Section 29
Original Latin
certe, si nihil animus praesentiret in posterum, et si, quibus regionibus vitae spatium circumscriptum est, isdem omnis cogitationes terminaret suas, nec tantis se laboribus frangeret neque tot curis vigiliisque angeretur nec totiens de ipsa vita dimicaret. nunc insidet quaedam in optimo quoque virtus, quae noctes ac dies animum gloriae stimulis concitat atque admonet non cum vitae tempore esse dimittendam commemorationem nominis nostri, sed cum omni posteritate adaequandam.
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.
Certainly, if the mind had no anticipation of the future, and confined all its thoughts within the same bounds that limit the span of life, it would not break itself with such great labors, torment itself with so many cares and sleepless nights, or so often risk life itself. But a certain virtue dwells in every excellent man, goading his mind night and day with the spur of glory and reminding him that the remembrance of our name must not end with our lifetime, but must endure as long as all posterity.
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.
Suppose our minds had no sense of anything to come. Suppose all their thoughts stopped at the boundaries that limit our lives. Then they would not wear themselves out with so much work. They would not suffer so much worry and so many nights without sleep. They would not risk life itself again and again. But the best people have a certain strength of character within them. Day and night it drives their minds forward with the spur of glory. It reminds them that people should not stop remembering our names when our lives end. That memory should last for as long as future generations do.
About this section
Section 29 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 29 of 32 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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