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Lucius Otho, 1 a brave man, and an intimate friend of mine,
restored not only its dignity, but also its pleasure to the equestrian order; and, therefore,
this law which relates to the games is the most acceptable of all laws, because by it that
most honourable order of men is restored not only to its honours, but also to the enjoyment of
its amusements. Games, then, believe me, are a great delight to men, even to those who are
ashamed to own it, and not to those only who confess it as I found to be the
case in my contest for the consulship; for we also had a theatrical representation as our
competitor. But if I who, as aedile, had exhibited those shows of games, was yet influenced by
the games exhibited by Antonius, do you not suppose that that very silver stage exhibited by
this man, which you laugh at was a serious rival to you, who, as it happened, had never given
any games at all?
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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.
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