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[34]
Oh miserable man, not only in fact, but also in the circumstance of not
perceiving yourself how miserable you are! But listen to the most serious charge
of all. ‘“In fact, what have you not
sanctioned,—what have you not done? what would be done if he were
to come to life again, by?—”’
By whom? For I suppose he means to bring forward some instance of a very wicked
man. ‘“Cnaeus Pompeius himself?”’
Oh how base must we be, if indeed we have been imitating Cnaeus Pompeius! ‘“Or his son, if he could be at
home?”’
He soon will be at home, believe me; for in a very few days he will enter on his
home, and on his father's villas. ‘“Lastly, you
declare that peace can not be made unless I either allow Brutus to quit
Mutina, or supply him with
corn.”’
It is others who say that: I say, that even if you were to do so, there never
could be peace between this city and you. ‘“What? is this the opinion of those veteran soldiers, to whom as
yet either course is open?”’
I do not see that there is any course so open to them, as now to begin and
attack that general whom they previously were so zealous and unanimous in
defending.1
1 There is some difficulty here, Many editors propose to read offenderint, which Orellius thinks would hardly be Latin. He says, “Antonius is here speaking of those veterans who had deserted him indeed, but who, at the time of his writing this letter, had not acted against him.” Therefore, he says it is open to them to become reconciled to him again (wishing to conciliate them, and to alarm his enemies). On the other hand, Cicero replies, Nothing is so open to them now as to do what their duty to the republic requires. That is to say, openly to attack you, whose party they have already abandoned.
M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge. London. George Bell & Sons. 1903.
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