§1.9.13postea, cum tu Hispaniam citeriorem cum imperio obtineres neque res publica consules haberet, sed mercatores provinciarum et seditionum servos ac ministros, iecit quidam casus caput meum quasi certaminis causa in mediam contentionem dissensionemque civilem.
Afterwards, when you were holding Nearer Spain with imperium, and the republic had no consuls, but rather merchants of provinces and slaves and ministers of sedition, a certain chance cast my head, as if as a subject of conflict, into the midst of civil contention and dissension.
quo in discrimine cum mirificus senatus, incredibilis Italiae totius, singularis omnium bonorum consensus in me tuendo exstitisset, non dicam, quid acciderit (multorum est enim et varia culpa), tantum dicam brevi, non mihi exercitum sed duces defuisse.
In which crisis, although a wonderful consensus of the senate, an incredible one of the whole of Italy, and a singular one of all good men had arisen in protecting me, I will not say what happened (for the blame belongs to many and is of various kinds); I will only say briefly that it was not an army but leaders that were lacking to me.
in quo ut iam sit in iis culpa, qui me non defenderunt, non minor est in iis, qui reliquerunt, et, si accusandi sunt, si qui pertimuerunt, magis etiam reprehendendi, si qui se timere simularunt.
In which matter, though the blame may now rest on those who did not defend me, it is no less on those who abandoned me, and, if those who were thoroughly terrified are to be accused, those who pretended to be afraid are even more to be blamed.
illud quidem certe nostrum consilium iure laudandum est, qui meos civis et a me conservatos et me servare cupientis spoliatos ducibus ervis armatis obici noluerim declararique maluerim, quanta vis esse potuisset in consensu bonorum, si iis pro me stante pugnare licuisset, cum adflictum excitare potuissent; quorum quidem animum tu non perspexisti solum, cum de me ageres, sed etiam confirmasti atque tenuisti.
That decision of mine, at least, is rightly to be praised, who was unwilling that my fellow-citizens, both preserved by me and desiring to preserve me, when despoiled of leaders, should be exposed to armed slaves, and preferred that it should be made clear how great a force there could have been in the consensus of good men, if they had been permitted to fight for me while I stood firm, when they were able to raise me up when afflicted; indeed, you not only perceived their mind when you were acting on my behalf, but you also strengthened and maintained it.
§1.9.14qua in causa (non modo non negabo, sed etiam semper et meminero et praedicabo libenter) usus es quibus dam nobilissimis hominibus fortioribus in me restituendo, quam fuerant idem in tenendo.
In which cause (which I will not only not deny, but will also always remember and gladly proclaim), you made use of certain very noble men who were braver in restoring me than the same men had been in keeping me.
qua in sententia si constare voluissent, suam auctoritatem simul cum salute mea reciperassent.
If they had wished to remain firm in this opinion, they would have recovered their own authority together with my safety.
recreatis enim bonis viris consulatu tuo et constantissimis atque optimis actionibus tuis excitatis, Cn.
For when the good men had been restored by your consulship and excited by your most constant and excellent actions, especially since Cn.
Pompeio praesertim ad causam adiuncto, cum etiam Caesar rebus maximis gestis singularibus ornatus et novis honoribus ac iudiciis senatus ad auctoritatem eius ordinis adiungeretur, nulli improbo civi locus ad rem publicam violandam esse potuisset.
Pompey was joined to the cause, when even Caesar, adorned with the greatest achievements and singular and new honors and judgments of the senate, was being joined to the authority of that order, no wicked citizen could have had any room to violate the republic.
§1.9.15sed attende, quaeso, quae sint consecuta.
But pay attention, I beg, to what followed.
primum illa furia muliebrium religionum, qui non pluris fecerat bonam deam quam tris sorores, impunitatem est illorum sententiis adsecutus, qui, cum tr. pl. poenas a seditioso civi per bonos viros iudicio persequi vellet, exemplum praeclarissimum in posterum vindicandae seditionis de re publica sustulerunt, idemque postea non meum monumentum (non enim illae manubiae meae, sed operis locatio mea fuerat), monumentum vero senatus hostili nomine et cruentis inustum litteris esse passi sunt.
First, that fury of female religions, who had valued the Good Goddess no more than his three sisters, obtained impunity by the votes of those who, when the tribune of the plebs wished to pursue punishment from a seditious citizen by a trial through good men, removed from the republic a most illustrious example for punishing sedition in the future; and the same men afterwards permitted that not my monument (for those were not my spoils of war, but my contracting of work), but indeed a monument of the senate should be branded with a hostile name and bloody letters.
qui me homines quod salvum esse voluerunt, est mihi gratissimum; sed vellem non solum salutis meae quem ad modum medici, sed ut aliptae etiam virium et coloris rationem habere voluissent.
That these men wished me to be safe is most gratifying to me; but I would have wished that they had chosen to take account not only of my safety, as physicians do, but also, like trainers, of my strength and color.
nunc, ut Apelles Veneris caput et summa pectoris politissima arte perfecit, reliquam partem corporis incohatam reliquit, sic quidam homines in capite meo solum elaborarunt, reliquum corpus imperfectum ac rude reliquerunt.
Now, just as Apelles finished the head and the uppermost part of the breast of Venus with the most polished art, but left the rest of her body unfinished, so certain men labored on my head alone, but left the rest of my body imperfect and rough.