As this was the case, I say first of all, that the tenths of the territory of
Leontini were sold for many more thousand medimni
than there were thousands of acres sown in the district of Leontini. But if it was
impossible for them to produce more than ten medimni on an acre, and if it was fair that a medimnus should be paid out of each acre liable to the payment of
tenths, when the land produced a tenfold crop, which however very seldom happened,
what was the calculation of the farmer if indeed it was the tenths of the cultivator
that were being sold, and no his whole property, when he bought the tenths for many
more medimni than there had been acres sown? In the
Lecutini district the list and return made of acres is not more than thirty
thousand. The tenths were
sold for thirty-six thousand medimni. Did Apronius
make a blunder, or rather was he mad? Yes, he would indeed have been mad if it had
been lawful for the cultivators to give only what was due from them, and had not
rather been compulsory on them to give whatever Apronius commanded.
If I prove that no man gave less for his tenths than three medimni to the acre, you will admit, I suppose, that, even supposing
the produce amounted to a tenfold crop, no one paid less than three tenths. And
indeed this was begged as a favour from Apronius, that they might be allowed to
compound at three medimni an acre. For, as four and
even five were exacted from many people, and as many had not only not a grain of
corn, but not even a wisp of straw left out of all their crop and after all their
year's labour; then the cultivators of Centuripa, which are the main body of
agriculturists in the Leontini district, assembled in one place. They sent as a
delegate to Apronius, Andron of Centuripa, a man among the first of his state for
honour and nobility, (the same man whom now the city of Centuripa has sent to this
trial as a deputy and as a witness,) in order that he might plead with him the cause
of the cultivators of the soil, and beg of him not to exact of the Centuripan
cultivators more than three medimni for each acre.
This request was with difficulty obtained from Apronius, as a most excessive
kindness to those men who were even then safe. And when this was obtained, this is
what was obtained, forsooth, that they might be allowed to pay three tenths instead
of one. But if your own interest had not been at stake in the matter, O Verres, they
would rather have entreated you not to be made to pay more than one tenth, than have
begged of a promise not to be made to pay more than three. Now, that at the present
time I may pass over those rules which Apronius, in a kingly, or rather in a
tyrannical spirit, made with respect to the cultivators, and that I may not at
present call those men from whom he took all their corn, and to whom he left nothing
not only of their corn, but nothing even of their property; just see how much gain
is made of these three medimni, which he considered
as a great favour and indulgence.
The return of acres in the district of Leontini is thirty thousand. This amounts
to ninety thousand medimni of wheat that is to say,
to five hundred and forty thousand modii of wheat.
Deduct two hundred and sixteen thousand modii of
wheat, being what the tenths were sold for, and there remain three hundred and
twenty-four thousand modii of wheat; add to the sum
total of five hundred and forty thousand modii
three fiftieths, that is to say, thirty-two thousand four hundred modii of wheat, (for three fiftieths besides were exacted
from every one;) this now amounts to three hundred and fifty-six thousand four
hundred modii of wheat. But I said that four
hundred thousand sesterces of profit had been made.
For I do not include in this calculation those who were not allowed to compound at
three medimni an acre. But that by this present
calculation I may make out the sum which I promised to do, many were compelled
besides to pay two sesterces, and many even five,
with each medimnus, and those who had to pay least
paid a sesterce with every medimnus. To take the
least of these sums, as we calculated there were ninety thousand medimni, we must add to that, according to this new and
infamous example here given, ninety thousand sesterces.
Will he now dare to tell me, that he sold the tenths at a high price, when he took
for himself more than twice as much as he sent to the Roman people out of the same
district? You sold the tenths of the Leontine district for two hundred and sixteen
thousand modii of wheat? If you did so according to
law, it was a fine price; if your caprice was the law, it was a low price; if you
sold them so that those were called tenths which were in reality a half, you sold
them at a very low price. For the yearly produce of all Sicily might be sold for much more, if that was what the senate or
people of Rome had desired you to do.
Indeed, the tenths were often sold for as much, when they were sold according to the
law of Hiero, as they have been sold for now under the law of Verres. Let me have
the accounts of the sale of tenths under Caius Norbanus. [The account of the sale of
the tenths in the Leontine district under Caius Norbanus is read.] And yet, then, there were no trials about the return of acres; nor
was Artemidorus Cornelius a judge, nor did a Sicilian magistrate exact from a
cultivator whatever the farmer demanded; nor was it entreated as a favour from the
farmer to be allowed to compound at three medimni
an acre; nor was a cultivator obliged to give an additional present of money, nor to
add three-fiftieths of corn. And yet a area, quantity of corn was sent to the Roman
people.
But what is the meaning of these fiftieths? what is the meaning of these
additional presents of money? By what right, and, what is more, in what manner did
you do this The cultivator gave the money. How or whence did he get it? If he had
wished to be very liberal, he would have used a more heaped up measure, as men
formerly used to do in the matter of the tenths, when they were sold by fair laws,
and on fair terms. He gave the money. Where did he get it? from his corn? As if,
while you were praetor, he had anything to sell. Something, then, must be taken from
his principal, in order to add this pecuniary gratuity for Apronius to all the
profit which he derived from the lands. The next thing is, Did they give it
willingly or unwillingly? Willingly? They were very fond, I suppose, of Apronius.
Unwillingly? How, then, were they compelled to do so, except by violence and
ill-treatment? Again; that man, that most senseless man, in the selling of the
tenths, caused additional sums to be added to every tenth. It was not much; he added
two or three thousand sesterces. In the three years
he made about five hundred thousand sesterces. He
did this neither according to any precedent, nor by any right; nor did he make any
return of that money; nor can any man ever imagine how he is going to defend himself
against this petty charge.