And first of all, listen to a brief tale concerning the people of Agyrium, a loyal and illustrious people. The state
of Agyrium is among the first in all
Sicily for honour;—a state of men wealthy
before this man came as praetor, and of excellent cultivators of the soil. When this
same Apronius had purchased the tenths of that district, he came to Agyrium; and when he had come thither with his
regular attendants—that is to say, with threats and violence,—he began to ask an
immense sum, so that when he had got his profit, he might depart. He said that he
did not wish to have any trouble, nut that, when he had got his money, he would
depart as soon as possible to some other city. All the Sicilians are not
contemptible men, if only our magistrates leave them alone; but they are many, of
sufficient courage, and very economical and temperate, and among the very first is
this city of which I am now speaking, O judges.
Therefore the men of Agyrium make answer
to this most worthless man, that they will give him the tenths which are due from
them, that they will not add to them any profit for himself, especially since he had
bought them an excellent bargain. Apronius informs Verres, whose business it ready
was, what was going on.
Immediately, as if there had been some conspiracy at Agyrium formed against the republic, or as if the lieutenant of the
praetor had been assaulted, the magistrates and five principal citizens are summoned
from Agyrium at his command. They went to
Syracuse. Apronius is there. He says
that those very men who had come had acted contrary to the praetor's edict. They
asked, in what? He answered, that he would say in what before the judges. He, that
most just man, tried to strike his old terror into the wretched Agyrians; he
threatened that he would appoint their judges out of his own retinue. The Agyrians,
being very intrepid men, said that they would stand the trial.
That fellow put on the tribunal Artemidorus Cornelius, the physician, Valerius,
the crier, Tlepolemus, the painter, and judges of that sort; not one of whom was a
Roman citizen, but Greek robbers of temples, long since infamous, and now all
Corneliuses. The Agyrians saw that whatever charge Apronius brought before whose
judges, he would very easily prove; but they preferred to be convicted, and so add
to his unpopularity and infamy, rather than accede to his conditions and terms. They
asked what formula would be given to the judges on which to try them? He answered,
“If it appeared that they had acted contrary to the edict,” on which formula he said
that he should pronounce judgment. They preferred trying the question according to a
most unjust formula, and with most profligate judges, rather than come to any
settlement with him of their own accord. He sent Timarchides privately to them, to
warn them, if they were wise, to settle the matter. They refused. “What, then, will
you do? Do you prefer to be convicted each of you in a penalty of fifty thousand
sesterces?” They said they did. Then he said out
loud, in the hearing of every one, “Whoever is condemned, shall be beaten to death
with rods.” On this they began with tears to beg and entreat him to be allowed to
give up their cornfields, and all their produce, and their allotments, when stripped
of everything, to Apronius, and to depart themselves without insult and annoyance.
These were the terms, O judges, on which Verres sold the tenths. Hortensius may
say, if he pleases, that Verres sold them at a high price. This was the condition of the cultivators
of the soil while that man was praetor; that they thought themselves exceedingly
well off, if they might give up their fields when stripped of everything to
Apronius, for they wished to escaped the many crosses which were set before their
eyes. Whatever Apronius had declared to be due, that they were forced to give,
according to the edict. Suppose he declared more was due than the land produced?
Just so. How could that be? The magistrates were bound, according to his own edict,
to compel the payment. Well, but the cultivators could recover. Yes, but Artemidorus
was the judge. What next? What happened if the cultivator had given less than
Apronius had demanded? A prosecution of the cultivator to recover a fourfold
penalty. Before judges taken from what body? From that admirable retinue of most
honourable men in attendance on the praetor. What more? I say that you returned less
than the proper number of acres: select judges for the matter which is to be tried,
namely, your violation of the edict. Out of what class? Out of the same retinue.
What will be the end of it? If you are convicted, (and what doubt can there be about
a conviction with those judges?) you must be beaten to death with rods. When these
are the rules, these the conditions, will there be any one so foolish as to think
that what was sold were the tenths? Who believes that nine parts were left to the
cultivator? Who does not perceive that that fellow considered as his own gain and
plunder the property and possessions and fortunes of the cultivators? From fear of
the gods the Agyrians said that they would do what they were commanded to.
Listen now to what his orders were; and conceal, if you can, that you are aware of
what all Sicily well knew, that the praetor
himself was the farmer of the tenths, or rather the lord and sovereign of all the
allotments in the province. He orders the Agyrians to take the tenths themselves in
the name of their city, and to give a compliment to Apronius. If he had bought them
at a high price, since you are a man who inquired into the proper price with great
diligence, who, as you say, sold them at a high price, why do you think that a
compliment ought to be added as a present to the purchaser? Be it so; you did think
so. Why did you order them to add it? What is the meaning; of taking and
appropriating money, for which the law has a hold on you, if this is not it,—I mean
the compelling men by force and despotic power against their will to give a
compliment to another, that is to say, to give him money?
Well, what comes next? If they were ordered to give some small compliment to
Apronius, the delight of the praetor's life, suppose that it was given to Apronius,
if it seems to you the compliment to Apronius, and not the plunder of the praetor.
You order them to take the tenths; to give Apronius a compliment,—thirty-three
thousand medimni of wheat. What is this? One city
is compelled by the command of the praetor to give to the Roman people out of one
district almost food enough to support it for a month. Did you sell the tenths at a
high price, when such a compliment was given to the collector? In truth, if you had
inquired carefully into the proper price, then when you were selling them, they
would rather have given ten thousand medimni more
then, than six hundred thousand sesterces
afterwards. It seems a great booty. Listen to what follows, and remark it carefully,
so as to be the less surprised that the Sicilians, being compelled by their
necessity, entreated aid from their patrons, from the consuls, from the senate, from
the laws, from the tribunals.
To pay Apronius for testing the wheat which was given to him, Verres orders the
Agyrians to pay Apronius three sesterces for every
medimnus. What is this? When such a quantity of corn has been
extorted and exacted under the name of a compliment, is money to be exacted besides
for testing the corn? Or could, not only Apronius, but any one, if corn was to be
served out to the army, disapprove of the Sicilian corn, which Verres might have
measured on the threshing-floor, if he had liked? That vast quantity of corn is
given and extorted at your command. That is not enough. Money is demanded besides.
It is paid. That is too little. For the tenths of barley more money is extorted. You
order thirty thousand sesterces to be paid. And so
from one city there are extorted by force, by threats, by the despotic power and
injustice of the praetor thirty-three thousand medimni of wheat, and besides that, sixty thousand sesterces! Are these things obscure? Or, even if all the
world wished it, can those things be obscure which you did openly, which you ordered
in open court, which you extorted when every one was looking on? concerning which
matters the magistrates and five chief men of Agyrium, whom you summoned from their
homes for the sake of your own gain, reported your acts and commands to their own
senate at home; and that report, according to their laws, was recorded in the public
registers, and the ambassadors of the Agyrians, most noble men, are at Rome, and have deposed to these facts in evidence.
Examine the public letters of the Agyrians; after that the public testimony of the
city. Read the public letters. [The public letters are read.] Read the public
evidence. [The public evidence is read.] You have remarked
in this evidence, O judges, that Apollodorus, whose surname is Pyragrus, the chief
man of his city, have his evidence with tears, and said that since the name of the
Roman people had been heard by and known to the Sicilians, the Agyrians had never
either said or done anything contrary to the interests of even the meanest of the
Roman citizens; but that now they are compelled by great injuries, and great
suffering to give evidence in a public manner against a praetor of the Roman people.
You cannot, in truth. O Verres, invalidate the evidence of this one city by your
defence; so great a weight is there in the fidelity of these men, such great
indignation is there at their injuries, such great conscientiousness is there in the
way in which they gave their evidence. But it is not one city alone, but every city,
that now being crushed by similar distresses pursues you with deputations and public
evidence.