Chapter 2
Original Latin
3 cui prius quam de ceteris rebus respondeo, de amicitia quam a me violatam esse criminatus est, quod ego gravissimum crimen iudico, pauca dicam.
contra rem suam me nescio quando venisse questus est. an ego non venirem contra alienum pro familiari et necessario, non venirem contra gratiam non virtutis spe, sed aetatis flore conlectam, non venirem contra iniuriam quam iste intercessoris iniquissimi beneficio obtinuit, non iure praetorio? sed hoc idcirco commemoratum a te puto ut te infimo ordini commendares, cum omnes ⟨te⟩ recordarentur libertini generum et liberos tuos nepotes Q. Fadi, libertini hominis, fuisse. at enim te in disciplinam meam tradideras—nam ita dixisti—domum meam ventitaras. ne tu, si id fecisses, melius famae, melius pudicitiae tuae consuluisses. sed neque fecisti nec, si cuperes, tibi id per C. Curionem facere licuisset.
4 auguratus petitionem mihi te concessisse dixisti. O incredibilem audaciam, o impudentiam praedicandam! quo enim tempore me augurem a toto conlegio expetitum Cn. Pompeius et Q. Hortensius nominaverunt—nec enim licebat a pluribus nominari—tu nec solvendo eras nec te ullo modo nisi eversa re publica incolumem fore putabas. poteras autem eo tempore auguratum petere cum in Italia Curio non esset, aut tum cum es factus unam tribum sine Curione ferre potuisses? cuius etiam familiares de vi condemnati sunt, quod tui nimis studiosi fuissent.
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.
3 Before answering him on other matters, I shall say a few words about the friendship he accuses me of violating—an accusation I consider most serious.
He complained that at some time or other I had appeared against his interests. Was I not to oppose a stranger on behalf of a close and intimate friend? Was I not to oppose influence gathered through youthful beauty, not the promise of merit? Was I not to oppose an injustice he secured through the favor of a thoroughly unjust man who intervened for him, not through a praetor’s lawful judgment? But I suppose you recalled this to recommend yourself to the lowest order, reminding everyone that you had been a freedman’s son-in-law and that your children had been the grandchildren of Quintus Fadius, a freedman. Yet you had entrusted yourself to my teaching—so you said—and had often visited my house. Had you done so, you would certainly have taken better care of your reputation and your chastity. But you never did; and even had you wished to, Gaius Curio would not have allowed it.
4 You said you had yielded your candidacy for the augurship to me. Incredible audacity! Impudence worth proclaiming! When the entire college wanted me as an augur, and Gnaeus Pompey and Quintus Hortensius nominated me—for no more than two could nominate a candidate—you could not pay your debts and saw no hope of survival unless the republic were overthrown. Could you have stood for the augurship then, when Curio was not in Italy? Or, when you were eventually elected, could you have carried a single tribe without Curio? Even his associates were convicted of violence for supporting you too enthusiastically.
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.
3 Before answering his other charges, I’ll discuss friendship briefly. He accuses me of breaking ours. I consider that a very serious charge.
He complained that I once opposed his interests. Shouldn’t I have opposed an outsider for a close, dear friend? Shouldn’t I have opposed influence built on youthful looks, not on any promise of character? Shouldn’t I have opposed the injustice he secured? A thoroughly unfair man intervened for him. It wasn’t a lawful ruling by the praetor. But I think you mentioned this to win over the lowest social class. Everyone would remember you’d been a freedman’s son-in-law. Your children had been grandchildren of Quintus Fadius, a freedman. “But I’d placed myself under your instruction”—those were your words. You claimed you’d often visited my house. If you had, you’d have taken better care of your reputation and sexual decency. But you didn’t. Even if you’d wanted to, Gaius Curio wouldn’t have let you.
4 You said you’d stood aside for my election as augur. What unbelievable nerve! What shamelessness to boast about! The whole college wanted me as an augur. Gnaeus Pompey and Quintus Hortensius nominated me. No more than two men could nominate someone. At that time, you couldn’t pay your debts. You thought only overthrowing the republic could save you. Could you have run for augur then, when Curio wasn’t in Italy? And when you did get elected, could you have won a single tribe without him? Even his friends were convicted of violence because they’d supported you too eagerly.
About this section
Chapter 2 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 2 of 46 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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