Section 26
Original Latin
quid? a Q. Metello Pio, familiarissimo suo, qui civitate multos donavit, neque per se neque per Lucullos impetravisset? qui praesertim usque eo de suis rebus scribi cuperet ut etiam Cordubae natis poetis pingue quiddam sonantibus atque peregrinum tamen auris suas dederet.
Chapter 11
neque enim est hoc dissimulandum quod obscurari non potest, sed prae nobis ferendum: trahimur omnes studio laudis, et optimus quisque maxime gloria ducitur. ipsi illi philosophi etiam in eis libellis quos de contemnenda gloria scribunt nomen suum inscribunt; in eo ipso in quo praedicationem nobilitatemque despiciunt praedicari de se ac [se] nominari volunt.
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.
And what of Quintus Metellus Pius, his close friend, who granted citizenship to so many? Could Archias not have obtained it from him, either on his own or through the Luculli? Especially when Metellus was so eager to have his deeds recorded that he even lent his ears to poets born in Corduba, whose verse had a somewhat heavy and foreign sound?
Chapter 11
We should not conceal what cannot be hidden, but acknowledge it openly: we are all drawn by the desire for praise, and the best men are most strongly led by glory. Even those philosophers who write little books about despising glory put their own names on them. In the very work in which they scorn publicity and renown, they wish to be praised and named.
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.
What about his close friend Quintus Metellus Pius, who gave citizenship to so many people? Could Archias not have got it from him, by asking himself or through the Lucullus family? Metellus was especially eager for people to write about his achievements. He even listened to poets born in Corduba, although their work sounded rather thick and foreign.
Chapter 11
We cannot hide this, so there is no point pretending otherwise. We should admit it openly. All of us want praise, and the best people care most about glory. Even philosophers put their names on the little books they write about not caring for glory. In the very act of dismissing fame and public praise, they want people to praise them and know their names.
About this section
Section 26 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 26 of 32 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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