§9.53.1ἴστε δήπου πάντες, ὅσους ἐχειρωσάμεθα πολεμίους, καὶ ὅσην γῆν προὐνομεύσαμεν, καὶ ὅσα λάφυρα ἐκ τῶν ἁλόντων χωρίων ἐλάβομεν, ὧν οἱ πολέμιοι στερόμενοι τέως εὐδαίμονες ὄντες ἐν πολλῇ νῦν καθεστήκασιν ἀπορίᾳ· καὶ ὅτι τούτων οὐδενὸς ἀπηλάσθησαν οὐδὲ μεῖον ἐκτήσαντο ἐν ταῖς διανομαῖς οἱ τὴν ἀπορίαν ὀδυρόμενοι.
You all know, surely, how many enemies we have subdued, and how much land we have plundered, and how much booty we have taken from the captured places; deprived of which, the enemy, who were formerly prosperous, now find themselves in great distress; and you know that those who lament their poverty were not excluded from any of these things, nor did they obtain less in the distributions.
§9.53.2ἆρʼ οὖν διὰ ταύτας τὰς ἐπικτήσεις ἐπανορθωσάμενοι φαίνονταί τι τῆς παλαιᾶς τύχης καὶ προεληλυθότες εἰς ἐπιφάνειαν τοῖς βίοις;
Have they, then, by these acquisitions, shown any improvement in their former fortune, and have they advanced to conspicuous prosperity in their lives?
ἐβουλόμην μὲν ἂν καὶ θεοῖς εὐξάμην, ἵνα ἧττον ἦσαν ἐπίσκηνοι λυπηροὶ τῇ πόλει, νῦν δʼ ὁρᾶτε γὰρ καὶ ἀκούετε αὐτῶν ὀδυρομένων, ὅτι ἐν ἐσχάτῃ εἰσὶν ἀπορίᾳ.
I could indeed have wished it, and would have prayed to the gods for it, so that they might be less troublesome dependents upon the city; but as it is, for you see and hear them lamenting, they are in the extreme of distress.
ὥστʼ οὐδʼ εἰ ταῦτα, ἃ νῦν αἰτοῦνται, καὶ ἔτι πλείω τούτων λάβοιεν, ἐπανορθώσονται τοὺς βίους.
So that, even if they should receive these things which they now ask, and even more than these, they will not improve their lives.
§9.53.3οὐ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς τύχαις αὐτῶν ἐνοικεῖ τὸ ἄπορον, ἀλλʼ ἐν τοῖς τρόποις· οὓς οὐχ οἷον ὁ βραχὺς οὗτος ἐκπληρώσει κλῆρος, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ αἱ σύμπασαι βασιλέων τε καὶ τυράννων δωρεαί.
For poverty does not dwell in their fortunes, but in their character; which not only this small allotment of land will not satisfy, but not even all the gifts of kings and tyrants combined.
δράσομέν τʼ, εἰ καὶ ταῦτα συγχωρήσομεν αὐτοῖς, ὅμοια τοῖς πρὸς ἡδονὴν θεραπεύουσι τοὺς κάμνοντας ἰατροῖς.
And we shall do, if we grant them these things also, just like physicians who treat the sick to please them.
οὐ γὰρ τὸ νοσοῦν ὑγιασθήσεται τῆς πολιτείας μέρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑγιαῖνον ἀπολαύσει τῆς νόσου.
For the diseased part of the state will not be cured, but even the healthy part will catch the disease.
καθόλου τʼ, ὦ βουλή, πολλῆς ὑμῖν δεῖ ἐπιμελείας τε καὶ φροντίδος, ὅπως ἂν σώσητε πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ διαφθειρόμενα τὰ ἤθη τῆς πόλεως.
In general, O senate, you have need of much care and concern, so that you may save with all zeal the decaying customs of the city.
§9.53.4ὁρᾶτε γάρ, εἰς ἃ προελήλυθεν ἡ τοῦ δήμου ἀκοσμία, καὶ ὡς οὐκέτι ἄρχεσθαι πρὸς τῶν ὑπάτων ἀξιοῖ· ᾧ γʼ οὐ μετεμέλησε τῶν ἐνθάδε πραττομένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου τὴν αὐτὴν ἀπεδείξατο ἀκοσμίαν, ὅπλα τε ῥίψας καὶ τάξεις ἐκλιπὼν καὶ σημεῖα πολεμίοις προέμενος καὶ φυγῇ πρὶν εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν ἐπονειδίστῳ χρησάμενος, ὥσπερ ἐμοῦ μόνον ἀφαιρησόμενος τὴν ἐκ τῆς νίκης δόξαν, ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ καὶ τῆς πατρίδος τὸ κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν πάθος.
For you see to what extent the disorder of the populace has proceeded, and how it no longer deigns to be ruled by the consuls; they did not repent of their actions here, but even in the camp displayed the same disorder, throwing away their arms, abandoning their ranks, leaving their standards to the enemy, and resorting to shameful flight before coming to blows, as if they would deprive me alone of the glory of victory, and not also rob their country of the blow to be inflicted upon the enemy.
§9.53.5καὶ νῦν Οὐολούσκοις κατὰ Ῥωμαίων ἵσταται τρόπαια, καὶ κοσμεῖται τοῖς ἡμετέροις λαφύροις τἀκείνων ἱερὰ καὶ ἐν αὐχήμασιν, ἡλίκοις οὐπώποτε αἱ πόλεις αὐτῶν εἰσιν τέως ὑπὲρ ἀνδραποδισμοῦ τε καὶ κατασκαφῆς τῶν ἡμετέρων δεόμεναι ἡγεμόνων.
And now trophies are erected for the Volscians against the Romans, and their temples are adorned with our spoils, and they are in such boastings as their cities never before enjoyed, which had hitherto been begging our generals to save them from enslavement and utter destruction.
§9.53.6ἆρά γε δίκαιον ἢ καλὸν ἐπὶ τοιούτοις κατορθώμασι χάριν αὐτοῖς ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι, καὶ δημοσίαις ἐπικοσμεῖν δωρεαῖς κληρουχήσαντας τὴν γῆν, ἧς πολέμιοι κρατοῦσι τὸ κατὰ τούτους εἶναι μέρος;
Is it, then, just or honorable for you to feel grateful to them for such successes, and to adorn them with public gifts by allotting them the land of which, as far as in them lies, the enemy are masters?
ἀλλὰ τί δεῖ τούτοις ἐγκαλεῖν, οἷς διʼ ἀπαιδευσίαν τε καὶ δυσγένειαν ὀλίγος ἐστὶ τῶν καλῶν λόγος, ὁρῶντας, ὡς οὐδʼ ἐν τοῖς ὑμετέροις ἤθεσι πᾶσιν ἔτι τὸ ἀρχαῖον οἰκεῖ φρόνημα, ἀλλʼ αὐθάδεια μὲν ἡ σεμνότης καλεῖται πρὸς ἐνίων, μωρία δʼ ἡ δικαιοσύνη, μανικὸν δὲ τὸ ἀνδρεῖον, καὶ ἠλίθιον τὸ σῶφρον;
But why is there any need to accuse these men, who through lack of education and low birth have little regard for honorable things, when we see that not even in all your characters does the ancient spirit still dwell, but dignity is called obstinacy by some, justice is called folly, bravery is called madness, and moderation is called stupidity?
ἃ δὲ μισητὰ παρὰ τοῖς προτέροις ἦν, ταῦτα πυργοῦταί τε νῦν καὶ θαυμάσια ἡλίκα φαίνεται τοῖς διεφθαρμένοις ἀγαθά, ἀνανδρία καὶ βωμολοχία καὶ κακοήθεια καὶ τὸ πανούργως σοφὸν καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἅπαντα ἰταμὸν καὶ τὸ μηδενὶ τῶν κρειττόνων εὐπειθές· ἃ πολλὰς ἤδη πόλεις §9.53.7ἰσχυρὰς λαβόντα ἐκ βάθρων ἀνέτρεψε.
And those things which were hateful to our ancestors are now extolled, and appear as wonderfully great goods to those who are corrupted: cowardice, sycophancy, ill-nature, knavish wisdom, recklessness in everything, and disobedience to any of their superiors; which, having seized many strong cities, have overturned them from their foundations.
ταῦθʼ ὑμῖν, ὦ βουλή, εἴθʼ ἡδέα ἐστὶν ἀκούειν εἴτʼ ἀνιαρά, μετὰ πάσης ἀληθείας καὶ παρρησίας εἴρηται, τοῖς μὲν πεισθησομένοις ὑμῶν, ἐὰν ἄρα πεισθῆτε, ἔν τε τῷ παρόντι χρήσιμα καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἀσφαλῆ· ἐμοὶ δʼ, ὃς ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινῇ συμφέροντος ἰδίας ἀπεχθείας ἀναιροῦμαι, πολλῶν ἐσόμενα κινδύνων αἴτια.
These things, O senate, whether they are pleasant for you to hear or painful, have been spoken with all truth and frankness; useful for the present and safe for the future to those of you who will be persuaded, if indeed you are persuaded; but for me, who for the public good incur private hatreds, they will be the cause of many dangers.
προορᾶν γὰρ ἱκανός εἰμι τὰ συμβησόμενα ἐκ λογισμοῦ, καὶ παραδείγματα ποιοῦμαι τἀλλότρια πάθη τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ.
For I am able to foresee what will happen by reasoning, and I make the misfortunes of others examples for my own.