§22.26.1is iuvenis, ut iam ex eo genere quaestus pecunia a patre relicta animos ad spem liberalioris fortunae fecit togaque et forum placuere, §22.26.2proclamando pro sordidis hominibus causisque adversus rem et famam bonorum primum in notitiam populi, §22.26.3deinde ad honores pervenit, quaesturaque et duabus aedilitatibus, plebeia et curuli, postremo et praetura perfunctus iam ad consulatus spem cum adtolleret animos, §22.26.4haud parum callide auram favoris popularis ex dictatoria invidia petiit scitique plebis unus gratiam tulit.
When this young man, now that the money left by his father from that kind of trade had given him spirit for the hope of a more liberal fortune, and the toga and the forum became pleasing to him, by declaiming on behalf of low-born men and their causes against the property and reputation of the aristocracy, he first came into the notice of the people, and then attained to public offices; and having discharged the office of quaestor, two aedileships—both plebeian and curule—and finally also the praetorship, when he was now raising his ambition to the hope of the consulship, with no little shrewdness he sought the breeze of popular favor from the hatred towards the dictator, and alone carried the credit for the decree of the plebs.
§22.26.5omnes eam rogationem quique Romae quique in exercitu erant, aequi atque iniqui, praeter ipsum dictatorem in contumeliam eius latam acceperunt; §22.26.6ipse, qua gravitate animi criminantis se ad multitudinem inimicos tulerat, eadem et populi in se saevientis iniuriam tulit; acceptisque in ipso itinere litteris §22.26.7de aequato imperio, satis fidens haudquaquam cum imperii iure artem imperandi aequatam cum invicto a civibus hostibusque animo ad exercitum rediit.
All men, both those in Rome and those in the army, friends and foes alike, except for the dictator himself, accepted that this bill had been proposed as an insult to him; he himself, with the same steadfastness of mind with which he had borne his enemies accusing him before the multitude, bore also the injustice of the people raging against him; and having received letters on the very journey concerning the equalized command, fully confident that the art of commanding was by no means equalized along with the right of command, he returned to the army with a mind unconquered by either citizens or enemies.