1Truly, Erucius, you would be a ridiculous accuser if you had been born in those times when men were summoned from the plough to be made consuls. 1For since you think it a disgrace to oversee the cultivation of land, you would surely judge that famous Atilius, whom those who had been sent found sowing seed with his own hand, a most base and dishonourable man. 1But, by Hercules, our ancestors thought very differently both of him and of other such men, and so from a very small and humble state they left us one that is very great and flourishing. 1For they zealously cultivated their own lands and did not greedily covet those of others; 1and by these means they increased the state, this empire and the name of the Roman people with lands, cities and nations.
51Nor do I bring these things forward to compare them with those we are now inquiring into, but so that this may be understood: that since among our ancestors the greatest and most illustrious men, who ought at all times to have sat at the helm of the state, nevertheless spent a good deal of effort and time on cultivating their fields too, a man ought to be pardoned who admits that he is a countryman, since he has always lived constantly in the country, especially since there was nothing he could do that was more pleasing to his father or more agreeable to himself or in truth more honourable.
52So the father's bitter hatred for his son is shown, I suppose, Erucius, by the fact that he allowed him to be in the country. 52Is there anything else? 52'Yes, indeed there is,' he says; 52'for he had it in mind to disinherit him.' 52I hear you; 52now you are saying something relevant to the matter; 52for those other points, I think, you too admit are trivial and silly: 'He did not go to banquets with his father.' 52Naturally, since he did not come even into the town except very rarely. 52'Hardly anyone used to invite him to his house.' 52No wonder, since he neither lived in the city nor was going to return the invitation.