Aelread of Rievaulx [St. Aelread]
1100-1167 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Medieval Era)
CAPUT PRIMUM
[Chapter 1]
Libri hujus scribendi occasio
[The opportunity to write this book]
Cum adhuc puer essem in scholis,
[Even as I was a boy still in school,]
et sociorum meorum me gratia plurimum delectaret,
[and the popularity of my peers so very much delighted me,]
et inter mores et vitia quibus aetas illa periclitari solet,
[and among the customs and vices by which that age of one's life is accustomed to be endangered,]
totam se mea mens dedit affectui,
[my mind allowed itself to be totally affected,]
et devovit amori;
[and to roll along down to love;]
ita ut nihil mihi dulcius,
[So it happened that nothing could seem sweeter to me,]
nihil iucundius, nihil utilius quam amari et amare videretur.
[nothing could seem more pleasing, more useful than to love and be loved.]
Itaque inter diversos amores et amicitias fluctuans,
[And so, as it wavered among various love affairs and friendships,]
rapiebatur animus huc atque illuc:
[my mind was seized about here and there:]
et verae amicitiae legem ignorans,
[and because it was ignorant of the laws of true companionship,]
eius saepe similitudine fallebatur.
[it was often deceived by the pretense of it.]
Tandem aliquando mihi venit in manus,
[But at last, and eventually, it fell into my hands,]
liber ille quem De amicitia Tullius scripsit;
[I mean the book I speak of, the one that Cicero wrote about on friendship;]
I N F I N I T A
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Suetonius, Life of Vitellius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus [Suetonius]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
SVETONI TRANQVILII VITA VETELLII
I. Vitelliorum originem alii aliam et quidem diversissimam tradunt,
[Some people tell of a different and most undetermined origin when it comes to Vitellius' family,]
partim veterem et nobilem,
[some saying that it was long-standing and noble in class,]
partim vero novam et obscuram atque etiam sordidam;
[while others say that it was actually new to the scene, with obscure origins, and perhaps even disreputable ones;]
quod ego per adulatores obtrectatoresque imperatoris Vitellii evenisse opinarer,
[and that's something that I would have to occur as a result of emperor Vitellius' adulators and detractors,]
nisi aliquanto prius de familiae condicione variatum esset.
[unless, by some degree, a previous change of fortune occurred as to his family's condition.]
Exstat Q. Elogi ad Quintum Vitellium Divi Augusti quaestorem libellus,
[There's a small book by Quintus Elogius written to Quintus Vitellius, a quaestor of Augustus, now deified,]
quo continetur,
[in which there is written]
Vitellios Fauno Aboriginum rege et Vitellia, quae multis locis pro numine coleretur, ortos toto Latio imperasse;
[that the Vitellians, having risen all around Latium, had ruled under one king of the original inhabitants, Faunus, and Vitellia, who used to be worshipped in various places liked a deity;]
horum residuam stirpem ex Sabinis transisse Romam atque inter patricios adlectam;
[the lineage of these people that was left over had journeyed over to Rome from the lands of the Sabines and was then incorporated into the class of patricians;]
indicia stirpis mansisse diu viam Vitelliam ab Ianiculo ad mare usque, item coloniam eiusdem nominis,
[and the original character of the family lineage resided for a long time along the Via Vitellia, that ran from the Janiculum all the way to the sea, and also in a settlement byhe same name,]
quam gentili copia adversus Aequiculos tutandam olim depoposcissent;
[which, with their high-ranking hordes, once upon a time, whose patrimony they had demanded in confrontation with the Aequiculi;]
tempore deinde Samnitici belli praesidio in Apuliam misso quosdam ex Vitellis subsedisse Nuceriae,
[thenafter, a certain number of Vitellius' family settled down in Nuceria, during the time of the Samnite War, when a garrison was sent to Apulia,]
eorumque progeniem longo post intervallo repetisse urbem atque ordinem senatorium.
[and after a long interval of time, their descendents sought to reside in the city again, as well as admission into the senatorial class.]
II. Contra plures auctorem generis libertinum prodiderunt,
[On the one hand, several people related that the founder of their family lineage was a freedman,]
Cassius Severus nec minus alii eundem et sutorem veteramentarium,
[like Cassius Severus, not least of those who say that the same fellow was also a cobbler for beasts of burden,]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
SVETONI TRANQVILII VITA VETELLII
I. Vitelliorum originem alii aliam et quidem diversissimam tradunt,
[Some people tell of a different and most undetermined origin when it comes to Vitellius' family,]
partim veterem et nobilem,
[some saying that it was long-standing and noble in class,]
partim vero novam et obscuram atque etiam sordidam;
[while others say that it was actually new to the scene, with obscure origins, and perhaps even disreputable ones;]
quod ego per adulatores obtrectatoresque imperatoris Vitellii evenisse opinarer,
[and that's something that I would have to occur as a result of emperor Vitellius' adulators and detractors,]
nisi aliquanto prius de familiae condicione variatum esset.
[unless, by some degree, a previous change of fortune occurred as to his family's condition.]
Exstat Q. Elogi ad Quintum Vitellium Divi Augusti quaestorem libellus,
[There's a small book by Quintus Elogius written to Quintus Vitellius, a quaestor of Augustus, now deified,]
quo continetur,
[in which there is written]
Vitellios Fauno Aboriginum rege et Vitellia, quae multis locis pro numine coleretur, ortos toto Latio imperasse;
[that the Vitellians, having risen all around Latium, had ruled under one king of the original inhabitants, Faunus, and Vitellia, who used to be worshipped in various places liked a deity;]
horum residuam stirpem ex Sabinis transisse Romam atque inter patricios adlectam;
[the lineage of these people that was left over had journeyed over to Rome from the lands of the Sabines and was then incorporated into the class of patricians;]
indicia stirpis mansisse diu viam Vitelliam ab Ianiculo ad mare usque, item coloniam eiusdem nominis,
[and the original character of the family lineage resided for a long time along the Via Vitellia, that ran from the Janiculum all the way to the sea, and also in a settlement byhe same name,]
quam gentili copia adversus Aequiculos tutandam olim depoposcissent;
[which, with their high-ranking hordes, once upon a time, whose patrimony they had demanded in confrontation with the Aequiculi;]
tempore deinde Samnitici belli praesidio in Apuliam misso quosdam ex Vitellis subsedisse Nuceriae,
[thenafter, a certain number of Vitellius' family settled down in Nuceria, during the time of the Samnite War, when a garrison was sent to Apulia,]
eorumque progeniem longo post intervallo repetisse urbem atque ordinem senatorium.
[and after a long interval of time, their descendents sought to reside in the city again, as well as admission into the senatorial class.]
II. Contra plures auctorem generis libertinum prodiderunt,
[On the one hand, several people related that the founder of their family lineage was a freedman,]
Cassius Severus nec minus alii eundem et sutorem veteramentarium,
[like Cassius Severus, not least of those who say that the same fellow was also a cobbler for beasts of burden,]
Suetonius, Life of Otho
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus [Suetonius]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
SVETONI TRANQVILII VITA OTHONIS
I. Maiores Othonis orti sunt oppidio Ferentio,
[Otho's ancestors arose from the town of Ferentium,]
familia vetere et honorata atque ex principibus Etruriae.
[from a long-standing and greatly honored family, one sprung also from the leading men of Etruria.]
Avus M. Salvius Otho, patre equite R.,
[His grandfather, Marcus Salvius Otho, was a Roman knight,]
matre humili incertum an ingenua,
[his mother perhaps from a lowly, or at least common stock,]
per gratiam Liviae Augustae, in cuius domo creverat, senator est factus
[but through the kind favor of the emperess Livia, in whose mansion she had entered, he was appointed a senator]
nec praeturae gradum excessit.
[but he never reached any office higher than praetor.]
Pater L. Otho, materno genere praeclaro multarumque et magnarum propinquitatum, tam carus tamque non absimilis facie Tiberio principi fuit,
[His father, Lucius Otho, whose maternal lineage was greatly distinguished by many great relatives, was so beloved by the emperor Tiberius and so similar in appearance to him]
ut plerique procreatum ex eo crederent.
[that a great many people believed that he was fathered by the man.]
Vrbanos honores, proconsulatum Africae et extraordinaria imperia severissime administravit.
[He ran administrations in offices over the City, a proconsulship in Africa, and unusually prestigious commands, all in the most severe manners one can imagine.]
Ausus etiam est in Illyrico milites quosdam,
[He even tried his hand against several soldiers in Illyria,]
quod motu Camilli ex paenitentia praepositos suos quasi defectionis adversus Claudium auctores occiderant,
[because they, as though defecting from Claudius, had previously killed the men he had appointed to remedy the mutiny of Camillus,]
capite punire et quidem ante principia se coram,
[that is, he dared to sentence them to death, and indeed, before his own eyes, in the commander's quarters,]
quamvis ob id ipsum promotos in ampliorem gradum a Claudio sciret.
[even though he knew that, as a consequence of this same action, they would be compelled to even fuller disgust of Claudius.]
Quo facto sicut gloriam auxit,
[So it was accomplished, the very moment he increased his reputation,]
ita gratiam minuit;
[he likewise killed his popularity.]
quam tamen mature reciperavit detecta equitis R. fraude,
[And yet, he soon cut that in half after he had detected the scandal of a Roman knight]
quem prodentibus servis necem Claudio parere compererat.
[whom he had discovered had order his slaves to assassinate Claudius.]
Namque et senatus honore rarissimo, statua in Palatio posita, prosecutus est eum et Claudius adlectum inter patricios,
[So by that token, he was allowed the rarest honor in the Senate: his statue placed on the Palatine Hill, and Claudius followed after him and enrolled him into the order of the patricians,]
conlaudans amplissimis verbis, hoc quoque adiecit:
[and as he praised him with the most complimentary words he could find, he also added this comment:]
Vir, quo meliores liberos habere ne opto quidem.
["A man, for whom I truly wish to have no superior sons."]
Ex Albia Terentia splendida femina duos filios tulit,
[From a splendid woman, Albia Terentia, he fathered two sons,]
L. Titianum et minorem M. cognominem sibi;
[Lucius Titianus and the younger one Marcus, named after himself;]
tulit et filiam,
[he fathered a daughter,]
quam vixdum nubilem Druso Germanici filio despondit.
[whom he soon married off as a young bride to Germanicus' son, Drusus.]
II. Otho imperator IIII. Kal. Mai. natus est Domitio Ahenobarbo cons.Camillo Arruntio,
[The emperor Otho was born on the 4th Kalends of May in the consul year of Domitius Ahenobarbus and Camillus Arruntius,]
A prima adulescentia prodigus ac procax,
[From the very first stage of youth, he was a prodigy, and very talkative,]
adeo ut saepe flagris obiurgaretur a patre,
[so much so that he often used to be beaten with whippings by his father,]
ferebatur et vagari noctibus solitus atque invalidum quemque obviorum vel potulentum corripere ac distento sago impositum in sublime iactare.
[it was rumored that he used to wander around in the nights, laying his hands on any weakling or drunkard he met, and after putting him into a stretched out sack, toss him into the air.]
Post patris deinde mortem libertinam aulicam gratiosam, quo efficacius coleret, etiam diligere simulavit quamvis anum ac paene decrepitam:
[After his father's passing, he even pretended to have a crush on a charming flute-player, a freedwoman, about which he adored her too thoroughly, even though she was an old woman and almost in the last stage of her life:]
per hanc insinuatus Neroni,
[through her, he was introduced to Nero,]
facile summum inter amicos locum tenuit congruentia morum,
[with ease, he held the highest priority in his leisurely events among his friends,]
ut vero quidam tradunt,
[at least, in truth, as certain men tell it,]
et consuetudine mutui stupri.
[and from the habit of the scandals they shared.]
et consuetudine mutui stupri.
[and in the habit of the disgrace they shared.]
Ac tantum potentia valuit,
[And so great did his power thrive,]
ut damnatum repetundis consularem virum, ingens praemium pactus,
[that he demanded an immense bribe from a man already found guilty of corruption,]
prius quam plene restitutionem ei impetrasset non dubitaret in senatum ad agendas gratias introducere.
[and no sooner had he gained gained his full acquittal than did he not even hesitate to bring into the presence of the Senate in order to give thanks.]
III. Omnium autem consiliorum secretorumque particeps die, quem necandae matri Nero destinarat,
[However, he was a conspirator in all plans and secrets, and the one whom Nero put in charge of assassinating his mother,]
ad avertendas suspicionem cenam utrique exquisitissimae comitatis dedit;
[and in order to avert her suspicion, he gave her a feast with her as the honored guest;]
item Poppaeam Sabinam tunc adhuc amicam eius, abductam marito demandatamque interim sibi, nuptiarum specie recepit,
[and then, he received Poppaea Sabina, at that time one of her allies, with the grandeur of a wedding ceremony, even though she has been abducted from her husband and demanded back to him in the meantime,]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
SVETONI TRANQVILII VITA OTHONIS
I. Maiores Othonis orti sunt oppidio Ferentio,
[Otho's ancestors arose from the town of Ferentium,]
familia vetere et honorata atque ex principibus Etruriae.
[from a long-standing and greatly honored family, one sprung also from the leading men of Etruria.]
Avus M. Salvius Otho, patre equite R.,
[His grandfather, Marcus Salvius Otho, was a Roman knight,]
matre humili incertum an ingenua,
[his mother perhaps from a lowly, or at least common stock,]
per gratiam Liviae Augustae, in cuius domo creverat, senator est factus
[but through the kind favor of the emperess Livia, in whose mansion she had entered, he was appointed a senator]
nec praeturae gradum excessit.
[but he never reached any office higher than praetor.]
Pater L. Otho, materno genere praeclaro multarumque et magnarum propinquitatum, tam carus tamque non absimilis facie Tiberio principi fuit,
[His father, Lucius Otho, whose maternal lineage was greatly distinguished by many great relatives, was so beloved by the emperor Tiberius and so similar in appearance to him]
ut plerique procreatum ex eo crederent.
[that a great many people believed that he was fathered by the man.]
Vrbanos honores, proconsulatum Africae et extraordinaria imperia severissime administravit.
[He ran administrations in offices over the City, a proconsulship in Africa, and unusually prestigious commands, all in the most severe manners one can imagine.]
Ausus etiam est in Illyrico milites quosdam,
[He even tried his hand against several soldiers in Illyria,]
quod motu Camilli ex paenitentia praepositos suos quasi defectionis adversus Claudium auctores occiderant,
[because they, as though defecting from Claudius, had previously killed the men he had appointed to remedy the mutiny of Camillus,]
capite punire et quidem ante principia se coram,
[that is, he dared to sentence them to death, and indeed, before his own eyes, in the commander's quarters,]
quamvis ob id ipsum promotos in ampliorem gradum a Claudio sciret.
[even though he knew that, as a consequence of this same action, they would be compelled to even fuller disgust of Claudius.]
Quo facto sicut gloriam auxit,
[So it was accomplished, the very moment he increased his reputation,]
ita gratiam minuit;
[he likewise killed his popularity.]
quam tamen mature reciperavit detecta equitis R. fraude,
[And yet, he soon cut that in half after he had detected the scandal of a Roman knight]
quem prodentibus servis necem Claudio parere compererat.
[whom he had discovered had order his slaves to assassinate Claudius.]
Namque et senatus honore rarissimo, statua in Palatio posita, prosecutus est eum et Claudius adlectum inter patricios,
[So by that token, he was allowed the rarest honor in the Senate: his statue placed on the Palatine Hill, and Claudius followed after him and enrolled him into the order of the patricians,]
conlaudans amplissimis verbis, hoc quoque adiecit:
[and as he praised him with the most complimentary words he could find, he also added this comment:]
Vir, quo meliores liberos habere ne opto quidem.
["A man, for whom I truly wish to have no superior sons."]
Ex Albia Terentia splendida femina duos filios tulit,
[From a splendid woman, Albia Terentia, he fathered two sons,]
L. Titianum et minorem M. cognominem sibi;
[Lucius Titianus and the younger one Marcus, named after himself;]
tulit et filiam,
[he fathered a daughter,]
quam vixdum nubilem Druso Germanici filio despondit.
[whom he soon married off as a young bride to Germanicus' son, Drusus.]
II. Otho imperator IIII. Kal. Mai. natus est Domitio Ahenobarbo cons.Camillo Arruntio,
[The emperor Otho was born on the 4th Kalends of May in the consul year of Domitius Ahenobarbus and Camillus Arruntius,]
A prima adulescentia prodigus ac procax,
[From the very first stage of youth, he was a prodigy, and very talkative,]
adeo ut saepe flagris obiurgaretur a patre,
[so much so that he often used to be beaten with whippings by his father,]
ferebatur et vagari noctibus solitus atque invalidum quemque obviorum vel potulentum corripere ac distento sago impositum in sublime iactare.
[it was rumored that he used to wander around in the nights, laying his hands on any weakling or drunkard he met, and after putting him into a stretched out sack, toss him into the air.]
Post patris deinde mortem libertinam aulicam gratiosam, quo efficacius coleret, etiam diligere simulavit quamvis anum ac paene decrepitam:
[After his father's passing, he even pretended to have a crush on a charming flute-player, a freedwoman, about which he adored her too thoroughly, even though she was an old woman and almost in the last stage of her life:]
per hanc insinuatus Neroni,
[through her, he was introduced to Nero,]
facile summum inter amicos locum tenuit congruentia morum,
[with ease, he held the highest priority in his leisurely events among his friends,]
ut vero quidam tradunt,
[at least, in truth, as certain men tell it,]
et consuetudine mutui stupri.
[and from the habit of the scandals they shared.]
et consuetudine mutui stupri.
[and in the habit of the disgrace they shared.]
Ac tantum potentia valuit,
[And so great did his power thrive,]
ut damnatum repetundis consularem virum, ingens praemium pactus,
[that he demanded an immense bribe from a man already found guilty of corruption,]
prius quam plene restitutionem ei impetrasset non dubitaret in senatum ad agendas gratias introducere.
[and no sooner had he gained gained his full acquittal than did he not even hesitate to bring into the presence of the Senate in order to give thanks.]
III. Omnium autem consiliorum secretorumque particeps die, quem necandae matri Nero destinarat,
[However, he was a conspirator in all plans and secrets, and the one whom Nero put in charge of assassinating his mother,]
ad avertendas suspicionem cenam utrique exquisitissimae comitatis dedit;
[and in order to avert her suspicion, he gave her a feast with her as the honored guest;]
item Poppaeam Sabinam tunc adhuc amicam eius, abductam marito demandatamque interim sibi, nuptiarum specie recepit,
[and then, he received Poppaea Sabina, at that time one of her allies, with the grandeur of a wedding ceremony, even though she has been abducted from her husband and demanded back to him in the meantime,]
Suetonius, Life of Nero
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus [Suetonius]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
SVETONI TRANQVILII VITA NERONIS
I. Ex gente Domitia duae familiae claruerunt,
Calvinorum et Aenobarborum.
[Two families distinguished themselves from the clan of Domitians, the Calvini and the Ahenobarbi.]
Aenobarbi auctorem originis itemque cognominis habent L. Domitium,
[The Ahenobarbi take as their original and eponymous founder, Lucius Domitius,]
cui rure quondam revertenti iuvenes gemini augustiore forma ex occursu imperasse traduntur,
[to whom, once upon a time in the countryside, a pair of identical twins, young men of extremely prestigious stature, ordered him, as he approached]
nuntiaret senatui ac populo victoriam,
[that he should announce something to the senate as well as the people,]
de qua incertum adhuc erat;
[about what is not exactly clear;]
atque in fidem maiestatis adeo permulsisse malas,
[and that he so had the power to soothe over evils when entrusted to the faith of his command]
ut e nigro rutilum aerique similem capillum redderent.
[that his hair turned from red to black, almost in the appearance of bronze.]
Quod insigne mansit et in posteris eius,
[And that remained a sign of prestige for his posterity,]
ac magna pars rutila barba fuerunt.
[and a large number of them had red beards.]
Functi autem consulatibus septem,
[And still, seven of them served as consuls,]
triumpho censuraque duplici
[and a pair of triumphs and offices as censor]
et inter patricios adlecti perseveraverunt omnes in eodem cognomine.
[and once they were recruited into the class of patricians, they persevered through time with this very same name.]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
SVETONI TRANQVILII VITA NERONIS
I. Ex gente Domitia duae familiae claruerunt,
Calvinorum et Aenobarborum.
[Two families distinguished themselves from the clan of Domitians, the Calvini and the Ahenobarbi.]
Aenobarbi auctorem originis itemque cognominis habent L. Domitium,
[The Ahenobarbi take as their original and eponymous founder, Lucius Domitius,]
cui rure quondam revertenti iuvenes gemini augustiore forma ex occursu imperasse traduntur,
[to whom, once upon a time in the countryside, a pair of identical twins, young men of extremely prestigious stature, ordered him, as he approached]
nuntiaret senatui ac populo victoriam,
[that he should announce something to the senate as well as the people,]
de qua incertum adhuc erat;
[about what is not exactly clear;]
atque in fidem maiestatis adeo permulsisse malas,
[and that he so had the power to soothe over evils when entrusted to the faith of his command]
ut e nigro rutilum aerique similem capillum redderent.
[that his hair turned from red to black, almost in the appearance of bronze.]
Quod insigne mansit et in posteris eius,
[And that remained a sign of prestige for his posterity,]
ac magna pars rutila barba fuerunt.
[and a large number of them had red beards.]
Functi autem consulatibus septem,
[And still, seven of them served as consuls,]
triumpho censuraque duplici
[and a pair of triumphs and offices as censor]
et inter patricios adlecti perseveraverunt omnes in eodem cognomine.
[and once they were recruited into the class of patricians, they persevered through time with this very same name.]
Suetonius, Life of Horace
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus [Suetonius]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
C. SVETONI TRANQVILLVI DE POETIS
VITA HORATI
Q. HORATIUS FLACCUS, Venusinus,
[Quintus Horatius Flaccus was from Venusia,]
patre ut ipse tradit libertino et exactionum coactore
[as even he admitted that his father was a freedman and debt collector]
(ut vero creditum est salsamentario,
[as, in fact, it is believed to be tongue in cheek]
cum illi quidam in altercatione exprobrasset:
[when a certain fellow had chewed him out in an altercation:]
"Quotiens ego vidi patrem tuum brachio se emungentem!")
["I've so often seen your father milking himself himself with its arm!"]
bello Philippensi excitus a Marco Bruto imperatore, tribunus militum meruit;
[He was recruited during the war in Philippi by his commander Marcus Brutus, and he served as military tribune;]
victisque partibus venia impetrata scriptum quaestorium comparavit.
[when his faction was defeated, and he gained pardon, he prepared the written records for the quaestor.]
Ac primo Maecenati, mox Augusto insinuatus non mediocrem in amborum amicitia locum tenuit.
[And he enjoyed a rather prestigious friendship, first with Maecenas, then with Augustus.]
Maecenas quantopere eum dilexerit satis testatur illo epigrammate:
[How greatly did Maecenas favor him, enough for him to speak the following of that man in an epigram:]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
C. SVETONI TRANQVILLVI DE POETIS
VITA HORATI
Q. HORATIUS FLACCUS, Venusinus,
[Quintus Horatius Flaccus was from Venusia,]
patre ut ipse tradit libertino et exactionum coactore
[as even he admitted that his father was a freedman and debt collector]
(ut vero creditum est salsamentario,
[as, in fact, it is believed to be tongue in cheek]
cum illi quidam in altercatione exprobrasset:
[when a certain fellow had chewed him out in an altercation:]
"Quotiens ego vidi patrem tuum brachio se emungentem!")
["I've so often seen your father milking himself himself with its arm!"]
bello Philippensi excitus a Marco Bruto imperatore, tribunus militum meruit;
[He was recruited during the war in Philippi by his commander Marcus Brutus, and he served as military tribune;]
victisque partibus venia impetrata scriptum quaestorium comparavit.
[when his faction was defeated, and he gained pardon, he prepared the written records for the quaestor.]
Ac primo Maecenati, mox Augusto insinuatus non mediocrem in amborum amicitia locum tenuit.
[And he enjoyed a rather prestigious friendship, first with Maecenas, then with Augustus.]
Maecenas quantopere eum dilexerit satis testatur illo epigrammate:
[How greatly did Maecenas favor him, enough for him to speak the following of that man in an epigram:]
Friday, July 15, 2011
Scriptores Historiae Augustae, Year of the Four Tyrants [Quadrigae Tyrannorum]]
Augustan Histories [Historia Augusta]
Scriptores Historiae Augustae
117-284 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
FLAVI VOPISCI SYRACUSII
FIRMUS SATURNINUS
PROCULUS ET BONOS<US>
<i.e. QUADRIGAE TYRANNORUM>
I. 1 Minusculos tyrannos scio plerosque tacuisse aut breviter praeterisse.
[I know that many two-bit tyrannical rulers have hushed their voice and only briefly passed along.]
nam et Suetonius Tranquillus, emendatissimus et candidissimus scriptor, Antoni[n]um, Vindicem tacuit,
[you see, Suetonius Tranquillus, one of the most honest and accurate writers, omitted Antoninus and Vindex,]
contentus eo quod eos cursim perstrinxerat,
[content in the fact that he had hastily strung these men along,]
et Marius Maximus, qui Avidium Marci temporibus, Albinum et Nigrum Severi non suis propriis libris sed alienis innexuit.
[and Marius Maximus, who had latched onto Avidius, during the period in which Marcus, and Albinus and Niger during the reign of Severus, not from his own books, but those that belong to others.]
2 et de Suetonio non miramur,
[And I'm not suprised when it comes to Suetonius,]
cui familiare fuit amare brevitatem.
[for whom it was a familiar custom to delight in brevity.]
quid Marius Maximus, homo omnium verbosissimus, qui et mythist[h]oricis se voluminibus inplicavit, num ad istam descriptionem curamque descendit?
[But why wouldn't Marius Maximus, a man who was as long-winded as you could find them and who linked himself to the scrolls of mythographers, not descend upon such a rendition and topic of interest as we have here?]
3 atque contra, Treb<ell>i<u>s Pollio ea fuit diligentia,
[And on the other side, there was Trebellius Pollio, with that kind of diligence,]
ea cura in edendis bonis malisque principibus,
[and that kind of interest in publishing the good and evil deeds of our emperors,]
ut etiam triginta tyrannos uno breviter libro concluderet,
[and to what avail? That he finished describing thirty tyrannical rulers briefly and in a single book,]
qui Valeriani et Gallieni nec multo superiorum aut inferiorum principum fuere temporibus.
[and those Valerians and Gallieni, who, by great extent, did not belong to a time ruled by superior or inferior emperors.]
Scriptores Historiae Augustae
117-284 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
FLAVI VOPISCI SYRACUSII
FIRMUS SATURNINUS
PROCULUS ET BONOS<US>
<i.e. QUADRIGAE TYRANNORUM>
I. 1 Minusculos tyrannos scio plerosque tacuisse aut breviter praeterisse.
[I know that many two-bit tyrannical rulers have hushed their voice and only briefly passed along.]
nam et Suetonius Tranquillus, emendatissimus et candidissimus scriptor, Antoni[n]um, Vindicem tacuit,
[you see, Suetonius Tranquillus, one of the most honest and accurate writers, omitted Antoninus and Vindex,]
contentus eo quod eos cursim perstrinxerat,
[content in the fact that he had hastily strung these men along,]
et Marius Maximus, qui Avidium Marci temporibus, Albinum et Nigrum Severi non suis propriis libris sed alienis innexuit.
[and Marius Maximus, who had latched onto Avidius, during the period in which Marcus, and Albinus and Niger during the reign of Severus, not from his own books, but those that belong to others.]
2 et de Suetonio non miramur,
[And I'm not suprised when it comes to Suetonius,]
cui familiare fuit amare brevitatem.
[for whom it was a familiar custom to delight in brevity.]
quid Marius Maximus, homo omnium verbosissimus, qui et mythist[h]oricis se voluminibus inplicavit, num ad istam descriptionem curamque descendit?
[But why wouldn't Marius Maximus, a man who was as long-winded as you could find them and who linked himself to the scrolls of mythographers, not descend upon such a rendition and topic of interest as we have here?]
3 atque contra, Treb<ell>i<u>s Pollio ea fuit diligentia,
[And on the other side, there was Trebellius Pollio, with that kind of diligence,]
ea cura in edendis bonis malisque principibus,
[and that kind of interest in publishing the good and evil deeds of our emperors,]
ut etiam triginta tyrannos uno breviter libro concluderet,
[and to what avail? That he finished describing thirty tyrannical rulers briefly and in a single book,]
qui Valeriani et Gallieni nec multo superiorum aut inferiorum principum fuere temporibus.
[and those Valerians and Gallieni, who, by great extent, did not belong to a time ruled by superior or inferior emperors.]
Scriptores Historiae Augustae, The Three Gordians
Augustan Histories [Historia Augusta]
Scriptores Historiae Augustae
117-284 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
GORDIANI TRES IULI CAPITOLINI
I. 1 Fuerat quidem consilium, venerabilis Auguste,
[Indeed, it had been my decision, venerable Augustus,]
ut singulos quosque imperatores exemplo multorum libris singulis ad tuam clementiam destinarem.
[that I should describe each and every one of the emperors, in individual books, as a lesson to the public about your own clemency.]
2 Nam id multos fecisse vel ipse videram
[You see, either I myself had seen many men act,]
vel lectione conceperant.
[or they had grown clear from reading about them.]
3 Sed inprobum visum est vel pietatem tuam tuam multitudine distinere librorum vel meum laborem plurimis voluminibus occupare.
[But it seemed inappropriate to either address your sense of duty in a multitude of books, or to take to task my labor in a great deal of scrolls.]
4 Quare tres Gordianos hoc libro conexui,
[So that's why I've rounded off the three Gordiani in this book,]
consulens et meo labori et lectioni tuae,
[as I plan for my hard work and your reading,]
ne cogeneris plurimos codices volvendo unam tamen paene historiam lectitare.
[for you not to be forced to have to repeatedly read still another individual historical biography, by rolling up several codices of men who share the same stock.]
5 Sed ne ego, qui longitudinem librorum fugi multitudinemque verborum, in eam incurrisse videar, quam me urbane declinare confingo,
[But, lest I, for my part, who think it right to flee lengthy books and multitude of words, or to have run upon the point, which I'm, in sophisticated fashion, holding fast to decline,]
iam rem adgrediar.
[I will now begin the matter of my story.]
II. 1 Gordiani non, ut quidam inperiti scriptores locuntur, duo sed tres fuerunt,
[There were not two Gordians, as certain unlearned writers say, rather three of them,]
idque docente Arriano, scriptore Graecae historiae, docente item Dexippo, Graeco auctore, potuerunt addiscere,
[as the instructor Arrian, a writer of Greek history, and likewise the instructor Dexippus, another Greek author, have managed to teach the matter,]
qui etiamsi breviter, ad finem tamen omnia persecuti sunt.
[and these were men who, even if only briefly, still described every detail to the end.]
2 Horum Gordianus senior, id est primus, natus est patre Maecio Marullo, matre Ulpia Gordiana,
[The older Gordian, that is the first one, was born to his father named Maecius Marullus, and mother Ulpia Gordiana,]
originem paternam ex Gracchorum genere habuit,
[his father's lineage being Greek,]
maternam ex Traiani imperatoris,
[his mother's from the emperor Trajan,]
patre, avo, proavo consulibus, socero, prosocero et item alio prosocero et duobus absoceris consulibus,
[and his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were consuls, and father in law, grandfather in law, and likewise, on the other side of his family, grandfather in law, and too great grandfathers in law, were all consuls,]
3 ipse consul ditissimus ac potentissimus,
[but he was the richest and most powerful consul of them all,]
Romae Pompeianam domum possidens,
[and he owned a house in Rome and Pompeii,]
in provinciis tantum terrarum habens quantum nemo privatus.
[and no private citizen had as much land as he in the provinces.]
4 Is post consulatum, quem egerat cum Alexandro, ad proconsulatum Africae missus est ex senatus consulto.
[This man, after his consulship, which he served alongside Alexander, was assigned to the proconsulship of Africa by the decree of the senate.]
III. 1 Sed priusquam de imperio eius loquar,
[But before I begin to speak about his time in power,]
dicam pauca de moribus:
[let me say a few words about his character:]
Scriptores Historiae Augustae
117-284 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
GORDIANI TRES IULI CAPITOLINI
I. 1 Fuerat quidem consilium, venerabilis Auguste,
[Indeed, it had been my decision, venerable Augustus,]
ut singulos quosque imperatores exemplo multorum libris singulis ad tuam clementiam destinarem.
[that I should describe each and every one of the emperors, in individual books, as a lesson to the public about your own clemency.]
2 Nam id multos fecisse vel ipse videram
[You see, either I myself had seen many men act,]
vel lectione conceperant.
[or they had grown clear from reading about them.]
3 Sed inprobum visum est vel pietatem tuam tuam multitudine distinere librorum vel meum laborem plurimis voluminibus occupare.
[But it seemed inappropriate to either address your sense of duty in a multitude of books, or to take to task my labor in a great deal of scrolls.]
4 Quare tres Gordianos hoc libro conexui,
[So that's why I've rounded off the three Gordiani in this book,]
consulens et meo labori et lectioni tuae,
[as I plan for my hard work and your reading,]
ne cogeneris plurimos codices volvendo unam tamen paene historiam lectitare.
[for you not to be forced to have to repeatedly read still another individual historical biography, by rolling up several codices of men who share the same stock.]
5 Sed ne ego, qui longitudinem librorum fugi multitudinemque verborum, in eam incurrisse videar, quam me urbane declinare confingo,
[But, lest I, for my part, who think it right to flee lengthy books and multitude of words, or to have run upon the point, which I'm, in sophisticated fashion, holding fast to decline,]
iam rem adgrediar.
[I will now begin the matter of my story.]
II. 1 Gordiani non, ut quidam inperiti scriptores locuntur, duo sed tres fuerunt,
[There were not two Gordians, as certain unlearned writers say, rather three of them,]
idque docente Arriano, scriptore Graecae historiae, docente item Dexippo, Graeco auctore, potuerunt addiscere,
[as the instructor Arrian, a writer of Greek history, and likewise the instructor Dexippus, another Greek author, have managed to teach the matter,]
qui etiamsi breviter, ad finem tamen omnia persecuti sunt.
[and these were men who, even if only briefly, still described every detail to the end.]
2 Horum Gordianus senior, id est primus, natus est patre Maecio Marullo, matre Ulpia Gordiana,
[The older Gordian, that is the first one, was born to his father named Maecius Marullus, and mother Ulpia Gordiana,]
originem paternam ex Gracchorum genere habuit,
[his father's lineage being Greek,]
maternam ex Traiani imperatoris,
[his mother's from the emperor Trajan,]
patre, avo, proavo consulibus, socero, prosocero et item alio prosocero et duobus absoceris consulibus,
[and his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were consuls, and father in law, grandfather in law, and likewise, on the other side of his family, grandfather in law, and too great grandfathers in law, were all consuls,]
3 ipse consul ditissimus ac potentissimus,
[but he was the richest and most powerful consul of them all,]
Romae Pompeianam domum possidens,
[and he owned a house in Rome and Pompeii,]
in provinciis tantum terrarum habens quantum nemo privatus.
[and no private citizen had as much land as he in the provinces.]
4 Is post consulatum, quem egerat cum Alexandro, ad proconsulatum Africae missus est ex senatus consulto.
[This man, after his consulship, which he served alongside Alexander, was assigned to the proconsulship of Africa by the decree of the senate.]
III. 1 Sed priusquam de imperio eius loquar,
[But before I begin to speak about his time in power,]
dicam pauca de moribus:
[let me say a few words about his character:]
Cicero, Concerning Proconsular Consuls
Marcus Tullius Cicero [Cicero or Tully]
106-43 BC *executed by 2nd Triumvirate (specifically Mark Antony)
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Republican Era/Golden Age of Latin Literature)
M. TVLLI CICERONIS DE PROVINCIIS CONSVLARIBUS ORATIO
1 I. [1] Si quis vestrum, patres conscripti, exspectat quas sim provincias decreturus,
[If one of you, my fellow senators, are eager to know which provinces I will be decreed,]
consideret ipse secum
[he should taken into consideration in his own right]
qui mihi homines ex provinciis potissimum detrahendi sint;
[who might be the men who most of all must be dragged away from the provinces, for my sake;]
non dubitabit quid sentire me conveniat,
[he will not be in doubt why it suits me to feel this way,]
cum, quid mihi sentire necesse sit, cogitarit.
[as soon as he considers why it might be necessary that I feel this way.]
Ac si princeps eam sententiam dicerem, laudaretis profecto;
[and if I, as a leading citizen, should speak this opinion of my, you would immediately speak praise;]
si solus, certe ignosceritis;
[if I was alone, you shall've surely been left in the dark;]
etiamsi paulo minus utilis vobis sententia videretur,
[even if it should seem all the less a useful thought to you all,]
veniam tamen aliquam dolori meo tribueritis.
[still you will've bestowed some degree of forgiveness for this mistake on my part.]
Nunc vero, Patres conscripti, non parva adficior voluptate,
[Now really, conscripted Senators, I'm inspired by pure desire, a great amount of it,]
vel quod hoc maxime rei publicae conducit Syriam Macedoniamque decerni,
[either because, most of all, it opens up Syria and Macedonia to be determined by the commonwealth,]
ut dolor meus nihil a communi utilitate dissentiat,
[so that my own grief not disagree in any way to with the welfare of our community,]
vel quod habeo auctorem P. Servilium,
[or because I have at my disposal Publius Servilius,]
qui ante me sententiam dixit,
[who spoke his point of view before me,]
virum clarissimum
[a most distinguished gentleman]
et cum in universam rem publicam, tum etiam erga meam salutem fide ac benevolentia singulari.
[and who has shown a singular loyalty and goodwill both to every member of our commonwealth, as well as for the sake of my own safety.]
[2] Quodsi ille, et paulo ante, et quotienscumque ei locus dicendi ac potestas fuit,
[But if the man I speak of, just a while ago, and let me add, the exact same station and power of speaking belongs to him,]
Gabinium et Pisonem, duo rei publicae portenda ac paene funera,
[and Gabinius and Piso, two men who often portend the death of our commonwealth,]
cum propter alias causas,
[not only on account of other reasons,]
tum maxime propter illud insigne scelus eorum et importunam in me crudelitatem,
[but on account of their most notorious wickedness and unseasonable cruelty against me,]
non solum sententia sua,
sed etiam verborum gravitate esse notandos putavit,
[--he not only thought that they they must be marked down in response to their ideology but to the seriousness of their declarations as well,]
quonam me animo in eos esse oportet,
[why so does it suit me to direct my attention upon these men,]
cuius illud salutem pro pignore tradiderunt ad explendas suas cupiditates?
[and the safety of whom they betrayed, despite swearing an oath, so that they could gratify their own desires?]
Sed ego in hac sententia dicenda non parebo dolori meo,
[But, for my sake, I will not be swayed by own grief on this opinion, though it is one that need be spoken,]
non iracundiae serviam.
[I will not indulge my resentment.]
Quo animo unus quisque vestrum debet esse in illos, hoc ero;
[And with this same mindset, each and every one of you all ought approaches those men I speak of, and I will do the same;]
praecipuum illum et proprium sensum doloris mei, quem tamen vos communem semper vobis mecum esse duxistis, a sententia dicenda amovebo,
[I will detach from the argument that I must make that utter and personal feeling that is my own grief, the one which you yet all have taken upon, as always, as belonging to yourselves, as well as to me, ]
ad ulciscendi tempora reservabo.
[and I will postpone the time when I must think about revenge.]
II. [3] Quattuor sunt provinciae, Patres conscripti,
[My fellow senators, there are four provinces,]
de quibus adhuc intellego sententias esse dictas,
[about which I, at this point, understand the following facts need be declared,]
Galliae duae, quas hoc tempore uno imperio videmus esse coniunctas et Syria et Macedonia,
[the two Gauls, which we, at one time, see were linked under a single administration of government, and Syria, and then Macedonia,]
quas vobis invitis et oppressis pestiferi illi consules properversae rei publicae praemiis occupaverunt.
[which the ill-bearing consuls I speak of occupied as rewards from an ever-changing commonwealth, even while all of you were unwilling and overwhelmed.]
Decernandae nobis sunt lege Sempronia duae.
[There are two that need to be examined under the Sempronian law.]
Quid est quod possimus de Syria Macedonia dubitare?
[Why is it that we manage to remain muddled onSyria and Macedonia?]
Mitto quod eas ita partas habent ii,
[I submit that these men thusly occupy these regions,]
qui nunc obtinent,
[I mean, the ones now receiving them,]
ut non ante attingerint,
[but not so that they could attain them beforehand,]
quam hunc ordinem condemnarint,
[as they have damned this here class of men,]
quam auctoritatem vestram e civitate exterminarint,
[and as they have extinguished your own right to govern, right out of your city,]
quam fidem publicam, quam perpetuam populi Romani salutem, quam me ac meos omnis foedissime crudelissimeque vexarint.
[and as they have disturbed the faith of the people, as they have the permanent safety of the Roman public, and in the foulest and most heinous ways, myself and all of my supporters.]
106-43 BC *executed by 2nd Triumvirate (specifically Mark Antony)
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Republican Era/Golden Age of Latin Literature)
M. TVLLI CICERONIS DE PROVINCIIS CONSVLARIBUS ORATIO
1 I. [1] Si quis vestrum, patres conscripti, exspectat quas sim provincias decreturus,
[If one of you, my fellow senators, are eager to know which provinces I will be decreed,]
consideret ipse secum
[he should taken into consideration in his own right]
qui mihi homines ex provinciis potissimum detrahendi sint;
[who might be the men who most of all must be dragged away from the provinces, for my sake;]
non dubitabit quid sentire me conveniat,
[he will not be in doubt why it suits me to feel this way,]
cum, quid mihi sentire necesse sit, cogitarit.
[as soon as he considers why it might be necessary that I feel this way.]
Ac si princeps eam sententiam dicerem, laudaretis profecto;
[and if I, as a leading citizen, should speak this opinion of my, you would immediately speak praise;]
si solus, certe ignosceritis;
[if I was alone, you shall've surely been left in the dark;]
etiamsi paulo minus utilis vobis sententia videretur,
[even if it should seem all the less a useful thought to you all,]
veniam tamen aliquam dolori meo tribueritis.
[still you will've bestowed some degree of forgiveness for this mistake on my part.]
Nunc vero, Patres conscripti, non parva adficior voluptate,
[Now really, conscripted Senators, I'm inspired by pure desire, a great amount of it,]
vel quod hoc maxime rei publicae conducit Syriam Macedoniamque decerni,
[either because, most of all, it opens up Syria and Macedonia to be determined by the commonwealth,]
ut dolor meus nihil a communi utilitate dissentiat,
[so that my own grief not disagree in any way to with the welfare of our community,]
vel quod habeo auctorem P. Servilium,
[or because I have at my disposal Publius Servilius,]
qui ante me sententiam dixit,
[who spoke his point of view before me,]
virum clarissimum
[a most distinguished gentleman]
et cum in universam rem publicam, tum etiam erga meam salutem fide ac benevolentia singulari.
[and who has shown a singular loyalty and goodwill both to every member of our commonwealth, as well as for the sake of my own safety.]
[2] Quodsi ille, et paulo ante, et quotienscumque ei locus dicendi ac potestas fuit,
[But if the man I speak of, just a while ago, and let me add, the exact same station and power of speaking belongs to him,]
Gabinium et Pisonem, duo rei publicae portenda ac paene funera,
[and Gabinius and Piso, two men who often portend the death of our commonwealth,]
cum propter alias causas,
[not only on account of other reasons,]
tum maxime propter illud insigne scelus eorum et importunam in me crudelitatem,
[but on account of their most notorious wickedness and unseasonable cruelty against me,]
non solum sententia sua,
sed etiam verborum gravitate esse notandos putavit,
[--he not only thought that they they must be marked down in response to their ideology but to the seriousness of their declarations as well,]
quonam me animo in eos esse oportet,
[why so does it suit me to direct my attention upon these men,]
cuius illud salutem pro pignore tradiderunt ad explendas suas cupiditates?
[and the safety of whom they betrayed, despite swearing an oath, so that they could gratify their own desires?]
Sed ego in hac sententia dicenda non parebo dolori meo,
[But, for my sake, I will not be swayed by own grief on this opinion, though it is one that need be spoken,]
non iracundiae serviam.
[I will not indulge my resentment.]
Quo animo unus quisque vestrum debet esse in illos, hoc ero;
[And with this same mindset, each and every one of you all ought approaches those men I speak of, and I will do the same;]
praecipuum illum et proprium sensum doloris mei, quem tamen vos communem semper vobis mecum esse duxistis, a sententia dicenda amovebo,
[I will detach from the argument that I must make that utter and personal feeling that is my own grief, the one which you yet all have taken upon, as always, as belonging to yourselves, as well as to me, ]
ad ulciscendi tempora reservabo.
[and I will postpone the time when I must think about revenge.]
II. [3] Quattuor sunt provinciae, Patres conscripti,
[My fellow senators, there are four provinces,]
de quibus adhuc intellego sententias esse dictas,
[about which I, at this point, understand the following facts need be declared,]
Galliae duae, quas hoc tempore uno imperio videmus esse coniunctas et Syria et Macedonia,
[the two Gauls, which we, at one time, see were linked under a single administration of government, and Syria, and then Macedonia,]
quas vobis invitis et oppressis pestiferi illi consules properversae rei publicae praemiis occupaverunt.
[which the ill-bearing consuls I speak of occupied as rewards from an ever-changing commonwealth, even while all of you were unwilling and overwhelmed.]
Decernandae nobis sunt lege Sempronia duae.
[There are two that need to be examined under the Sempronian law.]
Quid est quod possimus de Syria Macedonia dubitare?
[Why is it that we manage to remain muddled onSyria and Macedonia?]
Mitto quod eas ita partas habent ii,
[I submit that these men thusly occupy these regions,]
qui nunc obtinent,
[I mean, the ones now receiving them,]
ut non ante attingerint,
[but not so that they could attain them beforehand,]
quam hunc ordinem condemnarint,
[as they have damned this here class of men,]
quam auctoritatem vestram e civitate exterminarint,
[and as they have extinguished your own right to govern, right out of your city,]
quam fidem publicam, quam perpetuam populi Romani salutem, quam me ac meos omnis foedissime crudelissimeque vexarint.
[and as they have disturbed the faith of the people, as they have the permanent safety of the Roman public, and in the foulest and most heinous ways, myself and all of my supporters.]
Cicero, In Defense of Marcus Marcellus [Pro Marcello]
Marcus Tullius Cicero [Cicero or Tully]
106-43 BC *executed by 2nd Triumvirate (specifically Mark Antony)
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Republican Era/Golden Age of Latin Literature)
M. TVLLI CICERONIS PRO M. MARCELLO ORATIO
[1] [I] Diuturni silenti, patres conscripti,
[Everyday silence, my fellow Senators,]
quo eram his temporibus usus—
[which I had enjoyed in times like these--]
non timore aliquo, sed partim dolore, partim verecundia—
[not with any sense of fear, but rather in grief partly, and in a sense of shame partly--]
finem hodiernus dies attulit,
[the arrival of today brought an end,]
idemque initium quae vellem
[and at the same time, these are the things that I was wanting in the beginning,]
quaeque sentirem meo pristino more dicendi.
[and these were the things I was feeling, by my own long-standing custom of speaking.]
Tantam enim mansuetudinem, tam inusitatam inauditamque clementiam, tantum in summa potestate rerum omnium modum, tam denique incredibilem sapientiam ac paene divinam,
[You see, so much consideration, so much uncanny and unheard-of mercy, so tremendous a manner of performing deeds at the highest level of power, and most importantly, such incredible and often divinely inspired wisdom]
tacitus praeterire nullo modo possum.
[I, in no way, can neglect to mention in silence.]
[2] M. enim Marcello vobis, patres conscripti, reique publicae reddito, non illius solum, sed etiam meam vocem et auctoritatem et vobis et rei publicae conservatam ac restitutam puto.
[Let me explain, my fellow senators: I am rendering Marcus Marcellus unto you all, and our commonwealth; I not only think that his alone, no, but my own right to speak and authority has been preserved and restored for the sake of you all, and for the Republic.]
106-43 BC *executed by 2nd Triumvirate (specifically Mark Antony)
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Republican Era/Golden Age of Latin Literature)
M. TVLLI CICERONIS PRO M. MARCELLO ORATIO
[1] [I] Diuturni silenti, patres conscripti,
[Everyday silence, my fellow Senators,]
quo eram his temporibus usus—
[which I had enjoyed in times like these--]
non timore aliquo, sed partim dolore, partim verecundia—
[not with any sense of fear, but rather in grief partly, and in a sense of shame partly--]
finem hodiernus dies attulit,
[the arrival of today brought an end,]
idemque initium quae vellem
[and at the same time, these are the things that I was wanting in the beginning,]
quaeque sentirem meo pristino more dicendi.
[and these were the things I was feeling, by my own long-standing custom of speaking.]
Tantam enim mansuetudinem, tam inusitatam inauditamque clementiam, tantum in summa potestate rerum omnium modum, tam denique incredibilem sapientiam ac paene divinam,
[You see, so much consideration, so much uncanny and unheard-of mercy, so tremendous a manner of performing deeds at the highest level of power, and most importantly, such incredible and often divinely inspired wisdom]
tacitus praeterire nullo modo possum.
[I, in no way, can neglect to mention in silence.]
[2] M. enim Marcello vobis, patres conscripti, reique publicae reddito, non illius solum, sed etiam meam vocem et auctoritatem et vobis et rei publicae conservatam ac restitutam puto.
[Let me explain, my fellow senators: I am rendering Marcus Marcellus unto you all, and our commonwealth; I not only think that his alone, no, but my own right to speak and authority has been preserved and restored for the sake of you all, and for the Republic.]
Cicero, In Defense of Marcus Scaurus [Pro Scauro]
Marcus Tullius Cicero [Cicero or Tully]
106-43 BC *executed by 2nd Triumvirate (specifically Mark Antony)
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Republican Era/Golden Age of Latin Literature)
M. TVLLI CICERONIS PRO M. SCAVRO ORATIO
[1] [a] maxime fuit optandum M. Scauro, iudices,
[Judges, Marcus Scaurus once wished most of all,]
ut nullo suscepto cuiusquam odio sine offensione ac molestia retineret,
[that he could hold back, while avoiding any hatred from anybody and without offense and harassment, ]
id quod praecipue semper studuit,
generis, familiae, nominis dignitatem.
[as he ever, most of all, looked after this thing, the dignitaty of his lineage, his family, and his name.]
[c] subiit etiam populi iudicium inquirente Cn. Domitio tribuno plebis.
[He even endured the judgement of the people, when the tribune of the plebs Gnaeus Domitius investigated into him.]
[d] reus est factus a Q. Servilio Caepione lege Servilia,
[He was forced to defend himself against charges from Quintus Servilius Caepio, in violation of the Servilian Law,]
cum iudicia penes equestrem ordinem essent
[when rights to sit on the jury belonged to the equestrian order]
et P. Rutilio damnato nemo tam innocens videretur
[and when, once Publius Rutilius was condemned, no one seemed so innocent]
ut non timeret illa.
[that he would have to fear those kinds of things.]
[e] ab eodem etiam lege Varia custos ille rei publicae proditionis est in crimen vocatus;
[and from that point, that man was also accused, by Varius' proposed law, for the crime of treason;]
vexatus a Q. Vario tribuno plebis est.
[the tribune of the plebs has grown upset from Quintus Varius' actions.]
[f] non enim tantum admiratus sum ego illum virum,
[You see, for my part, I've not only come to admired such a man that I speak of,]
sicut omnes,
[as does everyone,]
sed etiam praecipue dilexi.
[but actually I've come to especially like him.]
106-43 BC *executed by 2nd Triumvirate (specifically Mark Antony)
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Republican Era/Golden Age of Latin Literature)
M. TVLLI CICERONIS PRO M. SCAVRO ORATIO
[1] [a] maxime fuit optandum M. Scauro, iudices,
[Judges, Marcus Scaurus once wished most of all,]
ut nullo suscepto cuiusquam odio sine offensione ac molestia retineret,
[that he could hold back, while avoiding any hatred from anybody and without offense and harassment, ]
id quod praecipue semper studuit,
generis, familiae, nominis dignitatem.
[as he ever, most of all, looked after this thing, the dignitaty of his lineage, his family, and his name.]
[c] subiit etiam populi iudicium inquirente Cn. Domitio tribuno plebis.
[He even endured the judgement of the people, when the tribune of the plebs Gnaeus Domitius investigated into him.]
[d] reus est factus a Q. Servilio Caepione lege Servilia,
[He was forced to defend himself against charges from Quintus Servilius Caepio, in violation of the Servilian Law,]
cum iudicia penes equestrem ordinem essent
[when rights to sit on the jury belonged to the equestrian order]
et P. Rutilio damnato nemo tam innocens videretur
[and when, once Publius Rutilius was condemned, no one seemed so innocent]
ut non timeret illa.
[that he would have to fear those kinds of things.]
[e] ab eodem etiam lege Varia custos ille rei publicae proditionis est in crimen vocatus;
[and from that point, that man was also accused, by Varius' proposed law, for the crime of treason;]
vexatus a Q. Vario tribuno plebis est.
[the tribune of the plebs has grown upset from Quintus Varius' actions.]
[f] non enim tantum admiratus sum ego illum virum,
[You see, for my part, I've not only come to admired such a man that I speak of,]
sicut omnes,
[as does everyone,]
sed etiam praecipue dilexi.
[but actually I've come to especially like him.]
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