Agr. 2.1Lēgimus, cum Arulēnō Rusticō Paetus Thrasea, Herenniō Seneciōnī Prīscus Helvidius laudātī essent, capitāle fuisse, neque in ipsōs modo auctōrēs, sed in librōs quoque eōrum saevītum, dēlēgātō triumvirīs ministeriō ut monumenta clārissimōrum ingeniōrum in comitiō ac forō ūrerentur.We have read that when Thrasea Paetus had been praised by Arulenus Rusticus, and Helvidius Priscus by Herennius Senecio, it was a capital offence, and that savagery was directed not only against the authors themselves but also against their books, the triumvirs being assigned the task of burning the monuments of the most brilliant minds in the assembly-place and the forum. Agr. 2.2Scīlicet illō igne vōcem populī Rōmānī et lībertātem senātūs et cōnscientiam generis hūmānī abolērī arbitrābantur, expulsīs īnsuper sapientiae professōribus atque omnī bonā arte in exilium āctā, nē quid usquam honestum occurreret.No doubt they thought that with that fire the voice of the Roman people, the freedom of the senate and the conscience of the human race were being abolished; the teachers of philosophy were expelled besides, and every good art driven into exile, so that nothing honourable might be met with anywhere.
Agr. 2.3Dedimus profectō grande patientiae documentum;We have certainly given a great proof of our patience; Agr. 2.3et sīcut vetus aetās vīdit quid ultimum in lībertāte esset, ita nōs quid in servitūte, ademptō per inquīsītiōnēs etiam loquendī audiendīque commerciō.and just as the former age saw what was the extreme of liberty, so we saw the extreme of servitude, since even the exchange of speaking and listening had been taken from us by the informers' inquisitions. Agr. 2.4Memoriam quoque ipsam cum vōce perdidissēmus, sī tam in nostrā potestāte esset oblīvīscī quam tacēre.We would have lost memory itself together with our voice, if it were as much in our power to forget as to keep silent.