Russell 8- Cicero Pro Murena

Ego tuum consilium, Cato, propter singulare animi mei de tua virtute iudicium vituperare <non possum;> non nulla forsitan conformare et leviter emendare possim.

I am not able to criticise your judgement, Cato, on account of esteem alone of my mind concerning your virtue; perhaps I may be able to bring to shape some things and gently adjust.

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'Non multa peccas,' inquit ille fortissimo viro senior magister, 'sed peccas; te regere possum.'

“Not faulting much” said the rather old teacher himself to the bravest man, “but you do fault: I am able to correct you.”

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At ego non te; verissime dixerim peccare te nihil neque ulla in re te esse huius modi ut corrigendus potius quam leviter inflectendus esse videare.

But I (cant) (correct) you: I (could) most truly say that you make no mistake and in no circumstance that you are of such a way that you seem to be in the need of correcting rather than gently adjusted.

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Finxit enim te ipsa natura ad honestatem, gravitatem, temperantiam, magnitudinem animi, iustitiam, ad omnis denique virtutes magnum hominem et excelsum.

For nature herself has formed you as a great man and distinguished with regard to integrity, dignity, temperance, greatness of spirit, justice, in short with regard to your virtues.

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Accessit istuc doctrina non moderata nec mitis sed, ut mihi videtur, paulo asperior et durior quam aut veritas aut natura patitur.

To this was added a philosophy not moderated nor soft but, so that it seems to me, a little more harsh and rigid than either truth or nature allows.

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Et quoniam non est nobis haec oratio habenda aut in imperita multitudine aut in aliquo conventu agrestium, audacius paulo de studiis humanitatis quae et mihi et vobis nota et iucunda sunt disputabo.

And since this speech is not having (to be) delivered by us neither in an experienced crowd/ multitude or in some gathering of rustics, I will argue a little bit more boldly about civilised pursuits which are notable and pleasing both to me and you.

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In M. Catone, iudices, haec bona quae videmus divina et egregia ipsius scitote esse propria; quae non numquam requirimus, ea sunt omnia non a natura verum a magistro.

In the case of Marcus Cato, judges, these good things which we see divine and outstanding know they are particular of himself; which we sometimes/ (not never) seek, all of them are not from nature but from a teacher.

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Fuit enim quidam summo ingenio vir, Zeno, cuius inventorum aemuli Stoici nominantur. Huius sententiae sunt et praecepta eius modi.

For there was a man of highest intelligence, Zeno, followers of whose discoveries are named Stoics. His dogmas and precepts are of the following nature.

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Sapientem gratia numquam moveri, numquam cuiusquam delicto ignoscere; neminem misericordem esse nisi stultum et levem; viri non esse neque exorari neque placari;

that a wise man is never influenced by interest; never pardons any man's fault; that no one is merciful except a fool and a trifler; that it is not the part of a man to be moved or pacified by entreaties;

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solos sapientes esse, si distortissimi sint, formosos, si mendicissimi, divites, si servitutem serviant, reges; nos autem qui sapientes non sumus fugitivos, exsules, hostis, insanos denique esse dicunt;

that wise men, let them be ever so deformed, are the only beautiful men; if they be ever such beggars, they are the only rich men; if they be in slavery, they are kings. And as for all of us who are not wise men, they call away slaves, exiles,

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(...)

enemies, lunatics.;

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omnia peccata esse paria;

They say that all offenses are equal

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omne delictum scelus esse nefarium, nec minus delinquere eum qui gallum gallinaceum, cum opus non fuerit, quam eum qui patrem suffocaverit;

that every sin is an unpardonable crime; and that he does not commit a less crime who kills a **** if there was no need to do so, than the man who strangles his father.

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sapientem nihil opinari, nullius rei paenitere, nulla in re falli, sententiam mutare numquam.

They say that a wise man never feels uncertain on any point never repents of anything, is never deceived in anything, and never alters his opinion.

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Hoc homo ingeniosissimus, M. Cato, auctoribus eruditissimis inductus adripuit, neque disputandi causa, ut magna pars, sed ita vivendi.

All these opinions that most acute man, Marcus Cato, having been induced by learned advocates of them has embraced; and that, not for the sake of arguing about them as is the case with most men, but of living by them.

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Petunt aliquid publicani; cave <ne> quicquam habeat momenti gratia. Supplices aliqui veniunt miseri et calamitosi;

Do the Publicans ask for anything? “Take care that their influence has no weight.” Do any suppliants, miserable and unhappy men, come to us?

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sceleratus et nefarius fueris, si quicquam misericordia adductus feceris. Fatetur aliquis se peccasse et sui delicti veniam petit; 'nefarium est facinus ignoscere.' At leve delictum est. 'Omnia peccata sunt paria.'

“You will be a wicked and infamous man if you do anything from being influenced by mercy.” Does any one confess that he has done wrong, and beg pardon for his wrong doing? “To pardon is a crime of the deepest dye.”—“But it is a trifling offence.”

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(...)

“All offences are equal.”

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Dixisti quippiam: 'fixum et statutum est.' Non re ductus es sed opinione; 'sapiens nihil opinatur.' Errasti aliqua in re; male dici putat.

You say something. “That is a fixed and unalterable principle.” “You are influenced not by the facts, but by your opinion.” “A wise man never forms mere opinions.” “You have made a mistake in some point.” He thinks that you are abusing him.—

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Hac ex disciplina nobis illa sunt: 'Dixi in senatu me nomen consularis candidati delaturum.' Iratus dixisti. 'Numquam' inquit 'sapiens irascitur.'

And in accordance with these principles of his are the following assertions: “I said in the senate, that I would prosecute one of the candidates for the consulship.” “You said that when you were angry.” “A wise man never is angry.”

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At temporis causa. 'Improbi' inquit 'hominis <est> mendacio fallere; mutare sententiam turpe est, exorari scelus, misereri flagitium.'

“But you said it for some temporary purpose.” “It is the act,” says he, “of a worthless man to deceive by a lie; it is a disgraceful act to alter one's opinion; to be moved by entreaties is wickedness; to pity any one is an enormity.”

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Nostri autem illi--fatebor enim, Cato, me quoque in adulescentia diffisum ingenio meo quaesisse adiumenta doctrinae—

But our philosophers, (for I confess, O Cato, that I too, in my youth, distrusting my own abilities, sought assistance from learning,)

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nostri, inquam, illi a Platone et Aristotele, moderati homines et temperati, aiunt apud sapientem valere aliquando gratiam; viri boni esse misereri; distincta genera esse delictorum et disparis poenas;

our philosophers, I say, men of the school of Plato and Aristotle, men of soberness and moderation, say that private interest does sometimes have weight even with a wise man. They say that it does become a virtuous man to feel pity; that there are

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(...)

different gradations of offences, and different degrees of punishment appropriate to each;

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esse apud hominem constantem ignoscendi locum;

that a man with every proper regard for firmness may pardon offences

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ipsum sapientem saepe aliquid opinari quod nesciat, irasci non numquam, exorari eundem et placari, quod dixerit interdum, si ita rectius sit, mutare, de sententia decedere aliquando; omnis virtutes mediocritate quadam esse moderatas.

that even the wise man himself has sometimes nothing more than opinion to go upon, without absolute certainty, that he is sometimes angry, that he is sometimes influenced and pacified by entreaty that he sometimes does change an opinion which he may

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(...)

have expressed when it is better to do so, that he sometimes abandons his previous opinions altogether, and that all his virtues are tempered by a certain moderation

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Hos ad magistros si qua te fortuna, Cato, cum ista natura detulisset, non tu quidem vir melior esses nec fortior nec temperantior nec iustior--neque enim esse potes—

If any chance, O Cato, had conducted endowed with your existing natural disposition to those tutors, you would not indeed have been a better man than you are, not a braver one, nor more temperate, nor more just than you are, (for that is not possible

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sed paulo ad lenitatem propensior. Non accusares nullis adductus inimicitiis, nulla lacessitus iniuria, pudentissimum hominem summa dignitate atque honestate praeditum;

but you would have been a little more inclined to lenity; you would not when you were not induced by any enmity, or provoked by any personal injury, accuse a most virtuous man, a man of the highest rank and the greatest integrity;

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putares, cum in eiusdem anni custodia te atque L. Murenam fortuna posuisset, aliquo te cum hoc rei publicae vinculo esse coniunctum; quod atrociter in senatu dixisti, aut non dixisses aut, si potuisses, mitiorem in partem interpretarere.

you would consider that as fortune had entrusted the guardianship of the same year to you and to Murena, that you were connected with him by some certain political union; and the severe things which you have said in the senate you would either

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(...)

not have said, or you would have guarded against their being applied to him, or you would have interpreted them in the mildest sense.

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Russell 8- Cicero Pro Murena

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