Section 23
Original Latin
nam si quis minorem gloriae fructum putat ex Graecis versibus percipi quam ex Latinis, vehementer errat, propterea quod Graeca leguntur in omnibus fere gentibus, Latina suis finibus exiguis sane continentur. qua re, si res eae quas gessimus orbis terrae regionibus definiuntur, cupere debemus, quo hominum nostrorum tela pervenerint, eodem gloriam famamque penetrare, quod cum ipsis populis de quorum rebus scribitur haec ampla sunt, tum eis certe qui de vita gloriae causa dimicant hoc maximum et periculorum incitamentum est et laborum.
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation made directly from the Latin in Clark’s 1911 edition; source-language model review recorded. Perseus transcription: CC BY-SA 4.0, credited to the Perseus Project, Tufts University.
For anyone who thinks that Greek verse yields a smaller harvest of glory than Latin is profoundly mistaken. Greek is read among almost every people, while Latin is confined within its own admittedly narrow borders. Therefore, if the boundaries of our achievements are the ends of the earth, we should wish our glory and fame to penetrate wherever our countrymen’s weapons have reached. For this brings distinction to the very peoples whose deeds are recorded; and for those who risk their lives for glory, it is surely the greatest incentive to face both danger and toil.
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the Latin, not from the Musean edition; source-language model review recorded. Perseus transcription: CC BY-SA 4.0, credited to the Perseus Project, Tufts University.
Anyone who thinks that Greek verse brings less glory than Latin verse is badly mistaken. Greek is read among nearly all peoples. Latin is confined within its own boundaries, which are very narrow indeed.
So if our achievements extend to the limits of the world, we should want our glory and fame to reach wherever our people’s weapons have reached. This brings great honor to the peoples whose deeds are described. It is surely the strongest reason to accept danger and hard work for anyone who stakes his life on winning glory.
About this section
Section 23 is part of For Archias the Poet by Marcus Tullius Cicero. This page sets the Latin original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is part 23 of 32 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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