cicero-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　75　AD



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CICERO



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　106…43　B。C。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden







CICERO







　　IT　is　generally　said；　that　Helvia；　the　mother　of　Cicero；　was　both



well…born　and　lived　a　fair　life；　but　of　his　father　nothing　is　reported



but　in　extremes。　For　whilst　some　would　have　him　the　son　of　a　fuller；



and　educated　in　that　trade；　others　carry　back　the　origin　of　his　family



to　Tullus　Attius；　an　illustrious　king　of　the　Volscians；　who　waged



war　not　without　honour　against　the　Romans。　However；　he　who　first　of



that　house　was　surnamed　Cicero　seems　to　have　been　a　person　worthy　to



be　remembered；　since　those　who　succeeded　him　not　only　did　not



reject；　but　were　fond　of　that　name；　though　vulgarly　made　a　matter　of



reproach。　For　the　Latins　call　a　vetch　Cicer；　and　a　nick　or　dent　at　the



tip　of　his　nose；　which　resembled　the　opening　in　a　vetch；　gave　him



the　surname　of　Cicero。



　　Cicero；　whose　story　I　am　writing；　is　said　to　have　replied　with



spirit　to　some　of　his　friends；　who　recommended　him　to　lay　aside　or



change　the　name　when　he　first　stood　for　office　and　engaged　in



politics；　that　he　would　make　it　his　endeavour　to　render　the　name　of



Cicero　more　glorious　than　that　of　the　Scauri　and　Catuli。　And　when　he



was　quaestor　in　Sicily；　and　was　making　an　offering　of　silver　plate



to　the　gods；　and　had　inscribed　his　two　names；　Marcus　and　Tullius；



instead　of　the　third；　he　jestingly　told　the　artificer　to　engrave　the



figure　of　a　vetch　by　them。　Thus　much　is　told　us　about　his　name。



　　Of　his　birth　it　is　reported　that　his　mother　was　delivered；　without



pain　or　labour；　on　the　third　of　the　new　Calends；　the　same　day　on　which



now　the　magistrates　of　Rome　pray　and　sacrifice　for　the　emperor。　It



is　said　also；　that　a　vision　appeared　to　his　nurse；　and　foretold　the



child　she　then　suckled　should　afterwards　become　a　great　benefit　to　the



Roman　states。　To　such　presages；　which　might　in　general　be　thought　mere



fancies　and　idle　talk；　he　himself　ere　long　gave　the　credit　of　true



prophecies。　For　as　soon　as　he　was　of　an　age　to　begin　to　have



lessons；　he　became　so　distinguished　for　his　talent；　and　got　such　a



name　and　reputation　among　the　boys；　that　their　fathers　would　often



visit　the　school　that　they　might　see　young　Cicero；　and　might　be　able



to　say　that　they　themselves　had　witnessed　the　quickness　and



readiness　in　learning　for　which　he　was　renowned。　And　the　more　rude



among　them　used　to　be　angry　with　their　children；　to　see　them；　as



they　walked　together；　receiving　Cicero　with　respect　into　the　middle



place。　And　being；　as　Plato　would　have　the　scholar…like　and



philosophical　temper；　eager　for　every　kind　of　learning；　and　indisposed



to　no　description　of　knowledge　or　instruction；　he　showed；　however；　a



more　peculiar　propensity　to　poetry；　and　there　is　a　poem　now　extant



made　by　him　when　a　boy；　in　tetrameter　verse；　called　Pontius　Glaucus。



And　afterwards；　when　he　applied　himself　more　curiously　to　these



accomplishments；　he　had　the　name　of　being　not　only　the　best　orator；



but　also　the　best　poet　of　Rome。　And　the　glory　of　his　rhetoric　still



remains；　notwithstanding　the　many　new　modes　in　speaking　since　his



time；　but　his　verses　are　forgotten　and　out　of　all　repute；　so　many



ingenious　poets　have　followed　him。



　　Leaving　his　juvenile　studies；　he　became　an　auditor　of　Philo　the



Academic；　whom　the　Romans；　above　all　the　other　scholars　of



Clitomachus；　admired　for　his　eloquence　and　loved　for　his　character。　He



also　sought　the　company　of　the　Mucii；　who　were　eminent　statesmen　and



leaders　in　the　senate；　and　acquired　from　them　a　knowledge　of　the　laws。



For　some　short　time　he　served　in　arms　under　Sylla；　in　the　Marsian　war。



But　perceiving　the　commonwealth　running　into　factions；　and　from



faction　all　things　tending　to　an　absolute　monarchy；　he　betook



himself　to　a　retired　and　contemplative　life；　and　conversing　with　the



learned　Greeks；　devoted　himself　to　study；　till　Sylla　had　obtained



the　government；　and　the　commonwealth　was　in　some　kind　of　settlement。



　　At　this　time；　Chrysogonus；　Sylla's　emancipated　slave；　having　laid　an



information　about　an　estate　belonging　to　one　who　was　said　to　have　been



put　to　death　by　proscription；　had　bought　it　himself　for　two　thousand



drachmas。　And　when　Roscius；　the　son　and　heir　of　the　dead；



complained；　and　demonstrated　the　estate　to　be　worth　two　hundred　and



fifty　talents；　Sylla　took　it　angrily　to　have　his　actions　questioned；



and　preferred　a　process　against　Roscius　for　the　of　his　father；



Chrysogonus　managing　the　evidence。　None　of　the　advocates　durst



assist　him；　but；　fearing　the　cruelty　of　Sylla；　avoided　the　cause。



The　young　man；　being　thus　deserted；　came　for　refuge　to　Cicero。



Cicero's　friends　encouraged　him；　saying　he　was　not　likely　ever　to　have



a　fairer　and　more　honourable　introduction　to　public　life；　he　therefore



undertook　the　defence；　carried　the　cause；　and　got　much　renown　for　it。



　　But　fearing　Sylla；　he　travelled　into　Greece；　and　gave　it　out　that　he



did　so　for　the　benefit　of　his　health。　And　indeed　he　was　lean　and



meagre；　and　had　such　a　weakness　in　his　stomach　that　he　could　take



nothing　but　a　spare　and　thin　diet；　and　that　not　till　late　in　the



evening。　His　voice　was　loud　and　good；　but　so　harsh　and　unmanaged



that　in　vehemence　and　heat　of　speaking　he　always　raised　it　to　so



high　a　tone　that　there　seemed　to　be　reason　to　fear　about　his　health。



　　When　he　came　to　Athens　he　was　a　hearer　of　Antiochus　of　Ascalon；　with



whose　fluency　and　elegance　of　diction　he　was　much　taken；　although　he



did　not　approve　of　his　innovations　in　doctrine。　For　Antiochus　had



now　fallen　off　from　the　New　Academy；　as　they　call　it；　and　forsaken　the



sect　of　Carneades；　whether　that　he　was　moved　by　the　argument　of



manifestness　and　the　senses；　or；　as　some　say；　had　been　led　by　feelings



of　rivalry　and　opposition　to　the　followers　of　Clitomachus　and　Philo　to



change　his　opinions；　and　in　most　things　to　embrace　the　doctrine　of　the



Stoics。　But　Cicero　rather　affected　and　adhered　to　the　doctrines　of　the



New　Academy；　and　purposed　with　himself；　if　he　should　be　disappointed



of　any　employment　in　the　commonwealth；　to　retire　hither　from



pleading　and　political　affairs；　and　to　pass　his　life　with　quiet　in　the



study　of　philosophy。



　　But　after　he　had　received　the　news　of　Sylla's　death；　and　his　body；



strengthened　again　by　exercise；　was　come　to　a　vigorous　habit；　his



voice　managed　and　rendered　sweet　and　full　to　the　ear　and　pretty　well



brought　into　keeping　with　his　general　constitution；　his　friends　at



Rome　earnestly　soliciting　him　by　letters；　and　Antiochus　also　urging



him　to　return　to　public　affairs；　he　again　prepared　for　use　his



orator's　instrument　of　rhetoric；　and　summoned　into　action　his



political　faculties；　diligently　exercising　himself　in　declamations　and



attending　the　most　celebrated　rhetoricians　of　the　time。　He　sailed　from



Athens　for　Asia　and　Rhodes。　Amongst　the　Asian　masters；　he　conversed



with　Xenocles　of　Adramyttium；　Dionysius　of　Magnesia；　and　Menippus　of



Caria；　at　Rhodes；　he　studied　oratory　with　Apollonius；　the　son　of



Molon；　and　philosophy　with　Posidonius。　Apollonius；　we　are　told；　not



understanding　Latin；　requested　Cicero　to　declaim　in　Greek。　He　complied



willingly；　thinking　that　his　faults　would　thus　be　better　pointed　out



to　him。　And　after　he　finished；　all　his　other　hearers　were



astonished；　and　contended　who　should　praise　him　most；　but



Apollonius；　who　had　shown　no　signs　of　excitement　whilst　he　was　hearing



him；　so　also　now；　when　it　was　over；　sate　musing　for　some



considerable　time；　without　any　remark。　And　when　Cicero　was　discomposed



at　this；　he　said；　〃You　have　my　praise　and　admiration；　Cicero；　and



Greece　my　pity　and　commiseration；　since　thos