12.
But why do I speak of distant events? It was—it was, indeed, formerly—a
characteristic of the Roman people to carry on its wars at a distance from home, and to defend
by the bulwarks of its power not its own homes, but the fortunes of its allies. Need I say,
that the sea has during all these latter years been closed against your allies, when even our
own armies never ventured to cross over from Brundusium, except in the depth of winter? Need I complain that men who were
coming to you from foreign nations were taken prisoners, when even the ambassadors of the
Roman people were forced to be ransomed? Need I say, that the sea was not safe for merchants,
when twelve axes 1 came into
the power of the pirates?
[33]
Need I mention, how Cnidus, and Colophon, and Samos, most noble cities,
and others too in countless numbers, were taken by them, when you know that your own harbours,
and those harbours too from which you derive, as it were, your very life and breath, were in
the power of the pirates? Are you ignorant that the harbour of Caieta, that illustrious harbour, when full of ships, was plundered by the
pirates under the very eyes of the praetor? and that from Misenum, the children of the very man who had before that waged war against the
pirates in that place, were carried off by the pirates? For why should I complain of the
disaster of Ostia, and of that stain and blot on
the republic, when almost under your very eyes, that fleet which was under the command of a
Roman consul was taken and destroyed by the pirates? O ye immortal gods! could the incredible
and godlike virtue of one man in so short a time bring so much light to the republic, that you
who had lately been used to see a fleet of the enemy before the mouth of the Tiber, should now hear that there is not one ship belonging to
the pirates on this side of the Atlantic?
[34]
And although you
have seen with what rapidity these things were done, still that rapidity ought not to be
passed over by me in speaking of them.—For who ever, even if he were only going for
the purpose of transacting business or making profit, contrived in so short a time to visit so
many places, and to perform such long journeys, with as great celerity as Cnaeus Pompeius has
performed his voyage, bearing with him the terrors of war as our general? He, when the weather
could hardly be called open for sailing, went to Sicily, explored the coasts of Africa;
from thence he came with his fleet to Sardinia, and
these three great granaries of the republic he fortified with powerful garrisons and fleets;
[35]
when, leaving Sardinia, he came to Italy, having
secured the two Spains and Cisalpine Gaul with garrisons and ships. Having sent vessels also
to the coast of Illyricum, and to every part of
Achaia and Greece, he also adorned the two seas of Italy with very large fleets, and very sufficient garrisons; and he himself
going in person, added all Cilicia to the dominions
of the Roman people, on the forty-ninth day after he set out from Brundusium. Will the pirates who were anywhere to be
found, were either taken prisoners and put to death, or else had surrendered themselves
voluntarily to the power and authority of this one man. Also, when the Cretans had sent
ambassadors to implore his mercy even into Pamphylia
to him, he did not deny them hopes of being allowed to surrender, and he exacted hostages from
them. And thus Cnaeus Pompeius at the end of winter prepared, at the beginning of spring
undertook, and by the middle of summer terminated, this most important war, which had lasted
so long, which was scattered in such distant and such various places, and by which every
nation and country was incessantly distressed.
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