1If anyone, gentlemen of the jury, should happen to be present now who knew nothing of our laws, our courts and our customs, he would surely wonder what terrible enormity there is in this case, that on festival days and during the public games, when all business in the forum has been suspended, this one trial alone is being held; and he would not doubt that the defendant is charged with a crime so great that, if it were overlooked, the state could not stand. 1The same man, on hearing that there is a law which orders that inquiry be made daily into seditious and criminal citizens who have besieged the senate under arms, have used violence against magistrates and have attacked the state, would not disapprove of the law, but would ask what charge was being tried in court; 1on hearing that no crime, no act of audacity, no violence is being brought to trial, but that a young man of brilliant talent, industry and influence is being accused by the son of a man whom he himself is prosecuting and has prosecuted, and is moreover being attacked with a harlot's resources, he would not find fault with the filial devotion of Atratinus himself, he would think that a woman's lust ought to be curbed, and he would consider you overworked, since you are not allowed to be at leisure even when everyone else is at leisure.
2And indeed, if you are willing to pay careful attention and to judge truly about this whole case, you will conclude, gentlemen, that no one would have stooped to this accusation who was free to choose either course, nor, once he had stooped to it, would he have had any hope at all, unless he were relying on someone's intolerable lust and excessively bitter hatred. 2But I pardon Atratinus, a most cultivated and excellent young man and my friend, who has the excuse either of filial duty or of necessity or of youth. 2If he chose to accuse, I put it down to filial duty; if he was ordered, to necessity; if he hoped for something, to boyishness.
2The others, however, not only deserve no pardon but must be vigorously resisted.