8.
[18]
Are then my sentiments found fault with in this business which fell
especially to my share? I rescued affairs of the greatest consequence from
the mischief of the most imminent danger; and I saved not only it, but you
also, from massacre, and conflagration, and devastation. No one denies this;
as to the pretext of dearness there was added that spy of the general
misery, who always lit the firebrand of his guilt in the misfortunes of the
republic.
He says that nothing ought to have been decreed irregularly to any one. I do
not at present make the same reply to you that I make to the
rest,—That many wars, and these wars of the greatest danger and of
the greatest importance, both by land and sea, have been entrusted to Cnaeus
Pompeius out of the regular order. And if any one repents of those measures,
he must also repent of the victory of the Roman people.
[19]
I do not deal with you in this manner. I can address
this argument to those men, who state that if any matter must be entrusted
to one individual, then they would rather entrust it to Cnaeus Pompeius than
to any one, but that they make a rule of never entrusting anything to any
one in an irregular manner; still, after it has been entrusted to Pompeius,
that they then vindicate and uphold the measure, as is due to the dignity of
the man. From praising the statements of these men I am hindered by the
triumphs of Cnaeus Pompeius, by which he (though it was quite out of the
regular order of things that he was summoned to defend his country)
increased the reputation of the Roman people, and crowned their empire with
honour. At the same time I praise their firmness, which is a virtue which I
have need to avail myself of, since it was on my proposition that he was
appointed, quite out of the regular routine, to conduct the war against
Mithridates and Tigranes.
[20]
But still there
are some points which I can argue with them; but still, how great is your
impudence, when you dare to say that nothing ought to be given to any one
out of the regular routine! You who, when, by an iniquitous law, for some
unknown cause you had confiscated the property of Ptolemy, King of
Cyprus, the brother of the King
of Alexandria, who was reigning by the same right as he was, and had
involved the Roman people in the crime,—when you had sent a band
of robbers from this empire to ravage his kingdom, and goods, and property,
though there had been a long alliance and friendship between us and his
father, and grandfather, and still more remote
ancestors,—appointed Marcus Cato to superintend the carrying away
of his money, and the managing the war if any individual was found hardy
enough to defend his own property.
[21]
Will
you say, “Yes, but what a man Cato was! A most religious, most
prudent, most gallant man; the firmest friend to the republic, a citizen of
a most marvellous and almost unique virtue, and wisdom, and purity of
life.” Very fine, but what is all that to you, when you say that
it is untrue that any one ought to be appointed to any public duty out of
the regular course?
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