To the Citizens after his Return (M. Tullius Cicero)

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	To the Citizens after his Return Author: M. Tullius Cicero	Translator: C. D. Yonge
21	huic ego homini , Quirites , tantum debeo quantum hominem homini debere vix fas est . huius consilia , P . Lentuli sententiam , senatus auctoritatem vos secuti me in eo loco , in quo vestris beneficiis fueram , isdem centuriis quibus conlocaratis reposuistis . eodem tempore audistis eodem ex loco summos viros , ornatissimos atque amplissimos homines , principes civitatis , omnis consularis , omnis praetorios eadem dicere , ut omnium testimonio per me unum rem publicam conservatam esse constaret . itaque cum P . Servilius , gravissimus vir et ornatissimus civis , dixisset opera mea rem publicam incolumem magistratibus deinceps traditam , dixerunt in eandem sententiam ceteri . sed audistis eo tempore clarissimi viri non solum auctoritatem , sed etiam testimonium , L . Gelli : qui quia suam classem adtemptatam magno cum suo periculo paene sensit , dixit in contione vestrum , si ego consul cum fui non fuissem , rem publicam funditus interituram fuisse .	I owe this man, O Romans, such a debt as it is hardly right for one man to owe to another. You, following the counsels of this man, and the opinion of Publius Lentulus, and the authority of the senate, have replaced me in that position in which I had been through your kindness, and that by the votes of the same centuries by which you originally placed me there. At the same time you heard from the same place men of the greatest eminence—most accomplished and honourable citizens, the chief men of the city, all the men of consular rank, all the men of praetorian rank, say the same thing—that it was clear by the testimony of everybody, that the republic had been preserved by me alone. Therefore, when Publius Servilius, a man of the greatest dignity, and a most accomplished citizen, had said that it was through my labours that the republic had been handed over to the magistrates in a sound condition, all the rest declared their assent to that statement. But you heard at that time not only the authoritative declaration, but the sworn evidence of a most illustrious man, Lucius Gellius, who, because he was aware that his fleet had been tampered with, and that he himself had been in great danger, said in your assembly that if I had not been consul when I was, the republic would have been utterly destroyed.
22	en ego tot testimoniis , Quirites , hac auctoritate senatus , tanta consensione Italiae , tanto studio bonorum omnium , causam agente P . Lentulo , consentientibus ceteris magistratibus , deprecante Cn . Pompeio , omnibus hominibus faventibus , dis denique immortalibus frugum ubertate copia vilitate reditum meum comprobantibus , mihi meis rei publicae restitutus , tantum vobis quantum facere possum , Quirites , pollicebor : primum , qua sanctissimi homines pietate erga deos immortalis esse soleant , eadem me erga populum Romanum semper fore , numenque vestrum aeque mihi grave et sanctum ac deorum immortalium in omni vita futurum : deinde , quoniam me in civitatem res publica ipsa reduxit , nullo me loco rei publicae defuturum .	I now, O Romans, having been restored to myself, to my friends, and to the republic, owing to the evidence of so many men, by this authority of the senate—by such great unanimity of all Italy—by such great zeal on the part of all good men—by the particular agency of Publius Lentulus, with the cooperation of all the other magistrates—while Cnaeus Pompeius was begging for my recall, and while all men favoured it and even the immortal gods showed their approbation of it by the fertility and abundance and cheapness of the crops,—promise you, O Romans, all that I can do. In the first place, I promise that I will always feel that reverential attachment to the Roman people which the most religious men are accustomed to feel for the immortal gods, and that your deity shall for the whole of my life be considered by me equally important and holy with that of the immortal gods. In the second place, since it is the republic herself that has brought me back into the city, I promise that I will on no occasion fail the republic.
23	quod si quis existimat me aut voluntate esse mutata aut debilitata virtute aut animo fracto , vehementer errat . mihi quod potuit vis et iniuria et sceleratorum hominum furor detrahere , eripuit , abstulit , dissipavit : quod viro forti adimi non potest , id omne manet et permanebit . vidi ego fortissimum virum , municipem meum , C . Marium ,— quoniam nobis quasi aliqua fatali necessitate non solum cum iis qui haec delere voluissent , sed etiam cum fortuna belligerandum fuit ,— eum tamen vidi , cum esset summa senectute , non modo non infracto animo propter magnitudinem calamitatis , sed confirmato atque renovato .	But if any one thinks that either my inclinations are changed, or my courage weakened, or my spirit broken, he is greatly mistaken. All that the violence, and injustice, and the frenzy of wicked men could take from me, it has taken away, stripped me of, and destroyed; that which cannot be taken away from a brave man remains and shall remain. I saw that most brave man, a fellow-citizen of my own municipal town, Caius Marius, since, as if by some fatal necessity, we both had not only to contend with those who wished to destroy all these things, but with fortune also—still I saw him, when he was in extreme old age, with a spirit not only not broken on account of the greatness of his misfortunes, but even strengthened and refreshed by it.
24	quem egomet dicere audivi tum se fuisse miserum cum careret patria quam obsidione liberavisset , cum sua bona possideri ab inimicis ac diripi audiret , cum adulescentem filium videret eiusdem socium calamitatis , cum in paludibus demersus concursu ac misericordia Minturnensium corpus ac vitam suam conservaret , cum parva navicula pervectus in Africam , quibus regna ipse dederat , ad eos inops supplexque venisset : reciperata vero sua dignitate se non commissurum ut , cum ea quae amiserat sibi restituta essent , virtutem animi non haberet quam numquam perdidisset . sed hoc inter me atque illum interest , quod ille , qua re plurimum potuit , ea ipsa re inimicos suos ultus est , armis , ego qua consuevi utar oratione , quoniam illi arti in bello ac seditione locus est , huic in pace atque otio .	And I heard him say that he had been miserable when he was deprived of his country which he had delivered from siege; when he heard that his property was taken possession of and plundered by his enemies; when he saw his young son a sharer of the same calamity; when, up to his neck in the marshes, he only preserved his body and his life by the aid of the Minturnensians, who thronged to the place and pitied him; when, having crossed over to Africa in a little boat, he had arrived as a beggar and a suppliant among those people to whom he himself had given kingdoms; but that now that he had recovered his dignity he would take care, as all those things which he had lost had been restored to him, still to preserve that fortitude of mind which he never had lost. But there is this difference between myself and him, that he used those means in which he was most powerful, namely his arms, in order to revenge himself on his enemies. I, too, will use the instrument to which I am accustomed; since it is in war and sedition that there is room for his qualities, but in peace and tranquillity that there is scope for mine.
25	quamquam ille animo irato nihil nisi de inimicis ulciscendis agebat , ego de ipsis amicis tantum quantum mihi res publica permittit cogitabo .	And although he, in his angry mind, laboured for nothing but avenging himself on his enemies, I will only think of my enemies as much as the republic herself allows me.
26	denique , Quirites , quoniam me quattuor omnino hominum genera violarunt , unum eorum qui odio rei publicae , quod eam ipsis invitis conservaram , inimicissimi mihi fuerunt , alterum , qui per simulationem amicitiae nefarie me prodiderunt , tertium , qui cum propter inertiam suam eadem adsequi non possent , inviderunt laudi et dignitati meae , quartum , qui cum custodes rei publicae esse deberent , salutem meam , statum civitatis , dignitatem eius imperi quod erat penes ipsos vendiderunt : sic ulciscar facinora singula , quem ad modum a quibusque sum provocatus , malos civis rem publicam bene gerendo , perfidos amicos nihil credendo atque omnia cavendo , invidos virtuti et gloriae serviendo , mercatores provinciarum revocando domum atque ab iis provinciarum rationem repetendo .	Lastly, O Romans, since they are altogether four classes of men who injured me,—one of them, those who were most hostile to me out of hatred to the republic, because I had preserved it against their will; another, those who most wickedly betrayed me under pretence of friendship; a third, those who envied my credit and dignity, because they, from their laziness, could not obtain the same honours; the fourth was composed of those men who, while they ought to have been guardians of the republic, sold (as far as was in their power) my safety, the constitution of the state, and the dignity of its empire; I will revenge myself on each class in proportion as I have been challenged by each—on wicked citizens, by conducting the republic successfully; on my perfidious friends, by trusting them in nothing, and taking every sort of precaution against them; on the envious, by obeying virtue and glory; on the buyers of provinces, by recalling them home, and by exacting from them an account of their conduct in those provinces.
27	quamquam mihi , Quirites , maiori curae est quem ad modum vobis , qui de me estis optime meriti , gratiam referam quam quem ad modum inimicorum iniurias crudelitatemque persequar . etenim ulciscendae iniuriae facilior ratio est quam benefici remunerandi , propterea quod superiorem esse contra improbos minus est negoti quam bonis exaequari . tum etiam ne tam necessarium quidem est male meritis quam optime meritis referre quod debeas .	Although I feel greater anxiety as to how I am to show my gratitude to you who have deserved excellently well of me than how I am to chastise the injustice and cruelty of my enemies. In truth the means of revenging an injury are easier than those of requiting a kindness; because there is less trouble in being superior to the wicked than in being equal to the good; and also because it is not so necessary to requite bad men as good men for what you are indebted to them.
28	odium vel precibus mitigari potest vel temporibus rei publicae communique utilitate deponi vel difficultate ulciscendi contineri vel vetustate sedari ; bene meritos ne colas , nec exorari fas est , neque id rei publicae remittere utique necesse est ; neque est excusatio difficultatis , neque aequum est tempore et die memoriam benefici definire . postremo qui in ulciscendo remissior fuit , in eo consilium aperte laudatur ; at gravissime vituperatur qui in tantis beneficiis quanta vos in me contulistis remunerandis est tardior , neque solum ingratus , quod ipsum grave est , verum etiam impius appelletur necesse est . atque in officio persolvendo dissimilis est ratio pecuniae debitae , propterea quod pecuniam qui retinet non dissolvit , qui reddidit non habet : gratiam et qui rettulit habet , et qui habet dissolvit .	Hatred may either be appeased by entreaties, or may be laid aside out of consideration for the emergencies of the republic and the general advantage, or it may be restrained by the difficulty of avenging oneself, or it may be worn out by the antiquity of the injury which gave rise to it; but a man ought not to require to be entreated to show attention to virtuous men, Nor is the excuse of difficulty to be admitted; nor is it just to limit the recollection of a kindness to a certain time or to a fixed day. Lastly, he who is somewhat indifferent about seeking revenge is soon openly praised; but he is most exceedingly blamed who is in the least slow in requiting such benefits as you have showered on me; and he must inevitably be called, not only ungrateful, which itself is serious enough, but impious also. And the principle of requiting a kindness is different from that of repaying money; because he who keeps the money does not pay it, he who has repaid it has not get it; but in the case of gratitude, he who repays it still keeps it and he who keeps it pays it.
29	quapropter memoriam vestri benefici colam benivolentia sempiterna , nec tantum dum anima exspirabo mea , sed etiam cum me vita defecerit , illa monumenta vestri in me benefici permanebunt . in referenda autem gratia hoc vobis repromitto semperque praestabo , mihi neque in consiliis de re publica capiendis diligentiam neque in periculis a re publica propulsandis animum neque in sententia simpliciter ferenda fidem neque in hominum voluntatibus pro re publica laedendis libertatem nec in perferendo labore industriam nec in vestris commodis augendis grati animi benivolentiam defuturam .	Wherefore, I will cherish the memory of your kindness with undying affection, not only as long as I live and breathe, but even after I am dead, the memorials of your kindness to me shall still endure. And in showing my gratitude, this I do promise you, (and this I will always perform,) that diligence shall never be wanting to me in deliberating on the affairs of the republic, nor courage in repelling dangers from the republic, nor loyalty and honesty in plainly declaring my opinions, nor freedom in opposing men's inclinations when it is for the interests of the republic to do so, nor industry in enduring labour, nor the grateful zeal of my heart in promoting everything which may be advantageous to you.
30	atque haec cura , Quirites , erit infixa animo meo sempiterna , ut cum vobis , qui apud me deorum immortalium vim et numen tenetis , tum posteris vestris cunctisque gentibus dignissimus ea civitate videar quae suam dignitatem non posse se tenere , nisi me reciperasset , cunctis suffragiis iudicavit .	And this care, O Romans, shall be fixed in my mind for ever, in order that I may appear, not only to you, who hold in my heart the power and divine character of the immortal gods, but also to your posterity and to all nations, to be entirely worthy of that state which, by the unanimous suffrages of its citizens, decided that it could not maintain its own dignity, unless it recovered me.