§19—libenter,inquam, confiterer, si vere possem aut etiam si mihi esset integrum, C. Rabiri manu L. Saturninum esse occisum, et id facinus pulcherrimum esse arbitrarer; sed, quoniam id facere non possum, confitebor id quod ad laudem minus valebit, ad crimen non minus.
—I would gladly confess, I say, if I truly could or even if it were open to me, that L. Saturninus was killed by the hand of C. Rabirius, and I would think that deed most beautiful; but, since I cannot do that, I will confess that which will be less effective for praise, but no less for a charge.
confiteor interficiendi Saturnini causa C. Rabirium arma cepisse.
I confess that for the sake of killing Saturninus, C. Rabirius took up arms.
quid est, Labiene? quam a me graviorem confessionem aut quod in hunc maius crimen exspectas? nisi vero interesse aliquid putas inter eum qui hominem occidit, et eum qui cum telo occidendi hominis causa fuit.
What is it, Labienus? What more serious confession do you expect from me, or what greater charge against this man? Unless indeed you think there is some difference between him who killed a man and him who was there with a weapon for the sake of killing a man.
si interfici Saturninum nefas fuit, arma sumpta esse contra Saturninum sine scelere non possunt; si arma iure sumpta concedis, interfectum iure concedas necesse est.
If it was a crime for Saturninus to be killed, arms could not be taken up against Saturninus without wickedness; if you grant that arms were taken up lawfully, you must necessarily grant that he was killed lawfully.
§20fit senatus consultum ut C. Marius L. Valerius consules adhiberent tribunos pl. et praetores, quos eis videretur, operamque darent ut imperium populi Romani maiestasque conservaretur.
A decree of the senate is made, that C. Marius and L. Valerius, the consuls, should associate with themselves such tribunes of the plebs and praetors as seemed good to them, and should take care that the empire and majesty of the Roman people should be preserved.
adhibent omnis tribunos pl. praeter Saturninum, praetores praeter Glauciam; qui rem publicam salvam esse vellent, arma capere et se sequi iubent.
They associate with themselves all the tribunes of the plebs except Saturninus, and all the praetors except Glaucia; they order those who wished the republic to be safe to take up arms and follow them.
parent omnes; ex aede Sancus armamentariisque publicis arma populo Romano C. Mario consule distribuente dantur.
All obey; arms are given to the Roman people from the temple of Sancus and from the public armories, with C. Marius the consul distributing them.
hic iam, ut omittam cetera, de te ipso, Labiene, quaero.
Here now, to omit other things, I ask you, Labienus, about yourself.
Cum Saturninus Capitolium teneret armatus, esset una C. Glaucia, C. Saufeius, etiam ille ex compedibus atque ergastulo Gracchus; addam, quoniam ita vis, eodem Q. Labienum, patruum tuum;
When Saturninus held the Capitol with arms, and C. Glaucia, C. Saufeius, and even that Gracchus from the fetters and the workhouse were together with him; I will add, since you so wish, Q.
in foro autem C. Marius et L. Valerius Flaccus consules, post cunctus senatus, atque ille senatus quem etiam vos ipsi, qui hos patres conscriptos qui nunc sunt in invidiam vocatis, quo facilius de hoc senatu detrahere possitis, laudare consuevistis, cum equester ordo—at quorum equitum, di immortales! patrum nostrorum atque eius aetatis, qui tum magnam partem rei publicae atque omnem dignitatem iudiciorum tenebant,—cum omnes omnium ordinum homines qui in salute rei publicae salutem suam repositam esse arbitrabantur arma cepissent: quid tandem C. Rabirio faciendum fuit?
Labienus, your uncle, to the same company; while in the forum were C. Marius and L. Valerius Flaccus the consuls, and behind them the whole senate, and that senate which even you yourselves, who now bring these conscript fathers into hatred so that you may more easily detract from this senate, have been accustomed to praise, when the equestrian order—and what horsemen, immortal gods! of our fathers' generation and of that age, who then held a great part of the republic and all the dignity of the courts,—when all men of all orders who thought that their own safety was placed in the safety of the republic had taken up arms: what, I pray, was C. Rabirius to do?
§21de te ipso, inquam, Labiene, quaero.
I ask you, I say, Labienus, about yourself.
Cum ad arma consules ex senatus consulto vocavissent, cum armatus M. Aemilius, princeps senatus, in comitio constitisset, qui cum ingredi vix posset, non ad insequendum sibi tarditatem pedum sed ad fugiendum impedimento fore putabat, cum denique Q. Scaevola confectus senectute, perditus morbo, mancus et membris omnibus captus ac debilis, hastili nixus et animi vim et infirmitatem corporis ostenderet, cum L. Metellus, Ser. Galba, C. Serranus, P. Rutilius, C. Fimbria, Q. Catulus omnesque qui tum erant consulares pro salute communi arma cepissent, cum omnes praetores, cuncta nobilitas ac iuventus accurreret, Cn.
When the consuls had called to arms in accordance with the decree of the senate, when M. Aemilius, the leader of the senate, had stood armed in the comitium—who, though he could scarcely walk, thought that the slowness of his feet would be an impediment to him not for pursuing but for fleeing—when finally Q. Scaevola, worn out with old age, ruined by disease, crippled, and disabled in all his limbs, leaning on a spear, showed both the strength of his mind and the infirmity of his body, when L. Metellus, Ser. Galba, C. Serranus, P. Rutilius, C. Fimbria, Q. Catulus, and all those who were then consulars had taken up arms for the common safety, when all the praetors, the entire nobility, and the youth ran together—Cn. and L.
et L. Domitii, L. Crassus, Q. Mucius, C. Claudius, M. Drusus, cum omnes Octavii, Metelli, Iulii, Cassii, Catones, Pompeii, cum L. Philippus, L. Scipio, cum M. Lepidus, cum D. Brutus, cum hic ipse P. Servilius, quo tu imperatore, Labiene, meruisti, cum hic Q. Catulus, admodum tum adulescens, cum hic C. Curio, cum denique omnes clarissimi viri cum consulibus essent: quid tandem C. Rabirium facere convenit? utrum inclusum atque abditum latere in occulto atque ignaviam suam tenebrarum ac parietum custodiis tegere, an in Capitolium pergere atque ibi se cum tuo patruo et ceteris ad mortem propter vitae turpitudinem confugientibus congregare, an cum Mario, Scauro, Catulo, Metello, Scaevola, cum bonis denique omnibus coire non modo salutis verum etiam periculi societatem?
Domitius, L. Crassus, Q. Mucius, C. Claudius, M. Drusus—when all the Octavii, Metelli, Julii, Cassii, Catones, Pompeii, when L. Philippus, L. Scipio, when M. Lepidus, when D. Brutus, when this P. Servilius himself, under whom as commander, Labienus, you served, when this Q. Catulus, then quite a young man, when this C. Curio, when finally all the most illustrious men were with the consuls: what, I pray, was it fitting for C. Rabirius to do? Whether to lie hid, shut up and concealed in secret, and to cover his cowardice with the guardianship of darkness and walls, or to go to the Capitol and there join himself with your uncle and the others who were fleeing to death on account of the baseness of their lives, or to enter into a partnership not only of safety but also of danger with Marius, Scaurus, Catulus, Metellus, Scaevola, and finally with all good men?