[160]
The men of Tauromenium which is a city in alliance
1 with us, most quiet men, who were formerly as far removed as possible
from the injuries of our magistrates, owing to the protection the treaty was to
them; yet even they did not hesitate to overturn that man's statue. But when that
was removed, they allowed the pedestal to remain in the forum, because they thought
it would tell more strongly against him, if men knew that his statue had been thrown
down by the Tauromenians, than if they thought that none had ever been erected. The
men of Tyndarus threw down his statue in the forum; and for the same reason left the
horse without a rider. At Leontini, even in that miserable and desolate city, his
statue in the gymnasium was thrown down. For why should I speak of the Syracusans,
when that act was not a private act of the Syracusans, but was done by them in
common with all their neighbouring allies, and withal most the whole province? How
great a multitude, how vast a concourse of men is said to have been present when his
statues were pulled down and overturned! But where was this done? In the most
frequented and sacred place of the whole city; before Serapis himself, in the very
entrance and vestibule of the temple. And if Metellus had not acted with great
vigour, and by his authority, and by a positive edict forbidden it, there would not
have been a trace of a statue of that man left in all Sicily.
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1 The foederatae civitates were those states which were connected with Rome by a treaty, foedus. The name did not include Roman colonies, or Latin colonies, or any place which had obtained the Roman civitas. They were independent states, yet under a general liability to furnish a contingent for the Roman army; they were nearly all confined within the limits of Italy, though Gades, Saguntum and Massilia were exceptions, as well as Tauromenium. Vide Smith, Dict. Ant. p. 427.
M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge. London. George Bell & Sons. 1903.
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