Book 4 — Surviving Fragments

SECTION 1

Chapter 1

(Non. 500M) And that very mind which foresees the future remembers the past.

(Lactant. Div. Inst. 5.11.2) For if there is no one who would not rather die than be changed into the shape of some beast, even though he would retain a human mind, how much more wretched it is to have a savage mind in a human shape! To me, certainly, the difference seems as great as the mind’s superiority to the body.

(August. c. Iul. 5.12.59) that he did not think a ram’s good and Publius Africanus’s good were the same.

(Non. 234M) and by interposing itself produces shadow and night, suited both to the reckoning of days and to rest from labor.

(Non. 343M) And when in autumn the earth has opened herself to receive the crops, in winter has loosened herself to †receive them, and with summer’s ripening has mellowed some things and parched others.

(Non. 159M) when shepherds apply it to their flocks.

SECTION 2

Chapter 2

[…] favor. How suitably the orders, ages, classes, and cavalry are arranged! Within the cavalry are also the senate’s votes, though already far too many foolishly wish to remove this advantage, seeking a new bounty through some plebiscite requiring the return of the horses.

SECTION 3

Chapter 3

“Consider now how wisely the other provisions have been made for that fellowship of citizens in a happy and honorable life. That is the first reason for coming together, and the commonwealth must secure it for people partly through institutions, partly through laws. To begin with, they chose to have no fixed education for freeborn children, prescribed by law, publicly established, or uniform for all—a matter on which the Greeks have spent much fruitless labor, and the one point on which our guest Polybius accuses our institutions of neglect. For […]”

SECTION 3(fr1)

(Serv. A. 5.546) that those entering military service were customarily given guardians to direct them in their first year.

SECTION 3(fr2)

(Non. 20M) not merely as at Sparta, where boys learn to seize and steal.

SECTION 3(fr3)

(Serv. A. 10.325) that it was considered a disgrace for young men to have no lovers.

SECTION 4

Chapter 4

[…] “a youth who has reached puberty to be stripped naked. Thus the foundations, so to speak, of modesty have been laid deep. But how absurd is the training of young men in the gymnasiums! How frivolous that military service of the youths! How unrestrained and free their fondling and love affairs! I pass over the Eleans and Thebans, among whom lust in the love of freeborn youths is actually granted an unchecked license. The Spartans themselves, in allowing everything in the love of young men except illicit sexual relations, put a very thin wall around the thing they forbid: they permit embraces and sharing a bed, with cloaks laid between.” Here Laelius said, “I understand perfectly, Scipio, that in criticizing these Greek practices you would rather wrestle with the most famous peoples than with your own Plato, whom you do not even touch, especially since […]”

SECTION 5

Chapter 5

(Non. 362M) and our Plato even more than Lycurgus, since he commands that absolutely everything be held in common, so that no citizen can call anything his own property.

(Non. 308M) “I certainly—to the same place to which he sends Homer, crowned with garlands and steeped in perfumes, out of the city he imagines for himself.”

SECTION 6

Chapter 6

(Non. 24M) The censor’s judgment brings the condemned man almost nothing but a blush. And so, since this entire judgment concerns only nomen, one’s good name, that censure was called ignominia, ‘disgrace.’

(Non. 423M) It is said that the citizen body first shuddered †at their severity.

(Non. 499M) Nor should an overseer be appointed over women, as is commonly done among the Greeks; rather, let there be a censor to teach men to govern their wives.

(Non. 5M) So powerful is the discipline of modesty: all women abstain from wine.

(Non. 306M) And if any woman had a bad reputation, her relatives would not offer her a kiss.

(Non. 23M) Thus petulantia, ‘petulance,’ is named from petendo, ‘seeking’; and procacitas, ‘impudence,’ from procando—that is, poscendo, ‘demanding.’

SECTION 7

Chapter 7

(Non. 24M) “For I do not want the same people to be both the world’s ruler and its customs collector. I consider thrift the best revenue, both in private households and in the commonwealth. Indeed, fides, ‘good faith,’ seems to me to take its very name from fit quod dicitur—from doing what is said.”

(Non. 194M) “that, in a distinguished citizen and a man of noble birth, coaxing, flattery, canvassing—†my—to be signs of frivolity.”

SECTION 8

Chapter 8

(Non. 430Msq.) “I admire the elegance not only of the provisions but also of the words. ‘If they quarrel,’ it says. A disagreement between well-disposed people, not a lawsuit between enemies, is called a quarrel […]. Thus the law holds that neighbors quarrel with one another, not that they litigate.”

(Non. 174M) that human cares have the same boundary as human life; thus, under pontifical law, the sanctity of burial.

(Non. 293M) that they killed innocent men for leaving unburied those whom the violence of the storm had prevented them from rescuing from the sea.

(Non. 519M) “Nor in this dispute did I take up the people’s cause, but that of the good men.”

(Prisc. GL 3.76K) For a strong people is not easily resisted if you grant it either no rights or too few.

(Non. 469M) “For whom indeed I wish I may have prophesied truly, faithfully, †abounding.”

SECTION 9

Chapter 9

(August. C.D. 2.14ext.) When to these are added the people’s shouts and approval, as though the people were some great and wise teacher, what darkness they spread, what terrors they bring, what desires they set ablaze!

SECTION 10

Chapter 10

(August. C.D. 2.13) Since they considered the actor’s art and the entire stage disgraceful, they decreed that this class of men should not only lack the honors of other citizens, but should also be removed from their tribe by the censor’s brand.

SECTION 11

(August. C.D. 2.9) Comedies could never have won approval in the theaters for their scandals unless the habits of daily life had permitted it. […] Whom did comedy not touch—or rather, whom did it not torment? Whom did it spare? Granted, it wounded wicked popular leaders, seditious men in public affairs: Cleon, Cleophon, Hyperbolus. Let us bear that, although it is better for such citizens to be branded by a censor than by a poet. But that Pericles, after leading his state for many years with the greatest authority in peace and war, should be assailed in verses, and those verses performed on stage, was no more fitting than if our Plautus or Naevius had chosen to abuse Publius and Gnaeus Scipio, or Caecilius to abuse Marcus Cato […]

SECTION 12

() Our Twelve Tables, by contrast, although they made very few things punishable by death, thought this too should be so punished: if anyone chanted abuse or composed a song that brought infamy or disgrace upon another. An excellent rule: our lives ought to be exposed to magistrates’ judgments and lawful trials, not to poets’ ingenuity; nor should we hear accusations of disgrace except on terms that allow us to answer and defend ourselves in court. […] that the ancient Romans disapproved of either praising or blaming any living man on stage.

SECTION 13

Chapter 11

(August. C.D. 2.11)

Aeschines of Athens, a supremely eloquent man, entered public life after often acting in tragedies as a youth; and the Athenians frequently sent Aristodemus, likewise a tragic actor, as an envoy to Philip on the most important questions of peace and war.

SECTION 1

Chapter 1

(Non. 500M) And the very same mind that sees what's coming remembers what's past.

(Lactant. Div. Inst. 5.11.2) After all, everyone would rather die than be changed into the shape of some animal, even if they'd keep a human mind. So how much more miserable it is to have a savage mind in a human shape! To me, at least, it's worse by as much as the mind is better than the body.

(August. c. Iul. 5.12.59) that he didn't think what was good for a ram was the same as what was good for P. Africanus.

(Non. 234M) and that, by getting in the way, it too creates shadow and night, suited both to counting days and to resting from work.

(Non. 343M) And when the earth has opened itself up in the fall to conceive crops, relaxed in winter to †conceive them, and in summer's ripeness softened some things and scorched others.

(Non. 159M) when they put shepherds in charge of the flocks.

SECTION 2

Chapter 2

“[…] favor. How conveniently the orders, age groups, property classes, and cavalry have been arranged! Senators also have votes in the cavalry. Far too many people now foolishly want to take away this advantage. They are looking for a new handout through some decree of the people requiring the return of the horses.”

SECTION 3

Chapter 3

“Now consider how wisely everything else has been provided for that partnership among citizens in living happily and honorably. That is the main reason for coming together. A republic should secure it for people, partly through institutions and in other ways through laws. First, they did not want the education of freeborn children to have any fixed system laid down by law, publicly prescribed, or uniform for everyone. The Greeks spent much effort on this without success. It is the only point on which our guest-friend Polybius criticizes our institutions for neglect. For […]

SECTION 3(fr1)

(Serv. A. 5.546) “that young men entering military service used to be given supervisors to guide them during their first year.

SECTION 3(fr2)

(Non. 20M) “not just as at Sparta, where boys learn to rob and steal.

SECTION 3(fr3)

(Serv. A. 10.325) “that young men were disgraced if they had no lovers.”

SECTION 4

Chapter 4

[…] a boy who's reached puberty to be stripped naked. So they've traced what you might call the foundations of modesty far back. But how misguided the training of young people in the gymnasiums is! How undisciplined that military service of the young recruits! How loose and unchecked the fondling and love affairs! I'll leave aside the people of Elis and Thebes, where lust in relationships with freeborn boys is openly permitted and given free rein. Even the Spartans, who allow everything in love with young men except actual intercourse, put a very thin wall around what they forbid. They allow embracing and lying in bed together, with cloaks between them. Here Laelius said, “I see perfectly well, Scipio, that in these Greek practices you criticize, you'd rather wrestle with the most famous peoples than with your own Plato, whom you don't even lay a hand on, especially since […]”

SECTION 5

Chapter 5

(Non. 362M) “And our Plato even more than Lycurgus: he orders absolutely everything to be shared, so that no citizen can call anything his own or his private property.

(Non. 308M) “For my part, to the very same place where he sends Homer, crowned with garlands and soaked in perfumes, out of that city he imagines for himself.”

SECTION 6

Chapter 6

(Non. 24M) A censor's judgment brings the person condemned little more than a blush. So, since this whole judgment concerns only a person's name, that censure was called ignominia, “disgrace.”

(Non. 423M) It's said that the state at first shuddered †at their severity.

(Non. 499M) Nor should an overseer be put in charge of women, as is commonly done among the Greeks. Instead, there should be a censor who teaches men to control their wives.

(Non. 5M) Training people to feel shame has such great power: all women go without wine.

(Non. 306M) And if any woman had a bad reputation, her relatives wouldn't offer her a kiss.

(Non. 23M) So petulantia, “pushiness,” gets its name from petere, “going after something,” and procacitas, “insolence,” from procari, that is, “demanding.”

SECTION 7

Chapter 7

(Non. 24M) I don't want the same people to be both the world's commander and its customs collector. I think thrift is the best source of income, both in private households and in the state. Even the word fides, “good faith,” seems to me to get its name from doing what you say.

(Non. 194M) that in a prominent citizen, a man of noble birth, flattery, fawning, courting favor—†my—to be signs of a shallow character.

SECTION 8

Chapter 8

(Non. 430Msq.) I admire the elegance not just of the ideas but of the words too. “If they quarrel,” it says. A dispute between people who mean each other well, not a lawsuit between enemies, is called a quarrel […]. So the law treats neighbors as quarreling with one another, not as going to court.

(Non. 174M) the same limits for people's concerns and their lives; so, under the pontiffs' law, the sacredness of burial.

(Non. 293M) that they put innocent men to death for leaving unburied people they hadn't been able to recover from the sea because the storm was so violent.

(Non. 519M) and in this dispute I didn't take the people's side, but the side of good men.

(Prisc. GL 3.76K) It's not easy to stand up to a strong people if you give them no rights, or too few.

(Non. 469M) For whom indeed I wish I had predicted truly, faithfully, †abounding.

SECTION 9

Chapter 9

(August. C.D. 2.14ext.) When these men are joined by the people's shouting and approval, as though from some great and wise teacher, what darkness they spread, what fears they bring on, what desires they set on fire!

SECTION 10

Chapter 10

(August. C.D. 2.13) Since they considered acting and the whole theater disgraceful, they wanted that class of people not only to lack the standing of other citizens but also to be removed from their tribe by a censor's mark of disgrace.

SECTION 11

(August. C.D. 2.9) Comedies could never have won approval in theaters for their shameful acts if everyday behavior hadn't allowed it. […] Who did comedy not touch—or rather, who didn't it harass? Who did it spare? Granted, it attacked bad popular leaders who stirred up unrest in the state: Cleon, Cleophon, Hyperbolus. Let's allow that, though it's better for a censor than a poet to brand such citizens. But Pericles had already led his state for many years with the greatest authority, at home and at war. Having him attacked in verse and having those verses performed onstage was no more fitting than if our own Plautus or Naevius had wanted to insult Publius and Gnaeus Scipio, or Caecilius had wanted to insult Marcus Cato […]

SECTION 12

() Our Twelve Tables, by contrast, made very few acts punishable by death, but they thought this one too should carry that penalty: if anyone chanted abuse or composed a song that brought disgrace or shame on someone else. Quite right: our lives should be open to the judgments of magistrates and to hearings under the law, not to poets' inventions. And we shouldn't have to listen to abuse unless we're allowed to reply and defend ourselves in court. […] that the ancient Romans disapproved of any living person being either praised or criticized onstage.

SECTION 13

Chapter 11

(August. C.D. 2.11)

“The Athenian Aeschines, an extremely eloquent man, entered politics after regularly acting in tragedies as a young man. The Athenians also often sent Aristodemus, another tragic actor, as their envoy to Philip on the most important matters of peace and war.”