![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Now it’s time for more Cato! (I believe these speeches predate the farming treatise--we’re moving backwards in time with this class--but I am a little fuzzy on that detail.) These are speech fragments, because fragments are all we have. I cannot guarantee a lot of coherence but I’ll see what I can do.
In the first speech, Cato is discussing a delegation of “Rhodienses” who had come to Rome to try to make peace between Rome and King Perseus; but by the time they arrived, Rome had already won, so they hastily turned it into a congratulatory speech that fooled no one.
163. I know that habitually for many men with favorable and fortunate and prosperous events* the spirit excels and grows and increases to be better and more fierce. Since it is now a great concern to me, when these things proceed so favorably, may nothing in giving advice come forth which would suppress our fortunate events, nor may too much rejoicing come forth in abundance. Adverse events suppress and determine what sort of work may be done, favorable events are habitually turned away by praise from correct and thoughtful advice-giving. The greater the work, the more I say--and I recommend--that this work be set aside for a certain number of days, until we come back from so much joy in our powers.
164. And so I certainly think that the Rhodienses did not want us to fight things out as it was fought, nor for King Perseus to be defeated. But the Rhodienses not only didn’t want this, but I think many peoples and many nations did not want that very thing. And I do not doubt** there was a part of them who, for the sake of insulting us, didn’t want this to happen, they even feared it, if no one was the man whom we feared, whatever they wished us to do, lest they be under our sole power, in our service; I think they were of this opinion for the sake of their own liberty. And nevertheless the Rhodienses never helped Perseus publically. On reflection we make ourselves that much more wary in private among ourselves. For each one of us, if anyone was judged hostile on his own account to what happened, relied on the greatest force against [him] so that he should not become hostile to this matter; because nevertheless that must be endured fully.
165. Now are these things suddenly so greatly beneficial on all sides, that we should give up so great a friendship? What we say those men wished to do, will we busy ourselves to do /that/ first?
166. He who spoke most harshly in opposition to them, he spoke thus, having wished them to become enemies. Finally, is there anyone at all out of you who, because it belonged to him, was equally angry to pay the penalty on account of this matter, because it was proven that you wished to act wickedly? No one, I think; for I would not want it because it belonged to me.***
167. What now? Finally, is there any law at all so harsh that it would say: if anyone will have wished to do that, let the charge be a thousand [sesterces], if less than half his property; if anyone wished to have more than five hundred acres, let the penalty be that great; if anyone wished to have a greater number of cattle, let the fine be so much? We wish to have more of everything, and this is without punishment for us.
168. But if it is not advantageous for the office to be held on account of this matter, because he wished to do well, anyone who said this but nevertheless did not do it, will to meet with the Rhodienses because they did not act wickedly, but only said they wished to have done so?
169. They say the Rhodienses are proud, accusing [them of] this which I will wish to be said least of all for me and my children. Let them be reasonably proud; what does this concern us? Were you all angry, if anyone is prouder than us?
---
* I’m translating “res” as “events” for a lot of this speech, where appropriate, though “affairs” might also work. The English “things” is a little too vague, if not inappropriate.
** More like “I do not at all think but that”, but that gets awkward in ENglish.
*** What I’m translating as “because it belonged to” in each phrase is something I am deeply dubious on my understanding of. Darn vague verbs. Darn vague introductory words that could mean ‘which’ or ‘what’ or ‘because’.
In the first speech, Cato is discussing a delegation of “Rhodienses” who had come to Rome to try to make peace between Rome and King Perseus; but by the time they arrived, Rome had already won, so they hastily turned it into a congratulatory speech that fooled no one.
163. I know that habitually for many men with favorable and fortunate and prosperous events* the spirit excels and grows and increases to be better and more fierce. Since it is now a great concern to me, when these things proceed so favorably, may nothing in giving advice come forth which would suppress our fortunate events, nor may too much rejoicing come forth in abundance. Adverse events suppress and determine what sort of work may be done, favorable events are habitually turned away by praise from correct and thoughtful advice-giving. The greater the work, the more I say--and I recommend--that this work be set aside for a certain number of days, until we come back from so much joy in our powers.
164. And so I certainly think that the Rhodienses did not want us to fight things out as it was fought, nor for King Perseus to be defeated. But the Rhodienses not only didn’t want this, but I think many peoples and many nations did not want that very thing. And I do not doubt** there was a part of them who, for the sake of insulting us, didn’t want this to happen, they even feared it, if no one was the man whom we feared, whatever they wished us to do, lest they be under our sole power, in our service; I think they were of this opinion for the sake of their own liberty. And nevertheless the Rhodienses never helped Perseus publically. On reflection we make ourselves that much more wary in private among ourselves. For each one of us, if anyone was judged hostile on his own account to what happened, relied on the greatest force against [him] so that he should not become hostile to this matter; because nevertheless that must be endured fully.
165. Now are these things suddenly so greatly beneficial on all sides, that we should give up so great a friendship? What we say those men wished to do, will we busy ourselves to do /that/ first?
166. He who spoke most harshly in opposition to them, he spoke thus, having wished them to become enemies. Finally, is there anyone at all out of you who, because it belonged to him, was equally angry to pay the penalty on account of this matter, because it was proven that you wished to act wickedly? No one, I think; for I would not want it because it belonged to me.***
167. What now? Finally, is there any law at all so harsh that it would say: if anyone will have wished to do that, let the charge be a thousand [sesterces], if less than half his property; if anyone wished to have more than five hundred acres, let the penalty be that great; if anyone wished to have a greater number of cattle, let the fine be so much? We wish to have more of everything, and this is without punishment for us.
168. But if it is not advantageous for the office to be held on account of this matter, because he wished to do well, anyone who said this but nevertheless did not do it, will to meet with the Rhodienses because they did not act wickedly, but only said they wished to have done so?
169. They say the Rhodienses are proud, accusing [them of] this which I will wish to be said least of all for me and my children. Let them be reasonably proud; what does this concern us? Were you all angry, if anyone is prouder than us?
---
* I’m translating “res” as “events” for a lot of this speech, where appropriate, though “affairs” might also work. The English “things” is a little too vague, if not inappropriate.
** More like “I do not at all think but that”, but that gets awkward in ENglish.
*** What I’m translating as “because it belonged to” in each phrase is something I am deeply dubious on my understanding of. Darn vague verbs. Darn vague introductory words that could mean ‘which’ or ‘what’ or ‘because’.