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  • THE FRAGMENTS WHICH REMAIN OF THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO ON BEHALF OF MARCUS TULLIUS.
  • THE FRAGMENTS WHICH REMAIN OF THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO ON BEHALF OF MARCUS FONTEIUS.
  • THE ORATION OF M. T. CICERO IN BEHALF OF AULUS CAECINA.
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO IN DEFENCE OF THE PROPOSED MANILIAN LAW.
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO IN DEFENCE OF AULUS CLUENTIUS HABITUS.
  • THE FRAGMENTS OF THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO IN DEFENCE OF CAIUS CORNELIUS.
  • THE FRAGMENTS OF THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO IN HIS WHITE GOWN, AGAINST C. ANTONIUS AND L. CATILINA, HIS COMPETITORS FOR THE CONSULSHIP. DELIVERED IN THE SENATE.
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO IN DEFENCE OF CAIUS RABIRIUS, ACCUSED OF TREASON.
  • THE ORATION OF M. T. CICERO IN DEFENCE OF L. MURENA, PROSECUTED FOR BRIBERY.
  • THE ORATION OF M. T. CICERO IN DEFENCE OF PUBLIUS SULLA.
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO FOR AULUS LICINIUS ARCHIAS, THE POET
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO IN DEFENCE OF LUCIUS FLACCUS.
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO AFTER HIS RETURN. ADDRESSED TO THE SENATE.
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO AFTER HIS RETURN. ADDRESSED TO THE PEOPLE.
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO AGAINST PUBLIUS CLODIUS AND CAIUS CURIO.
  • THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO IN DEFENCE OF MARCUS AEMILIUS SCAURUS.

    • M. Tullius Cicero, Orations: Three orations on the Agrarian law, the four against Catiline, the orations for Rabirius, Murena, Sylla, Archias, Flaccus, Scaurus, etc. (ed. C. D. Yonge)

    Editions and translations: Latin (ed. Albert Clark) | English (ed. C. D. Yonge)
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    text=Tul.:section=7 text=Tul.:section=21 text=Tul.:section=34 text=Tul. text=Font. text=Font.:section=10 text=Font.:section=21 text=Font. text=Font.:section=44 text=Caec. text=Caec.:section=16 text=Caec.:section=28 text=Caec.:section=41 text=Caec.:section=53 text=Caec.:section=65 text=Caec.:section=77 text=Caec.:section=89 text=Caec.:section=102 text=Man.:section=6 text=Man.:section=18 text=Man.:section=30 text=Man.:section=43 text=Man. text=Man.:section=68 text=Clu.:section=5 text=Clu.:section=18 text=Clu.:section=30 text=Clu.:section=43 text=Clu.:section=54 text=Clu.:section=66 text=Clu.:section=78 text=Clu. text=Clu.:section=98 text=Clu. text=Clu. text=Clu.:section=134 text=Clu.:section=146 text=Clu.:section=158 text=Clu.:section=171 text=Clu.:section=183 text=Clu.:section=196 text=Corn.:speech=1 text=Agr.:speech=1:section=fr3 text=Agr.:speech=1 text=Agr.:speech=1:section=23 text=Agr.:speech=2 text=Agr.:speech=2:section=16 text=Agr.:speech=2:section=27 text=Agr.:speech=2:section=39 text=Agr.:speech=2:section=51 text=Agr.:speech=2 text=Agr.:speech=2:section=75 text=Agr.:speech=2:section=87 text=Agr.:speech=2:section=99 text=Agr.:speech=3:section=6 text=Rab. Perd. text=Rab. Perd. text=Rab. Perd.:section=23 text=Rab. Perd.:section=34 text=Catil.:speech=1:section=5 text=Catil.:speech=1 text=Catil.:speech=1:section=29 text=Catil.:speech=2 text=Catil.:speech=2 text=Catil.:speech=2:section=27 text=Catil.:speech=3:section=7 text=Catil.:speech=3:section=17 text=Catil.:speech=3 text=Catil.:speech=4 text=Catil.:speech=4 text=Mur. text=Mur.:section=9 text=Mur. text=Mur.:section=28 text=Mur.:section=37 text=Mur. text=Mur.:section=57 text=Mur.:section=66 text=Mur.:section=76 text=Mur.:section=86 text=Sul.:section=3 text=Sul. text=Sul. text=Sul.:section=34 text=Sul.:section=44 text=Sul.:section=54 text=Sul.:section=66 text=Sul.:section=77 text=Sul.:section=88 text=Arch. text=Arch.:section=13 text=Arch.:section=24 text=Flac. text=Flac. text=Flac.:section=16 text=Flac.:section=27 text=Flac.:section=37 text=Flac.:section=48 text=Flac.:section=58 text=Flac.:section=69 text=Flac. text=Flac. text=Flac.:section=103 text=Red. Sen.:section=4 text=Red. Sen.:section=15 text=Red. Sen.:section=25 text=Red. Sen.:section=35 text=Red. Pop.:section=3 text=Red. Pop.:section=14 text=Red. Pop. text=Scaur. text=Scaur.:section=8. text=Scaur.:section=13 text=Scaur.:section=29

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    THE FRAGMENTS WHICH REMAIN OF THE SPEECH OF M. T. CICERO ON BEHALF OF MARCUS TULLIUS. 1

    THE ARGUMENT.

    Marcus Tullius had a farm, and a man of the name of Publius Fabius had bought another farm bordering on it. On the farm of Tullius there was a large field which Fabius coveted greatly, and as he could not obtain it by bargain, or by any legal process, (though he does seem to have tried this latter expedient,) he arms a gang of slaves, and sends them to take possession of the land, they murder Tullius's slaves, and demolish and burn the villa which he had there. After all this, Tullius prosecutes Fabius for the damage done. So that, as it seems, this speech ought rather to be called a speech against Publius Fabius than a speech on behalf of Marcus Tullius.

    I. Formerly, O judges, I had determined to conduct this cause in a different manner, thinking that our adversaries would deny that their household was implicated in such a violent and atrocious murder. Accordingly, I came with a mind free from care and anxiety, because I was aware that I could easily prove that by witnesses. But now, when it has been confessed, not only by that most honourable man, Lucius Quinctius,
    ***** but when Publius Fabius himself has not hesitated to admit the facts which are the subject of this trial, I come forward to plead this cause in quite a different manner from that in which I was originally prepared to argue it. For then my anxiety was to be able to prove what I asserted had been done. Now all my speech is to be directed to this point, to prevent our adversaries from being in a better position, merely because they have admitted what they could not possibly deny though they greatly wished to do so. [2] Therefore, as matters stood at first your decision was more difficult, but my defence was easy. For I originally rested my whole case on the evidence;
    ***** now I rest it on the confession of my adversary; and to oppose his audacity in acts of violence, his impudence in a court of justice, may fairly be considered as the task of your power, not of my abilities.-- For what is easier than to decide on the case of a man who confesses the fact? But it is difficult for me to speak with sufficient force of that which cannot be by language made out worse than it is in reality, and cannot be made more plain by my speech than it is by the confession of the parties actually concerned.

    [3] As, therefore, on account of the reasons which I have stated, my system of defence must be changed,
    ***** I must also forget for a little time, in the case of Publius Fabius, that lenity of mine which I practiced at the previous trial, when I restrained myself from using any arguments which might have the appearance of attacking him, so much that I seemed to be defending his reputation with no less care than the cause of Marcus Tullius. Now, since Quinctius has thought it not foreign to the subject to introduce so many statements, false for the most part and most wickedly invented, concerning the life and habits and character of Marcus Tullius, Fabius must pardon me for many reasons, if I do not now appear to spare his character so much, or to show the same regard for it now as I did previously.
    *****

    1 This Oration is in a very imperfect and corrupt state. It is only lately that even what we have of it has been discovered in the North of Italy. It has been edited with great care by C. Beier, who has, however, gone rather beyond the province of an editor in filling up lacunae of several lines at a time to complete what he considers must have been Cicero's meaning. Those additions of his I have generally thought it better to omit from the translation, as they rest on no authority, and as this work professes only to be a translation of Cicero himself.

    There is one comment on or cross reference to this page.

    Cross references from Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges (eds. J. B. Greenough, G. L. Kittredge, A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge):
    2, 367 [Indirect Object with Special Verbs]

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    This text is based on the following book(s):
    M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge, B. A. London. Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. 1856.
    OCLC: 4709897


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