M. Tullius Cicero, Pro Marcello: lateinischer Text und englischer Kommentar

[8] domuisti gentis immanitate barbaras, multitudine innumerabilis, locis infinitas, omni copiarum genere abundantis: ea tamen vicisti quae et naturam et condicionem ut vinci possent habebant. nulla est enim tanta vis quae non ferro et viribus debilitari frangique possit. animum vincere, iracundiam cohibere, victo temperare, adversarium nobilitate, ingenio, virtute praestantem non modo extollere iacentem sed etiam amplificare eius pristinam dignitatem, haec qui faciat, non ego eum cum summis viris comparo, sed simillimum deo iudico. [9] itaque, C. Caesar, bellicae tuae laudes celebrabuntur illae quidem non solum nostris sed paene omnium gentium litteris atque linguis, neque ulla umquam aetas de tuis laudibus conticescet; sed tamen eius modi res nescio quo modo, etiam cum leguntur, obstrepi clamore militum videntur et tubarum sono. at vero cum aliquid clementer, mansuete, iuste, moderate, sapienter factum, in iracundia praesertim quae est inimica consilio, et in victoria quae natura insolens et superba est, audimus aut legimus, quo studio incendimur, non modo in gestis rebus sed etiam in fictis ut eos saepe quos numquam vidimus diligamus! te vero quem praesentem intuemur, [10] cuius mentem sensusque et os cernimus, ut, quicquid belli fortuna reliquum rei publicae fecerit, id esse salvum velis, quibus laudibus efferemus, quibus studiis prosequemur, qua benevolentia complectemur? parietes, me dius fidius, ut mihi videtur, huius curiae tibi gratias agere gestiunt, quod brevi tempore futura sit illa auctoritas in his maiorum suorum et suis sedibus. equidem cum C. Marcelli, viri optimi et commemorabili pietate praediti lacrimas modo vobiscum viderem, omnium Marcellorum meum pectus memoria offudit, quibus tu etiam mortuis M. Marcello conservato dignitatem suam reddidisti nobilissimamque familiam iam ad paucos redactam paene ab interitu vindicasti.

immanitate barbaras, i.e. barbarous and fierce: his first conquests had subdued the Gauls, Germans, and Britons.

locis infinitas: Caesar moved from Gaul, B.C. 49, into Italy, and the same year to Spain. In 48 he crossed over to Greece, and thence to Egypt; in 47 he carried on war in Asia Minor, and in 46 gained the crowning victory of Thapsus in Africa.

animum vincere, to rule his spirit; cf. Proverbs xvi, 32: "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."

victoriam temperare, to control the passions of victory (cf. sect. 9, p. 216, l. 27).

nobilitate . . . praestantem: this description is inserted to enhance the credit of Caesar's act, inasmuch as the greater the adversary the more dangerous his restoration would seem.

haec qui facit: a slight break in the construction (anacoluthon); the proper predicate of the preceding infins. would be connected with them by est; the proper object of facit would be a result clause with ut. The effect of the Latin can be exactly reproduced in translation.

illae quidem: the pronoun (as often in concessive sentences) is inserted only to carry quidem, adding nothing to the sense; § 298, a (195, c) ; H.-B. 274, 3.

nescio quo modo: here (as often) with a slight tone of regret; Cf. our colloquial "somehow or other."

tubarum, of trumpets: the tuba was a long, straight horn, used in infantry; the lituus a curved one, used in cavalry.

ut velis: for this rare constr., see § 571,c (332,f); Cf. G. 553,4; cf. H. 571, 2 (501, i, 2); Cf. H.-B. 521,3 and N.

studiis prosequemur, the figure is that of a distinguished Roman escorted by a throng with enthusiastic acclamations (studiis).

hujus curiae: the old Curia Hostilia, on the north side of the Comitium, was destroyed by fire in the riots after the death of Clodius, B.C. 52 (see Milo, sect. 33); but was rebuilt by Faustus Sulla, son of the dictator.

C. Marcelli: Cos. B.C. 50, cousin of M. Marcellus.

suam: § 301, c (196, g); B. 244, a, 4; G. 309, 2; H. 503, 4 (449, 2); H.-B. 264, 2.