12.
[27]
But since the fortune and condition of those exploits which I have performed is not the
same with that of those men who have directed foreign wars—because I must live
among those whom I have defeated and subdued, they have left their enemies either slain or
crushed,—it is your business, O Romans, to take care, if their good deeds are a
benefit to others, that mine shall never be an injury to me. For that the wicked and
profligate designs of audacious men shall not be able to injure you, I have taken care; it is
your business to take care that they do not injure me. Although, O Romans, no injury can be
done to me by them,—for there is a great protection in the affection of all good
men, which is procured for me for ever; there is great dignity in the republic, which will
always silently defend me; there is great power in conscience, and those who neglect it when
they desire to attack me will destroy themselves.
[28]
There is moreover that disposition in me, O Romans, that I not only will yield to the
audacity of no one, but that I always voluntarily attack the worthless. And if all the
violence of domestic enemies being warded off from you turns itself upon me alone, you will
have to take care, O Roman; in what condition you wish those men to be for the future, who
for your safety have exposed themselves to unpopularity and to all sorts of dangers. As for
me, myself; what is there which now can be gained by me for the enjoyment of life, especially
when neither in credit among you, nor in the glory of virtue, do I see any higher point to
which I can be desirous to climb?
[29]
That indeed I will take care of; O Romans, as a private man to uphold and embellish the
exploits which I have performed in my consulship: so that if there has been any unpopularity
incurred in preserving the republic, it may injure those who envy me, and may tend to my
glory. Lastly, I will so behave myself in the republic as always to remember what I have
done, and to take care that they shall appear to have been done through virtue, and not by
chance. Do you, O Romans, since it is now night ,worship that Jupiter, the guardian of this
city and of yourselves, and depart to your homes; and defend those homes, though the danger
is now removed, with guard and watch as you did last night, That you shall not have to do so
long, and that you shall enjoy perpetual tranquillity, shall, O Romans, be my care.
This text is part of:
Search the Perseus Catalog for:
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.