Ita virtus eorum, qui fecere ea, habentur tanta, quantum praeclara
So the virtue of those who have done those, is accounted so great, as the brilliant
.
ingenia potuere extollere ea, verbis. At ea copia nunquam
understandings have been able to extol them, via words. But that abundance
.
fuit Romano populo: quia quisque prudentissimus erat maxume negotiosus:
never has been to the Roman people: because each most skillfull was most active:
.
nemo exercebat ingenium sine corpore: quisque optumus malebat
no one did exercise understanding without the body: each best did rather wish
.
facere quam dicere; sua benefacta laudari ab aliis, quam ipse narrare
than to say; his own good deeds to be praised by others, than he to relate
.
aliorum. Igitur boni mores colebantur domi, que militiae
to tohers. Therefore good manners were celebrated at home and at war
.
concordia erat maxuma, jus que bonum valebat apud eos non magis
unanimity was very great, selfishness very small, justice and good did prevail amoung them not more
.
legibus quam natura. Exercebant jurgia, discordias, simultates
by laws than by nature. They did exercise contentions, discords, feuds
.
cum hostibus; cives certabant civibus de virtute.
with the enemies; citizens did vie with citizens concerning virtue.
.
Erant magnifici in suppliciis deorum, parci domi, fideles in amicos.
They were magnificant in their worships of the gods, frugal of home, faithful toward friends.
.
Curabant que se que rempublicam his duabus artibus, audacia in bello,
They did manage with themselves and the republic by these two arts, by boldness in war,
.
aequitate, ubi pax avenerat. Quarum rerum ego habeo haec maxuma documenta
by equitity when peace had happened. Of which things I have these very great proofs
.
quod in bello vindicatum est saepius in eos, qui pugnaverant in
that in war it was vindicatied oftener on those, who had fought against
.
hostem contra imperium, que qui revocati, excesserant tardius
the enemy contrary to command, and who having been recalled, had departed more slowly
.
praelio, quam qui ausierant relinquere signa, aut pulsi cedere loco:
from battle, then who had dared to leave behind standards, or having been repulsed to retire from place:
.
vero agitabant imperium in pace, magis beneficiis quam metu, injuria accepta
truly they did conduct the government in peace, rather by kindness than by fear, an injury received,
.
malebant ignoscere quam persequi. Sed ubi respublica crevit
they wished to pardon than to avenge. But when the republic increased
.
labore atque justitia, magni reges domiti bello; ferae nationes, et
by industry and justice, great kings were conquered in war; savage nations and
.
ingentes populi subacti vi, Carthago awmula Romani imperii, interiit
great peoples subdued by force, Carthage, the rival of the Roman empire, perished
.
ab stirpe, cuncta maria que terrae patebant, fortuna coepit
from stem, all seas and lands did lie open, fortune began to
.
saevire ac miscere omnia. Otium, divitiae, optandae aliis, fuere
rage and confound all things. Rest, riches to be wished to others, were for
.
oneri que misreiae iis, qui facile toleraverant dubias atque
aburden and wretchedness to those who easily had endured doubtful and
.
asperas res. Igitur primo cupido pecuniae, dein imperii, crevit:
rough things. Therefore at first the desire of money, then of command increased.
.
ea fuere quasi materies omnium malorum. Namque avaritia subvertit fidem
those were as if the source of all evils. For avarice overturned faith
.
probitatem, que caeteras bonas artes; pro his edocuit superbiam
honesty and other good arts; instead of these it taught them pride
.
crudelitatem, negligere deos, habere omnia venalia; ambitio subnegit
cruelty, to neglect the gods, to have all things venal; ambition compelled
.
multos mortales fieri falsos; habere aliud clausum in pectore, aliud
many mortals to be made false; to have one (thing) shut up in the breast, another
.
promptum in lingua aestumare amicitias que inimicitias non ex re,
ready on tounge; to estimate friendships and enmities not according to the thing,
.
sed ex commodo; que habere bonum vultum magis quam ingenium.
but according to advantage; and to have a good countanence rather than disposition.
.
Haec primo crescere paulatim, interdum vindicari. Post ubi contagio,
These at first increase by degrees sometimes to be punished. Afterwards, when the contagion,
.
quasi pestilentia invasit, civitas immutata: imperium factum
as if a pestilence invaded, the state changed: the government made
.
crudele que intolerandum, ex justissimo que optumo.
cruel and intolerable, from the most just and the best.
.
Sed primo ambitio exercebat animos hominum magis quam avaritia:
But at first ambition did exercise the minds of men more than avarice:
.
quod vitium tamen erat proprius virtutem. Nam bonus ignavus aeque
which vice however was nearer to virtue. For good and indolent equally
.
exoptant sibi gloriam, horonrem, imperium, sed ille nititur vera via;
wish for themselves glory, honor, authority, but he endeavors in the true way.
.
quia bonae artes desunt huic, contendit dolis atque fallaciis.
because good arts are wanting to this, he strives by deceits and fallacies.
.
Avaritia habet studium pecuniae, quam nemo sapiens concupivit. Ea, quasi
Avarice has a zeal of money, which no wise (man) has coveted. It as if
.
imbuta malis venenis, effoeminat corpus que virilem animum: est semper
imbued with bad poisons, enervates the body and the manly mind: is always
.
infinita, insatiabilis: neque minuitur copia neque inopia. Sed postquam
unbounded, insatiable: nither is lessened by plenty nor by want. But after
Lucius Sulla, republica recepta armis, habuit malos eventus ex bonis
Lucius Sulla, the republic having been recovered by arms, had bad results from good
.
initiis; omnes rapere trahere: alius cupere domum, alius agros.
beginnings; all began to plunder take away: another to desire a house, another land.
.
Victores habere neque modum neque modestiam: facere foeda que crudelia
The conquerers have neither manner nor modesty: to do disgraceful and cruel
.
facinora in civis. Huc accedebat quod Lucius Sulla, contra morem majorum,
crimes against citizens. Here did come Lucius Sulla, contrary to the custom of our ancestors,
.
habuerat exercitum, quem ductaverat in Asia, luxuriose que
had the army which he had often led in Asia, intemperately and
.
nimis liberaliter, quo faceret fidum sibi. Amoena, voluptaria loca
too liberally, in order that he might make it faithful to himself. Pleasant, voluptuous places
.
facile molliverant feroces animos militum in otio. Ibi premum
easily had enervate the fierce minds of soldiers in peace. There first
.
exercitus Romani populi insuevit amare, potare, mirari signa,
the army of the Roman people became accustomed to love, to drink, to admire signs,
.
pictas tabulas, coelata vasa; rapere ea privatim et publice, spoiliare
painted tablets, carved vases, to plunder those both privately and publicly, to rob
.
delubra, polluere omnia sacra que profana. Igitur hi milites, postquam
shrines, to polute all sacred and profane. Therefore these soldiers, after
.
adepti sunt victoriam, fecere nihil reliqui victis. Quippe secundae
they obtained victory, made nothing of remaing to the vanquished. For prosperous
.
res fatigant animos sapientum; ne illi temperarent victoriae,
things fatigue the minds of the wise; not they moderately enjoy victory,
.
moribus corruptis. Postquam divitiae coepere esse honori, et gloria,
manners corrupted. Afterwards, riches began to be for honor and glory,
.
imperium, potentia sequebatur eas: virtus coepit hebescere,
authority, power did follow them. virtue began to languish,
.
paupertas haberi probro, innocentia duci pro malevolentia.
poverty to be had for a disgrace. Innocence to be deemed for ill-will.
.
Igitur ex divitiis, luxuria, atque avaritia, cum superbia, invasere juventutem.
Therefore out of riches, luxury and avarice, with pride, invaded the youth.
.
Rapere, consumere, pendere sua parvi, cupere aliena; habere pudorum
To Plunder, to consume, to esteem their own of little, to desire others; to have modesty,
.
pudicitiam, divina atque humana promiscua, nihil pensi, neque
chastity, devine and human promiscuous, nothing of regard, nor
.
moderati. Est premium operae quum cognoveris domos atque villas
moderation. It is a reward of labor when you will have known houses and villas
.
exedificatas in modum urbium, visere templa deorum, quae nostri majores,
built up in the manner of cities, to visit the temples of the gods which our ancestors,
.
religiosissmi mortales, fecere. Verum illi decorabant delubra
most devout mortals, made. But they did adorn the temples
.
deorum peitate, suas domos gloria; neque eripiebant quidquam victis,
of the gods with piety, their own houses with glory; nor did they snatch any from the vanquished,
.
Praeter licentium injuriae. At hi contra ignavissmi homines,
except the privilege of (doing) injury. But there, on the other hand, most indolent men,
.
admere, per summum scelus, omnia ea sociis quae fortassimi viri
to take away through the utmost wickedness, all those from allies which the bravest men
.
victores reliquerunt hostibus, proinde quasi facere injuriam id esset demum
conquerers left to enemies, as if to do injury, that might be at length
.
uti imperio. Nam quid memorem ea, quae sunt credibilia
to use authority. For why may I relate those (things) which are credible
.
nemini nisi his, qui videre;
to no one, unless to those who have seen (them);
.
Montes esse subversos, maria constrata a compluribus privatis?
mountains to be overturned, seas covered over by many private(persons)?