Pro Archia 11

Arch. 11.1Neque enim est hoc dissimulandum quod obscūrārī nōn potest, sed prae nōbīs ferendum: trahimur omnēs studiō laudis, et optimus quisque maximē glōriā dūcitur.

For this should not be hidden, since it cannot be concealed, but openly admitted: we are all drawn by the desire for praise, and the best men are the most led by glory.

Note. est … dissimulandum … ferendum: gerundives of obligation, 'must not be hidden … must be shown openly'. prae nōbīs ferendum: 'to be carried in front of us', openly displayed. optimus quisque: 'all the best men' (quisque with a superlative).

Arch. 11.1Ipsī illī philosophī etiam in eīs libellīs quōs dē contemnendā glōriā scrībunt nōmen suum īnscrībunt;

Even those philosophers write their names on the very books they write about despising glory;

Note. The joke was old already: philosophers who wrote books 'On despising glory' put their names on them. contemnendā glōriā: gerundive, 'on despising glory'.

Arch. 11.1in eō ipsō in quō praedicātiōnem nōbilitātemque dēspiciunt praedicārī dē sē ac sē nōminārī volunt.

in the very work in which they look down on renown and celebrity, they want to be spoken of and to be named.

Note. in eō ipsō in quō: 'in the very thing in which', i.e. in the same books.

Arch. 11.27Decimus quidem Brūtus, summus vir et imperātor, Accī, amīcissimī suī, carminibus templōrum ac monumentōrum aditūs exōrnāvit suōrum.

Decimus Brutus, indeed, a great man and general, adorned the approaches to his temples and monuments with the poems of Accius, his close friend.

Note. D. Iunius Brutus Callaicus, consul 138 B.C., put verses by the tragic poet Accius on the temples he built from his spoils.

Arch. 11.27Iam vērō ille quī cum Aetōlīs Enniō comite bellāvit Fulvius nōn dubitāvit Mārtis manubiās Mūsīs cōnsecrāre.

Then again, that Fulvius who made war on the Aetolians with Ennius as his companion did not hesitate to dedicate the spoils of Mars to the Muses.

Note. M. Fulvius Nobilior took Ennius with him against the Aetolians (189 B.C.) and later built a temple of Hercules of the Muses. Mārtis manubiās: 'the spoils of Mars', i.e. of war.

Arch. 11.27Quā rē, in quā urbe imperātōrēs prope armātī poētārum nōmen et Mūsārum dēlūbra coluērunt, in eā nōn dēbent togātī iūdicēs ā Mūsārum honōre et ā poētārum salūte abhorrēre.

So in a city where generals, almost still in arms, have honoured the name of poets and the shrines of the Muses, jurors in togas ought not to shrink from honouring the Muses and protecting poets.

Note. in quā urbe … in eā: 'in the city in which … in that (city)'. prope armātī: generals 'almost still under arms'; togātī iūdicēs: civilians in the toga. Contrast of war and peace.

Arch. 11.28Atque ut id libentius faciātis, iam mē vōbīs, iūdicēs, indicābō et dē meō quōdam amōre glōriae nimis ācrī fortasse, vērum tamen honestō vōbīs cōnfitēbor.

And so that you may do this more gladly, I shall now reveal myself to you, gentlemen of the jury, and confess to you a certain love of glory of my own, too keen perhaps, but honourable all the same.

Note. Cicero turns to himself: Archias had begun a poem on Cicero's consulship. libentius: comparative adverb, 'more gladly'. vērum tamen: 'but all the same'.

Arch. 11.28Nam quās rēs nōs in cōnsulātū nostrō vōbīscum simul prō salūte huius urbis atque imperī et prō vītā cīvium prōque ūniversā rē pūblicā gessimus, attigit hic versibus atque inchoāvit.

For the things I did in my consulship together with you for the safety of this city and empire, for the lives of the citizens and for the whole state, this man has taken up in verse and begun.

Note. Cicero's consulship of 63 B.C., when he suppressed Catiline's conspiracy (see the Catilinarians). attigit … atque inchoāvit: 'has touched on and begun'; the poem was apparently never finished.

Arch. 11.28Quibus audītīs, quod mihi magna rēs et iūcunda vīsa est, hunc ad perficiendum adōrnāvī.

When I had heard these verses, since the thing seemed to me important and pleasing, I encouraged him to finish it.

Note. Quibus audītīs: ablative absolute, 'when these (verses) had been heard'. ad perficiendum: 'to complete (it)', gerund of purpose.

Arch. 11.28Nūllam enim virtūs aliam mercēdem labōrum perīculōrumque dēsīderat praeter hanc laudis et glōriae;

For virtue desires no other reward for its labours and dangers than this one, of praise and glory;

Note. Nūllam … aliam mercēdem … praeter hanc (mercēdem) laudis et glōriae: 'no other reward except this one of praise and glory'.

Arch. 11.28quā quidem dētrācta, iūdicēs, quid est quod in hōc tam exiguō vītae curriculō et tam brevī tantīs nōs in labōribus exerceāmus?

take that away, gentlemen of the jury, and what reason is there for us to toil at such great labours in this short and narrow course of life?

Note. quā … dētrāctā: ablative absolute, 'if this is taken away'. quid est quod …?: 'what reason is there why …?'. curriculō: the course of a race, a metaphor for life.

Arch. 11.29Certē, sī nihil animus praesentīret in posterum, et sī, quibus regiōnibus vītae spatium circumscrīptum est, īsdem omnīs cōgitātiōnēs termināret suās, nec tantīs sē labōribus frangeret neque tot cūrīs vigiliīsque angerētur nec totiēns dē ipsā vītā dīmicāret.

Surely, if the mind had no foresight of the future, and if it confined all its thoughts within the same limits by which the span of life is bounded, it would not break itself with such great labours, nor be tormented by so many cares and sleepless nights, nor so often fight for life itself.

Note. A present contrary-to-fact condition: sī … praesentīret … termināret, … nec frangeret … angerētur … dīmicāret. quibus regiōnibus … īsdem: 'within the same limits by which'. in posterum: 'into the future'.

Arch. 11.29Nunc īnsidet quaedam in optimō quōque virtūs, quae noctēs ac diēs animum glōriae stimulīs concitat atque admonet nōn cum vītae tempore esse dīmittendam commemorātiōnem nōminis nostrī, sed cum omnī posteritāte adaequandam.

As it is, there dwells in all the best men a certain virtue which night and day stirs the mind with the goads of glory and reminds it that the memory of our name is not to be let go with the span of our life, but made equal to all posterity.

Note. noctēs ac diēs: accusative of duration, 'night and day'. esse dīmittendam … adaequandam: passive periphrastic in indirect statement, 'that the memory must not be let go … but made equal'.