Gaius Verres

"Am I to respect you, Sextus," quoth the ill-famed Varillus, "when you do as I do? How am I worse than yourself?" Let the straight-legged man laugh at the club-footed, the white man at the blackamoor.

But who could endure the Graeci railing at sedition? Who will not confound heaven with earth and sea with sky if Verres denounce thieves or Milo cut-throats? If Claudius condemn adulterers or Catiline upbraid Catigus, or if Sulla's three disciples inveigh against proscriptions? If Claudius condemn adulterers or Catiline upbraid Catigus, or if Sulla's three disciples inveigh against proscriptions? Such a man was that adulterer who, after lately defiling himself by a union of the tragic style, revived the stern laws that were to be a terror to all men.

I even to Mars and Venus at the moment when Julia was relieving her fertile womb and giving birth to abortions that displayed the similitude of her uncle.

Is it not then right and proper that the very worst of sinners, is it not then right and proper that the very worst of sinners should despise your pretended scurry and bite back when bitten? Leronia could not contain herself when one of these soft-faced worthies cried out, "What of your Julian law? Has it gone to sleep?" To which she answered smilingly, "Oh, happy times to have you for a censor of our morals.

Everywhere the works of Polyclitus were to be seen.

Few tables were without a Mentor.

But after that came now a Dolabella, now an Antonius, and now a sacrilegious Verres, loading big ships with secret spoils, peace trophies more numerous than those of war.

Nowadays, on capturing a farm, you may rob our allies of a few yoke of oxen or a few mares with the sire of the herd, or of the household gods themselves if there be a good statue left or a single deity in his little shrine.

"Am I to respect you, Sextus," quoth the ill-famed Barealis, "when you do as I do? How am I worse than yourself?" Let the straight-legged man laugh at the club-footed, the white man at the blackamoor.

But who could endure the Graeci railing at sedition? Who will not confound heaven with earth and sea with sky if Verres denounce thieves or Milo cutthroats? If Claudius condemn adulterers or Catiline abrade Cethegus, or if Sullas' three disciples inveigh against proscriptions? If Claudius condemn adulterers or Catiline abrade Cethegus, or if Sullas' three disciples inveigh against proscriptions? Such a man was that adulterer who, after lately defiling himself by a union of the tragic style, revived the stern laws that were to be a terror to all men, aye, even to Mars and Venus, at the moment when Julia was relieving her fertile womb and giving birth to abortions that displayed the similitude of her uncle.

Is it not then right and proper that the very worst of sinners...

Is it not then right and proper that the very worst of sinners should despise your pretended scurry and bite back when bitten? Laironia could not contain herself when one of these sore-faced worthies cried out, "What of your Julian law? Has it gone to sleep?" To which she answered smilingly, "Oh, happy times to have you for a censor of our morals.

Everywhere the works of Polyclitus were to be seen.

Few tables were without a Mentor.

But after that came now a Dolabella, now an Antonius, and now a sacrilegious Verres, loading big ships with secret spoils, peace trophies more numerous than those of war.

Nowadays, on capturing a farm, you may rob our allies of a few yoke of oxen or a few mares with the sire of the herd, or of the household gods themselves, if there be a good statue left or a single deity in his little shrine.

When that was once begun, it was as little in my fear that what words of complaint I heard among learned men of other parts uttered against the inquisition, the same I should hear by as learned men at home uttered in time of parliament against an order of licensing.

And that so generally that when I had disclosed myself a companion of their discontent, I might say, if without envy, that he whom an honest quaestorship had endeared to the Sicilians was not more by them importuned against Verres than the favourable opinion which I had among many who honour ye, and are known and respected by ye.

loaded me with entreaties and persuasions that i would not despair to lay together that which just reason should bring into my mind toward the removal of an undeserved thraldom upon learning that this is not therefore the disburdening of a particular fancy but the common grievance of all those who had prepared their minds and studies above the vulgar pitch to advance truth in others and from others to entertain it thus much may satisfy and in their name i shall for neither friend nor foe conceal what the general murmur is that if it come to inquisitioning again and licensing and that we are so timorous of ourselves and so suspicious of all men as to fear each book and the shaking of every leaf before we know what the contents are if some who but of late were little better than silenced from preaching shall come now to silence us from reading except what they please it cannot be guessed what is intended by some but a second tyranny over learning and will soon put it out of controversy that bishops and presbyters are the same to us both name and thing that those evils of prelacy which before from five or six and twenty sees were distributively charged upon the whole people will now light wholly upon learning is not obscure to us when as now the pastor of a small unlearned parish on the sudden shall be exalted archbishop over a large diocese of books and yet not remove but keep his other cure too a mystical pluralist he who but of late cried down the sole ordination of every novice bachelor of art and denied sole jurisdiction over the simplest parishioner shall now at home in his private chair assume both these over worthiest and excellentest books and ablest authors that write them this is not ye covenants and protestations that we have made this is not to put down prelacy this is but to chop an episcopacy this is but to translate the palace metropolitan from one kind of dominion into another this is but an old canonical slate of commuting our penance to startle thus betimes at a mere unlicensed pamphlet will after a while be afraid of every conventicle and a while after will make a conventicle of every christian meeting but i am certain that a state governed by the rules of justice and fortitude or a church built and founded upon the rock of faith and true knowledge cannot be so pusillanimous while things are yet not constituted in religion that freedom of writing should be restrained by a discipline imitated from the prelates and learnt by them from the inquisition to shut us up all again into the breast of a licenser must needs give cause of doubt and discouragement to all learned and religious men who cannot but discern the fineness of this politic drift and who are the contrivers that while bishops were to be baited down then all presses might be open it was the people's birthright and privilege in time of parliament it was the breaking forth of light but now the bishops abrogated and voided out of the church as if our reformation sought no more but to make room for others into their seats under another name the episcopal arts begin to bud again the crews of truth must run no more oil liberty of printing must be enthralled again under a prelatical commission of twenty the privilege of the people nullified and which is worse the freedom of learning must groan again and to her old fetters all this the parliament yet sitting although late their own arguments and defences against the prelates might remember them that this obstructing violence meets for the most part with an event utterly opposite to the end which it drives at instead of suppressing sects and schisms it raises them and invests them with a reputation the punishing of wits enhances their authority saith the viscount st albans and a forbidden writing is thought to be a certain spark of truth that flies up in the faces of them who seek to tread it out this order therefore may prove a nursing mother to sects but i shall easily show how it will be a step-dame to truth and first by disenabling us to the maintenance of what is known already well knows he who uses to consider that our faith and knowledge thrives by exercise as well as our limbs and complexion truth is compared in scripture to a streaming fountain if her waters flow not in a perpetual progression they sicken into a muddy pool of conformity and tradition a man may be a heretic in the truth and if he believe things only because his pastor says so or the assembly so determines without knowing other reason though his belief be true yet the very truth he holds becomes his heresy end of section five recording by moira fogarty toronto canada june two thousand and eight section six of areopagitica this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox dot org recording by moira fogarty Areopagitica by John Milton, Section Six.

There is not any burden that some would gladlier post off to another than the charge and care of their religion.

He was assigned to the province of Lilybarum in Sicily, and the vigor and justice of his administration earned him the gratitude of the inhabitants.

It was at their request that he undertook in 70 BC the prosecution of Verres, who as Praetor had subjected the Sicilians to incredible extortion and oppression, and his successful conduct of this case, which ended in the conviction and banishment of Verres, may be said to have launched him on his political career.

He became ideal in the same year, in 67 BC, Praetor, and in 64 BC was elected consul by a large majority.

The most important event of the year of his consulship was the conspiracy of Catiline.

Wherefore he not only accustomed himself to remember their names, but also learned to know the quarter of the city in which every notable person dwelt, where he owned a country place, what friends he had, and what neighbours; so that, whatever road in Italy Cicero travelled, it was easy for him to name and point out the estates and villas of his friends.

His property, though sufficient to meet his expenses, was nevertheless small, and therefore men wondered that he would accept neither fees nor gifts for his services as advocate, and above all when he undertook the prosecution of Verres.

This man, who had been praetor of Sicily, and whom the Sicilians prosecuted for many villainous acts, Cicero convicted, not by speaking, but, in a way, by actually not speaking.

For the praetor favoured Verres, and by many obstacles and delays had put off the case until the very last day, since it was clear that a day's time would not be enough for the speeches of the advocates, and so the trial would not be finished.

But Cicero rose and said there was no need of speeches, and then brought up and examined his witnesses and bade the jurors cast their votes.

Nevertheless, many witty sayings of his in connection with this trial are on record.

For instance, Verres is the Roman word for a castrated porker.

When, accordingly, a freedman named Caecilius, who was suspected of Jewish practices, wanted to thrust aside the Sicilian accusers and denounce Verres himself, Cicero said, What has a Jew to do with a Verres? Moreover, Verres had a young son who had the name of lending himself to base practices.

Wherefore he not only accustomed himself to remember their names, but also learned to know the quarter of the city in which every notable person dwelt, where he owned a country place, what friends he had, and what neighbours; so that, whatever road in Italy Cicero travelled, it was easy for him to name and point out the estates and villas of his friends.

His property, though sufficient to meet his expenses, was nevertheless small; and therefore men wondered that he would accept neither fees nor gifts for his services as advocate, and above all when he undertook the prosecution of Verres.

This man, who had been praetor of Sicily, and whom the Sicilians prosecuted for many villainous acts, Cicero convicted, not by speaking, but, in a way, by actually not speaking.

For the praetor favoured Verres, and by many obstacles and delays had put off the case until the very last day, since it was clear that a day's time would not be enough for the speeches of the advocates, and so the trial would not be finished.

But Cicero rose and said there was no need of speeches, and then brought up and examined his witnesses and bade the jurors cast their votes.

Nevertheless, many witty sayings of his in connection with this trial are on record.

For instance, Verres is the Roman word for a castrated porker.

When, accordingly, a freedman named Caecilius, who was suspected of Jewish practices, wanted to thrust aside the Sicilian accusers and denounce Verres himself, Cicero said, “What has a Jew to do with a Verres?” Moreover, Verres had a young son who had the name of lending himself to base practices.

The Sicilian posting would become unexpectedly important to his career.

Several years later, Sicilians approached Cicero and asked him to prosecute their former governor, Gaius Verres, in 70 BC.

Verres was accused of massive corruption, extortion, theft, and abuse of power during his governorship of Sicily.

Opposing Cicero was one of Rome's most famous lawyers, Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, who represented Verres.

Rather than relying solely on theatrical courtroom rhetoric, Cicero traveled through Sicily gathering documentation and testimony.

Around fifty-four to fifty-one BC, he worked on De Republica, or On the Republic.

The work was heavily influenced by Plato but focused on Roman government.

In fifty-one BC, Cicero was sent as governor to the Roman province of Cilicia in what is today the southeast coast of Turkey.

He is a coward to the critics because they have written without giving themselves time to feel the true meaning of his own words.

If we had only known his acts and not his words, how he stood up against the judges at the trial of Verres, with what courage he encountered the responsibility of his doings at the time of Catiline, how he joined Pompey in Macedonia from a sense of sheer duty, how he defied Antony when to defy Antony was probable death, then we should not call him a coward.

It is out of his own mouth that he is condemned.

Then surely his words should be understood.

It must, however, be borne in mind that in old Rome the distinction between speeches made in political and in civil or criminal cases was not equally well marked as with us, and also that the reader having the speeches which have come down to us, whether of one nature or the other, presented to him in the same volume, is apt to confuse the public and that which may perhaps be called the private work of the man.

In the speeches best known to us, Cicero was working as a public man for public objects, and the ardor, I may say the fury, of his energy in the cause which he was advocating was due to his public aspirations.

The orations which have come to us in three sets, some of them published only but never spoken, those against Verres, against Catiline, and the Philippics against Antony, were all of this nature, though the first concerned the conduct of a criminal charge against one individual.

Of these I will speak in their turn, but I mention them here in order that I may, if possible, induce the reader to begin his inquiry into Cicero's character as an advocate with a just conception of the objects of the man.