cicero-第9节

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disordered　with　thought　and　overwatching；　that　he　spoke　much　worse



than　usual。　And　so　now；　on　quitting　his　litter　to　commence　the　cause



of　Milo；　at　the　sight　of　Pompey；　posted　as　it　were；　and　encamped



with　his　troops　above；　and　seeing　arms　shining　round　about　the



Forum；　he　was　so　confounded　that　he　could　hardly　begin　his　speech



for　the　trembling　of　his　body　and　hesitance　of　his　tongue；　whereas



Milo；　meantime；　was　bold　and　intrepid　in　his　demeanour；　disdaining



either　to　let　his　hair　grow　or　to　put　on　the　mourning　habit。　And　this；



indeed；　seems　to　have　been　one　principal　cause　of　his　condemnation。



Cicero；　however；　was　thought　not　so　much　to　have　shown　timidity　for



himself；　as　anxiety　about　his　friend。



　　He　was　made　one　of　the　priests；　whom　the　Romans　call　Augurs；　in



the　room　of　Crassus　the　younger；　dead　in　Parthia。　Then　he　was



appointed　by　lot　to　the　province　of　Cilicia；　and　set　sail　thither　with



twelve　thousand　foot　and　two　thousand　six　hundred　horse。　He　had　orders



to　bring　back　Cappadocia　to　its　allegiance　to　Ariobarzanes；　its



king；　which　settlement　he　effected　very　completely　without　recourse　to



arms。　And　perceiving　the　Cilicians；　by　the　great　loss　the　Romans　had



suffered　in　Parthia；　and　the　commotions　in　Syria；　to　have　become



disposed　to　attempt　a　revolt；　by　a　gentle　course　of　government　he



soothed　them　back　into　fidelity。　He　would　accept　none　of　the



presents　that　were　offered　him　by　the　kings；　he　remitted　the　charge　of



public　entertainments；　but　daily　at　his　own　house　received　the



ingenious　and　accomplished　persons　of　the　province；　not　sumptuously；



but　liberally。　His　house　had　no　porter；　nor　was　he　ever　found　in　bed



by　any　man；　but　early　in　the　morning；　standing　or　walking　before　his



door；　he　received　those　who　came　to　offer　their　salutations。　He　is



said　never　once　to　have　ordered　any　of　those　under　his　command　to　be



beaten　with　rods；　or　to　have　their　garments　rent。　He　never　gave



contumelious　language　in　his　anger；　nor　inflicted　punishment　with



reproach。　He　detected　an　embezzlement；　to　a　large　amount；　in　the



public　money；　and　thus　relieved　the　cities　from　their　burdens；　at



the　same　time　that　he　allowed　those　who　made　restitution　to　retain



without　further　punishment　their　rights　as　citizens。　He　engaged　too；



in　war；　so　far　as　to　give　a　defeat　to　the　banditti　who　infested



Mount　Amanus；　for　which　he　was　saluted　by　his　army　Imperator。　To



Caecilius；　the　orator；　who　asked　him　to　send　him　some　panthers　from



Cilicia；　to　be　exhibited　on　the　theatre　at　Rome；　he　wrote；　in



commendation　of　his　own　actions；　that　there　were　no　panthers　in



Cilicia；　for　they　were　all　fled　to　Caria；　in　anger　that　in　so



general　a　peace　they　had　become　the　sole　objects　of　attack。　On　leaving



his　province；　he　touched　at　Rhodes；　and　tarried　for　some　length　of



time　at　Athens；　longing　much　to　renew　his　old　studies。　He　visited



the　eminent　men　of　learning；　and　saw　his　former　friends　and



companions；　and　after　receiving　in　Greece　the　honours　that　were　due　to



him；　returned　to　the　city；　where　everything　was　now　just　as　it　were　in



a　flame；　breaking　out　into　a　civil　war。



　　When　the　senate　would　have　decreed　him　a　triumph；　he　told　them　he



had　rather；　so　differences　were　accommodated；　follow　the　triumphal



chariot　of　Caesar。　In　private；　he　gave　advice　to　both；　writing　many



letters　to　Caesar；　and　personally　entreating　Pompey；　doing　his　best　to



soothe　and　bring　to　reason　both　the　one　and　the　other。　But　when



matters　became　incurable；　and　Caesar　was　approaching　Rome；　and



Pompey　durst　not　abide　it；　but；　with　many　honest　citizens；　left　the



city；　Cicero　as　yet　did　not　join　in　the　flight；　and　was　reputed　to



adhere　to　Caesar。　And　it　is　very　evident　he　was　in　his　thoughts　much



divided；　and　wavered　painfully　between　both；　for　he　writes　in　his



epistles；　〃To　which　side　should　I　turn？　Pompey　has　the　fair　and



honourable　plea　for　war；　and　Caesar；　on　the　other　hand；　has　managed



his　affairs　better；　and　is　more　able　to　secure　himself　and　his



friends。　So　that　I　know　whom　I　should　fly；　not　whom　I　should　fly



to。〃　But　when　Trebatius；　one　of　Caesar's　friends；　by　letter



signified　to　him　that　Caesar　thought　it　was　his　most　desirable



course　to　join　his　party；　and　partake　his　hopes；　but　if　he



considered　himself　too　old　a　man　for　this；　then　he　should　retire



into　Greece；　and　stay　quietly　there；　out　of　the　way　of　either　party；



Cicero；　wondering　that　Caesar　had　not　written　himself；　gave　an　angry



reply；　that　he　should　not　do　anything　unbecoming　his　past　life。　Such



is　the　account　to　be　collected　from　his　letters。



　　But　as　soon　as　Caesar　was　marched　into　Spain；　he　immediately



sailed　away　to　join　Pompey。　And　he　was　welcomed　by　all　but　Cato；



who；　taking　him　privately；　chid　him　for　coming　to　Pompey。　As　for



himself；　he　said；　it　had　been　indecent　to　forsake　that　part　in　the



commonwealth　which　he　had　chosen　from　the　beginning；　but　Cicero



might　have　been　more　useful　to　his　country　and　friends；　if；



remaining　neuter；　he　had　attended　and　used　his　influence　to　moderate



the　result；　instead　of　coming　hither　to　make　himself；　without　reason



or　necessity；　an　enemy　to　Caesar；　and　a　partner　in　such　great　dangers。



　　By　this　language；　partly；　Cicero's　feelings　were　altered；　and



partly；　also；　because　Pompey　made　no　great　use　of　him。　Although；



indeed；　he　was　himself　the　cause　of　it；　by　his　not　denying　that　he　was



sorry　he　had　come；　by　his　depreciating　Pompey's　resources；　finding



fault　underhand　with　his　counsels；　and　continually　indulging　in



jests　and　sarcastic　remarks　on　his　fellow…soldiers。　Though　he　went



about　in　the　camp　with　a　gloomy　and　melancholy　face　himself；　he　was



always　trying　to　raise　a　laugh　in　others；　whether　they　wished　it　or



not。　It　may　not　be　amiss　to　mention　a　few　instances。　To　Domitius；　on



his　preferring　to　a　command　one　who　was　no　soldier；　and　saying；　in　his



defence；　that　he　was　a　modest　and　prudent　person；　he　replied；　〃Why　did



not　you　keep　him　for　a　tutor　for　or　your　children？〃　On　hearing



Theophanes；　the　Lesbian；　who　was　master　of　the　engineers　in　the



army；　praised　for　the　admirable　way　in　which　he　had　consoled　the



Rhodians　for　the　loss　of　their　fleet；　〃What　a　thing　it　is；〃　he　said；



〃to　have　a　Greek　in　command！〃　When　Caesar　had　been　acting



successfully；　and　in　a　manner　blockading　Pompey；　Lentulus　was　saying



it　was　reported　that　Caesar's　friends　were　out　of　heart；　〃Because；〃



said　Cicero；　〃they　do　not　wish　Caesar　well。〃　To　one　Marcius；　who　had



just　come　from　Italy；　and　told　them　that　there　was　a　strong　report



at　Rome　that　Pompey　was　blocked　up；　he　said；　〃And　you　sailed　hither　to



see　it　with　your　own　eyes。〃　To　Nonius；　encouraging　them　after　a　defeat



to　be　of　good　hope；　because　there　were　seven　eagles　still　left　in



Pompey's　camp；　〃Good　reason　for　encouragement；〃　said　Cicero；　〃if　we



were　going　to　fight　with　jackdaws。〃　Labienus　insisted　on　some



prophecies　to　the　effect　that　Pompey　would　gain　the　victory；　〃Yes；〃



said　Cicero；　〃and　the　first　step　in　the　campaign　has　been　losing　our



camp。〃



　　After　the　battle　of　Pharsalia　was　over；　at　which　he　was　not



present　for　want　of　health；　and　Pompey　was　fled；　Cato；　having



considerable　forces　and　a　great　fleet　at　Dyrrachium；　would　have　had



Cicero　commander…in…chief；　according　to　law　and　the　precedence　of



his　consular　dignity。　And　on　his　refusing　the　command；　and　wholly



declining　to　take　part　in　their　plans　for　continuing　the　war；　he　was



in　the　greatest　danger　of　being　killed；　young　Pompey　and　his　friends



calling　him　traitor；　and　drawing　their　swords　upon　him；　only　that　Cato



interposed；　and　hardly　rescued　and　brought　him　out　of　the　camp。



　　Afterwards；　arriving　at　Brundusium；　he　tarried　there　some　time　in



expectation　of　Caesar；　who　was　delayed　by　his　affairs　in　Asia　and



Egypt。　And　when　it　was　told　him　that　he　was　arrived　at　Tarentum；　and



was　coming　thence　by　land　to　Brundusium；　he　hastened　towards　him；



not　altogether　without　hope；　and　yet　in　some　fear　of　making　experiment



of　the　temper　of　an　enemy　and　conqueror　in　the　presence　of　many



witnesses。　But　there　was　no　necessity　for　him　either　to　speak　or　do



anything　unworthy　of　himself；　for　Caesar；　as　soon　as　he　saw　him　coming



a　good　way　before　the　rest　of　the　company；　came　down　to　meet　him；



saluted　him；　and；　leading　the　way；　conversed　with　him　alone　for　some



furlongs。　And　from　that　time　forward　he　continued　to　treat　him　with



honour　and　respect；　so　that；　when　Cicero　wrote　an　oration　in　praise　of



Cato；　Caesar　in　writing　an　answer　to　it；　took　occasion　to　commend



Cicero's　own　life　and　eloquence；　comparing　him　to　Pericles　and



Theramenes。　Cicero's　oration　was　called　Cato；　Caesar's；　anti…Cato。



　　So　also　it　is　related　that　when　Quintus　Ligarius　was　prosecuted



for　having　been　in　arms　against　Caesar；　and　Cicero　had　u