§16argumentum vero, quod quidem est proprium rei—neque enim ullum aliud argumentum vere vocari potest—rerum vox est, naturae vestigium, veritatis nota; id qualecumque est, maneat immutabile necesse est; non enim fingitur ab oratore, sed sumitur.
But a proof, which indeed is proper to the case—for no other thing can truly be called a proof—is the voice of facts, the footprint of nature, the mark of truth; whatever it is, it must of necessity remain unchangeable; for it is not fashioned by the orator, but taken up.
qua re, in eo genere accusationis si vincerer, succumberem et cederem; vincerer enim re, vincerer causa, vincerer veritate.
Therefore, if I were to be overcome in this kind of accusation, I would yield and give way; for I would be overcome by the fact, overcome by the cause, overcome by the truth.
§17agmen tu mihi inducas Sardorum et catervas et me non criminibus urgere, sed Afrorum fremitu terrere conere? non potero equidem disputare, sed ad horum fidem et mansuetudinem confugere, ad ius iurandum iudicum, ad populi Romani aequitatem, qui hanc familiam in hac urbe principem voluit esse, deorum immortalium numen implorare potero, qui semper exstiterunt huic generi nominique fautores.
Would you lead against me a host and crowds of Sardinians, and try to terrify me, not with charges, but with the roar of Africans? I shall indeed not be able to dispute, but I shall be able to flee to the loyalty and clemency of these judges, to their oath, to the equity of the Roman people, who wished this family to be foremost in this city, and to implore the divine power of the immortal gods, who have always stood forth as patrons of this race and name.
§18poposcit, imperavit, eripuit, coegit. si doces tabulis, quoniam habet seriem quandam et ordinem contracti negoti confectio ipsa tabularum, attendam acriter et quid in defendendo mihi agendum sit videbo.
"He demanded, he ordered, he snatched, he compelled." If you show this by account-books, since the very drawing up of the account-books of a contracted transaction has a certain sequence and order, I will attend sharply and see what I ought to do in defending.
si denique nitere testibus non dico bonis viris ac probatis, noti sint modo, quem ad modum mihi cum quoque sit confligendum considerabo.
If, finally, you rely on witnesses—I do not say good and approved men, let them only be known—I will consider how I must fight with each one.
§19sin unus color, una vox, una natio est omnium testium, si, quod ei dicunt, non modo nullis argumentis sed ne litterarum quidem aliquo genere aut publicarum aut privatarum, quod tamen ipsum fingi potest, confirmare conantur, quo me vertam, iudices, aut quid agam? Cum singulis disputem? quid? non habuisti quod dares.
But if there is one color, one voice, one nation of all the witnesses; if they try to confirm what they say not only by no arguments but not even by any kind of documents, either public or private—which, however, can themselves be forged—where shall I turn myself, gentlemen of the jury, or what shall I do? Shall I dispute with them one by one? What? You did not have anything to give.
habuisse se dicet.
He will say he had it.
quis id sciet, quis iudicabit? non fuisse causam.
Who will know it, who will judge? There was no reason.
finget fuisse.
He will pretend there was.
qui refellemus? potuisse non dare, si noluisset.
How shall we refute him? You could have not given, if you had been unwilling.
vi ereptum esse dicet.
He will say it was snatched away by force.
quae potest eloquentia disputando ignoti hominis impudentiam confutare?
What eloquence can confute by disputing the impudence of an unknown man?
§20non agam igitur cum ista Sardorum conspiratione et cum expresso, coacto sollicitatoque periurio subtiliter neque acu quaedam enucleata argumenta conquiram, sed contra impetum istorum impetu ego nostro concurram atque confligam.
Therefore, I will not deal subtly with that conspiracy of the Sardinians, and with that squeezed out, forced, and solicited perjury, nor will I search out some arguments unraveled as if with a needle; but against their onset, I will run and clash with our own onset.
non est unus mihi quisque ex illorum acie protrahendus neque cum singulis decertandum atque pugnandum; tota est acies illa uno impetu prosternenda.
I must not drag out each individual from their line of battle, nor contend and fight with them one by one; that whole line must be overthrown by a single charge.
§21est enim unum maximum totius Sardiniae frumentarium crimen, de quo Triarius omnis Sardos interrogavit, quod genus uno testimoni foedere et consensu omnium est confirmatum.
For there is one greatest grain charge of all Sardinia, concerning which Triarius questioned all the Sardinians, which class of charge was confirmed by a single alliance of testimony and the consensus of all.
quod ego crimen ante quam attingo, peto a vobis, iudices, ut me totius nostrae defensionis quasi quaedam fundamenta iacere patiamini.
Before I touch upon this charge, I ask of you, gentlemen of the jury, that you allow me to lay, as it were, certain foundations of our whole defense.
quae si erunt, ut mea ratio et cogitatio fert, posita et constituta, nullam accusationis partem pertimescam.
If these are, as my reason and thought intend, placed and established, I shall fear no part of the accusation.
§22dicam enim primum de ipso genere accusationis, postea de Sardis, tum etiam pauca de Scauro; quibus rebus explicatis tum denique ad hoc horribile et formidolosum frumentarium crimen accedam.
For I will speak first of the very nature of the accusation, then of the Sardinians, and then also a few words about Scaurus; and when these matters have been explained, then at last I will approach this horrible and formidable grain charge.
§23quod est igitur hoc accusationis, Triari, genus, primum ut inquisitum non ieris? quae fuit ista tam ferox, tam explorata huius opprimendi fiducia? pueris nobis audisse videor L. Aelium, libertinum hominem litteratum ac facetum, cum ulcisceretur patroni iniurias, nomen Q. Muttonis, hominis sordidissimi, detulisse.
What kind of accusation, therefore, is this, Triarius, in the first place that you did not go to investigate? What was that so fierce, so assured confidence of crushing this man? I seem to remember hearing when we were boys that Lucius Aelius, a literary and witty freedman, when he was avenging the injuries of his patron, brought a charge against Quintus Mutto, a most sordid man.
A quo cum quaereretur quam provinciam aut quam diem testium postularet, horam sibi octavam, dum in foro bovario inquireret, postulavit.
When he was asked what province or what day for witnesses he demanded, he demanded the eighth hour, while he investigated in the Forum Boarium.
§24hoc tu idem tibi in M. Aemilio Scauro putasti esse faciendum?
delata enim,
inquit,
causa ad me Romam est.
Did you think that you ought to do this same thing in the case of Marcus Aemilius Scaurus? "For the case," he says, "was brought to me at Rome." What?
quid? ad me Siculi nonne Romam causam Siciliae detulerunt? at qui homines! prudentes natura, callidi usu, doctrina eruditi.
Did not the Sicilians bring the case of Sicily to me at Rome? And yet, what men! Wise by nature, cunning by experience, erudite by learning.
tamen ego mihi provinciae causam in provincia ipsa cognoscendam et discendam putavi.
Nevertheless, I thought that the case of a province ought to be investigated and learned by me in the province itself.