Mur. 18.1Sed tamen sī est reddenda ratiō, duae rēs vehementer in praetūrā dēsīderātae sunt quae ambae in cōnsulātū multum Mūrēnae prōfuērunt, ūna exspectātiō mūneris quae et rūmōre nōn nūllō et studiīs sermōnibusque competītōrum crēverat, altera quod eī quōs in prōvinciā ac lēgātiōne omnī et līberālitātis et virtūtis suae testīs habuerat nōndum dēcesserant.But still, if an explanation must be given, two things were sorely missed in his candidacy for the praetorship, both of which helped Murena greatly in his candidacy for the consulship: one was the expectation of a show, which had grown both through a certain rumour and through the eager talk of his rivals; the other, that those whom he had had as witnesses of his generosity and his courage throughout his province and his service as legate had not yet come home. Mur. 18.1Hōrum utrumque eī fortūna ad cōnsulātūs petītiōnem reservāvit.Fortune kept both of these in reserve for him for his candidacy for the consulship. Mur. 18.1Nam et L. Lūcullī exercitus quī ad triumphum convēnerat īdem comitiīs Mūrēnae praestō fuit, et mūnus amplissimum quod petītiō praetūrae dēsīderārat praetūra restituit.For the army of Lucius Lucullus, which had assembled for his triumph, was likewise on hand for Murena at the elections, and the most magnificent show, which his praetorian candidacy had lacked, his praetorship supplied.
Mur. 18.38Num tibi haec parva videntur adiūmenta et subsidia cōnsulātūs, voluntās mīlitum, quaeque cum per sē valet multitūdine, cum apud suōs grātiā, tum vērō in cōnsule dēclārandō multum etiam apud ūniversum populum Rōmānum auctōritātis habet, suffrāgātiō mīlitāris?Do these seem to you small aids and supports towards the consulship: the goodwill of the soldiers, and the soldiers' vote, which carries weight both in itself through its numbers and through its influence with their families, and which, above all, in declaring a consul, has great authority even with the whole Roman people? Mur. 18.38Imperātōrēs enim comitiīs cōnsulāribus, nōn verbōrum interpretēs dēliguntur.For at consular elections it is generals who are chosen, not interpreters of words. Mur. 18.38Quā rē gravis est illa ōrātiō: "Mē saucium recreāvit, mē praedā dōnāvit;That is why talk like this carries weight: 'He revived me when I was wounded, he presented me with booty; Mur. 18.38hōc duce castra cēpimus, signa contulimus;under his command we took the camp, we joined battle; Mur. 18.38numquam iste plūs mīlitī labōris imposuit quam sibi sūmpsit, ipse cum fortis tum etiam fēlīx."he never laid more toil on a soldier than he took on himself, and he was not only brave but lucky too.' Mur. 18.38Hoc quantī putās esse ad fāmam hominum ac voluntātem?How much do you think this counts towards men's opinion and goodwill?
Mur. 18.38Etenim, sī tanta illīs comitiīs religiō est ut adhūc semper ōmen valuerit praerogātīvum, quid mīrum est in hōc fēlīcitātis fāmam sermōnemque valuisse?Indeed, if there is such religious scruple at those elections that up to now the omen of the prerogative century has always prevailed, what wonder is it that in this man's case the reputation and talk of his good fortune prevailed?