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More Cicero. Yay! Some of this doesn't make much sense. Sorry!
Chapter 27
But I leave out these things; I respond to those things which moved me more.
The scolding about luxuries was long, for it had more lenience and more of argumentation than of severity, for which reason it was more attentively heard. Now, as for my friend Publius Clodius*, when he conducted himself most seriously and vehemently, and, afire with all this, employed the saddest words, in the loudest voice, although I approved of his eloquence, nevertheless I was not alarmed; for I had seen him argue a number of cases to no effect. However, I will respond first to you, Balbus, by your leave, if it pleases, if it's not forbidden that I defend the sort of man who refused no banquet, who walked through some gardens, who used perfumes, who once visited Baiae.**
Chapter 28
For my part, in this nation I have seen seen and heard that many men--not only those who tasted this kind of life with the tips of their lips and felt it, as it were, with their fingertips, but also those who gave their whole youth to pleasures--have finally emerged and have reformed*** and became serious and renowned men. For some playfulness is granted to this age by everyone's permission, and nature itself pours forth the passions of youth. And these passions, if they burst out in such a way that they undermine no one's life, and destroy no family, are usually thought minor and reasonable.
Chapter 29
But it seemed to me you wished to stir up some sort of hatred towards Caelius, out of the common bad reputation of youth. And so all that silence (which is a tribute to your oration) was for the sake of this case, because--although only one defendant was accused--we understood it to be about the vices of many men. It's easy to accuse extravagance. Daylight would soon fail me, if I were to try to bring to light what could be said on this topic: there is an immense oration about seductions, adulteries, impudence, expenses. Even if you introduce no defendant to yourself but vice itself, nevertheless the subject itself
may be accused seriously and at length. But our wisdom, judges, is not led astray by the defendant, nor does it hurl those sorts of barbs which your severity and seriousness hold, when the prosecutor aroused them against the matter, against vices, against habits, against modern times, against a man and against the defendant, when he was called up not for his own crime, but for the vice of all men, in a certain unjust hatred.
Chapter 30
And so I do not dare respond to your severity just as I ought. For it was my place to beg and plead and seek excuses and indulgence for youth. It is said that I don't dare to. I employ no asylum for age, I forego the rights granted to all; I only ask that, if in any way there is a common ill-will at this time towards some other man's money, waywardness, adolescent libido--I see this ill-will is great--that nevertheless they not do harm to another's mistakes for this man, nor to his age or time of life. And so I--the same man who demands these things--do not refuse to respond most diligently to the charges which are brought together against this man in person.
However, there are two charges, of gold and poison, in which there is only one and the same person involved. The gold was brought up by Clodia, the poison a thing which was given to Clodia, as they claim. All of the rest are not charges but slander, more from a rowdy quarrel than of a public investigation. "Unchaste, shameless, intermediating bribes" is an insult, not an accusation. For there is no basis to these charges, no foundation; they're insulting voices hurled rashly by an angry accuser, with no witness.
---
* Probably not Clodia's brother, who'll come up later and is involved in this case, but some other relative. Damn Roman naming systems.
** Baiae is a resort with a reputation for "high living", according to my notes.
*** Literally, "have returned themselves, as it's said, toward good fruits." Compare "turned over a new leaf".
Chapter 27
But I leave out these things; I respond to those things which moved me more.
The scolding about luxuries was long, for it had more lenience and more of argumentation than of severity, for which reason it was more attentively heard. Now, as for my friend Publius Clodius*, when he conducted himself most seriously and vehemently, and, afire with all this, employed the saddest words, in the loudest voice, although I approved of his eloquence, nevertheless I was not alarmed; for I had seen him argue a number of cases to no effect. However, I will respond first to you, Balbus, by your leave, if it pleases, if it's not forbidden that I defend the sort of man who refused no banquet, who walked through some gardens, who used perfumes, who once visited Baiae.**
Chapter 28
For my part, in this nation I have seen seen and heard that many men--not only those who tasted this kind of life with the tips of their lips and felt it, as it were, with their fingertips, but also those who gave their whole youth to pleasures--have finally emerged and have reformed*** and became serious and renowned men. For some playfulness is granted to this age by everyone's permission, and nature itself pours forth the passions of youth. And these passions, if they burst out in such a way that they undermine no one's life, and destroy no family, are usually thought minor and reasonable.
Chapter 29
But it seemed to me you wished to stir up some sort of hatred towards Caelius, out of the common bad reputation of youth. And so all that silence (which is a tribute to your oration) was for the sake of this case, because--although only one defendant was accused--we understood it to be about the vices of many men. It's easy to accuse extravagance. Daylight would soon fail me, if I were to try to bring to light what could be said on this topic: there is an immense oration about seductions, adulteries, impudence, expenses. Even if you introduce no defendant to yourself but vice itself, nevertheless the subject itself
may be accused seriously and at length. But our wisdom, judges, is not led astray by the defendant, nor does it hurl those sorts of barbs which your severity and seriousness hold, when the prosecutor aroused them against the matter, against vices, against habits, against modern times, against a man and against the defendant, when he was called up not for his own crime, but for the vice of all men, in a certain unjust hatred.
Chapter 30
And so I do not dare respond to your severity just as I ought. For it was my place to beg and plead and seek excuses and indulgence for youth. It is said that I don't dare to. I employ no asylum for age, I forego the rights granted to all; I only ask that, if in any way there is a common ill-will at this time towards some other man's money, waywardness, adolescent libido--I see this ill-will is great--that nevertheless they not do harm to another's mistakes for this man, nor to his age or time of life. And so I--the same man who demands these things--do not refuse to respond most diligently to the charges which are brought together against this man in person.
However, there are two charges, of gold and poison, in which there is only one and the same person involved. The gold was brought up by Clodia, the poison a thing which was given to Clodia, as they claim. All of the rest are not charges but slander, more from a rowdy quarrel than of a public investigation. "Unchaste, shameless, intermediating bribes" is an insult, not an accusation. For there is no basis to these charges, no foundation; they're insulting voices hurled rashly by an angry accuser, with no witness.
---
* Probably not Clodia's brother, who'll come up later and is involved in this case, but some other relative. Damn Roman naming systems.
** Baiae is a resort with a reputation for "high living", according to my notes.
*** Literally, "have returned themselves, as it's said, toward good fruits." Compare "turned over a new leaf".