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Cicero · Pro Marcello

Pro Marcello 3

Mercy greater than conquest

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Marc. 3.1Domuistī gentīs immānitāte barbarās, multitūdine innumerābilīs, locīs īnfīnītās, omnī cōpiārum genere abundantīs: ea tamen vīcistī quae et nātūram et condiciōnem ut vincī possent habēbant.You have tamed nations barbarous in their savagery, countless in their numbers, boundless in their territories, abounding in every kind of resource: yet you conquered things which had both the nature and the condition to be conquered. Marc. 3.1Nūlla est enim tanta vīs quae nōn ferrō et vīribus dēbilitārī frangīque possit.For there is no strength so great that it cannot be weakened and broken by the sword and by force. Marc. 3.1Animum vincere, īrācundiam cohibēre, victō temperāre, adversārium nōbilitāte, ingeniō, virtūte praestantem nōn modo extollere iacentem sed etiam amplificāre eius prīstinam dignitātem, haec quī faciat, nōn ego eum cum summīs virīs comparō, sed simillimum deō iūdicō.To conquer one's spirit, to restrain one's anger, to show moderation to the conquered, not only to raise up a fallen adversary outstanding in nobility, talent and virtue but even to enhance his former dignity — whoever does these things, I do not compare him with the greatest men, but judge him most like a god.

Marc. 3.9Itaque, C. Caesar, bellicae tuae laudēs celebrābuntur illae quidem nōn sōlum nostrīs sed paene omnium gentium litterīs atque linguīs, neque ūlla umquam aetās dē tuīs laudibus conticēscet;And so, Gaius Caesar, your military glories will indeed be celebrated in the literature and languages not only of our people but of almost all nations, nor will any age ever fall silent about your praises; Marc. 3.9sed tamen eius modī rēs nesciō quō modō, etiam cum leguntur, obstrepī clamōre mīlitum videntur et tubārum sonō.but still, things of that kind, somehow or other, even when they are read, seem to be drowned out by the shouting of soldiers and the sound of trumpets. Marc. 3.9At vērō cum aliquid clēmenter, mānsuētē, iūste, moderātē, sapienter factum, in īrācundiā praesertim quae est inimīca cōnsiliō, et in victōriā quae nātūrā īnsolēns et superba est, audīmus aut legimus, quō studiō incendimur, nōn modo in gestīs rēbus sed etiam in fictīs ut eōs saepe quōs numquam vīdimus dīligāmus!But when we hear or read of something done mercifully, gently, justly, moderately, wisely, especially in anger, which is the enemy of counsel, and in victory, which is by nature arrogant and proud, with what zeal are we fired, not only for real deeds but even for invented ones, so that we often love those whom we have never seen!

Marc. 3.10Tē vērō quem praesentem intuēmur, cuius mentem sēnsūsque et ōs cernimus, ut, quicquid bellī fortūna reliquum reī pūblicae fēcerit, id esse salvum velīs, quibus laudibus efferēmus, quibus studiīs prōsequēmur, quā benevolentiā complectēmur?But you, whom we behold here present, whose mind and feelings and face we see, wishing that whatever the fortune of war has left to the commonwealth should be safe, with what praises shall we extol you, with what devotion shall we attend you, with what goodwill shall we embrace you? Marc. 3.10Parietēs, mē dius fidius, ut mihi vidētur, huius cūriae tibi grātiās agere gestiunt, quod brevī tempore futūra sit illa auctōritās in hīs maiōrum suōrum et suīs sēdibus.The very walls of this senate house, so help me, as it seems to me, are eager to give you thanks, because shortly that authority will be back in these seats of his ancestors and his own.

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Grammar in this passage: purpose clauses ×3, indirect statement ×3, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (144 words)
domō, -āre, -uī, -itustame, subdue, master
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
immānitās, -tātis, f.cruelty, barbarity
barbarus, -a, -umbarbarian
multitūdō, -tūdinis, f.multitude
innumerābilis, -ecountless
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
īnfīnītus, -a, -umboundless, countless
omnis, -eall, every
cōpia, -ae, f.supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops
genus, generis, n.kind, nature
abundō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumoverflow; have plenty of, abound in (+ abl.)
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
vincō, -ere, vīcī, victumconquer, defeat
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
nātūra, -ae, f.nature, character
condiciō, -ōnis f.terms; condition, status
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
nūllus, -a, -umnot any, none, no
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
enim, conj.for
tantus, -a, -umso great or much
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
nōn, adv.not
ferrum, -ī n.iron; iron point, sword
dēbilitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusweaken, cripple, unnerve
frangō, frangere, frēgī, frāctusbreak; dash to pieces, wreck
que, enclitic conj.and
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
īrācundia, -ae f.anger, hot temper
cohibeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushold back, restrain, keep in check
temperō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum (ab + abl.)refrain (from)
adversārius, -ī m.opponent, enemy
nōbilitās, -tātis f.the nobility
ingenium, -ī n.natural ability, talent, cleverness; character
virtūs, -tūtis, f.manliness, courage, bravery
praestō, -stāre, -stitī, -stitusstand in front; show
modo, adv.only
extollō, -erelift up, raise; praise, exalt
iaceō, -ēre, -uīlie, be prostrate
sed, conj.but
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
amplificō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumenlarge, increase
prīstinus, -a, -umformer
dignitās, -ātis f.rank, standing, prestige
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
faciō, facere, fēcī, factusmake, do; iter facere, see iter
ego, meī, pers. pron.I
cum, prep, with abl.with
summus, -a, -umuppermost, highest, greatest
vir, virī, m.man
comparō, -parāre, -parāvī, -parātusprepare, collect
similis, -elike, similar (vērī similis: likely)
deus, -ī, m.god
iūdicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumjudge, decide
itaque, adv.and so, accordingly, therefore
bellicus, -a, -umof war, military
tuus, -a, -umthy, thine, your
laus, laudis f.praise, glory
celebrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthrong; keep (a festival), celebrate
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
quidem, adv.in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n.only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil
noster, -tra, -trumour
paene, adv.almost, nearly
litterae, -ārum f. pl.letters (of the alphabet); a letter, dispatch
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
lingua, -ae f.tongue; language
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
ūllus, -a, -umany
umquam, adv.ever
aetās, -tātis, f.age
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
conticēscō, -ere, -ticuīfall silent
modus, -ī, m.way, manner
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
nesciō, -scīre, -scīvīnot know, be ignorant; nesciō quis, I know not who, some one or other (nesciō is thus used with other interrogative words also)
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.what?
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
legō, legere, lēgī, lēctuschoose, pick out; read
obstrepō, -ere, -strepuīmake a noise against, shout down
clāmor, -ōris, m.shout, cry
mīles, mīlitis, m.soldier
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
tuba, -ae f.trumpet
sonus, -ī m.sound
at, conj.but
vērō, adv.in truth, indeed; however
aliquis, -quid, indef. pron.someone, any one, something, anything, some, any
clēmenter, adv.mildly, kindly, gently
mānsuētē (adv.)gently, mildly, meekly
iūstus, -a, -umjust
moderātē (adv.)with restraint, moderately; (comp.) moderātius
sapienter (adv.)wisely
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
praesertim (adv.)especially
inimīcus, -a, -umunfriendly, hostile
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
victōria, -ae, f.victory
īnsolēns, -entisunaccustomed (to: gen.); excessive, arrogant
superbus, -a, -umproud, arrogant, haughty
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītushear; listen or attend to
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
studium, -ī, n.eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
incendō, -ere, -cendī, -cēnsumset on fire, burn
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestuscarry, wear; carry on, do
fingō, fingere, finxī, fictusinvent, make up
saepe, adv.often, frequently
numquam, adv.never
dīligō, -ere, -lēxī, -lēctuslove, value highly
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
praesēns, -sentis, adj.present, immediate, imminent
intueor, -tuērī, -tuituslook upon, behold
mēns, mentis f.mind, spirit
sēnsus, -ūs m.feeling, sensation; perception; sentiment
ōs, ōris, n.mouth
cernō, cernere, crēvī, certus or crētusdiscern, perceive, make out
quisquis, quidquid (quicquid)whoever, whatever
bellum, -ī, n.war
fortūna, -ae, f.fortune
reliquus, -a, -umleft, the remaining, the other, the rest of
pūblicus, -a, -umpublic, of the state (rēs pūblica: the state)
salvus, -a, -umsafe, unharmed
volō, velle, voluīwish
efferō, -ferre, extulī, ēlātumcarry out, bring out
prōsequor, -sequī, -secūtusfollow forward, follow
benevolentia, -ae f.goodwill, kindness
complector, -plectī, -plexusembrace
pariēs, -etis m.wall (of a house)
cūria, -ae f.senate house
grātia, -ae, f.favor; gratitude, thanks; plur., thanks; grātiās agere, to give thanks, thank; grātiam referre, to return a favor, show gratitude, requite
agō, agere, ēgī, āctusdrive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
gestiō, -īre, -īvībe eager, long (to: + inf.)
quod, conj.that, in that, because
brevis, -eshort
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
auctōritās, -tātis f.influence, authority, prestige
maiōrēs, -um m. pl.ancestors
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
sēdēs, -is, f.seat, abode
Cicero, Pro Marcello. Latin text: A. C. Clark, M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes II (Oxford, 1918), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.