Quintus Hortensius

We are told that the eloquence of the Graeci owed much to their mother Cornelia, whose letters even today testify to the cultivation of her style.

Lilia, the daughter of Gaius Lilius, is said to have reproduced the elegance of her father's language in her own speech, while the oration delivered before the triumvirs by Hortensia, the daughter of Quintus Hortensius, is still read, and not merely as a compliment to her sex.

And even those who have not had the fortune to receive a good education should not, for that reason, devote less care to their son's education, but should, on the contrary, show all the greater diligence in other matters where they can be of service to their children.

As regards the boys in whose company our budding orator is to be brought up, I would repeat what I have said about nurses.

From this, we can clearly see what a scandalous dereliction of duty it is for the schools of rhetoric to abandon this department of their work, which was not merely its first, but for a long time its sole task.

What is there in those exercises of which I have just spoken that does not involve the matters which are the special concern of rhetoric, and further, are typical of actual legal cases? Have we not to narrate facts in the law courts? Indeed, I am not sure that this is not the most important department of rhetoric in actual practice.

Are not eulogy and denunciation frequently introduced in the course of the contests of the courts? Are not commonplaces frequently inserted in the very heart of lawsuits, whether, like those which we find in the works of Cicero, they are directed against vice, or, like those published by Quintus Hortensius, deal with questions of general interest, such as whether small points of argument should carry weight, or are employed to defend or impugn the credibility of witnesses? These are the weapons which we should always have stored in our armour, ready for immediate use as occasion may demand.

The critic who denies that such matters concern an orator is one who will refuse to believe that a statue is being begun when its limbs are actually being cast.

You have said that you retired in my favor for the contest for the augurship.

Oh, the incredible audacity! Oh, the monstrous impudence of such an assertion! For, at the time when Gnaeus Pompeius and Quintus Hortensius named me as an augur, after I had been wished for by the whole college, for it was not lawful for me to be put in nomination by more than two members of the college, you were notoriously insolvent.

Nor did you think it possible for your safety to be secured by any other means than by the destruction of the republic.

But was it possible for you to stand for the augurship at a time when Curio was not in Italy, or even at the time when you were elected, could you have got the votes of one single tribe without the aid of Curio, whose intimate friends even were convicted of violence for having been too zealous in your favor? But I availed myself of your friendly assistance? Of what assistance? Although the instance which you cite I have myself at all times openly admitted.

Marcus Antonius disapproves of my consulship, but it was approved of by Publius Servilius, to name that man first of the men of consular rank who had died most recently.

It was approved by Quintus Catulus, whose authority will always carry weight in this republic.

It was approved of by the two Lucullai, by Marcus Crassus, by Quintus Hortensius, by Gaius Curio, by Gaius Piso, by Marcus Glabrio, by Marcus Lepidus, by Lucius Volcatius, by Gaius Figulus, by Decimus Silanus, by Lucius Marena, who at that time were the consuls elect.

The same consulship which was also approved of by those men of consular rank was approved of by Marcus Cato, who escaped many evils by departing from this life, and especially the evil of seeing you consul.

You have said that you retired in my favor for the contest for the augurship.

Oh, the incredible audacity! Oh, the monstrous impudence of such an assertion! For, at the time when Gnaeus Pompeius and Quintus Hortensius named me as an augur, after I had been wished for by the whole college, for it was not lawful for me to be put in nomination by more than two members of the college, you were notoriously insolvent.

Nor did you think it possible for your safety to be secured by any other means than by the destruction of the republic.

But was it possible for you to stand for the augurship at a time when Curio was not in Italy, or even at the time when you were elected, could you have got the votes of one single tribe without the aid of Curio, whose intimate friends even were convicted of violence for having been too zealous in your favor? But I availed myself of your friendly assistance? Of what assistance? Although the instance which you cite I have myself at all times openly admitted.

Marcus Antonius disapproves of my consulship, but it was approved of by Publius Servilius, to name that man first of the men of consular rank who had died most recently.

It was approved by Quintus Catulus, whose authority will always carry weight in this republic.

It was approved of by the two Lucullai, by Marcus Crassus, by Quintus Hortensius, by Gaius Curio, by Gaius Piso, by Marcus Glabrio, by Marcus Lepidus, by Lucius Volcatius, by Gaius Figulus, by Decimus Silanus, by Lucius Marena, who at that time were the consuls elect.

The same consulship, which was also approved of by those men of consular rank, was approved of by Marcus Cato, who escaped many evils by departing from this life, and especially the evil of seeing you consul.

We are told that the eloquence of the Gracchi owed much to their mother Cornelia, whose letters even to-day testify to the cultivation of her style.

Lilia, the daughter of Gaius Lilius, is said to have reproduced the elegance of her father's language in her own speech, while the oration delivered before the triumvirs by Hortensia, the daughter of Quintus Hortensius, is still read, and not merely as a compliment to her sex.

And even those who have not had the fortune to receive a good education should not for that reason devote less care to their sons' education, but should, on the contrary, show all the greater diligence in other matters where they can be of service to their children.

As regards the boys in whose company our budding orator is to be brought up, I would repeat what I have said about nurses.

From this we can clearly see what a scandalous dereliction of duty it is for the schools of rhetoric to abandon this department of their work, which was not merely its first, but for a long time its sole task.

What is there in those exercises of which I have just spoken that does not involve the matters which are the special concern of rhetoric, and further are typical of actual legal cases? Have we not to narrate facts in the law courts? Indeed, I am not sure that this is not the most important department of rhetoric in actual practice.

Are not eulogy and denunciation frequently introduced in the course of the contests of the courts? Are not commonplaces frequently inserted in the very heart of lawsuits, whether, like those which we find in the works of Cicero, they are directed against vice, or, like those published by Quintus Hortensius, deal with questions of general interest, such as whether a small point of argument should carry weight, or are employed to defend or impugn the credibility of witnesses? These are the weapons which we should always have stored in our armour, ready for immediate use as occasion may demand.

The critic who denies that such matters concern an orator is one who will refuse to believe that a statue is being begun when its limbs are actually being cast.

We are told that the eloquence of the Gracchi owed much to their mother Cornelia, whose letters even to-day testify to the cultivation of her style.

Lilia, the daughter of Gaius Lilius, is said to have reproduced the elegance of her father's language in her own speech, while the oration delivered before the triumvirs by Hortensia, the daughter of Quintus Hortensius, is still read, and not merely as a compliment to her sex.

And even those who have not had the fortune to receive a good education should not for that reason devote less care to their sons' education, but should, on the contrary, show all the greater diligence in other matters where they can be of service to their children.

As regards the boys in whose company our budding orator is to be brought up, I would repeat what I have said about nurses.

From this we can clearly see what a scandalous dereliction of duty it is for the schools of rhetoric to abandon this department of their work, which was not merely its first, but for a long time its sole task.

What is there in those exercises of which I have just spoken that does not involve the matters which are the special concern of rhetoric, and further, are typical of actual legal cases? Have we not to narrate facts in the law courts? Indeed, I am not sure that this is not the most important department of rhetoric in actual practice.

Are not eulogy and denunciation frequently introduced in the course of the contests of the courts? Are not commonplaces frequently inserted in the very heart of lawsuits, whether, like those which we find in the works of Cicero, they are directed against vice, or, like those published by Quintus Hortensius, deal with questions of general interest, such as whether a small point of argument should carry weight, or are employed to defend or impugn the credibility of witnesses? These are the weapons which we should always have stored in our armour, ready for immediate use as occasion may demand.

The critic who denies that such matters concern an orator is one who will refuse to believe that a statue is being begun when its limbs are actually being cast.

You have said that you retired in my favor for the contest for the augurship.

Oh, the incredible audacity! Oh, the monstrous impudence of such an assertion! For, at the time when Gnaeus Pompeius and Quintus Hortensius named me as an augur, after I had been wished for by the whole college—for it was not lawful for me to be put in nomination by more than two members of the college—you were notoriously insolvent; nor did you think it possible for your safety to be secured by any other means than by the destruction of the republic.

But was it possible for you to stand for the augurship at a time when Curio was not in Italy, or even at the time when you were elected, could you have got the votes of one single tribe without the aid of Curio, whose intimate friends even were convicted of violence for having been too zealous in your favor? But I availed myself of your friendly assistance? Of what assistance? Although the instance which you cite I have myself at all times openly admitted.

I preferred confessing that I was under obligations to you to letting myself appear to any foolish person not sufficiently grateful.

Marcus Antonius disapproves of my consulship, but it was approved of by Publius Servilius, to name that man first of the men of consular rank who had died most recently.

It was approved by Quintus Catulus, whose authority will always carry weight in this republic.

It was approved of by the two Lucullai, by Marcus Crassus, by Quintus Hortensius, by Gaius Curio, by Gaius Piso, by Marcus Glabrio, by Marcus Lepidus, by Lucius Volcatius, by Gaius Figulus, by Decimus Silanus, by Lucius Morena who at that time were the consuls elect.

The same consulship, which was also approved of by those men of consular rank, was approved of by Marcus Cato, who escaped many evils by departing from this life, and especially the evil of seeing you consul.

Thus he spoke, and stirred the blood that ran in Brutus' veins, moving the youth to action in the war.

Soon as the sun dispelled the chilly night, the sounding doors flew wide, and from the tomb of dead Hortensius grieving Marcia came.

First joined in wedlock to a greater man, three children did she bear to grace his home.

Then Cato to Hortensius gave the dame to be a fruitful mother of his sons and join their houses in a closer tie.

And now the last sad offices were done, she came with hair disheveled, beaten breast, and ashes on her brow, and features worn with grief.

Thus only pleasing to the man.