Chapter 38

97 Why should I speak of the endless memoranda, the countless handwritten orders? There are even dealers in them, hawking them openly like advertisements for gladiatorial shows. And so such heaps of coins are being piled up at his house that money is now weighed, not counted. But how blind greed is! A tablet has recently been posted exempting the wealthiest communities of Crete from tribute and stipulating that, after Marcus Brutus’s term as proconsul, Crete is no longer to be a province. Are you in your right mind? Should you not be put in restraints? Could a decree of Caesar’s have freed Crete after Marcus Brutus’s departure, when Crete had nothing to do with Brutus while Caesar was alive? Yet through the sale of this decree—do not imagine it has achieved nothing—you have lost the province of Crete. In short, whatever anyone wished to buy, this man never failed him as a seller.

98 And the law about exiles that you posted—did Caesar enact that? I do not pursue anyone in his misfortune. My complaint is simply this: first, that the return of those whose cases Caesar had judged different has been tainted; next, that I do not know why you deny the same favor to the rest. There are no more than three or four left. Why do men in the same misfortune not enjoy the same mercy from you? Why do you treat them as you treat your uncle? When you proposed a measure for the others, you refused to propose one for him. You even urged him to stand for the censorship, and organized a campaign that provoked both laughter and complaints. But why did you not hold that election?

99 Was it because a tribune of the people reported lightning on the left? When your own interest is at stake, there are no auspices; when your people’s interests are at stake, you become scrupulously religious. What? Did you not abandon him over a seat on the commission of seven as well? Someone else stepped in—you were afraid, I suppose, that you could not refuse him and keep your head. You loaded every insult on a man you ought to have honored as a father, if you had any sense of family duty. You drove out his daughter, your cousin, having sought another marriage and settled on it in advance. That was not enough: you accused a woman of the utmost chastity of sexual misconduct. What more could be added? You were not content with that. On the first of January, in a packed Senate, with your uncle sitting there, you dared to say that your reason for hating Dolabella was that you had discovered he had tried to seduce your cousin and wife. Who can judge whether you were more shameless in saying this in the Senate, more vicious in saying it against Dolabella, more filthy in saying it within her father’s hearing, or more cruel in speaking so foully, so heartlessly, against that unhappy woman?

97 Why discuss the endless notes and countless handwritten documents? They even have sales agents. They hawk them openly like ads for gladiatorial shows. The coins pile up around this man in such heaps that money is weighed now, not counted. But how blind greed is! A notice recently went up freeing Crete’s richest communities from taxes. It also says Crete will stop being a province after Marcus Brutus’s term as governor. Are you sane? Shouldn’t you be tied up? Could Caesar’s decree free Crete after Brutus left? While Caesar lived, Brutus had nothing to do with Crete. Still, don’t think this sale achieved nothing. Selling that decree cost you the province of Crete. Nobody ever wanted to buy anything without finding this man ready to sell.

98 And that law you posted about exiles—did Caesar introduce it? I’m not attacking anyone over their misfortune. I only have these complaints. First, you’ve tainted the return of men whose cases Caesar treated differently. Second, why don’t you give the others the same treatment? Only three or four are left. Their misfortune is the same. Why isn’t your mercy the same? Why treat them like your uncle? You refused to propose his return when you proposed the others’. You even pushed him to run for censor. Then you arranged a campaign that made people laugh and complain. But why didn’t you hold that election?

99 Was it because a people’s tribune reported lightning on the left? When your interests are involved, omens don’t exist. When your relatives’ interests are involved, you get religious. And didn’t you abandon that same uncle over the seven-man commission? Someone else stepped in. I suppose you feared you couldn’t say no and keep your head. You piled every insult on your uncle. If you had any family loyalty, you’d honor him like a father. You threw out his daughter, your cousin. You’d found another marriage match and already looked it over. That wasn’t enough. You accused this completely faithful woman of sexual misconduct. What more could you add? Even that didn’t satisfy you. On January 1, the Senate was packed, and your uncle sat there. You dared to say why you hated Dolabella: you’d learned he’d tried to seduce your cousin and wife. Who can decide which was worse? Your shamelessness in saying it in the Senate? Your malice in attacking Dolabella? Your filth in speaking before her father? Or your cruelty toward that poor woman, speaking so foully, with no family feeling?