Institutio Oratoria |
Translator: Harold Edgeworth Butler
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| 2927 |
Non autem ut quidquid praecipue necessarium est , sic ad efficiendum oratorem maximi protinus erit momenti . Nam certe , cum sit in eloquendo positum oratoris officium , dicere ante omnia est , atque hinc initium eius artis fuisse manifestum est ; proximam deinde imitationem , novissimam scribendi quoque diligentiam .
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But the degree in which a thing is essential does not necessarily make it of immediate and supreme importance for the formation of the ideal orator. For obviously the power of speech is the first essential, since therein lies the primary task of the orator, and it is obvious that it was with this that the art of oratory began, and that the power of imitation comes next, and third and last diligent practice in writing. |
| 2928 |
Sed ut perveniri ad summa nisi ex principiis non potest , ita procedente iam opere etiam minima incipiunt esse quae prima sunt . Verum nos non , quomodo instituendus orator , hoc loco dicimus ; nam id quidem aut satis aut certe uti potuimus dictum est ; sed athleta , qui omnes iam perdidicerit a praeceptore numeros , quo genere exercitationis ad certamina praeparandus sit . Igitur eum , qui res invenire et disponere sciet , verba quoque et eligendi et collocandi rationem perceperit , instruamus , qua ratione quod didicerit facere quam optime , quam facillime possit .
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But as perfection cannot be attained without starting at the very beginning, the points which come first in time will, as our training proceeds, become of quite trivial importance. Now we have reached a stage in our enquiry where we are no longer considering the preliminary training of our orator; for I think the instructions already given should suffice for that; they are in any case as good as I could make them. Our present task is to consider how our athlete who has learnt all the technique of his art from his trainer, is to be prepared by actual practice for the contests in which he will have to engage. Consequently, we must assume that our student has learned how to conceive and dispose his subject matter and understands how to choose and arrange his words, and must proceed to instruct him how to make the best and readiest use of the knowledge which he has acquired. |
| 2929 |
Num ergo dubium est , quin ei velut opes sint quaedam parandae , quibus uti , ubicunque desideratum erit , possit ? Eae constant copia rerum ac verborum .
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There can then be no doubt that he must accumulate a certain store of resources, to be employed whenever they may be required. The resources of which I speak consist in a copious supply of words and matter. |
| 2930 |
Sed res propriae sunt cuiusque causae aut paucis communes , verba in universas paranda ; quae si in rebus singulis essent singula , minorem curam postularent , nam cuncta sese cum ipsis protinus rebus offerrent . Sed cum sint aliis alia aut magis propria aut magis ornata aut plus efficientia aut melius sonantia , debent esse non solum nota omnia sed in promptu atque , ut ita dicam , in conspectu , ut , cum se iudicio dicentis ostenderint , facilis ex his optimorum sit electio .
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But while the matter is necessarily either peculiar to the individual case, or at best common to only a few, words must be acquired to suit all and every case. Now, if there were special words adapted to each individual thing, they would require less care, since they would automatically be suggested by the matter in hand. But since some words are more literal, more ornate, more significant or euphonious than others, our orator must not merely be acquainted with all of them, but must have them at his fingers' ends and before his very eyes, so that when they present themselves for his critical selection, he will find it easy to make the appropriate choice. |
| 2931 |
Et quae idem significarent solitos scio ediscere , quo facilius et occurreret unum ex pluribus et , cum essent usi aliquo , si breve intra spatium rursus desideraretur , effugiendae repetitionis gratia sumerent aliud quod idem intelligi posset . Quod cum est puerile et cuiusdam infelicis operae tum etiam utile parum ; turbam tantum modo congregat , ex qua sine discrimine occupet proximum quodque .
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I know that some speakers make a practice of learning lists of synonyms by heart, in order that one word out of the several available may at once present itself to them, and that if, after using one word, they find that it is wanted again after a brief interval, they may be able to select another word with the same meaning and so avoid the necessity of repetition. But this practice is childish and involves thankless labour, while it is really of very little use, as it merely results in the assembly of a disorderly crowd of words, for the speaker to snatch the first that comes to hand. |
| 2932 |
Nobis autem copia cum iudicio paranda est vim orandi non circulatoriam volubilitatem spectantibus . Id autem consequemur optima legendo atque audiendo ; non enim solum nomina ipsa rerum cognoscemus hac cura , sed quod quoque loco sit aptissimum .
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On the contrary, discrimination is necessary in the acquisition of our stock of words; for we are aiming at true oratory, not at the fluency of a cheapjack. And we shall attain our aim by reading and listening to the best writers and orators, since we shall thus learn not merely the words by which things are to be called, but when each particular word is most appropriate. |
| 2933 |
Omnibus enim fere verbis praeter pauca , quae sunt parum verecunda , in oratione locus est . Nam scriptores quidem iamborum veterisque comoediae etiam in illis saepe laudantur , sed nobis nostrum opus intueri sat est . Omnia verba , exceptis de quibus dixi , sunt alicubi optima ; nam et humilibus interim et vulgaribus est opus , et quae nitidiore in parte videntur sordida , ubi res poscit , proprie dicuntur .
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For there is a place in oratory for almost every word, with the exception only of a very few, which are not sufficiently seemly. Such words are indeed often praised when they occur in writers of iambics or of the old comedy, but we need do no more than consider our own special task. All words, with these exceptions, may be admirably employed in some place or other. For sometimes we shall even require low and common words, while those which would seem coarse if introduced in the more elegant portions of our speech may, under certain circumstances, be appropriate enough. |
| 2934 |
Haec ut sciamus atque eorum non significationem modo sed formas etiam mensurasque norimus , ut , ubicunque erunt posita , conveniant , nisi multa lectione atque auditione assequi nullo modo possumus , cum omnem sermonem auribus primum accipiamus . Propter quod infantes a mutis nutricibus iussu regum in solitudine educati , etiamsi verba quaedam emisisse traduntur ,
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Now to acquire a knowledge of these words and to be acquainted not merely with their meaning, but with their forms and rhythmical values, so that they may seem appropriate wherever employed, we shall need to read and listen diligently, since all language is received first through the ear. It was owing to this fact that the children who, by order of a king, were brought up by a dumb nurse in a desert place, although they are said to have uttered certain words, lacked the power of speech. |
| 2935 |
tamen loquendi facultate caruerunt . Sunt autem alia huius naturae , ut idem pluribus vocibus declarent , ita ut nihil significationis , quo potius utaris , intersit , ut ensis et gladius ; alia vero , etiamsi propria rerum aliquarum sint nomina , τροπικῶς quasi tamen ad eundem intellectum feruntur , ut ferrum et mucro .
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There are, however, some words of such a nature that they express the same sense by different sounds, so that it makes no difference to the meaning which we use, as, for instance, gladius and ensis, which may be used indifferently when we have to speak of a sword. Others, again, although properly applied to specific objects, are used by means of a trope to express the same sense, as, for example, ferrum (steel) and muro (point), which are both used in the sense of sword. |
| 2936 |
Nam per abusionem sicarios etiam omnes vocamus , qui caedem telo quocunque commiserint . Alia circuitu verborum plurium ostendimus , quale est Et pressi copia lactis . Plurima vero mutatione figuramus : Scio Non ignoro et Non me fugit et Non me praeterit et Quis nescit ? et Nemini dubium est .
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Thus, by the figure known as abuse, we call all those who commit a murder with any weapon whatsoever sicarii (poniarders). In other cases we express our meaning periphrastically, as, for instance, when Virgil describes cheese as "Abundance of pressed milk." On the other hand, in a number of instances we employ figures and substitute one expression for another. Instead of "I know," we say "I am not ignorant," or "the fact does not escape me," or "I have not forgotten," or "who does not know?" or "it can be doubted by none." |
| 2937 |
Sed etiam ex proximo mutuari libet . Nam et intelligo et sentio et video saepe idem valent quod scio .Quorum nobis ubertatem ac divitias dabit lectio , ut non solum quomodo occurrent sed etiam quomodo oportet utamur .
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But we may also borrow from a word of cognate meaning. For "I understand," or "I feel" or "I see" are often equivalent to "I know." Reading will provide us with a rich store of expressions such as these, and will enable us not merely to use them when they occur to us, but also in the appropriate manner. For they are not always interchangeable: |
| 2938 |
Non semper enim haec inter se idem faciunt ; nec sicut de intellectu animi recte dixerim video ita de visu oculorum intelligo , nec ut mucro gladium sic mucronem gladius ostendit .
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for example, though I may be perfectly correct in saying, "I see" for "I understand," it does not follow that I can say "I understand" for "my eyes have seen," and though mucro may be employed to describe a sword, a sword does not necessarily mean the same as mucro (point). |
| 2939 |
Sed ut copia verborum sic paratur , ita non uerborum tantum gratia legendum vel audiendum est . Nam omnium , quaecunque docemus , hoc sunt exempla potentiora etiam ipsis quae traduntur artibus , cum eo qui discit perductus est , ut intelligere ea sine demonstrate et sequi iam suis viribus possit , quia , quae doctor praecepit , orator ostendit .
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But, although a store of words may be acquired by these means, we must not read or listen to orators merely for the sake of acquiring words. For in everything which we teach examples are more effective even than the rules which are taught in the schools, so long as the student has reached a stage when he can appreciate such examples without the assistance of a teacher, and can rely on his own powers to imitate them. And the reason is this, that the professor of rhetoric lays down rules, while the orator gives a practical demonstration. |
| 2940 |
Alia vero audientes , alia legentes magis adiuvant . Excitat qui dicit spiritu ipso , nec imagine et ambitu rerum sed rebus incendit . Vivunt omnia enim et moventur , excipimusque nova ilia velut nascentia cum favore ac sollicitudine . Nec fortuna modo iudicii sed etiam ipsorum qui orant periculo adficimur .
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But the advantages conferred by reading and listening are not identical. The speaker stimulates us by the animation of his delivery, and kindles the imagination, not by presenting us with an elaborate picture, but by bringing us into actual touch with the things themselves. Then all is life and movement, and we receive the new-born offspring of his imagination with enthusiastic approval. We are moved not merely by the actual issue of the trial, but by all that the orator himself has at stake. |
| 2941 |
Praeter haec vox , actio decora , accommodata , ut quisque locus postulabit , pronuntiandi vel potentissima in dicendo ratio et , ut semel dicam , pariter omnia docent . In lectione certius iudicium , quod audienti frequenter aut suus cuique favor aut ille laudantium clamor extorquet .
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Moreover his voice, the grace of his gestures, the adaptation of his delivery (which is of supreme importance in oratory), and, in a word, all his excellences in combination, have their educative effect. In reading, on the other hand, the critical faculty is a surer guide, inasmuch as the listener's judgment is often swept away by his preference for a particular speaker, or by the applause of an enthusiastic audience. |
| 2942 |
Pudet enim dissentire , et velut tacita quadam verecundia inhibemur plus nobis credere , cum interim et vitiosa pluribus placent , et a conrogatis laudantur etiam quae non placent .
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For we are ashamed to disagree with them, and an unconscious modesty prevents us from ranking our own opinion above theirs, though all the time the taste of the majority is vicious, and the claque may praise even what does not really deserve approval. |
| 2943 |
Sed e contrario quoque accidit , ut optime dictis gratiam prava iudicia non referant . Lectio libera est nec actionis impetu transcurrit ; sed repetere saepius licet , sive dubites sive memoriae penitus adfigere velis . Repetamus autem et retractemus , et ut cibos mansos ac prope liquefactos demittimus , quo facilius digerantur , ita lectio non cruda , sed multa iteratione mollita et velut confecta , memoriae imitationique tradatur .
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On the other hand, it will sometimes also happen that an audience whose taste is bad will fail to award the praise which is due to the most admirable utterances. Reading, however, is free, and does not hurry past us with the speed of oral delivery; we can reread a passage again and again if we are in doubt about it or wish to fix it in the memory. We must return to what we have read and reconsider it with care, while, just as we do not swallow our food till we have chewed it and reduced it almost to a state of liquefaction to assist the process of digestion, so what we read must not be committed to the memory for subsequent imitation while it is still in a crude state, but must be softened and, if I may use the phrase, reduced to a pulp by frequent re-perusal. |
| 2944 |
Ac diu non nisi optimus quisque et qui credentem sibi minime fallat legendus est , sed diligenter ac paene ad scribendi sollicitudinem ; nec per partes modo scrutanda omnia , sed perlectus liber utique ex integro resumendus , praecipueque oratio , cuius virtutes frequenter ex industria quoque occultantur .
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For a long time also we should read none save the best authors and such as are least likely to betray our trust in then, while our reading must be almost as thorough as if we were actually transcribing what we read. Nor must we study it merely in parts, but must read through the whole work from cover to cover and then read it afresh, a precept which applies more especially to speeches, whose merits are often deliberately disguised. |
| 2945 |
Saepe enim praeparat , dissimulat , insidiatur orator , eaque in prima parte actionis dicit , quae sunt in summa profutura . Itaque suo loco minus placent , adhuc nobis quare dicta sint ignorantibus , ideoque erunt cognitis omnibus repetenda .
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For the orator frequently prepares his audience for what is to come, dissembles and sets a trap for them and makes remarks at the opening of his speech which will not have their full force till the conclusion. Consequently what he says will often seem comparatively ineffective where it actually occurs, since we do not realise his motive and it will be necessary to re-read the speech after we have acquainted ourselves with all that it contains. |
| 2946 |
Illud vero utilissimum nosse eas causas , quarum orationes in manus sumpserimus et , quotiens continget , utrimque habitas legere actiones : ut Demosthenis atque Aeschinis inter se contrarias , et Servii Sulpicii atque Messalae , quorum alter pro Aufidia , contra dixit alter , et Pollionis et Cassii reo Asprenate aliasque plurimas .
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Above all, it is most desirable that we should familiarise ourselves with the facts of the case with which the speech deals, and it will be well also, wherever possible, to read the speeches delivered on both sides, such as those of Aeschines and Demosthenes in the case of Ctesiphon, of Servius Sulpicius and Messala for and against Aufidia, of Pollio and Cassius in the case of Asprenas, and many others. |
| 2947 |
Quin etiam si minus pares uidebuntur aliquae , tamen ad cognoscendam litium quaestionem recte requirentur , ut contra Ciceronis orationes Tuberonis in Ligarium et Hortensii pro Verre . Quin etiam , easdem causas ut quisque egerit utile erit scire . Nam de domo Ciceronis dixit Calidius , et pro Milone orationem Brutus exercitationis gratia scripsit , etiamsi egisse eum Cornelius Celsus falso existimat ; et Pollio et Messala defenderunt eosdem , et nobis pueris insignes pro Voluseno Catulo Domitii Afri , Crispi Passieni , Decimi Laelii orationes ferebantur .
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And even if such speeches seem unequal in point of merit, we shall still do well to study them carefully with a view to understanding the problems raised by the cases with which they deal: for example, we should compare the speeches delivered by Tubero against Ligarius and by Hortensius in defence of Verres with those of Cicero for the opposite side, while it will also be useful to know how different orators pleaded the same case. For example, Calidius spoke on the subject of Cicero's house, Brutus wrote a declamation in defence of Milo, which Cornelius Celsus wrongly believes to have been actually delivered in court, and Pollio and Messalla defended the same clients, while in my boyhood remarkable speeches delivered by Domitius Afer, Crispus Passienus and Decimis Laelius in defence of Volusenus were in circulation. |
| 2948 |
Neque id statim legenti persuasum sit omnia quae optimi auctores dixerint utique esse perfecta . Nam et labuntur aliquando et oneri cedunt et indulgent ingeniorum suorum voluptati , nec semper intendunt animum ; nonnunquam fatigantur , cum Ciceroni dormitare interim Demosthenes , Horatio vero etiam Homerus ipse videatur .
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The reader must not, however, jump to the conclusion that all that was uttered by the best authors is necessarily perfect. At times they lapse and stagger beneath the weight of their task, indulge their bent or relax their efforts. Sometimes, again, they give the impression of weariness: for example, Cicero thinks that Demosthenes sometimes nods, and Horace says the same of Homer himself. |
| 2949 |
Summi enim sunt , homines tamen , acciditque his qui , quidquid apud illos reppererunt , dicendi legem putant , ut deteriora imitentur , ( id enim est facilius ) ac se abunde similes putent , si vitia magnorum consequantur .
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For despite their greatness they are still but mortal men, and it will sometimes happen that their reader assumes that anything which he finds in them may be taken as a canon of style, with the result that he imitates their defects (and it is always easier to do this than to imitate their excellences) and thinks himself a perfect replica if he succeeds in copying the blemishes of great men. |
| 2950 |
Modesto tamen et circumspecto iudicio de tantis viris pronuntiandum est , ne , quod plerisque accidit , damnent quae non intelligunt . Ac si necesse est in alteram errare partem : omnia eorum legentibus placere quam multa displicere maluerim .
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But modesty and circumspection are required in pronouncing judgment on such great men, since there is always the risk of falling into the common fault of condemning what one does not understand. And, if it is necessary to err on one side or the other, I should prefer that the reader should approve of everything than that he should disapprove of much. |
| 2951 |
Plurimum dicit oratori conferre Theophrastus lectionem poetarum , multique eius iudicium sequuntur ; neque immerito . Namque ab his in rebus spiritus et in verbis sublimitas et in adfectibus motus omnis et in personis decor petitur , praecipueque velut attrita cotidiano actu forensi ingenia optime rerum talium blanditia reparantur . Ideoque in hac lectione Cicero requiescendum putat .
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Theophrastus says that the reading of poets is of great service to the orator, and has rightly been followed in this view by many. For the poets will give us inspiration as regards the matter, sublimity of language, the power to excite every kind of emotion, and the appropriate treatment of character, while minds that have become jaded owing to the daily wear and tear of the courts will find refreshment in such agreeable study. Consequently Cicero recommends the relaxation provided by the reading of poetry. |
| 2952 |
Meminerimus tamen , non per omnia poetas esse oratori sequendos nec libertate verborum nec licentia figurarum ; genus ostentationi comparatum et praeter id , quod solam petit voluptatem eamque etiam fingendo non falsa modo sed etiam quaedam incredibilia sectatur ,
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We should, however, remember that the orator must not follow the poets in everything, more especially in their freedom of language and their license in the use of figures. Poetry has been compared to the oratory of display, and further aims solely at giving pleasure, which it seeks to secure by inventing what is not merely untrue, but sometimes even incredible. |
| 2953 |
patrocinio quoque aliquo iuvari , quod alligata ad certam pedum necessitatem non semper uti propriis possit , sed depulsa recta via necessario ad eloquendi quaedam deverticula confugiat , nec mutare quaedam modo verba , sed extendere , corripere , convertere , dividere cogatur ; nos vero armatos stare in acie et summis de rebus decernere et ad victoriam niti .
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Further, we must bear in mind that it can be defended on the ground that it is tied by certain metrical necessities and consequently cannot always use straightforward and literal language, but is driven from the direct road to take refuge in certain by-ways of expression; and compelled not merely to change certain words, but to lengthen, contract, transpose or divide them, whereas the orator stands armed in the forefront of the battle, fights for a high stake and devotes all his effort to winning the victory. |
| 2954 |
Neque ergo arma squalere situ ac rubigine velim , sed fulgorem inesse qui terreat , qualis est ferri , quo mens simul visusque praestringitur , non qualis auri argentique , imbellis et potius habenti periculosus .
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And yet I would not have his weapons defaced by mould and rust, but would have them shine with a splendour that shall strike terror to the heart of the foe, like the flashing steel that dazzles heart and eye at once, not like the gleam of gold or silver, which has no warlike efficacy and is even a positive peril to its wearer. |
| 2955 |
Historia quoque alere oratorem quodam uberi iucundoque suco potest ; verum et ipsa sic est legenda , ut sciamus , plerasque eius virtutes oratori esse vitandas . Est enim proxima poetis et quodammodo carmen solutum , et scribitur ad narrandum non ad probandum , totumque opus non ad actum rei pugnamque praesentem , sed ad memoriam posteritatis et ingenii famam componitur ; ideoque et verbis remotioribus et liberioribus figuris narrandi taedium evitat .
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History, also, may provide the orator with a nutriment which we may compare to some rich and pleasant juice. But when we read it, we must remember that many of the excellences of the historian require to be shunned by the orator. For history has a certain affinity to poetry and may be regarded as a kind of prose poem, while it is written for the purpose of narrative, not of proof, and designed from beginning to end not for immediate effect or the instant necessities of forensic strife, but to record events for the benefit of posterity and to win glory for its author. Consequently, to avoid monotony of narrative, it employs unusual words and indulges in a freer use of figures. |
| 2956 |
Itaque , ut dixi , neque ilia Sallustiana brevitas , qua nihil apud aures vacuas atque eruditas potest esse perfectius , apud occupatum variis cogitationibus iudicem et saepius ineruditum captanda nobis est ; neque illa Livii lactea ubertas satis docebit eum , qui non speciem expositionis , sed fidem quaerit .
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Therefore, as I have already said, the famous brevity of Sallust, than which nothing can be more pleasing to the leisured ear of the scholar, is a style to be avoided by the orator in view of the fact that his words are addressed to a judge who has his mind occupied by a number of thoughts and is also frequently uneducated, while, on the other hand, the milky fullness of Livy is hardly of a kind to instruct a listener who looks not for beauty of exposition, but for truth and credibility. |
| 2957 |
Adde quod M . Tullius ne Thucydidem quidem aut Xenophontem utiles oratori putat , quanquam illum bellicum canere , huius ore Musas esse locutas existimet . Licet tamen nobis in digressionibus uti vel historico nonnunquam nitore , dum in his , de quibus erit quaestio , meminerimus , non athletarum toris , sed militum lacertis opus esse ; nec versicolorem illam , qua Demetrius Phalereus dicebatur uti , vestem bene ad forensem pulverem facere .
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We must also remember that Cicero thinks that not even 'Thucydidcs or Xenophon will be of much service to an orator, although he regards the style of the former as a veritable call to arms and considers that the latter was the mouthpiece of the Muses. It is, however, occasionally permissible to borrow the graces of history to embellish our digressions, provided always that we remember that in those portions of our speech which deal with the actual question at issue we require not the swelling thews of the athlete, but the wiry sinews of the soldier, and that the cloak of many colours which Demetrius of Phalerum was said to wear is but little suited to the dust and heat of the forum. |
| 2958 |
Est et alius ex historiis usus et is quidem maximus , sed non ad praesentem pertinens locum , ex cognitione rerum exemplorumque , quibus in primis instructus esse debet orator , ne omnia testimonia exspectet a litigatore , sed pleraque ex vetustate diligenter sibi cognita sumat , hoc potentiora , quod ea sola criminibus odii et gratiae vacant .
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There is, it is true, another advantage which we may derive from the historians, which, however, despite its great importance, has no bearing on our present topic; I refer to the advantage derived from the knowledge of historical facts and precedents, with which it is most desirable that our orator should be acquainted; for such knowledge will save him from having to acquire all his evidence from his client and will enable him to draw much that is germane to his case from the careful study of antiquity. And such arguments will be all the more effective, since they alone will be above suspicion of prejudice or partiality. |
| 2959 |
A philosophorum vero lectione ut essent multa nobis petenda , vitio factum est oratorum , qui quidem illis optima sui operis parte cesserunt . Nam et de iustis , honestis , utilibus , iisque quae sint istis contraria , et de rebus divinis maxime dicunt et argumentantur acriter Stoici , et altercationibus atque interrogationibus oratorem futurum optime Socratici praeparant .
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The fact that there is so much for which we must have recourse to the study of the philosophers is the fault of orators who have abandoned to them the fullest portion of their own task. The Stoics more especially discourse and argue with great keenness on what is just, honourable, expedient and the reverse, as well as on the problems of theology, while the Socratics give the future orator a first-rate preparation for forensic debates and the examination of witnesses. |
| 2960 |
Sed his quoque adhibendum est simile iudicium , ut etiam cum in rebus versemur iisdem , non tamen eandem esse condicionem sciamus litium ac disputationum , fori et auditorii , praeceptorum et periculorum .
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But we must use the same critical caution in studying the philosophers that we require in reading history or poetry; that is to say, we must bear in mind that, even when we are dealing with the same subjects, there is a wide difference between forensic disputes and philosophical discussions, between the law-courts and the lecture-room, between the precepts of theory and the perils of the bar. |
| 2961 |
Credo exacturos plerosque , cum tantum esse utilitatis in legendo iudicemus , ut id quoque adiungamus operi , qui sint legendi , quae in auctore quoque praecipua virtus . Sed persequi singulos infiniti fuerit operis .
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Most of my readers will, I think, demand that, since I attach so much importance to reading, I should include in this work some instructions as to what authors should be read and what their special excellences may be. To do this in detail would be an endless task. |
| 2962 |
Quippe cum in Bruto M . Tullius tot milibus versuum de Romanis tantum oratoribus loquatur et tamen de omnibus aetatis suae , quibuscum vivebat , exceptis Caesare atque Marcello , silentium egerit , quis erit modus , si et illos et qui postea fuerunt et Graecos omnes ?
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Remember that Cicero in his Brutus, after writing pages and pages on the subject of Roman orators alone, says nothing of his own contemporaries with the exception of Caesar and Marcellus. What limit, then, would there be to my labours if I were to attempt to deal with them and with their successors and all the orators of Greece as well? |
| 2963 |
Fuit igitur brevitas illa tutissima , quae est apud Livium in epistola ad filium scripta , legendos Demosthenem atque Ciceronem , tum ita , ut quisque esset Demostheni et Ciceroni simillimus .
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No, it was a safer course that Livy adopted in his letter to his son, where he writes that he should read Cicero and Demosthenes and then such orators as most resembled them. Still, |
| 2964 |
Non est tamen dissimulanda nostri quoque iudicii summa . Paucos enim vel potius vix ullum ex his qui vetustatem pertulerunt existimo posse reperiri , quin iudicium adhibentibus adlaturus sit utilitatis aliquid , cum se Cicero ab illis quoque vetustissimis auctoribus , ingeniosis quidem , sed arte carentibus , plurimum fateatur adiutum .
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I must not conceal my own personal convictions on this subject. I believe that there are few, indeed scarcely a single one of those authors who have stood the test of time who will not be of some use or other to judicious students, since even Cicero himself admits that he owes a great debt even to the earliest writers, who for all their talent were totally devoid of art. |