§1quod precatus a Iove optimo maximo ceterisque dis immortalibus sum, Quirites, eo tempore cum me fortunasque meas pro vestra incolumitate otio concordiaque devovi, ut, si meas rationes umquam vestrae saluti anteposuissem, sempiternam poenam sustinerem mea voluntate susceptam, sin et ea quae ante gesseram conservandae civitatis causa gessissem et illam miseram profectionem vestrae salutis gratia suscepissem, ut quod odium scelerati homines et audaces in rem publicam et in omnis bonos conceptum iam diu continerent, id in me uno potius quam in optimo quoque et universa civitate defigerent,—hoc si animo in vos liberosque vestros fuissem, ut aliquando vos patresque conscriptos Italiamque universam memoria mei misericordia desideriumque teneret: eius devotionis me esse convictum iudicio deorum immortalium, testimonio senatus, consensu Italiae, confessione inimicorum, beneficio divino immortalique vestro maxime laetor.
Citizens, what I prayed for to Jupiter Best and Greatest and the other immortal gods, at that time when I devoted myself and my fortunes for your safety, peace, and concord—namely, that if I had ever preferred my own interests to your safety, I should undergo eternal punishment voluntarily incurred; but if I had performed those deeds which I had previously done for the sake of preserving the state, and if I had undertaken that wretched departure for the sake of your safety, in order that the hatred which wicked and audacious men had long been harboring against the republic and against all good men might be fixed upon me alone rather than upon every best citizen and the entire state—if I had been of this mind toward you and your children, so that at some time a memory of me, pity, and longing might hold you, the conscript fathers, and the whole of Italy: I rejoice exceedingly that I have been judged to be proven in that devotion by the judgment of the immortal gods, the testimony of the senate, the consensus of Italy, the confession of my enemies, and your divine and immortal benefit.
§2namque, Quirites, etsi nihil est homini magis optandum quam prospera aequabilis perpetuaque fortuna secundo vitae sine ulla offensione cursu, tamen, si mihi tranquilla et placata omnia fuissent, incredibili quadam et paene divina, qua nunc vestro beneficio fruor, laetitiae voluptate caruissem.
For, citizens, although nothing is more to be desired by a man than a prosperous, uniform, and perpetual fortune with a favorable course of life without any mishap, nevertheless, if all things had been tranquil and peaceful for me, I would have lacked that incredible and almost divine pleasure of joy which I now enjoy by your benefit.
quid dulcius hominum generi ab natura datum est quam sui cuique liberi? mihi vero et propter indulgentiam meam et propter excellens eorum ingenium vita sunt mea cariores: tamen non tanta voluptate erant suscepti quanta nunc sunt restituti.
What sweeter thing has been given by nature to the human race than each one's own children? To me indeed, both on account of my indulgence and on account of their excellent character, they are dearer than my own life; yet they were not received with as much pleasure as they have now been restored.
§3nihil cuiquam fuit umquam iucundius quam mihi meus frater: non tam id sentiebam cum fruebar quam tum cum carebam, et postea quam vos me illi et mihi eum reddidistis.
Nothing was ever more pleasant to anyone than my brother has been to me: I did not perceive this so much when I was enjoying his presence as when I was deprived of it, and after you restored me to him and him to me.
res familiaris sua quemque delectat: reliquae meae fortunae reciperatae plus mihi nunc voluptatis adferunt quam tum incolumes adferebant.
His own private property delights each man: the rest of my recovered fortunes now bring me more pleasure than they did when they were unimpaired.
amicitiae, consuetudines, vicinitates, clientelae, ludi denique et dies festi quid haberent voluptatis carendo magis intellexi quam fruendo.
Friendships, social circles, neighborhoods, clienteles, and finally games and festival days—I understood what pleasure they contained more by lacking them than by enjoying them.
§4iam vero honos, dignitas, locus, ordo, beneficia vestra, quamquam mihi semper clarissima visa sunt, tamen ea nunc renovata inlustriora videntur quam si obscurata non essent.
Now indeed, honor, dignity, rank, order, and your benefits, although they always seemed most illustrious to me, yet now, having been renewed, they appear more splendid than if they had never been obscured.
ipsa autem patria, di immortales! dici vix potest quid caritatis, quid voluptatis habeat; quae species Italiae, quae celebritas oppidorum, quae forma regionum, qui agri, quae fruges, quae pulchritudo urbis, quae humanitas civium, quae rei publicae dignitas, quae vestra maiestas! quibus ego omnibus antea rebus sic fruebar ut nemo magis;
But the fatherland itself, O immortal gods! it can scarcely be said what affection, what pleasure it possesses; what an appearance Italy has, what a crowd in the towns, what a beauty in the regions, what fields, what crops, what beauty of the city, what refinement of the citizens, what dignity of the republic, what majesty of yours!
sed tamquam bona valetudo iucundior est iis qui e gravi morbo recreati sunt quam qui numquam aegro corpore fuerunt, sic haec omnia desiderata magis quam adsidue percepta delectant.
All of these things I used to enjoy previously as much as anyone; but just as good health is more pleasant to those who have recovered from a severe illness than to those who have never had a sick body, so all these things delight us more when they have been longed for than when they are continuously experienced.
§5quorsum igitur haec disputo? quorsum? ut intellegere possitis neminem umquam tanta eloquentia fuisse, neque tam divino atque incredibili genere dicendi, qui vestram magnitudinem multitudinemque beneficiorum quae in me fratremque meum et liberos nostros contulistis non modo augere aut ornare oratione, sed enumerare aut consequi possit.
To what purpose, then, do I discuss these things? To what purpose? So that you may be able to understand that no one was ever of such great eloquence, nor possessed such a divine and incredible style of speaking, as to be able, I do not say to magnify or adorn with speech, but even to enumerate or keep pace with your greatness and the multitude of benefits which you have conferred upon me, my brother, and our children.
A parentibus, id quod necesse erat, parvus sum procreatus, a vobis natus sum consularis.
By my parents, as was necessary, I was procreated small; by you, I was born a consular.
illi mihi fratrem incognitum qualis futurus esset dederunt, vos spectatum et incredibili pietate cognitum reddidistis.
They gave me a brother, unknown as to what kind of man he would turn out to be; you restored him to me, proven and known for his incredible devotion.
rem publicam illis accepi temporibus eam quae paene amissa est, a vobis eam reciperavi quam aliquando omnes unius opera servatam iudicaverunt.
I received from them a republic in those times which was almost lost; from you, I recovered that which everyone at one time judged to have been saved by the labor of one man.
di immortales mihi liberos dederunt, vos reddidistis.
The immortal gods gave me children; you restored them.
multa praeterea a dis immortalibus optata consecuti sumus: nisi vestra voluntas fuisset, omnibus divinis muneribus careremus.
Besides, we have obtained many things wished for from the immortal gods; yet unless your will had been present, we would have lacked all these divine gifts.
vestros denique honores, quos eramus gradatim singulos adsecuti, nunc a vobis universos habemus, ut quantum antea parentibus, quantum dis immortalibus, quantum vobismet ipsis, tantum hoc tempore universum cuncto populo Romano debeamus.
Finally, your honors, which we had attained one by one step by step, we now hold from you all at once, so that however much we previously owed to our parents, however much to the immortal gods, however much to yourselves, we now owe that whole sum at this time to the entire Roman people.