§Lep.17scilicet quia non aliter salvi satisque tuti in imperio eritis, nisi Vettius Picens et scriba Cornelius aliena bene parta prodegerint, nisi adprobaritis omnes proscriptionem innoxiorum ob divitias, cruciatus virorum illustrium, vastam urbem fuga et caedibus, bona civium miserorum quasi Cimbricam praedam venum aut dono datam.
Doubtless because you will not otherwise be safe and sufficiently secure in your empire, unless Vettius Picens and the scribe Cornelius squander what others have well acquired, unless you all approve the proscription of the innocent for their wealth, the torture of illustrious men, the city desolate by flight and slaughter, and the goods of wretched citizens sold or given away as if they were Cimbric spoil.
§Lep.18at obiectat mihi possessiones ex bonis proscriptorum.
But he reproaches me with possessions from the goods of the proscribed.
quod quidem scelerum illius vel maxumum est, non me neque quemquam omnium satis tutum fuisse, si recte faceremus.
Which indeed is the very greatest of his crimes, that neither I nor anyone of all was safe enough, even if we acted rightly.
atque illa, quae tum formidine mercatus sum, pretio soluto iure, dominis tamen restituo, neque pati consilium est ullam ex civibus praedam esse.
And yet those things, which I then bought out of fear, having paid the price lawfully, I nevertheless restore to their owners, nor is it my intention to allow any spoil from the citizens to remain.
§Lep.19satis illa fuerint, quae rabie contracta toleravimus, manus conserentis inter se Romanos exercitus et arma ab externis in nosmet vorsa.
Let those things be enough which we, contracted by madness, have endured: Roman armies clashing with one another, and arms turned from foreign enemies against ourselves.
scelerum et contumeliarum omnium finis sit; quorum adeo Sullam non paenitet, ut et facta in gloria numeret et, si liceat, avidius fecerit.
Let there be an end to all crimes and insults; of which Sulla is so far from repenting that he even counts his deeds as glory and, if it were allowed, would have done them even more greedily.
§Lep.20Neque iam, quid existumetis de illo, sed quantum audeatis, vereor, ne alius alium principem expectantes ante capiamini, non opibus eius, quae futiles et corruptae sunt, sed vostra socordia, qua raptum ire licet et, quam audeas, tam videri felicem.
And now I fear not what you think of him, but how much you dare, lest, while waiting for one leader after another, you be captured beforehand, not by his power, which is futile and corrupt, but by your own sluggishness, by which he is allowed to go to plunder, and the more you dare, the more fortunate you seem.
§Lep.21nam praeter satellites conmaculatos quis eadem volt aut quis non omnia mutata praeter victoriam? scilicet milites, quorum sanguine Tarulae Scirtoque, pessumis servorum, divitiae partae sunt! an quibus praelatus in magistratibus capiundis Fufidius, ancilla turpis, honorum omnium dehonestamentum?
For besides his defiled satellites, who wants the same things, or who does not want everything changed except his victory? To be sure, the soldiers, by whose blood wealth was won for Tarula and Scirtus, the worst of slaves! Or those to whom Fufidius was preferred in taking office, that vile maidservant, the disgrace of all honors?
§Lep.22itaque maxumam mihi fiduciam parit victor exercitus, quoi per tot volnera et labores nihil praeter tyrannum quaesitum est.
Therefore, the victorious army brings me the greatest confidence, for whom through so many wounds and labors nothing has been gained except a tyrant.
§Lep.23nisi forte tribuniciam potestatem evorsum profecti sunt, per arma conditam a maioribus suis, utique iura et iudicia sibimet extorquerent: egregia scilicet mercede, quom relegati in paludes et silvas contumeliam atque invidiam suam, praemia penes paucos intellegerent.
Unless perchance they set out to overthrow the tribunician power, established by their ancestors through arms, or at least to wrest from themselves their own rights and courts: a remarkable reward, indeed, when banished to marshes and forests they realized that their own disgrace and unpopularity were theirs, while the rewards belonged to a few.
quare igitur tanto agmine atque animis incedit?
Why then does he march with such a great train and spirit?
§Lep.24quia secundae res mire sunt vitiis obtentui, quibus labefactis, quam formidatus est, tam contemnetur; nisi forte specie concordiae et pacis, quae sceleri et parricidio suo nomina indidit.
Because prosperity is wonderfully a screen for vices; which being shaken, he will be despised as much as he was feared; unless perhaps by the appearance of harmony and peace, which names he has given to his crime and parricide.
neque aliter rem publicam et belli finem ait, nisi maneat expulsa agris plebes, praeda civilis acerbissuma, ius iudiciumque omnium rerum penes se, quod populi Romani fuit.
And he says that there is no other state or end of war, unless the common people, driven from their lands, a most bitter civil spoil, remain, and the right and judgment of all things, which belonged to the Roman people, remain in his power.
§Lep.25quae si vobis pax et conposita intelleguntur, maxuma turbamenta rei publicae atque exitia probate, adnuite legibus inpositis, accipite otium cum servitio et tradite exemplum posteris ad rem publicam suimet sanguinis mercede circumveniundam.
If these things are understood by you as peace and order, approve the greatest disturbances and ruins of the state, assent to the laws imposed on you, accept leisure with servitude, and hand down an example to posterity for circumventing the state by the price of their own blood.
§Lep.26mihi quamquam per hoc summum imperium satis quaesitum erat nomini maiorum, dignitati atque etiam praesidio, tamen non fuit consilium privatas opes facere, potiorque visa est periculosa libertas quieto servitio.
For my part, although through this supreme power enough had been acquired for the name of my ancestors, my dignity, and even my protection, yet it was not my intention to build up private wealth, and dangerous liberty seemed preferable to quiet servitude.
§Lep.27quae si probatis, adeste, Quirites, et bene iuvantibus divis M. Aemilium consulem ducem et auctorem sequimini ad recipiundam libertatem. '
If you approve of these things, be present, Citizens, and with the gods helper and propitious, follow your consul M. Aemilius as leader and author to reclaim your liberty."