Mur. 1.1Quae precātus ā dīs immortālibus sum, iūdicēs, mōre īnstitūtōque maiōrum illō diē quō auspicātō comitiīs centuriātīs Mūrēnam cōnsulem renūntiāvī, ut ea rēs mihi fideī magistrātuīque meō, populō plēbīque Rōmānae bene atque fēlīciter ēvenīret, eadem precor ab īsdem dīs immortālibus ob eiusdem hominis cōnsulātum ūnā cum salūte obtinendum, et ut vestrae mentēs atque sententiae cum populī Rōmānī voluntātibus suffrāgiīsque cōnsentiant, eaque rēs vōbīs populōque Rōmānō pācem, tranquillitātem, ōtium concordiamque adferat.The prayer I made to the immortal gods, judges, by the custom and institution of our ancestors, on that day when, after taking the auspices, I declared Murena consul at the centuriate assembly, that the matter might turn out well and happily for me, for my good faith and my magistracy, and for the Roman people and plebs, I now pray again to the same immortal gods, that this same man may keep his consulship together with his civic safety, and that your minds and verdicts may agree with the wishes and votes of the Roman people, and that this outcome may bring to you and to the Roman people peace, tranquillity, quiet and concord.
Mur. 1.1Quod sī illa sollemnis comitiōrum precātiō cōnsulāribus auspiciīs cōnsecrāta tantam habet in sē vim et religiōnem quantam reī pūblicae dignitās postulat, īdem ego sum precātus ut eīs quoque hominibus quibus hic cōnsulātus mē rogante datus esset ea rēs faustē fēlīciter prosperēque ēvenīret.But if that solemn prayer at the elections, hallowed by the consular auspices, holds in itself such force and sanctity as the dignity of the state demands, I also prayed that the matter might turn out auspiciously, happily and prosperously for those men too to whom this consulship had been given at my proposal. Mur. 1.2Quae cum ita sint, iūdicēs, et cum omnis deōrum immortālium potestās aut trānslāta sit ad vōs aut certē commūnicāta vōbīscum, īdem cōnsulem vestrae fideī commendat quī anteā dīs immortālibus commendāvit, ut eiusdem hominis vōce et dēclārātus cōnsul et dēfēnsus beneficium populī Rōmānī cum vestrā atque omnium cīvium salūte tueātur.Since this is so, judges, and since all the power of the immortal gods has either been transferred to you or at least shared with you, the same man who before commended the consul to the immortal gods now commends him to your good faith, so that, declared consul and defended by the voice of the same man, he may guard the gift of the Roman people together with your safety and that of all the citizens.
Mur. 1.2Et quoniam in hōc officiō studium meae dēfēnsiōnis ab accūsātōribus atque etiam ipsa susceptiō causae reprēnsa est, ante quam prō Mūrēnā dīcere īnstituō, prō mē ipsō pauca dīcam, nōn quō mihi potior hōc quidem tempore sit officī meī quam huiusce salūtis dēfēnsiō, sed ut meō factō vōbīs probātō maiōre auctōritāte ab huius honōre fāmā fortūnīsque omnibus inimīcōrum impetūs prōpulsāre possim.And since in this duty both the zeal of my defence and even my very undertaking of the case have been criticised by the accusers, before I begin to speak for Murena I shall say a few words for myself, not because the defence of my own conduct is more important to me, at this moment at least, than the defence of this man's safety, but so that, once my action has been approved by you, I may with greater authority drive off the attacks of his enemies from his office, his reputation and all his fortunes.