“Cicerōnem et aliōs prīncipēs cīvitātis tantam inhūmānitātem[1] Caesarī imputāsse.”[2]
At pater: “Dē eius rēbus in Galliā gestīs fāma iam ēvulgāta erat; nec vērō Gallīs aut Germānīs umquam pepercerat Caesar, sī eōrum supplicium cēterīs documentō[3] futūrum esse putābat. Propter haec, ut opīnor, dē eius voluntāte[4] in[5] rem pūblicam omnēs tantopere timuērunt.
“Quam eōrum opīniōnem ēventus tamen multum fefellit. Nam Caesar, simulatque Rubicōnem trānsiit et cum cīvibus Rōmānīs bellum est susceptum, omnīs summā cōmitāte tractābat.
“Nam quō modō cum cīvibus āctūrus esset, statim ille ostendit, cum Corfīnium cēpit, ubi L. Domitius ā Pompeiō relictus erat, cum ipse ex Ītaliā fugeret.”
“Quid factum est?” inquit Sextus.
“Urbe dēditā,” inquit pater, “praefectī ex castrīs ēgressī sunt. Tum Caesar, apud eōs pauca dē ipsōrum ingrātō animō locūtus, Domitium reliquōsque incolumēs dīmīsit; mīlitēs autem suum in exercitum recēpit.”
“Hui!” inquit Cornēlia. “Quis putāret[6] Caesarem tam mītem fore?”
Et Sextus: “Prō tantā clēmentiā, opīnor, omnēs eī grātiam maximam habuērunt.”
“Rēs longē aliter ēvēnit,” inquit pater. “Mīlitēs quidem sē satis fidēliter[7] gessērunt, sed Domitius et reliquī praefectī paene omnēs statim sē contulērunt ad Caesaris inimīcōs, ut alibī[8] in aciē contrā eum pugnāre possent.”
“Videō,” inquit Pūblius, “Sextum haec haud ita attentē audīre. Crēdō mē posse aliud nārrāre, quod eī magis placeat.”
- ↑ inhūmānitās, -ātis, f., brutality, barbarity.
- ↑ imputō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, tr., ascribe.
- ↑ documentum, -ī, n., warning; dat. of service in text.
- ↑ voluntās, -ātis, f., attitude.
- ↑ in, toward.
- ↑ putāret, would have thought.
- ↑ fidēliter, adv., loyally.
- ↑ alibī: Domitius opposed Caesar at Marseilles, and fell in the rout after the Battle of Pharsalus.
