Cael. 2.1Ac mihi quidem vidētur, iūdicēs, hic introitus dēfēnsiōnis adulēscentiae M. Caelī maximē convenīre, ut ad ea quae accūsātōrēs dēfōrmandī huius causā et dētrahendae spoliandaeque dignitātis grātiā dīxērunt prīmum respondeam.And it seems to me, gentlemen, that this opening of my defence suits the youth of Marcus Caelius best: that I should first reply to what the prosecutors have said for the sake of discrediting him and of stripping and robbing him of his standing. Cael. 2.1Obiectus est pater variē, quod aut parum splendidus ipse aut parum piē trāctātus ā fīliō dīcerētur.His father has been brought up against him in various ways, since it was said either that he himself was not distinguished enough or that he had been treated with too little respect by his son. Cael. 2.1Dē dignitāte M. Caelius notīs ac maiōribus nātū etiam sine meā ōrātiōne tacitus facile ipse respondet;As to his standing, Marcus Caelius the father easily answers for himself in silence, even without any speech of mine, to those who know him and to older men; Cael. 2.1quibus autem propter senectūtem, quod iam diū minus in forō nōbīscumque versātur, nōn aequē est cognitus, hī sīc habeant, quaecumque in equite Rōmānō dignitās esse possit, quae certē potest esse maxima, eam semper in M. Caeliō habitam esse summam hodiēque habērī nōn sōlum ā suīs sed etiam ab omnibus quibus potuerit aliquā dē causā esse notus.but as for those to whom, because of his age, since he has for a long time now been less often in the forum and in our company, he is not so well known, let them be assured of this: whatever standing a Roman knight can have — and it can certainly be very great — Marcus Caelius has always been held to have it in the highest degree, and is held to have it today, not only by his own people but by all to whom for any reason he may have been known.
Cael. 2.4Equitis autem Rōmānī esse fīlium crīminis locō pōnī ab accūsātōribus neque hīs iūdicantibus oportuit neque dēfendentibus nōbīs.That he is the son of a Roman knight ought not to have been treated as a charge by the prosecutors, either with these men as judges or with me as counsel for the defence. Cael. 2.4Nam quod dē pietāte dīxistis, est ista quidem nostra exīstimātiō sed iūdicium certē parentis.For as to what you said about filial devotion, that is indeed a matter for our opinion, but the judgement certainly belongs to the parent. Cael. 2.4Quid nōs opīnēmur audiētis ex iūrātīs;What we think you will hear from sworn witnesses; Cael. 2.4quid parentēs sentiant lacrimae mātris incrēdibilisque maeror, squālor patris et haec praesēns maestitia quam cernitis lūctusque dēclārat.what his parents feel is declared by his mother's tears and incredible grief, by his father's mourning dress, and by this present sorrow and grief which you see. Cael. 2.5Nam quod est obiectum mūnicipibus esse adulēscentem nōn probātum suīs, nēminī umquam praesentī †Praetūtiānī† maiōrēs honōrēs habuērunt, iūdicēs, quam absentī M. Caeliō;For as to the charge that the young man was not well thought of by his fellow townsmen, the Praetuttians have never paid greater honours to anyone present, gentlemen, than to Marcus Caelius in his absence; Cael. 2.5quem et absentem in amplissimum ōrdinem cooptārunt et ea nōn petentī dētulērunt quae multīs petentibus dēnegārunt.they both co-opted him into their most distinguished order while he was absent and conferred on him, without his asking, what they had refused to many who asked.
Cael. 2.5Īdemque nunc lēctissimōs virōs et nostrī ōrdinis et equitēs Rōmānōs cum lēgātiōne ad hoc iūdicium et cum gravissimā atque ōrnātissimā laudātiōne mīsērunt.And they have now sent the most select men, both of our order and Roman knights, as a deputation to this trial, with a most weighty and handsome testimonial. Cael. 2.5Videor mihi iēcisse fundāmenta dēfēnsiōnis meae, quae firmissima sunt sī nītuntur iūdiciō suōrum.I think I have laid the foundations of my defence, which are very firm if they rest on the judgement of his own people. Cael. 2.5Neque enim vōbīs satis commendāta huius aetās esse posset, sī nōn modo parentī, tālī virō, vērum etiam mūnicipiō tam inlūstrī ac tam gravī displicēret.For his youth could not be sufficiently commended to you if it displeased not only his parent, such a man as he is, but also a town so distinguished and so respected. Cael. 2.5Equidem,For my part,