§30an vero istas nationes religione iuris iurandi ac metu deorum immortalium in testimoniis dicendis commoveri arbitramini? quae tantum a ceterarum gentium more ac natura dissentiunt, quod ceterae pro religionibus suis bella suscipiunt, istae contra omnium religiones; illae in bellis gerendis ab dis immortalibus pacem ac veniam petunt, istae cum ipsis dis immortalibus bella gesserunt.
Or do you really think that those nations are moved by the sanctity of an oath and the fear of the immortal gods in giving their testimony? They who differ so much from the custom and nature of other nations, because other nations undertake wars on behalf of their religions, while they undertake them against the religions of all; the former seek peace and pardon from the immortal gods in waging war, while the latter have waged war against the immortal gods themselves.
hae sunt nationes quae quondam tam longe ab suis sedibus Delphos usque ad Apollinem Pythium atque ad oraculum orbis terrae vexandum ac spoliandum profectae sunt.
These are the nations which custody set out so far from their own abodes, all the way to Delphi, to harass and plunder Pythian Apollo and the oracle of the whole world.
ab isdem gentibus sanctis et in testimonio religiosis obsessum Capitolium est atque ille Iuppiter cuius nomine maiores nostri vinctam testimoniorum fidem esse voluerunt.
By these same holy nations, so pious in their testimony, was the Capitol besieged, and that Jupiter, by whose name our ancestors wished the good faith of testimonies to be bound.
§31postremo his quicquam sanctum ac religiosum videri potest qui, etiam si quando aliquo metu adducti deos placandos esse arbitrantur, humanis hostiis eorum aras ac templa funestant, ut ne religionem quidem colere possint, nisi eam ipsam prius scelere violarint? quis enim ignorat eos usque ad hanc diem retinere illam immanem ac barbaram consuetudinem hominum immolandorum? quam ob rem quali fide, quali pietate existimatis esse eos qui etiam deos immortalis arbitrentur hominum scelere et sanguine facillime posse placari? Cum his vos testibus vestram religionem coniungetis, ab his quicquam sancte aut moderate dictum putabitis? hoc vestrae mentes tam castae, §32tam integrae sibi suscipient ut, cum omnes legati nostri qui illo triennio in Galliam venerunt, omnes equites Romani qui in illa provincia fuerunt, omnes negotiatores eius provinciae, denique omnes in Gallia qui sunt socii populi Romani atque amici, M. Fonteium incolumem esse cupiant, iurati privatim et publice laudent, vos tamen cum Gallis iugulare malitis? quid ut secuti esse videamini? voluntatemne hominum? gravior igitur vobis erit hostium voluntas quam civium? an dignitatem testium? potestis igitur ignotos notis, iniquos aequis, alienigenas domesticis, cupidos moderatis, mercennarios gratuitis, impios religiosis, inimicissimos huic imperio ac nomini bonis ac fidelibus et sociis et civibus anteferre?
Finally, can anything seem holy and religious to those who, even if at any time, led by some fear, they think the gods must be appeased, defile their altars and temples with human victims, so that they cannot even worship religion unless they first violate it by crime? For who is ignorant that they, up to this day, retain that monstrous and barbarian custom of sacrificing human beings? For which reason, of what kind of good faith, of what kind of piety do you think those are, who think that even the immortal gods can be most easily appeased by the crime and blood of men? Will you join your religion with these witnesses? Will you think that anything has been spoken by them holily or moderately? Will your minds, so chaste, so untainted, take this upon themselves, that, while all our legates who went to Gaul during that three-year period, all the Roman knights who were in that province, all the businessmen of that province, and finally all in Gaul who are allies and friends of the Roman people, desire Marcus Fonteius to be safe, and praise him under oath privately and publicly, you nevertheless prefer to ruin him together with the Gauls? What do you wish to be seen to have followed? The will of the men? Will, then, the will of enemies be heavier to you than that of citizens? Or the dignity of the witnesses? Can you, then, prefer the unknown to the known, the unjust to the just, foreigners to citizens, the greedy to the moderate, the mercenary to the gratuitous, the impious to the religious, those most hostile to this empire and name to the good, faithful, allies, and citizens?
§33an vero dubitatis, iudices, quin insitas inimicitias istae gentes omnes et habeant et gerant cum populi Romani nomine? sic existimatis eos hic sagatos bracatosque versari, animo demisso atque humili, ut solent ei qui adfecti iniuriis ad opem iudicum supplices inferioresque confugiunt? nihil vero minus.
Or do you really doubt, judges, that all those nations both have and maintain an ingrained enmity against the name of the Roman people? Do you think that they walk about here in their cloaks and trousers, with a dejected and humble mind, as those are accustomed to do who, having been affected by injuries, flee as suppliants and inferiors to the help of the judges? Indeed, nothing of the sort.
hi contra vagantur laeti atque erecti passim toto foro cum quibusdam minis et barbaro atque immani terrore verborum; quod ego profecto non crederem, nisi aliquotiens ex ipsis accusatoribus vobiscum simul, iudices, audissem, cum praeciperent ut caveretis ne hoc absoluto novum aliquod bellum Gallicum concitaretur.
On the contrary, they wander joyful and erect here and there throughout the whole forum with certain threats and a barbarian and monstrous terror of words; which indeed I would not believe, judges, if I had not heard it several times from the accusers themselves at the same time as you, when they warned you to take care lest, if this man were acquitted, some new Gallic war should be stirred up.
§34si M. Fonteium, iudices, in causa deficerent omnia, si turpi adulescentia, vita infami, magistratibus quos ante oculos vestros gessit male gestis, convictus virorum bonorum testimoniis, legationibus flagitiose obitis, invisus suis omnibus in iudicium vocaretur, si in eo iudicio colonorum populi Romani Narbonensium, fidelissimorum sociorum Massiliensium, civium Romanorum omnium testimoniis tabulisque premeretur, tamen esset vobis magno opere providendum ne, quos ita adflictos a vestris patribus maioribusque accepissetis ut contemnendi essent, eos pertimuisse et eorum minis et terrore commoti esse videremini.
If, judges, Marcus Fonteius were lacking in all things in his cause, if he were summoned to trial with a shameful youth, an infamous life, with the magistracies which he held before your eyes badly administered, convicted by the testimonies of good men, his legations disgracefully executed, hated by all his people; if in that trial he were overwhelmed by the testimonies and records of the colonists of the Roman people of Narbo, of our most faithful allies the Massilians, and of all Roman citizens; yet you would have to take great care lest you should seem to have feared those whom you received from your fathers and ancestors as so afflicted that they were to be despised, and to have been moved by their threats and terror.