Letter 97
Y ou are mistaken, my dear Lucilius, if you
think that luxury, neglect of good manners, and other vices of which each
man accuses the age in which he lives, are especially characteristic of
our own epoch; no, they are the vices of mankind and not of the times.
No era in history has ever been free from blame. Moreover, if you
once begin to take account of the irregularities belonging to any particular
era, you will find - to man's shame be it spoken - that sin never stalked
abroad more openly than in Cato's very presence. Would anyone believe
that money changed hands in the trial when Clodius was defendant on the
charge of secret adultery with Caesar's wife, when he violated the ritual
of that sacrifice which is said to be offered on behalf of the people when
all males are so rigorously removed outside the precinct, that even pictures
of all male creatures are covered up? And yet, money was given to
the jury, and, baser even than such a bargain, sexual crimes were demanded
of married women and noble youths as a sort of additional contribution.
The charge involved less sin than the acquittal; for the defendant on a
charge of adultery parcelled out the adulteries, and was not sure of his
own safety until he had made the jury criminals like himself. All
this was done at the trial in which Cato gave evidence, although that was
his sole part therein.
I shall quote Cicero's actual words, because
the facts are so bad as to pass belief: "He made
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assignations, promises, pleas, and gifts. And more than this (merciful
Heavens, what an abandoned state of affairs!) upon several of the jury,
to round out their reward, he even bestowed the enjoyment of certain women
and meetings with noble youths." It is superfluous to be shocked at the
bribe; the additions to the bribe were worse. "Will you have the wife of
that prig, A.? Very good. Or of B., the millionaire?
I will guarantee that you shall lie with her. If you fail to commit
adultery, condemn Clodius. That beauty whom you desire shall visit you.
I assure you a night in that woman's company without delay; my promise
shall be carried out faithfully within the legal time of postponement."
It means more to parcel out such crimes than to commit them; it means blackmailing
dignified matrons. These juryrnen in the Clodius trial had asked
the Senate for a guard - a favour which would have been necessary only
for a jury about to convict the accused; and their request had been granted.
Hence the witty remark of Vatulus after the defendant had been acquitted:
"Why did you ask us for the guard? Were you afraid of having your
money stolen from you? "And yet, amid jests like these he got off unpunished
who before the trial was an adulterer, during the trial a pander, and who
escaped conviction more vilely than he deserved it. Do you believe
that anvthing could be more disgraceful than such moral standards - when
lust could not keep its hands either from religious worship or from the
courts of law, when, in the very inquiry which was held in special session
by order of the Senate, more crime was committed than investigated? The
question at issue was whether one could be safe after committing adultery;
it was
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shown that one could not be safe without committing adultery!
All this bargaining took place in the presence of Pompey and Caesar, of
Cicero and Cato, - yes, that very Cato whose presence, it is said, caused
the people to refrain from demanding the usual quips and cranks of naked
actresses at the Floralia, - if you can believe that men were stricter
in their conduct at a festival than in a court-room! Such things
will be done in the future, as they have been done in the past; and the
licentiousness of cities will sometimes abate through discipline and fear,
never of itself.
Therefore, you need not believe that it is we who have yielded most to
lust and least to law. For young men of to-day live far more simple
lives than those of an epoch when a defendant would plead not guilty to
an adultery charge before his judges, and his judges admit it before the
defendant, when debauchery was practised to secure a verdict, and when
Clodius, befriended by the very vices of which he was guilty, played the
procurer during the actual hearing of the case. Could one believe
this? He to whom one adultery brought condemnation was acquitted
because of many. All ages will produce men like Clodius, but not
all ages men like Cato. We degenerate easily, because we lack neither
guides nor associates in our wickedness, and the wickedness goes on of
itself, even without guides or associates. The road to vice is not
only downhill, but steep; and many men are rendered incorrigible by the
fact that, while in all other crafts errors bring shame to good craftsmen
and cause vexation to those who go astray. the errors of life are a positive
source of pleasure. The pilot is not glad when his ship is thrown
on her beam-ends; the
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physician is not glad when he buries his patient; the orator is not
glad when the defendant loses a case through the fault of his advocate;
but on the other hand every man enjoys his own crimes. A. delights
in an intrigue - for it was the very difficulty which attracted him thereto.
B. delights in forgery and theft, and is only displeased with his sin when
his sin has failed to hit the mark. And all this is the result of
perverted habits. Conversely, however, in order that you may know
that there is an idea of good conduct present subconsciously in souls which
have been led even into the most depraved ways, and that men are not ignorant
of what evil is but indifferent - I say that all men hide their sins, and,
even though the issue be successful, enjoy the results while concealing
the sins themselves. A good conscience, however, wishes to come forth
and be seen of men; wickedness fears the very shadows. Hence I hold
Epicurus's saying to be most apt: "That the guilty may haply remain hidden
is possible, that he should be sure of remaining hidden is not possible,"
or, if you think that the meaning can be made more clear in this way: "The
reason that it is no advantage to wrong- doers to remain hidden is that
even though they have the good fortune they have not the assurance of remaining
so. "This is what I mean: crimes can be well guarded; free from anxiety
they cannot be.
T his view, I maintain, is not at variance
with the principles of our school, if it be so explained. And why?
Because the first and worst penalty of sin is to have committed sin; and
crime, though Fortune deck it out with her favours, though she protect
and take it in her charge, can never go unpunished;
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since the punishment of crime lies in the crime itself. But none
the less do these second penalties press close upon the heels of the first
- constant fear, constant terror, and distrust in one's own security.
Why, then, should I set wickedness free from such a punishment? Why
should I not always leave it trembling in the balance? Let us disagree
with Epicurus on the one point, when he declares that there is no natural
justice, and that crime should be avoided because one cannot escape the
fear which results therefrom; let us agree with him on the other - that
bad deeds are lashed by the whip of conscience, and that
conscience is tortured to the greatest degree because unending anxiety
drives and whips it on, and it cannot rely upon the guarantors of its own
peace of mind. For this, Epicurus, is the very proof that we are
by nature reluctant to commit crime, because even in circumstances of safety
there is no one who does not feel fear. Good luck frees many men
from punishment, but no man from fear. And why should this be if
it were not that we have engrained in us a loathing for that which Nature
has condemned? Hence even men who hide their sins can never count
upon remaining hidden; for their conscience convicts them and reveals them
to themselves. But it is the property of guilt to be in fear.
It had gone ill with us, owing to the many crimes which escape the vengeance
of the law and the prescribed punishments, were it not that those grievous
offences against nature must pay the penalty in ready money, and that in
place of suffering the punishment comes fear. Farewell.
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Latin / Greek Original
[1] Erras, mi Lucili, si existimas nostri saeculi esse vitium luxuriam et neglegentiam boni moris et alia quae obiecit suis quisque temporibus: hominum sunt ista, non temporum. Nulla aetas vacavit a culpa; et si aestimare licentiam cuiusque saeculi incipias, pudet dicere, numquam apertius quam coram Catone peccatum est. [2] Credat aliquis pecuniam esse versatam in eo iudicio in quo reus erat P. Clodius ob id adulterium quod cum Caesaris uxore in operto commiserat, violatis religionibus eius sacrificii quod 'pro populo' fieri dicitur, sic summotis extra consaeptum omnibus viris ut picturae quoque masculorum animalium contegantur? Atqui dati iudicibus nummi sunt et, quod hac etiamnunc pactione turpius est, stupra insuper matronarum et adulescentulorum nobilium stilari loco exacta sunt. [3] Minus crimine quam absolutione peccatum est: adulterii reus adulteria divisit nec ante fuit de salute securus quam similes sui iudices suos reddidit. Haec in eo iudicio facta sunt in quo, si nihil aliud, Cato testimonium dixerat. Ipsa ponam verba Ciceronis, quia res fidem excedit. [Ciceronis epistvlarum ad Atticum liber primus] [4] 'Accersivit ad se, promisit, intercessit, dedit. Iam vero (o di boni, rem perditam!) etiam noctes certarum mulierum atque adulescentulorum nobilium introductiones nonnullis iudicibus pro mercedis cumulo fuerunt.' [5] Non vacat de pretio queri, plus in accessionibus fuit. 'Vis severi illius uxorem? dabo illam. Vis divitis huius? tibi praestabo concubitum. Adulterium nisi feceris, damna. Illa formonsa quam desideras veniet. Illius tibi noctem promitto nec differo; intra comperendinationem fides promissi mei extabit.' Plus est distribuere adulteria quam facere; hoc vero matribus familiae denuntiare est. [6] Hi iudices Clodiani a senatu petierant praesidium, quod non erat nisi damnaturis necessarium, et inpetraverant; itaque eleganter illis Catulus absoluto reo 'quid vos' inquit 'praesidium a nobis petebatis? an ne nummi vobis eriperentur?' Inter hos tamen iocos inpune tulit ante iudicium adulter, in iudicio leno, qui damnationem peius effugit quam meruit. [7] Quicquam fuisse corruptius illis moribus credis quibus libido non sacris inhiberi, non iudicis poterat, quibus in ea ipsa quaestione quae extra ordinem senatusconsulto exercebatur plus quam quaerebatur admissum est? Quaerebatur an post adulterium aliquis posset tutus esse: apparuit sine adulterio tutum esse non posse.
[8] Hoc inter Pompeium et Caesarem, inter Ciceronem Catonemque commissum est, Catonem inquam illum quo sedente populus negatur permisisse sibi postulare Florales iocos nudandarum meretricum, si credis spectasse tunc severius homines quam iudicasse. Et fient et facta sunt ista, et licentia urbium aliquando disciplina metuque, numquam sponte considet. [9] Non est itaque quod credas nos plurimum libidini permisisse, legibus minimum; longe enim frugalior haec iuventus est quam illa, cum reus adulterium apud iudices negaret, iudices apud reum confiterentur, cum stuprum committeretur rei iudicandae causa, cum Clodius, isdem vitiis gratiosus quibus nocens, conciliaturas exerceret in ipsa causae dictione. Credat hoc quisquam? qui damnabatur uno adulterio absolutus est multis.
[10] Omne tempus Clodios, non omne Catones feret. Ad deteriora faciles sumus, quia nec dux potest nec comes deesse, et res ipsa etiam sine duce, sine comite procedit. Non pronum est tantum ad vitia sed praeceps, et, quod plerosque inemendabiles facit, omnium aliarum artium peccata artificibus pudori sunt offenduntque deerrantem, vitae peccata delectant. [11] Non gaudet navigio gubernator everso, non gaudet aegro medicus elato, non gaudet orator si patroni culpa reus cecidit, at contra omnibus crimen suum voluptati est: laetatur ille adulterio in quod inritatus est ipsa difficultate; laetatur ille circumscriptione furtoque, nec ante illi culpa quam culpae fortuna displicuit. Id prava consuetudine evenit. [12] Alioquin, ut scias subesse animis etiam in pessima abductis boni sensum nec ignorari turpe sed neglegi, omnes peccata dissimulant et, quamvis feliciter cesserint, fructu illorum utuntur, ipsa subducunt. At bona conscientia prodire vult et conspici: ipsas nequitia tenebras timet. [13] Eleganter itaque ab Epicuro dictum puto: 'potest nocenti contingere ut lateat, latendi fides non potest', aut si hoc modo melius hunc explicari posse iudicas sensum: 'ideo non prodest latere peccantibus quia latendi etiam si felicitatem habent, fiduciam non habent'. Ita est, tuta scelera esse possunt, <secura esse non possunt>. [14] Hoc ego repugnare sectae nostrae si sic expediatur non iudico. Quare? quia prima illa et maxima peccantium est poena peccasse, nec ullum scelus, licet illud fortuna exornet muneribus suis, licet tueatur ac vindicet, inpunitum est, quoniam sceleris in scelere supplicium est. Sed nihilominus et hae illam secundae poenae premunt ac sequuntur, timere semper et expavescere et securitati diffidere. Quare ego hoc supplicio nequitiam liberem? quare non semper illam in suspenso relinquam? [15] Illic dissentiamus cum Epicuro ubi dicit nihil iustum esse natura et crimina vitanda esse quia vitari metus non posse: hic consentiamus, mala facinora conscientia flagellari et plurimum illi tormentorum esse eo quod perpetua illam sollicitudo urget ac verberat, quod sponsoribus securitatis suae non potest credere. Hoc enim ipsum argumentum est, Epicure, natura nos a scelere abhorrere, quod nulli non etiam inter tuta timor est. [16] Multos fortuna liberat poena, metu neminem. Quare nisi quia infixa nobis eius rei aversatio est quam natura damnavit? Ideo numquam fides latendi fit etiam latentibus quia coarguit illos conscientia et ipsos sibi ostendit. Proprium autem est nocentium trepidare. Male de nobis actum erat, quod multa scelera legem et vindicem effugiunt et scripta supplicia, nisi illa naturalia et gravia de praesentibus solverent et in locum patientiae timor cederet. Vale.