§9Gallos post haec dilutius esse poturos, quod illi venenum esse arbitrabuntur.
After this, the Gauls will drink it more diluted, because they will think that it is poison.
§10Plaetori matrem dum vixisset ludum, postquam mortua esset magistros habuisse.
The mother of Plaetorius, while she lived, had a gladiatorial school, and after she died, she had masters.
§11hoc praetore oppressam esse aere alieno Galliam.
That when this man was praetor, Gaul was overwhelmed with debt.
A quibus versuras tantarum pecuniarum factas esse dicunt? a Gallis? nihil minus.
By whom do they say that the refinancing of such great sums of money was made? By the Gauls? Nothing of the sort.
A quibus igitur? A civibus Romanis qui negotiantur in Gallia.
By whom, then? By Roman citizens who do business in Gaul.
cur eorum verba non audimus? cur eorum tabulae nullae proferuntur? insector ultro atque insto accusatori, iudices; insector, inquam, et flagito testis.
Why do we not hear their words? Why are none of their accounts produced? I voluntarily pursue and press the accuser, judges; I pursue, I say, and demand witnesses.
plus ego in hac causa laboris et operae consumo in poscendis testibus quam ceteri defensores in refutandis.
I consume more labor and effort in this cause in demanding witnesses than other defenders do in refuting them.
audaciter hoc dico, iudices, non temere confirmo.
I say this boldly, judges, I do not assert it rashly.
Referta Gallia negotiatorum est, plena civium Romanorum.
Gaul is stuffed with businessmen, full of Roman citizens.
nemo Gallorum sine cive Romano quicquam negoti gerit, nummus in Gallia nullus sine civium Romanorum tabulis commovetur.
No Gaul does any business without a Roman citizen; not a single coin is moved in Gaul without the accounts of Roman citizens.
§12videte quo descendam, iudices, quam longe videar ab consuetudine mea et cautione ac diligentia discedere.
See to what point I descend, judges, how far I seem to depart from my habit, caution, and diligence.
Vnae tabulae proferantur, in quibus vestigium sit aliquod quod significet pecuniam M. Fonteio datam, unum ex tot negotiatorum, colonorum, publicanorum, aratorum, pecuariorum numero testem producant; vere accusatum esse concedam.
Let one single set of accounts be produced, in which there is some trace indicating that money was given to Marcus Fonteius, let them produce one single witness from so great a number of businessmen, colonists, publicans, farmers, and cattle-breeders; I will concede that he was truly accused.
pro di immortales! quae haec est causa, quae defensio? provinciae Galliae M. Fonteius praefuit, quae constat ex eis generibus hominum et civitatum qui, ut vetera mittam, partim nostra memoria bella cum populo Romano acerba ac diuturna gesserunt, partim modo ab nostris imperatoribus subacti, modo bello domiti, modo triumphis ac monumentis notati, modo ab senatu agris urbibusque multati sunt, partim qui cum ipso M. Fonteio ferrum ac manus contulerunt multoque eius sudore ac labore sub populi Romani imperium dicionemque ceciderunt.
O immortal gods! What a cause is this, what a defense? Marcus Fonteius governed the province of Gaul, which consists of those classes of men and states who—to pass over ancient matters—have partly in our memory waged bitter and long-lasting wars with the Roman people, partly have been recently subdued by our commanders, conquered in war, marked by triumphs and monuments, and fined of their lands and cities by the senate, and partly have crossed swords and clashed hand-to-hand with Marcus Fonteius himself, falling under the command and sovereignty of the Roman people through his great sweat and labor.
§13est in eadem provincia Narbo Martius, colonia nostrorum civium, specula populi Romani ac propugnaculum istis ipsis nationibus oppositum et obiectum; est item urbs Massilia, de qua ante dixi, fortissimorum fidelissimorumque sociorum, qui Gallicorum bellorum pericula praecipuis populi Romani praemiis compensarunt; est praeterea maximus numerus civium Romanorum atque equitum, hominum honestissimorum.
In the same province there is Narbo Martius, a colony of our citizens, a watchtower of the Roman people and a bulwark opposed and set against those very tribes; there is likewise the city of Massilia, of which I spoke before, of most brave and faithful allies, who compensated for the dangers of the Gallic wars with exceptional rewards from the Roman people; there is moreover a very great number of Roman citizens and knights, most honorable men.
huic provinciae quae ex hac generum varietate constaret M. Fonteius, ut dixi, praefuit; qui erant hostes, subegit, qui proxime fuerant, eos ex eis agris quibus erant multati decedere coegit, ceteris qui idcirco magnis saepe erant bellis superati ut semper populo Romano parerent, magnos equitatus ad ea bella quae tum in toto orbe terrarum a populo Romano gerebantur, magnas pecunias ad eorum stipendium, maximum frumenti numerum ad Hispaniense bellum tolerandum imperavit.
Over this province, which consisted of this variety of classes, Marcus Fonteius, as I have said, presided; those who were enemies he subdued, those who had recently been so he compelled to depart from those lands of which they had been fined, and upon the rest, who had been conquered in great and frequent wars so that they might always obey the Roman people, he levied large bodies of cavalry for those wars which were then being waged by the Roman people all over the world, large sums of money for their pay, and a very great quantity of grain for sustaining the Spanish war.
§14is qui gessit in iudicium vocatur, vos qui in re non interfuistis causam una cum populo Romano cognoscitis, dicunt contra quibus invitissimis imperatum est, dicunt qui ex agris ex Cn. Pompei decreto decedere sunt coacti, dicunt qui ex belli caede et fuga nunc primum audent contra M. Fonteium inermem consistere.
He who performed these things is summoned to court; you, who were not present at the affair, investigate the cause together with the Roman people; those against their extreme will upon whom these things were levied speak against him; those who were forced to depart from their lands by the decree of Gnaeus Pompeius speak; those who, after the slaughter and flight of war, now for the first time dare to stand against an unarmed Marcus Fonteius, speak.
quid? coloni Narbonenses quid volunt, quid existimant? hunc per vos salvum volunt, se per hunc incolumis existimant esse.
What? What do the colonists of Narbo want, what do they think? Through you they wish this man to be saved; through him they think they are safe.
quid Massiliensium civitas? hunc praesentem eis adfecit honoribus quos habuit amplissimos; vos autem absens orat atque obsecrat ut sua religio, laudatio, auctoritas aliquid apud vestros animos momenti habuisse videatur.
What of the state of the Massilians? When he was present, they affected him with the greatest honors they had; now, in his absence, they pray and beseech you that their religious feeling, their praise, and their authority may appear to have some weight in your minds.
§15quid? civium Romanorum quae voluntas est? nemo est ex tanto numero quin hunc optime de provincia, de imperio, de sociis et civibus meritum esse arbitretur.
What? What is the will of the Roman citizens? There is no one from so great a number who does not think that this man has deserved excellently of the province, of the empire, of the allies and the citizens.
quoniam igitur, iudices, qui oppugnatum M. Fonteium cognostis, qui defensum velint, statuite nunc quid vestra aequitas, quid populi Romani dignitas postulet, utrum colonis vestris, negotiatoribus vestris, amicissimis atque antiquissimis sociis et credere et consulere malitis, an eis quibus neque propter iracundiam fidem neque propter infidelitatem honorem habere debetis.
Therefore, judges, since you have recognized those who attack Marcus Fonteius and those who wish him defended, decide now what your equity and what the dignity of the Roman people demands, whether you prefer to believe and consult the interests of your colonists, your businessmen, and your most friendly and ancient allies, or those to whom you ought to show neither trust on account of their wrath, nor honor on account of their faithlessness.