§5.4.1atque ego, quam hoc consilium collegarum meorum, quod abducere infecta re a Veis exercitum noluerunt, non utile solum, sed etiam necessarium fuerit, postea disseram; §5.4.2nunc de ipsa condicione dicere militantium libet.
And as for how this plan of my colleagues, who refused to withdraw the army from Veii without completing the task, was not only useful but also necessary, I will discuss later; for now, I wish to speak about the condition of those on service itself.
quam orationem non apud vos solum, sed etiam in castris si habeatur, ipso exercitu disceptante aequam arbitror videri posse.
I think that this speech, if it were delivered not only before you but also in the camp, with the army itself debating it, could be seen as fair.
in qua, si mihi ipsi nihil, quod dicerem, in mentem venire posset, adversariorum certe orationibus contentus essem.
In which, even if nothing to say could come into my own mind, I would certainly be satisfied with the speeches of my adversaries.
negabant nuper danda esse aera militibus, §5.4.3quia numquam data essent.
They were recently saying that pay ought not to be given to the soldiers, because it had never been given.
quonam modo igitur nunc indignari possunt, quibus aliquid novi adiectum commodi sit, eis laborem etiam novum pro portione iniungi? nusquam
How then can they now be indignant that upon those to whom some new advantage has been added, a new labor also should be imposed in proportion?
§5.4.4nec opera sine emolumento nec emolumentum ferme sine inpensa opera est.
Nowhere is there either labor without reward, or reward almost without spent labor.
labor voluptasque, dissimillima natura, societate quadam inter se naturali sunt iuncta.
Labor and pleasure, though very different in nature, are joined to one another by a certain natural alliance.
§5.4.5moleste antea ferebat miles se suo sumptu operam rei publicae praebere; gaudebat idem partem anni se agrum suum colere, quaerere, unde domi militiaeque se ac suos tueri posset; §5.4.6gaudet nunc fructui sibi rem publicam esse et laetus stipendium accipit; aequo igitur animo patiatur se ab domo ac re familiari, cui gravis inpensa non est, paulo diutius abesse.
Previously, the soldier was annoyed that he provided his service to the republic at his own expense; at the same time, he rejoiced that for a part of the year he cultivated his own field, seeking whence he could support himself and his family at home and on campaign; now he rejoices that the republic is a source of profit to him, and gladly receives his pay; let him therefore bear with an easy mind being away a little longer from his home and private property, upon which no heavy expense falls.
§5.4.7an, si ad calculos eum res publica vocet, non merito dicat: “annua aera habes, annuam operam ede; an tu aecum censes militia semenstri solidum te stipendium accipere?” §5.4.8invitus in hac parte orationis, Quirites, moror; sic enim agere debent, qui mercennario milite utuntur; nos tamquam cum civibus agere volumus agique tamquam cum patria nobiscum aecum censemus.
Or, if the republic should call him to accounts, would it not deservedly say: "You have a year's pay, perform a year's service; or do you think it fair that you receive a full pay for a six-month campaign?" Unwillingly, Quirites, do I linger on this part of my speech; for in this way those ought to act who use mercenary soldiers; we wish to act as if with citizens, and we think it fair that we be acted with as if with our fatherland.
§5.4.9aut non suscipi bellum oportuit aut geri pro dignitate populi Romani et perfici quam primum oportet.
Either the war ought not to have been undertaken, or it ought to be waged in a manner worthy of the dignity of the Roman people and completed as soon as possible.
§5.4.10perficietur autem, si urgemus obsessos, si non ante abscedimus, quam spei nostrae finem captis Veis inposuerimus.
And it will be completed if we press hard upon the besieged, if we do not withdraw before we have put an end to our hopes by capturing Veii.
si hercules nulla alia causa, ipsa indignitas perseverantiam inponere debuit.
Indeed, even if there were no other reason, the very indignity ought to have imposed perseverance.
§5.4.11decem quondam annos urbs oppugnata est ob unam mulierem ab universa Graecia quam procul ab domo? quot terras, quot maria distans?
Was a city once besieged for ten years for the sake of one woman by the whole of Greece, how far from home? Distant by how many lands, how many seas?
§5.4.12nos intra vicensimum lapidem in conspectu prope urbis nostrae annuam oppugnationem perferre piget.
We are loath to endure a year's siege within the twentieth milestone, almost in sight of our own city.
scilicet quia levis causa belli est nec satis quicquam iusti doloris est, quod nos ad perseverandum stimulet.
Doubtless because the cause of the war is slight, and there is not enough of any just resentment to stimulate us to persevere.
§5.4.13septiens rebellarunt; in pace numquam fida fuerunt; agros nostros miliens depopulati sunt; Fidenates deficere a nobis coegerunt; colonos nostros ibi interfecerunt; §5.4.14auctores fuere contra ius caedis inpiae legatorum nostrorum; Etruriam omnem adversus nos concitare voluerunt hodieque id moliuntur; res repetentis legatos nostros haud procul afuit quin violarent.
Seven times they rebelled; in peace they were never faithful; a thousand times they devastated our fields; they forced the Fidenates to revolt from us; they killed our colonists there; they were the instigators of the impious murder of our ambassadors against the law of nations; they wished to rouse all Etruria against us, and today they are striving for this; they were not far from violating our ambassadors who were demanding restitution.