness of this .

210.27

pietatis , gratitude. 210.28

inimicitias , etc.: "Such," says Asconius, "were the constancy and good faith of Cicero, that neither the popular enmity, nor the suspicions of Pompey, nor the fear of coming danger if he should be put on trial before the people, nor the arms openly taken up against Milo, could deter him from his defence, when he might have shunned all danger and popular wrath, and even won back the good will of Pompey, by relaxing a little the zeal of his advocacy."

211.10

hic ea mente , etc., i.e. this self-renunciation is in accordance with Milo's character, but (it is implied) the jurors ought not to be so affected by it as to refuse to acquit him. 211.13

excipiat , after dignior qui: § 535 , f (320, f); B. 282, 3; G. 631, I; 11.591, 7 (503, ii 2); H.-B. 513, 3.

211.20

hos , i.e. the Roman citizens present. 211.23

temporum illorum , i.e. the time of Cicero's distress and banishment. 211.24

mene non potuisse , sc. respondebo. 211.26

gentibus : a line must haye dropped out, part of which belongs with gentibus. The meaning of the rest of the section is therefore not clear.

211.29

illa indicia , i.e. those of Catiline's conspiracy. 212.2

fuerit , subj. of integral part. 212.3

possum , virtually future, and so used as apodosis to a future protasis. 212.6

dixerim : § 446 (311, a); B. 280, I; G. 257; H. 552 (485); H.-B. 519, I, b. 212.8

dictator : in times of great public emergency the Senate could call upon the consuls to create a Dictator, who should possess the undivided power of the old kings, but only for the period of six months. The laws of appeal and other safeguards of individual liberty had at first no force against this magistrate. In later times dictators were no longer appointed, but the consuls were invested with dictatorial power by the formula, videant ne, etc. (Cat. 1, sect. 2 ). Sulla, and afterwards Caesar, revived the name and authority of this magistracy, but, by holding it for life ( perpetuo), completely changed its character, making it equivalent to absolute sovereignty. The Magister Equitum, appointed by the Dictator, stood next in command to him. 212.9

viderem : § 571 , a(332, b); B. 284,4; G. 298 and N.2; H. 570, I (502, 2); H.-B. 507, 4, d.

[104] Happy the country that receives Milo! Closing appeal to the court.

212.15

in Italia : since the Social War, the towns of Italy, having received Roman citizenship, had lost the jus exsilii, i.e. had ceased to be foreign territory to which exiles from Rome could retire.

212.21

lacrimis defendi : this was a peculiarly Roman custom. Many a desperate case was gained in the Roman courts by putting on mourning and bringing out the wife and children of the accused in deep mourning and bathed in tears.

Not long after this trial, which ended in Milo's conviction, he was tried again in his absence for bribery ( ambitus) and illegal combinations ( de sodaliciis), and on a second charge of assault ( de vi), and was condemned on each count. Cicero sent him a copy of his labored defence, and received a reply drily thanking him for his effort, but expressing satisfaction that the speech was not delivered; "For then," said he, "I should not now be eating the excellent mullets of Marseilles."

In the Civil War, Milo perished in South Italy while leading the remnant of his troop of gladiators in resistance to Caesar, - "hit with a stone from the wall" in an assault on the town of Cosa in Lucania (see Caesar, Bellum Civile, iii, 22).

Commentary on Defense of Milo. James Bradstreet Greenough. ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge. Boston. 1897.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Pro T. Annio Milone Perseus (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Vol. 6. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1918.) — 92 focus

[92] 34 sed iam satis multa de causa, extra causam etiam nimis fortasse multa. quid restat nisi ut orem obtesterque vos, iudices, ut eam misericordiam tribuatis fortissimo viro quam ipse non implorat, ego etiam repugnante hoc et imploro et exposco? nolite, si in nostro omnium fletu nullam lacrimam aspexistis¹ Milonis, si voltum semper eundem, si vocem, si orationem stabilem ac non mutatam videtis, hoc minus ei parcere: haud scio an multo etiam sit adiuvandus² magis. etenim si in gladiatoriis pugnis et in infimi³ generis hominum⁴ condicione atque fortuna timidos et supplices⁵ et ut vivere liceat obsecrantis etiam odisse solemus, fortis et animosos⁶ et se acriter ipsos⁷ morti offerentis servari⁸ cupimus, eorumque nos magis miseret qui nostram misericordiam non requirunt quam qui illam efflagitant, quanto hoc magis in fortissimis civibus⁹ facere debemus!

[93] me quidem, iudices, exanimant et interimunt hae voces Milonis quas audio adsidue et quibus intersum cotidie. valeant¹⁰, inquit valeant cives mei¹¹; sint incolumes, sint florentes, sint beati; stet haec urbs¹² praeclara mihique patria carissima, quoquo modo erit merita de me¹³; tranquilla re publica mei cives, quoniam mihi cum illis non licet, sine me ipsi, sed propter¹⁴ me tamen perfruantur. ego cedam atque abibo. si mihi bona re publica¹⁵ frui non licuerit, at carebo mala, et quam primum¹⁶ tetigero bene moratam et liberam civitatem, in ea conquiescam.

[94] O frustra inquit mei¹⁷ suscepti labores, o spes fallaces, o cogitationes¹⁸ inanes meae! ego cum tribunus plebis re publica oppressa me¹⁹ senatui dedissem²⁰ quem exstinctum acceperam, equitibus Romanis quorum vires erant debiles, bonis viris qui omnem auctoritatem Clodianis armis abiecerant, mihi umquam bonorum praesidium defuturum putarem? ego cum te—mecum enim saepissime loquitur— patriae reddidissem, mihi putarem in patria non futurum²¹ locum? Vbi nunc senatus est quem secuti sumus, ubi equites Romani illi²², illi inquit tui? ubi studia municipiorum, ubi Italiae voces, ubi denique tua²³, M. Tulli, quae plurimis fuit auxilio, vox atque²⁴ defensio? mihine ea soli qui pro te totiens morti me obtuli nihil potest opitulari?

[95] 35 nec²⁵ vero haec, iudices, ut ego nunc, flens, sed hoc eodem²⁶ loquitur voltu quo videtis. negat enim se²⁷, negat ingratis civibus fecisse quae fecerit, timidis et omnia pericula circumspicientibus²⁸ non negat. plebem et infimam multitudinem, quae P. Clodio duce fortunis vestris imminebat, eam quo tutior esset vestra vita suam²⁹ se fecisse commemorat, ut non modo virtute flecteret sed etiam tribus suis patrimoniis deleniret³⁰, nec timet ne, cum plebem muneribus placarit, vos non conciliarit meritis in rem publicam singularibus. senatus erga se benevolentiam temporibus his ipsis saepe esse perspectam, vestras vero et vestrorum ordinum occursationes, studia, sermones, quemcumque cursum fortuna ceperit³¹, secum se³² ablaturum esse dicit.

[96] meminit etiam vocem sibi³³ praeconis modo defuisse, quam minime desiderarit, populi vero cunctis suffragiis, quod unum cupierit, se consulem declaratum; nunc denique, si haec arma³⁴ contra se sint futura, sibi facinoris suspicionem, non facti crimen obstare. addit haec, quae certe vera sunt, fortis et sapientis viros non tam praemia sequi solere recte factorum quam ipsa recte facta; se nihil in vita nisi praeclarissime fecisse, si quidem nihil sit praestabilius viro quam periculis patriam liberare.

[97] beatos esse quibus ea res honori fuerit a suis civibus, nec tamen eos miseros qui beneficio civis suos vicerint. sed tamen ex omnibus praemiis virtutis, si esset habenda ratio praemiorum, amplissimum esse praemium gloriam; esse hanc³⁵ unam quae brevitatem³⁶ vitae posteritatis memoria consolaretur, quae efficeret ut absentes adessemus, mortui viveremus; hanc denique esse cuius gradibus etiam in caelum homines viderentur ascendere.

[98] de me inquit semper populus Romanus, semper omnes gentes loquentur, nulla umquam obmutescet vetustas. quin hoc tempore ipso, cum omnes a meis³⁷ inimicis faces invidiae meae subiciantur, tamen³⁸ omni in³⁹ hominum coetu gratiis agendis et gratulationibus habendis et omni sermone celebramur⁴⁰. omitto Etruriae festos et actos et institutos dies. centesima lux est haec ab interitu P. Clodi et, opinor, altera. qua fines imperi populi Romani sunt, ea non solum fama iam de illo sed etiam laetitia peragravit. quam ob rem ubi corpus hoc sit non inquit laboro, quoniam omnibus in terris et iam versatur⁴¹ et semper hic⁴² habitabit nominis mei gloria.

[99] 36 haec tu mecum saepe his absentibus, sed isdem audientibus haec ego tecum, Milo: te quidem, cum isto animo sis⁴³, satis laudare non possum, sed, quo est ista⁴⁴ magis divina virtus, eo maiore a te dolore divellor. nec vero, si mihi eriperis⁴⁵, reliqua est illa saltem⁴⁶ ad consolandum querela⁴⁷ ut eis⁴⁸ irasci possim a quibus tantum volnus accepero. non enim inimici mei te mihi eripient, sed amicissimi, non male aliquando de me meriti, sed semper optime. nullum mihi umquam, iudices⁴⁹, tantum dolorem inuretis—tametsi⁵⁰ quis potest esse tantus?—sed ne hunc quidem ipsum ut obliviscar quanti me semper feceritis. quae si vos cepit⁵¹ oblivio⁵² aut si in me aliquid offendistis, cur non id in⁵³ meo capite potius luitur quam Milonis? praeclare enim vixero, si quid mihi acciderit prius quam hoc tantum mali videro.

[100] nunc me una consolatio sustentat, quod tibi, T. Anni, nullum a me amoris, nullum studi, nullum pietatis officium defuit. ego inimicitias potentium pro te appetivi; ego meum saepe corpus et vitam obieci armis inimicorum tuorum; ego me plurimis pro te supplicem abieci; bona, fortunas meas ac liberorum meorum in communionem tuorum temporum⁵⁴ contuli; hoc denique ipso die, si qua⁵⁵ vis est parata, si qua⁵⁶ dimicatio⁵⁷ capitis futura, deposco. quid iam restat? quid habeo quod faciam⁵⁸ pro tuis in me meritis nisi ut eam fortunam quaecumque erit tua ducam meam? non abnuo, non recuso⁵⁹, vosque obsecro, iudices, ut vestra beneficia quae in me contulistis aut in huius salute⁶⁰ augeatis aut in eiusdem exitio occasura esse videatis.

[101] 37 his lacrimis non commovetur⁶¹ Milo—est quodam incredibili robore animi—exsilium ibi esse putat ubi virtuti non sit locus; mortem naturae finem esse, non poenam. sit⁶² hic ea mente qua natus est: quid? vos, iudices, quo tandem eritis animo⁶³? memoriam Milonis retinebitis, ipsum eicietis? et erit dignior locus ullus in terris⁶⁴ qui hanc virtutem excipiat quam hic qui procreavit? vos⁶⁵, vos appello, fortissimi viri, qui multum pro re publica sanguinem⁶⁶ effudistis; vos, inquam, in civis⁶⁷ invicti periculo appello⁶⁸, centuriones, vosque, milites: vobis non modo inspectantibus sed etiam armatis et huic iudicio praesidentibus haec tanta virtus ex hac urbe expelletur, exterminabitur, proicietur?

[102] O me miserum, o me infelicem! revocare tu⁶⁹ me in patriam, Milo, potuisti per hos, ego te in patria per eosdem retinere non potero? quid respondebo liberis meis qui te parentem alterum putant⁷⁰? quid tibi, Quinte frater, qui nunc abes, consorti mecum temporum illorum? mene non potuisse Milonis salutem tueri per eosdem per quos nostram ille servasset? at in qua causa non potuisse? quae est grata omnibus⁷¹ gentibus⁷². A quibus⁷³ non potuisse⁷⁴? ab eis qui maxime P. Clodi morte acquierunt. quo deprecante? me.

[103] quodnam ego concepi tantum scelus aut quod in me tantum facinus admisi, iudices, cum illa indicia communis exiti indagavi, patefeci, protuli, exstinxi? omnes mihi meisque⁷⁵ redundant ex fonte illo dolores. quid me reducem esse voluistis? an ut inspectante⁷⁶ me expellerentur ei⁷⁷ per quos essem restitutus? nolite, obsecro vos, acerbiorem mihi pati reditum esse quam fuerit ille ipse discessus. nam qui possum putare me restitutum⁷⁸, si distrahor⁷⁹ ab his per quos restitutus sum? 38 Vtinam di immortales fecissent—pace tua, patria, dixerim: metuo enim ne scelerate dicam in te quod pro Milone dicam pie— utinam P. Clodius non modo viveret sed etiam praetor, consul⁸⁰, dictator esset potius quam hoc spectaculum viderem!

[104] O di immortales! fortem et a vobis, iudices, conservandum virum⁸¹! minime⁸², minime; inquit immo vero poenas ille debitas luerit: nos subeamus, si ita necesse est, non debitas. hicine⁸³ vir patriae natus usquam nisi in patria morietur, aut, si forte, pro patria? huius vos animi monumenta retinebitis, corporis in Italia nullum sepulcrum esse patiemini? hunc sua quisquam sententia ex hac urbe expellet quem⁸⁴ omnes urbes expulsum a vobis ad se vocabunt?

[105] O terram illam beatam⁸⁵ quae hunc virum exceperit⁸⁶, hanc ingratam si eiecerit, miseram si amiserit! sed finis sit; neque enim prae lacrimis⁸⁷ iam loqui possumus⁸⁸, et hic se lacrimis defendi vetat. vos oro obtestorque, iudices, ut in sententiis ferendis⁸⁹, quod sentietis⁹⁰, id audeatis. vestram virtutem, iustitiam, fidem, mihi credite, is maxime comprobabit⁹¹ qui in iudicibus legendis optimum et sapientissimum⁹² et fortissimum quemque delegit⁹³.

James Bradstreet Greenough Commentary on Defense of Milo V

ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge

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V. Peroratio (§§ 92-104).

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