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I have done no Greek all weekend, which will surely cause me pain tomorrow in prepping for Tuesday's class. But! Boy howdy have I translated a lot of Cicero today.
Chapter 8
I want you to be warned about this: first, in order that all men may judge you to be the sort of man that you actually are, that you separate yourself from overly loose language as much as you are already distant from baseness in your actions; then, on the other hand, that you not say those things which you would blush at, when they were refuted to you as false. For what sort of man would not suffer such a result, what sort of man would not be able to speak wickedness as boldly as he wished to this young age and this personal grace, even if without any suspicion? But the fault of that role belongs to those who wished you to play it; the praise belongs to your modesty, because we saw you unwilling to discuss it, and to your reputation, because you have spoken eloquently and politely.
Chapter 9
In truth, the defense is short for this whole oration. For insofar as the age of Marcus Caelius is able to give a place to this suspicion, it had been guarded first by his modesty, and then even by the diligence and discipline of his father. And when he* gave him the toga of manhood--I will say nothing about myself in this place; may it be as much as you all make of it; I will say this, that this man was immediately brought to me**--no one saw that Marcus Caelius in that bloom of his youth unless educated in the most honorable practices with his father or with me or in the most upright house of Marcus Crassus.
Chapter 10
Now as for the charge that Caelius was a friend of Cataline, he should be greatly distant from such a suspicion. For you all know that this man sought consulship from Cataline with me in his youth. And if he approached that man or ever left me--although many fine young men supported that worthless, shameless man--then Caelius would be thought to have been excessively friendly to Cataline at that time. I'm told that afterwards we know and see that this man was among the supporters of even that man! Who would deny it? But that stage of life which itself is weakened on its own, and moreover endangered by the passion of other men--I defend it at this point. He was diligent with me when I was praetor; he did not become acquainted with Cataline; that man***, as praetor, was taking control of Africa at the time. The next year, Cataline defended himself on charges of extortion. He**** was with me; he never came forward even as an advocate for that man. The very next year, I sought the consular office; Cataline sought it with me. He never approached that man, and he never left me.
Chapter 11
Therefore, having been involved in the forum for so many years without suspicion, without a bad reputation, he supported Cataline when that man sought the consulship again. So to what extent do you think that youth should have been protected? Certainly one year was set aside for us to be on probation*****, in order that we might be engaged in the army and wearing tunics in the Campus Martius field, and this was the same practice, if we immediately began to draw military pay, in the camps and armies. At this age, if someone were not defending himself by his own dignity, clean living, domestic discipline, and even a certain natural goodness, being protected in whatever way by his own people, nevertheless he would not be able to flee a true scandal. But he who showed the first beginnings of his age untouched and inviolate, when he had become mature and was a man among men--no one spoke ill of him.
Chapter 12
But Caelius supported Cataline, when he had then been in the forum for some years. And many men did this same thing, out of all the men of his order, and all the men of his age. For that man had (just as you all remember) very many signs of the greatest virtue, not fully expressed but outlined. He enjoyed the friendships of many wicked men, yes, but he also feigned devotion to the best men. Many enticements to passion were at his house; there was even encouragement towards industry and labor. The vices of passion burned at his house; even the study of military matters flourished. Nor do I think that there was ever another monster on this earth so molded from so contrary and diverse and even warring passions of nature and desires within himself.
---
* The father. Frankly, this isn't clear in the Latin, either. Thank god for footnotes.
** That is, as an apprentice.
*** Cataline. I think. Too many dudes in this speech to track easily.
**** Caelius! ...I think.
***** Literally, "for having the arm restrained by the toga." Yeah. I needed footnotes for that one too.
Chapter 8
I want you to be warned about this: first, in order that all men may judge you to be the sort of man that you actually are, that you separate yourself from overly loose language as much as you are already distant from baseness in your actions; then, on the other hand, that you not say those things which you would blush at, when they were refuted to you as false. For what sort of man would not suffer such a result, what sort of man would not be able to speak wickedness as boldly as he wished to this young age and this personal grace, even if without any suspicion? But the fault of that role belongs to those who wished you to play it; the praise belongs to your modesty, because we saw you unwilling to discuss it, and to your reputation, because you have spoken eloquently and politely.
Chapter 9
In truth, the defense is short for this whole oration. For insofar as the age of Marcus Caelius is able to give a place to this suspicion, it had been guarded first by his modesty, and then even by the diligence and discipline of his father. And when he* gave him the toga of manhood--I will say nothing about myself in this place; may it be as much as you all make of it; I will say this, that this man was immediately brought to me**--no one saw that Marcus Caelius in that bloom of his youth unless educated in the most honorable practices with his father or with me or in the most upright house of Marcus Crassus.
Chapter 10
Now as for the charge that Caelius was a friend of Cataline, he should be greatly distant from such a suspicion. For you all know that this man sought consulship from Cataline with me in his youth. And if he approached that man or ever left me--although many fine young men supported that worthless, shameless man--then Caelius would be thought to have been excessively friendly to Cataline at that time. I'm told that afterwards we know and see that this man was among the supporters of even that man! Who would deny it? But that stage of life which itself is weakened on its own, and moreover endangered by the passion of other men--I defend it at this point. He was diligent with me when I was praetor; he did not become acquainted with Cataline; that man***, as praetor, was taking control of Africa at the time. The next year, Cataline defended himself on charges of extortion. He**** was with me; he never came forward even as an advocate for that man. The very next year, I sought the consular office; Cataline sought it with me. He never approached that man, and he never left me.
Chapter 11
Therefore, having been involved in the forum for so many years without suspicion, without a bad reputation, he supported Cataline when that man sought the consulship again. So to what extent do you think that youth should have been protected? Certainly one year was set aside for us to be on probation*****, in order that we might be engaged in the army and wearing tunics in the Campus Martius field, and this was the same practice, if we immediately began to draw military pay, in the camps and armies. At this age, if someone were not defending himself by his own dignity, clean living, domestic discipline, and even a certain natural goodness, being protected in whatever way by his own people, nevertheless he would not be able to flee a true scandal. But he who showed the first beginnings of his age untouched and inviolate, when he had become mature and was a man among men--no one spoke ill of him.
Chapter 12
But Caelius supported Cataline, when he had then been in the forum for some years. And many men did this same thing, out of all the men of his order, and all the men of his age. For that man had (just as you all remember) very many signs of the greatest virtue, not fully expressed but outlined. He enjoyed the friendships of many wicked men, yes, but he also feigned devotion to the best men. Many enticements to passion were at his house; there was even encouragement towards industry and labor. The vices of passion burned at his house; even the study of military matters flourished. Nor do I think that there was ever another monster on this earth so molded from so contrary and diverse and even warring passions of nature and desires within himself.
---
* The father. Frankly, this isn't clear in the Latin, either. Thank god for footnotes.
** That is, as an apprentice.
*** Cataline. I think. Too many dudes in this speech to track easily.
**** Caelius! ...I think.
***** Literally, "for having the arm restrained by the toga." Yeah. I needed footnotes for that one too.