§1.6.1Non quia, Maecenas, Lydorum quidquid Etruscos §1.6.2incoluit finis, nemo generosior est te, §1.6.3nec quod avus tibi maternus fuit atque paternus §1.6.4olim qui magnis legionibus imperitarent, §1.6.5ut plerique solent, naso suspendis adunco §1.6.6ignotos, ut me libertino patre natum.
Not because, Maecenas, of whatever Lydians inhabited the Etruscan borders, no one is of nobler birth than you, nor because you had a maternal and paternal grandfather who of old commanded great legions, do you, as most are accustomed to do, turn up your curved nose at unknown men, such as me born of a freedman father.
§1.6.7cum referre negas, quali sit quisque parente §1.6.8natus, dum ingenuus, persuades hoc tibi vere, §1.6.9ante potestatem Tulli atque ignobile regnum §1.6.10multos saepe viros nullis maioribus ortos §1.6.11et vixisse probos amplis et honoribus auctos; §1.6.12contra Laevinum, Valeri genus, unde Superbus §1.6.13Tarquinius regno pulsus fugit, unius assis §1.6.14non umquam pretio pluris licuisse, notante §1.6.15iudice quo nosti, populo, qui stultus honores §1.6.16saepe dat indignis et famae servit ineptus, §1.6.17qui stupet in titulis et imaginibus.
When you say it matters not from what kind of parent each is born, provided he is freeborn, you persuade yourself truly of this, that before the power of Tullius and his ignoble reign many men, often sprung from no ancestors, both lived uprightly and were elevated with grand honors; on the contrary, Laevinus, the descendant of Valerius, from whom Superbus Tarquin fled, driven from his kingdom, was never valued at more than the price of a single as, even with that judge marking him whom you know, the populace, which foolishly often gives honors to the unworthy and stupidly serves fame, which is amazed at titles and ancestral images.
quid oportet §1.6.18nos facere a volgo longe longeque remotos?
What is it fitting for us to do, who are removed far, far away from the crowd?
§1.6.19namque esto: populus Laevino mallet honorem §1.6.20quam Decio mandare novo censorque moveret §1.6.21Appius, ingenuo si non essem patre natus: §1.6.22vel merito, quoniam in propria non pelle quiessem.
For let it be: the populace would prefer to entrust honor to Laevinus rather than to the new man Decius, and a censor Appius would remove me, if I were not born of a freeborn father— and indeed deservedly, since I would not have rested in my own skin.
But glory drags along bound in her shining chariot no less the unknown than the noble.
quo tibi, Tulli, §1.6.25sumere depositum clavom fierique tribuno?
Of what use was it to you, Tullius, to assume the laid-aside broad stripe and become a tribune?
§1.6.26invidia adcrevit, privato quae minor esset.
Envy increased, which would have been less as a private citizen.
§1.6.27nam ut quisque insanus nigris medium impediit crus §1.6.28pellibus et latum demisit pectore clavom, §1.6.29audit continuo ‘quis homo hic est? quo patre natus?’
For as soon as any crazy man has bound his mid-leg with black leather straps and let down the broad stripe from his breast, he immediately hears: 'Who is this man?
§1.6.30ut siqui aegrotet quo morbo Barrus, haberi §1.6.31et cupiat formosus, eat quacumque, puellis §1.6.32iniciat curam quaerendi singula, quali §1.6.33sit facie, sura, quali pede, dente, capillo: §1.6.34sic qui promittit civis, urbem sibi curae, §1.6.35imperium fore et italiam, delubra Deorum, §1.6.36quo patre sit natus, num ignota matre inhonestus, §1.6.37omnis mortalis curare et quaerere cogit.
Born of what father?' Just as if anyone should be sick with the disease Barrus has, and desire to be thought handsome, wherever he goes, he would inspire girls with the care of asking details, what sort of face he has, what calf, what foot, tooth, and hair: so he who promises his citizens that the city, the empire, Italy, and the temples of the gods shall be his care, forces all mortals to care and ask from what father he is born, whether he is dishonored by an unknown mother.
§1.6.38‘tune, Syri Damae aut Dionysi filius, audes §1.6.39deicere de saxo civis aut tradere Cadmo?’ §1.6.40‘at Novius collega gradu post me sedet uno; §1.6.41namque est ille, pater quod erat meus. ’ ‘hoc tibi Paulus
'Do you, the son of a Syrus, a Dama, or a Dionysius, dare to cast citizens down from the rock, or deliver them to Cadmus?' 'But my colleague Novius sits one row behind me; for he is what my father was.' 'Does this make you seem a Paulus or a Messalla to yourself?
§1.6.42et Messalla videris? at hic, si plostra ducenta §1.6.43concurrantque foro tria funera, magna sonabit, §1.6.44cornua quod vincatque tubas: saltem tenet hoc nos. ’ §1.6.45nunc ad me redeo libertino patre natum, §1.6.46quem rodunt omnes libertino patre natum,
But this man, if two hundred wagons and three funerals should clash in the forum, will make so great a noise as to surpass horns and trumpets; at least this holds us.' Now I return to myself, born of a freedman father, whom all carp at as born of a freedman father, now because, Maecenas, I am a companion to you, but of old because a Roman legion obeyed me as a tribune.
§1.6.47nunc, quia, Maecenas, tibi sum convictor, at olim, §1.6.48quod mihi pareret legio Romana tribuno. §1.6.49dissimile hoc illi est, quia non, ut forsit honorem §1.6.50iure mihi invideat quivis, ita te quoque amicum, §1.6.51praesertim cautum dignos adsumere, prava §1.6.52ambitione procul.
This is different from that, because though anyone might perhaps justly envy me my honor, they cannot also envy me your friendship, especially since you are cautious to adopt the worthy, far from corrupt ambition.
felicem dicere non hoc §1.6.53me possim, casu quod te sortitus amicum; §1.6.54nulla etenim mihi te fors obtulit: optimus olim §1.6.55Vergilius, post hunc Varius dixere, quid essem.
I could not call myself fortunate in this, that I obtained you as a friend by chance; for indeed no chance offered you to me: of old, the excellent Vergil, and after him Varius, told you what I was.
§1.6.56ut veni coram, singultim pauca locutus — §1.6.57infans namque pudor prohibebat plura profari — §1.6.58non ego me claro natum patre, non ego circum §1.6.59me Satureiano vectari rura caballo, §1.6.60sed quod eram narro.
When I came before you, having spoken a few words with sobs— for speechless shame prevented me from speaking more— I did not tell you that I was born of an illustrious father, nor that I rode about my estates on a Satureian horse, but I narrated what I was.
respondes, ut tuus est mos, §1.6.61pauca; abeo, et revocas nono post mense iubesque §1.6.62esse in amicorum numero.
You replied, as is your custom, a few words; I departed, and you recall me after the ninth month and bid me be in the number of your friends.
magnum hoc ego duco, §1.6.63quod placui tibi, qui turpi secernis honestum §1.6.64non patre praeclaro, sed vita et pectore puro.
I count this a great thing, that I pleased you, who distinguish the honorable from the base, not by an illustrious father, but by a pure life and heart.
§1.6.65atqui si vitiis mediocribus ac mea paucis
And yet, if with moderate faults and a few of my own...