Lucius Accius

For what was the meaning of the shouts of the innumerable crowd of citizens collected at the gladiatorial games, or of the verses made by the people, or of the extraordinary applause at the sight of the statue of Pompeius, and at that sight of the two tribunitians of the people who are opposed to you? Are these things a feeble indication of the incredible unanimity of the entire Roman people? What more? Did the applause at the games of Apollo, or rather I should say, testimony and judgment there given by the Roman people appear to you of small importance? Oh, happy are those men who, though they themselves were unable to be present on account of the violence of arms, still were present in spirit and had a place in the breast in the hearts of the Roman people.

Unless, perhaps, you think that it was Accius who was applauded on that occasion, and who bore off the palm sixty years after his first appearance, and not Brutus, who was absent from the games which he himself was exhibiting, while at that most splendid spectacle the Roman people showed their zeal in his favor, though he was absent, and clamored their own regret for their deliverer by uninterrupted applause and clamor.

I myself, indeed, am a man who have at all times despised that applause which is bestowed by the vulgar crowd.

But at the same time, when it is bestowed by those of the highest, and of the middle, and of the lowest rank, in short by all the ranks together, and when those men who were previously accustomed to aim at nothing but the favor of the people keep aloof, I then think that, not mere applause, but a deliberate verdict.

For what was the meaning of the shouts of the innumerable crowd of citizens collected at the gladiatorial games, or of the verses made by the people, or of the extraordinary applause at the sight of the statue of Pompeius, and at that sight of the two tribunicians of the people who are opposed to you? Are these things a feeble indication of the incredible unanimity of the entire Roman people? What more? Did the applause at the games of Apollo, or rather I should say, testimony and judgment there given by the Roman people appear to you of small importance? Oh, happy are those men who, though they themselves were unable to be present on account of the violence of arms, still were present in spirit and had a place in the breast and the hearts of the Roman people.

Unless, perhaps, you think that it was Accius who was applauded on that occasion, and who bore off the palm sixty years after his first appearance, and not Brutus, who was absent from the games which he himself was exhibiting, while at that most splendid spectacle the Roman people showed their zeal in his favor, though he was absent, and clamored their own regret for their deliverer by uninterrupted applause and clamor.

I myself, indeed, am a man who have at all times despised that applause which is bestowed by the vulgar crowd.

But at the same time, when it is bestowed by those of the highest, and of the middle, and of the lowest rank, in short by all the ranks together, and when those men who were previously accustomed to aim at nothing but the favor of the people keep aloof, I then think that, not mere applause, but a deliberate verdict.

For what was the meaning of the shouts of the innumerable crowd of citizens collected at the gladiatorial games, or of the verses made by the people, or of the extraordinary applause at the sight of the statue of Pompeius, and at that sight of the two tribunitians of the people who are opposed to you? Are these things a feeble indication of the incredible unanimity of the entire Roman people? What more? Did the applause at the games of Apollo, or rather I should say, testimony and judgment there given by the Roman people appear to you of small importance? Oh, happy are those men who, though they themselves were unable to be present on account of the violence of arms, still were present in spirit and had a place in the breast and the hearts of the Roman people.

Unless, perhaps, you think that it was Accius who was applauded on that occasion, and who bore off the palm sixty years after his first appearance, and not Brutus, who was absent from the games which he himself was exhibiting, while at that most splendid spectacle the Roman people showed their zeal in his favor, though he was absent, and clamored their own regret for their deliverer by uninterrupted applause and clamor.

I myself, indeed, am a man who have at all times despised that applause which is bestowed by the vulgar crowd.

But at the same time, when it is bestowed by those of the highest, and of the middle, and of the lowest rank, in short by all the ranks together, and when those men who were previously accustomed to aim at nothing but the favor of the people keep aloof, I then think that, not mere applause, but a deliberate verdict.

But unfortunately he had for his successors a Caelius, a Claudius, an Asellio, who, far from improving on him, relapsed into the dullness and insipidity of earlier writers.

I scarcely need to mention Attius.

His garrulity is not without neatness, though he has derived it not so much from the learned Grecian authors as from the petty Latin scribblers.

In his style he is prolix and full of conceits, which he indulges in the most shameless manner.

For what was the meaning of the shouts of the innumerable crowd of citizens collected at the gladiatorial games, or of the verses made by the people, or of the extraordinary applause at the sight of the statue of Pompeius, and at that sight of the two tribunitians of the people who are opposed to you? Are these things a feeble indication of the incredible unanimity of the entire Roman people? What more? Did the applause at the games of Apollo, or rather I should say, testimony and judgment there given by the Roman people appear to you of small importance? Oh, happy are those men who, though they themselves were unable to be present on account of the violence of arms, still were present in spirit and had a place in the breast in the hearts of the Roman people.

Unless, perhaps, you think that it was Accius who was applauded on that occasion, and who bore off the palm sixty years after his first appearance, and not Brutus, who was absent from the games which he himself was exhibiting, while at that most splendid spectacle the Roman people showed their zeal in his favor, though he was absent, and clamored their own regret for their deliverer by uninterrupted applause and clamor.

I myself, indeed, am a man who have at all times despised that applause which is bestowed by the vulgar crowd.

But at the same time, when it is bestowed by those of the highest, and of the middle, and of the lowest rank, in short by all the ranks together, and when those men who were previously accustomed to aim at nothing but the favor of the people keep aloof, I then think that, not mere applause, but a deliberate verdict.

But unfortunately he had for his successors a Gellius, a Claudius, an Asellio, who, far from improving on him, relapsed into the dullness and insipidity of earlier writers.

I scarcely need to mention Attius.

His garrulity is not without neatness, though he has derived it not so much from the learned Grecian authors as from the petty Latin scribblers.

In his style he is prolix and full of conceits, which he indulges in the most shameless manner.