§24plane confiteor fieri nihil posse dementius quam scientem in eum locum venire ubi libertatem sis perditurus.
I plainly confess that nothing can be more insane than to come knowingly to a place where you are going to lose your liberty.
sed huius ipsius facti stultitiam alia iam superior stultitia defendit, quae facit ut hoc stultissimum facinus, quod in regnum venerit, quod se regi commiserit, sapienter factum esse videatur, si quidem non tam semper stulti quam sero sapientis est, cum stultitia sua impeditus sit, quoquo modo possit se expedire.
But the foolishness of this very act is defended by another, prior foolishness, which makes this most foolish deed—that he entered the kingdom, that he committed himself to the king—seem to have been done wisely, since indeed it is characteristic not so much of one who is always foolish as of one who becomes wise late, when he is entangled by his own foolishness, to extricate himself in whatever way he can.
§25quam ob rem illud maneat et fixum sit quod neque moveri neque mutari potest; in quo aequi sperasse Postumum dicunt, peccasse iniqui, ipse etiam insanisse se confitetur, quod suam, quod amicorum pecuniam regi crediderit cum tanto fortunarum suarum periculo, hoc quidem semel suscepto atque contracto perpetienda illa fuerunt ut se aliquando ac suos vindicaret.
Therefore, let that remain and be fixed which can neither be moved nor changed; regarding which, fair-minded men say that Postumus hoped, unfair men that he erred, and he himself confesses that he was insane, in that he trusted his own money and that of his friends to the king with such great danger to his own fortunes. Yet, once this matter was undertaken and contracted, those things had to be endured so that he might at some time rescue himself and his people.
itaque obicias licet quam voles saepe palliatum fuisse, aliqua habuisse non Romani hominis insignia, quotiens eorum quippiam dices, totiens unum dices atque idem illud, temere hunc pecuniam regi credidisse, suas fortunas atque famam libidini regiae commisisse.
Therefore, you may object as often as you wish that he wore a Greek cloak, or that he had some insignia of a non-Roman; as often as you say any of those things, so often will you say one and the very same thing: that he rashly trusted his money to the king, and committed his fortunes and reputation to the royal caprice.
§26fecerat temere, fateor; mutari factum iam nullo modo poterat; aut pallium sumendum Alexandreae ut ei Romae togato esse liceret, aut omnes fortunae abiciendae, si togam retinuisset.
He had acted rashly, I admit; the deed could now in no way be changed; either the Greek cloak had to be assumed at Alexandria so that he might be permitted to wear the toga at Rome, or all his fortunes had to be cast away, if he had retained the toga.
deliciarum causa et voluptatis non modo notos civis Romanos, sed et nobilis adulescentis et quosdam etiam senatores summo loco natos non in hortis aut suburbanis suis, sed Neapoli, §27in celeberrimo oppido, in tunica pulla saepe vidi, ibidem multi viderunt chlamydatum illum L. Sullam imperatorem.
For the sake of luxury and pleasure, I have often seen, not only well-known Roman citizens, but even noble youths and certain senators born of the highest rank, not in their gardens or suburban villas, but at Neapolis, in that most crowded town, in a dark tunic; and in the same place many saw the famous commander Lucius Sulla wearing a Greek military cloak.
L. vero Scipionis, qui bellum in Asia gessit Antiochumque devicit, non solum cum chlamyde sed etiam cum crepidis in Capitolio statuam videtis; quorum impunitas fuit non modo a iudicio sed etiam a sermone.
Indeed, you see on the Capitol the statue of Lucius Scipio, who conducted the war in Asia and conquered Antiochus, not only with a chlamys but even with Greek sandals; and their exemption from punishment was not only from trial but even from gossip.
facilius certe P. Rutilium Rufum necessitatis excusatio defendet; qui cum a Mithridate Mytilenis oppressus esset, crudelitatem regis in togatos vestitus mutatione vitavit.
Certainly the excuse of necessity will defend Publius Rutilius Rufus more easily; who, when he was blockaded by Mithridates at Mytilene, avoided the cruelty of the king toward those who wore the toga by a change of clothing.
ergo ille P. Rutilius qui documentum fuit hominibus nostris virtutis, antiquitatis, prudentiae, consularis homo soccos habuit et pallium; nec vero id homini quisquam sed tempori adsignandum putavit;
Therefore, that famous Publius Rutilius, who was an example to our men of virtue, ancient integrity, and wisdom, a man of consular rank, wore Greek slippers and a Greek cloak; nor indeed did anyone think that this should be attributed to the man, but to the times.
Postumo crimen vestitus adferet is in quo spes fuit posse sese aliquando ad fortunas suas pervenire?
Shall a change of clothing bring a charge against Postumus, in whose case there was a hope that he might at some time recover his fortunes?
§28nam ut ventum est Alexandream, iudices, haec una ratio a rege proposita Postumo est servandae pecuniae, si curationem et quasi dispensationem regiam suscepisset.
For when he arrived at Alexandria, judges, this single method of saving his money was proposed by the king to Postumus: if he would undertake the management and, as it were, stewardship of the royal revenues.
id autem facere non poterat, nisi dioecetes—hoc enim nomine utitur qui ea regit—esset constitutus.
Moreover, he could not do this unless he were appointed dioecetes—for he who manages those matters is called by this name.
odiosum negotium Postumo videbatur, sed erat nulla omnino recusatio; molestum etiam nomen ipsum, sed res habebat nomen hoc apud illos, non hic imposuerat.
The business seemed hateful to Postumus, but there was absolutely no refusal possible; even the name itself was offensive, but the office had this name among them, he had not imposed it here.
oderat vestitum etiam illum, sed sine eo nec nomen illud poterat nec munus tueri.
He also hated that clothing, but without it he could protect neither that name nor the office.
ergo
"aderat vis"
ut ait poeta ille noster,
"
quae summas frangit infirmatque opes. " §29moreretur,
inquies; nam id sequitur.
Therefore, "force was present," as our famous poet says, "which breaks and weakens the greatest powers." "He should have died," you will say; for that is the logical consequence.
fecisset certe, si sine maximo dedecore tam impeditis suis rebus potuisset emori.
He would certainly have done so, if he could have died in such entangled circumstances of his without the greatest disgrace.
noli igitur fortunam convertere in culpam neque regis iniuriam huius crimen putare nec consilium ex necessitate nec voluntatem ex vi interpretari, nisi forte eos etiam qui in hostis aut in praedones inciderint, si aliter quippiam coacti faciant ac liberi, vituperandos putes.
Do not, therefore, turn misfortune into guilt, nor consider the king's injustice to be his crime, nor interpret a plan born of necessity as deliberate counsel, nor goodwill from force, unless perhaps you think that those who have fallen among enemies or pirates ought also to be blamed, if, being compelled, they do anything differently than they would do if they were free.
nemo nostrum ignorat, etiam si experti non sumus, consuetudinem regiam.
None of us is ignorant, even if we have not experienced it, of the royal custom.
regum autem sunt haec imperia:
"animadverte ac dicto pare"
et
"praeter rogitatum si plus"
et illae minae:
"
si te secundo lumine hic offendero,
moriere; "
quae non ut delectemur solum legere et spectare debemus, sed ut cavere etiam et effugere discamus.
Moreover, these are the commands of kings: "Pay attention and obey the word," and "If you do more than you are asked," and those threats: "If I find you here when the second light of day appears, you shall die"; which we ought to read and look at not only that we may be amused, but that we may also learn to beware and to escape.