§16quid? si maiorem etiam hominum honestissimorum copiam adferam quae huius virtuti atque innocentiae testimonio possit esse, tamenne plus Gallorum consensio valebit quam summa auctoritas omnium? Cum Galliae Fonteius praeesset, scitis, iudices, maximos populi Romani exercitus in duabus Hispaniis clarissimosque imperatores fuisse.
What? If I were to bring forward an even greater abundance of most honorable men who could be a testimony to this man's virtue and innocence, will the agreement of the Gauls still have more weight than the supreme authority of everyone else? When Fonteius was governing Gaul, you know, judges, that there were very large armies of the Roman people and most illustrious commanders in the two Spains.
quam multi equites Romani, quam multi tribuni militum, quales et quot et quotiens legati ad eos exierunt! exercitus praeterea Cn. Pompei maximus atque ornatissimus hiemavit in Gallia M. Fonteio imperante.
How many Roman knights, how many military tribunes, what sort and how many and how often did legates go out to them! Moreover, the very large and most splendidly equipped army of Gnaeus Pompeius wintered in Gaul while Marcus Fonteius was commanding.
satisne vobis multos, satis idoneos testis et conscios videtur ipsa fortuna esse voluisse earum rerum quae M. Fonteio praetore gererentur in Gallia? quem ex tanto hominum numero testem in hac causa producere potestis? quis est ex eo numero qui vobis auctor placeat? eo nos iam laudatore et teste utemur.
Does fortune itself not seem to have wished that there be sufficiently many, sufficiently suitable witnesses and observers of those things which were being done in Gaul while Marcus Fonteius was praetor? Whom from so great a number of men can you produce as a witness in this cause? Who is there from that number whose authority pleases you? We shall now use him as our praiser and witness.
§17dubitabitis etiam diutius, iudices, quin illud quod initio vobis proposui verissimum sit, aliud per hoc iudicium nihil agi nisi ut M. Fonteio oppresso testimoniis eorum quibus multa rei publicae causa invitissimis imperata sunt, segniores posthac ad imperandum ceteri sint, cum videatis eos oppugnare quibus victoribus populi Romani imperium incolume esse non possit? obiectum est etiam quaestum M. Fonteium ex viarum munitione fecisse, ut aut ne cogeret munire, aut id quod munitum esset ne improbaret.
Will you doubt any longer, judges, that what I proposed to you at the beginning is most true, that nothing else is being done through this trial except that, by crushing Marcus Fonteius through the testimonies of those upon whom, much against their will, many demands were levied for the sake of the republic, the rest may hereafter be slower to command, when you see that those are attacking him, under whose victory the empire of the Roman people cannot remain safe? It has also been charged that Marcus Fonteius made a profit from the construction of the roads, so that he might either not compel them to build, or not disapprove of what had been built.
si et coacti sunt munire omnes et multorum opera improbata sunt, certe utrumque falsum est, et ob vacationem pretium datum, cum immunis nemo fuerit, et ob probationem, cum multa improbata sint.
If all were compelled to build and the works of many were disapproved, certainly both charges are false: both that a price was paid for exemption, since no one was exempt, and for approval, since many works were disapproved.
quid?
What?
§18si hoc crimen optimis nominibus delegare possimus, et ita non ut culpam in alios transferamus, sed uti doceamus eos isti munitioni praefuisse qui facile officium suum et praestare et probare possunt, tamenne vos omnia in M. Fonteium iratis testibus freti conferetis? Cum maioribus rei publicae negotiis M. Fonteius impediretur, et cum ad rem publicam pertineret viam Domitiam muniri, legatis suis, primariis viris, C. Annio Bellieno et C. Fonteio, negotium dedit; itaque praefuerunt; imperaverunt pro dignitate sua quod visum est et probaverunt; quod vos, si nulla alia ex re, ex litteris quidem nostris quas exscripsistis et missis et adlatis certe scire potuistis.
If we can delegate this charge to the most excellent names, and that not in order to transfer the blame to others, but to show that those presided over that construction who can easily perform and prove their duty, will you still, relying on angry witnesses, heap everything upon Marcus Fonteius? When Marcus Fonteius was hindered by greater public business, and when it concerned the republic that the Via Domitia should be built, he gave the task to his legates, men of the highest rank, Gaius Annius Bellienus and Gaius Fonteius; and so they presided; they commanded what seemed fit according to their dignity, and they approved it; which you certainly could have known, if from nothing else, at least from our letters which you copied, both those sent and those received.
quas si antea non legistis, nunc ex nobis quid de eis rebus Fonteius ad legatos suos scripserit, quid ad eum illi rescripserint, cognoscite.
If you have not read them before, learn now from us what Fonteius wrote to his legates about these matters, and what they wrote back to him.
L. M.
"ad C. Annivm leg. , ad C. Fonteivm leg.
Letters Sent. "To Gaius Annius, legate; to Gaius Fonteius, legate." Letters Received.
, L. A. ab C. Annio leg. , ab C.Fonteio leg. " §19satis opinor esse perspicuum, iudices, hanc rationem munitionis neque ad M. Fonteium pertinere et ab eis esse tractatam quos nemo possit reprehendere.
"From Gaius Annius, legate; from Gaius Fonteius, legate." I think it is sufficiently clear, judges, that this business of the construction does not pertain to Marcus Fonteius, and was managed by those whom no one can censure.
cognoscite nunc de crimine vinario, quod illi invidiosissimum et maximum esse voluerunt.
Learn now of the wine charge, which they wished to be the most invidious and greatest of all.
crimen a Plaetorio, iudices, ita constitutum est, M. Fonteio non in Gallia primum venisse in mentem ut portorium vini institueret, sed hac inita iam ac proposita ratione Roma profectum.
The charge, judges, was so framed by Plaetorius: that it did not first enter the mind of Marcus Fonteius in Gaul to establish a wine tax, but that he set out from Rome having already entered upon and proposed this plan.
itaque Titurium Tolosae quaternos denarios in singulas vini amphoras portori nomine exegisse; Croduni Porcium et munium ternos et victoriatum, Vulchalone Servaeum binos et victoriatum; atque in his locis ab eis portorium esse exactum si qui Cobiomago—qui vicus inter Tolosam et Narbonem est—deverterentur neque Tolosam ire vellent; Elesiodulis C. Annium senos denarios ab eis qui ad hostem portarent exegisse.
And so Titurius exacted four denarii per amphora of wine at Tolosa under the name of toll; Porcius and Munius exacted three denarii and a victoriatus at Crodunum, and Servaeus two denarii and a victoriatus at Vulchalo; and in these places toll was exacted by them if any turned aside at Cobiomagus—which is a village between Tolosa and Narbo—and did not wish to go to Tolosa; at Elesiodulae, Gaius Annius exacted six denarii from those who carried it to the enemy.