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 REGE DEIOTARO AD C. CAESAREM ORATIO
[1] Cum in omnibus causis gravioribus, C. Caesar,
[When, in all the more serious legal suits, Gaius Caesar,]
initio dicendi commoveri soleam vehementius,
[I might be accustomed to become more violently emotional, as I begin to speak,]
quam videtur vel usus vel aetas mea postulare,
[more than seems proper, or either my habits or age requires,]
tum in hac causa ita me multa perturbant,
[so then, many things so very cause me distress in this case,]
ut, quantum mea fides studii mihi adferat ad salutem regis Deiotari defendendam,
[that, to the very degree my loyalty to passion inspires me to come the rescue of King Deiotarus' welfare,]
tantum facultatis timor detrahat.
[the very same fear involving its ease draws me back.]
Primum dico pro capite fortunisque regis,
[First, I'll speak in defense of the king's life and fortunes,]
quod ipsum, etsi non iniquum est in tuo dum taxat periculo,
[something which, he himself, although it's not senseless only in your state of danger,]
tamen est ita inusitatum,
[it is still so very unusual,]
regem reum capitis esse,
[for a man of royal status to become a defendant in a capital charge,]
ut ante hoc tempus non sit auditum;
[as, before this period, it's been unheard of;]
[2] deinde eum regem, quem ornare antea cuncto cum senatu solebam pro perpetuis eius in nostram rem publicam meritis,
[and then, there's this king here, whom I grew accustomed in previous times to give honors, in front of the entire Senate, as a reward for his perpetual good deeds in the service of our Republic,]
nunc contra atrocissimum crimen cogor defendere.
[but now I forced to defend him against the most horrible charge.]
Accedit ut accusatorum alterius crudelitate,
alterius indignitate conturber:
[It turns out that I am completely put in distress by one of the accusing party's cruelty, and another of their party's misbehavior.]
crudelem Castorem, ne dicam sceleratum et impium,
[a type of cruel Castor, lest I call him wicked and impious,]
qui nepos avum in capitis discrimen adduxerit
[a grandson who led his grandfather to the cusp of capital punishment]
adulescentiaeque suae terrorem intulerit ei,
[and instill the terrible state of his adulescence upon him,]
cuius senectutem tueri et tegere debebat,
[whose old age he ought to safeguard and protect,]
commendationemque ineuntis aetatis ab impietate et scelere duxerit;
[and should have taken the support of his upcoming period in his life from impiety and ill deed;]
