Chapter 11
Original Latin
25 sed haec vetera, illud vero recens, Caesarem meo consilio interfectum. iam vereor, patres conscripti, ne, quod turpissimum est, praevaricatorem mihi apposuisse videar, qui me non solum meis laudibus ornaret sed etiam oneraret alienis. quis enim meum in ista societate gloriosissimi facti nomen audivit? cuius autem qui in eo numero fuisset nomen est occultatum? occultatum dico? cuius non statim divolgatum? Citius dixerim iactasse se aliquos ut fuisse in ea societate viderentur, cum conscii non fuissent, quam ut quisquam celari vellet qui fuisset.
26 quam veri simile porro est in tot hominibus partim obscuris, partim adulescentibus neminem occultantibus meum nomen latere potuisse? etenim si auctores ad liberandam patriam desiderarentur illis actoribus, Brutos ego impellerem, quorum uterque L. Bruti imaginem cotidie videret, alter etiam Ahalae? hi igitur his maioribus ab alienis potius consilium peterent quam a suis et foris potius quam domo? quid? C. Cassius in ea familia natus quae non modo dominatum, sed ne potentiam quidem cuiusquam ferre potuit, me auctorem, credo, desideravit: qui etiam sine his clarissimis viris hanc rem in Cilicia ad ostium fluminis Cydni confecisset, si ille ad eam ripam quam constituerat, non ad contrariam navis appulisset. Cn.
27 Domitium non patris interitus, clarissimi viri, non avunculi mors, non spoliatio dignitatis ad recuperandam libertatem, sed mea auctoritas excitavit? an C. Trebonio ego persuasi? cui ne suadere quidem ausus essem. quo etiam maiorem ei res publica gratiam debet qui libertatem populi Romani unius amicitiae praeposuit depulsorque dominatus quam particeps esse maluit. an L. Tillius Cimber me est auctorem secutus? quem ego magis fecisse illam rem sum admiratus quam facturum putavi, admiratus autem ob eam causam quod immemor beneficiorum, memor patriae fuisset. quid duos Servilios—Cascas dicam an Ahalas?—et hos auctoritate mea censes excitatos potius quam caritate rei publicae? longum est persequi ceteros, idque rei publicae praeclarum fuisse tam multos, ipsis gloriosum.
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation made directly from the Latin in separate source-only tasks; all 46 chapters and 119 sections retained. Source-language model review is recorded with the raw witness. Latin transcription: Perseus Project, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0; this adaptation uses the same license.
25 But those are old matters. Here is a recent one: Caesar was killed on my advice. I begin to fear, senators, the most shameful suspicion—that I have planted a collusive accuser to adorn me not merely with my own honors, but to heap upon me those belonging to others. Was my name ever heard among those who shared in that supremely glorious act? And whose name among those who took part was concealed? Concealed, do I say? Whose was not immediately made public? I would sooner believe that some who knew nothing of it boasted of belonging to that company than that anyone who did belong wished to hide it.
26 How likely is it, moreover, that among so many men, some obscure, some young, and none concealing their names, mine could have remained hidden? If those who performed the deed needed men to urge them to liberate their country, was I to spur on the Brutuses? Both saw the image of Lucius Brutus every day, and one saw Ahala’s too. Were men with such ancestors to seek counsel from strangers rather than their own family, abroad rather than at home? And Gaius Cassius, born into a family that could endure neither tyranny nor even anyone’s undue influence—he needed my prompting, I suppose! Even without those illustrious men, he would have accomplished the deed in Cilicia at the mouth of the Cydnus, had Caesar brought his ships to the bank he had intended rather than the opposite one.
27 Was Gnaeus Domitius roused to recover liberty not by the death of his most illustrious father, not by his uncle’s death, not by the stripping away of his rank, but by my influence? Or did I persuade Gaius Trebonius? I would not even have dared advise him. The republic owes him all the greater gratitude for placing the Roman people’s liberty above one man’s friendship, choosing to cast down tyranny instead of taking a share in it. And Lucius Tillius Cimber—was he acting on my authority? I was more surprised that he had done the deed than inclined beforehand to think he would. My surprise was precisely that he had forgotten favors received and remembered his country. And the two Serviliuses—shall I call them Cascas or Ahalas?—do you think my influence stirred them too, rather than love of the republic? It would take too long to go through the rest. That there were so many was a splendid thing for the republic, and glorious for the men themselves.
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the Latin in separate source-only tasks, not from the Musean edition or a historical English translation; all 46 chapters and 119 sections retained. Latin transcription: Perseus Project, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0; this adaptation uses the same license.
25 But that’s old history. Here’s something recent: Caesar was killed on my advice. Senators, I’m beginning to fear something deeply shameful. People may think I’ve planted a prosecutor secretly working for me. He doesn’t just decorate me with credit for my own achievements. He piles other people’s achievements onto me too. Who ever heard my name among the partners in that glorious deed? And whose name, among those involved, was kept hidden? Kept hidden? Whose name wasn’t immediately spread everywhere? I’d sooner say some people boasted about involvement although they hadn’t been in on it. That’s more likely than anyone involved wanting to stay hidden.
26 Besides, how could my name possibly have stayed hidden? There were so many people involved. Some were little known, some were young. None kept anyone’s identity secret. Did those who acted need someone to urge them to free their country? Would I have had to push the two Brutuses? Both saw Lucius Brutus’s portrait every day. One saw Ahala’s too. With ancestors like those, would they look to outsiders for advice rather than their own family? Would they look outside rather than at home? And what about Gaius Cassius? His family couldn’t tolerate anyone’s tyranny, or even anyone’s excessive power. Apparently he needed me to prompt him! He would’ve done the job without these distinguished men. He would’ve done it in Cilicia, at the Cydnus River’s mouth. But Caesar landed on the opposite bank, not the one he’d planned to use.
27 What stirred Gnaeus Domitius to recover freedom? Wasn’t it the loss of his father, that outstanding man? Wasn’t it his uncle’s death? Wasn’t it being stripped of his standing? Or was my influence what moved him? Or did I persuade Gaius Trebonius? I wouldn’t even have dared suggest it to him. The republic owes him all the more thanks for that. He put the Roman people’s freedom before one man’s friendship. He chose to drive tyranny out rather than share it. Or did Lucius Tillius Cimber follow my lead? I was more surprised that he’d done it than convinced beforehand that he would. Here’s why I was surprised: he’d forgotten the favors he’d received and remembered his country. And the two Serviliuses—should I call them Cascas or Ahalas? Do you think my influence moved them too, rather than love for the republic? Listing the others would take too long. There were so many of them. That was splendid for the republic, and glorious for them.
About this section
Chapter 11 is part of Second Philippic 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 chapter 11 of 46 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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