Clem. 1.10.1Ignōvit abavus tuus victīs ;Your great-great-grandfather pardoned the conquered; Clem. 1.10.1nam sī nōn ignōvisset, quibus imperāsset ?for if he had not pardoned them, whom would he have ruled? Clem. 1.10.1Sallustium et Cocceiōs et Deilliōs et tōtam cohortem prīmae admissiōnis ex adversāriōrum castrīs cōnscrīpsit ;Sallustius, the Cocceii, the Dellii and the whole band of those first admitted to his presence he enrolled from his opponents' camp; Clem. 1.10.1iam Domitiōs, Messālās, Asiniōs, Cicerōnēs, quidquid flōris erat in cīvitāte, clēmentiae suae dēbēbat.and now the Domitii, the Messallae, the Asinii, the Ciceros, all the flower of the state, he owed to his own clemency. Clem. 1.10.1Ipsum Lepidum quam diū morī passus est !Lepidus himself: how long he allowed him to die! Clem. 1.10.1Per multōs annōs tulit ōrnāmenta prīncipis retinentem et pontificātum maximum nōn nisi mortuō illō trānsferrī in sē passus est;For many years he endured him retaining the insignia of a prince, and allowed the chief pontificate to be transferred to himself only when Lepidus was dead; Clem. 1.10.1māluit enim illum honōrem vocārī quam spolium.for he preferred it to be called an honour rather than a spoil.
Clem. 1.10.1Haec eum clēmentia ad salūtem sēcūritātemque perdūxit;This clemency brought him to safety and security; Clem. 1.10.2haec grātum ac favōrābilem reddidit, quamvīs nōndum subāctīs populī Rōmānī cervīcibus manum imposuisset;this made him welcome and popular, although he had laid his hand on the necks of the Roman people before they were yet subdued; Clem. 1.10.2haec hodiēque praestat illī fāmam, quae vix vīvīs prīncipibus servit.this still today brings him a fame which scarcely serves princes while they live. Clem. 1.10.3Deum esse nōn tamquam iussī crēdimus ;We believe he is a god, not as if we had been ordered to; Clem. 1.10.3bonum fuisse prīncipem Augustum, bene illī parentis nōmen convēnisse fatēmur ob nūllam aliam causam, quam quod contumēliās quoque suās, quae acerbiōrēs prīncipibus solent esse quam iniūriae, nūllā crūdēlitāte exsequēbātur, quod probrōsīs in sē dictīs adrīsit, quod dare illum poenās appārēbat, cum exigeret, quod, quōscumque ob adulterium fīliae suae damnāverat, adeō nōn occīdit, ut dīmissīs quō tūtiōrēs essent, diplōmata daret.we acknowledge that Augustus was a good prince, and that the name of father suited him well, for no other reason than that he did not pursue with any cruelty even the insults to himself, which are usually more bitter to princes than injuries, that he laughed at abusive things said against him, that he was plainly suffering punishment when he exacted it, and that those whom he had condemned for adultery with his daughter he was so far from killing that, having banished them, he gave them passports so that they might be safer.
Clem. 1.10.4Hoc est ignōscere, eum sciās multōs futūrōs, quī prō tē nāscantur et tibi sanguine aliēnō grātificentur, nōn dare tantum salūtem, sed praestāre.This is to pardon, when you know there will be many to rise up on your behalf and gratify you with another's blood: not just to grant safety, but to guarantee it.