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8.
But there is danger of our being overwhelmed. I have no fear that the man who can
not enjoy his own most abundant fortunes, unless all the good men are saved,
will betray his own safety. It is nature which first makes good citizens, and
then fortune assists them. For it is for the advantage of all good men that the
republic should be safe; but that advantage appears more clearly in the case of
those who are fortunate.
[17]
Who is mere
fortunate than Lentulus, as I said before, and who is more sensible! The Roman
people saw his sorrow and his tears at the Lupercal festival. They saw how
miserable, how overwhelmed he was when Antonius placed a diadem on Caesar's head
and preferred being his slave to being his colleague. And even if he had been
able to abstain from his other crimes and wickednesses, still on account of that
one single action I should think him worthy of all punishment. For even if he
himself was calculated to be a slave, why should he impose a master on us? And
if his childhood had borne the lusts of those men who were tyrants over him, was
he on that account to prepare a master and a tyrant to lord it over our
children! Therefore since that man was slain, he himself has behaved to all
others in the same manner as he wished him to behave to us.
[18]
For in what country of barbarians was there ever so foul and cruel a tyrant as
Antonius, escorted by the arms of barbarians, has proved in this city? When
Caesar was exercising the supreme power, we used to come into the senate, if not
with freedom, at all events with safety. But under this arch-pirate (for why
should I say tyrant?) these benches were occupied by Itureans. On a sudden he
hastened to Brundusium, in order
to come against this city from thence with a regular army. He deluged Suessa, a
most beautiful town, now of municipal citizens, formerly of most honorable
colonists, with the blood of the bravest soldiers. At Brundusium he massacred the chosen
centurions of the Martial legion in the lap of his wife, who was not only most
avaricious but also most cruel. After that with what fury, with what eagerness
did he hurry on to the city, that is to say, to the slaughter of every virtuous
man! But at that time the immortal gods brought to us a protector whom we had
never seen nor expected.
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