Chapter 35
Original Latin
88 sed ad auspicia redeamus, de quibus Idibus Martiis fuit in senatu Caesar acturus. quaero: tum tu quid egisses? audiebam equidem te paratum venisse, quod me de ementitis auspiciis, quibus tamen parere necesse erat, putares esse dicturum. sustulit illum diem fortuna rei publicae. num etiam tuum de auspiciis iudicium interitus Caesaris sustulit? sed incidi in id tempus quod eis rebus in quas ingressa erat oratio praevertendum est. quae tua fuga, quae formido praeclaro illo die, quae propter conscientiam scelerum desperatio vitae, cum ex illa fuga beneficio eorum qui te, si sanus esses, salvum esse voluerunt, clam te domum recepisti!
89 O mea frustra semper verissima auguria rerum futurarum! dicebam illis in Capitolio liberatoribus nostris, cum me ad te ire vellent, ut ad defendendam rem publicam te adhortarer, quoad metueres, omnia te promissurum; simul ac timere desisses, similem te futurum tui. itaque cum ceteri consulares irent, redirent, in sententia mansi: neque te illo die neque postero vidi neque ullam societatem optimis civibus cum importunissimo hoste foedere ullo confirmari posse credidi. post diem tertium veni in aedem telluris et quidem invitus, cum omnis aditus armati obsiderent.
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.
88 But back to the auspices: Caesar meant to bring them before the senate on the Ides of March. Tell me, what course would you have taken then? I heard that you had come prepared, because you thought I would speak about the falsified auspices, which nonetheless had to be obeyed. The republic’s good fortune swept that day aside. But did Caesar’s death also sweep aside your judgment on the auspices? Yet I have reached a moment which must take precedence over the matters on which my speech had embarked. What flight was yours on that glorious day, what terror, what despair for your life born of the consciousness of your crimes, when, escaping from that flight through the kindness of those who wished you safe if you would be sane, you stole back home!
89 My prophecies of the future—always so true, always in vain! I told those liberators of ours on the Capitol, when they wanted me to go to you and urge you to defend the republic, that as long as you were afraid you would promise anything; the moment you stopped being afraid, you would be yourself again. And so, while the other former consuls went back and forth, I held to my judgment. I saw you neither that day nor the next, and I did not believe any treaty could cement a partnership between the best of citizens and their most savage enemy. On the third day I came to the temple of Tellus, and came unwillingly, with armed men blocking every approach.
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.
88 But let’s return to the omens. Caesar was going to raise them in the Senate on the Ides of March. I ask you: what were you going to do then? I heard you’d come prepared. You thought I’d discuss your made-up omens. We still had to obey them, though. The republic’s good luck canceled that day’s business. Did Caesar’s death also cancel your ruling on the omens? But I’ve reached a time I must discuss first. It takes priority over the topics I’d begun. How you ran on that wonderful day! How scared you were! You knew your crimes and despaired of staying alive. After running away, you slipped home in secret. You owed this to the kindness of those men. They wanted you safe, provided you came to your senses.
89 Oh, my predictions always came true, and always did no good! I told our liberators this on the Capitol. They wanted me to come to you. They wanted me to urge you to defend the republic. I said you’d promise anything while you were scared. Once you stopped being afraid, you’d be yourself again. The other former consuls went back and forth. I stuck to my judgment. I didn’t see you that day or the next. I never believed any agreement could seal a partnership between our best citizens and their most vicious enemy. On the third day, I came to the Temple of Tellus. I came unwillingly. Armed men blocked every way in.
About this section
Chapter 35 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 35 of 46 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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