For I think that these four qualities are
indispensable in a great general,—knowledge of military affairs, valour, authority and good
fortune. Who, then, ever was, or ought to have been, better acquainted with military affairs
than this man? who, the moment that he left school and finished his education as a boy, at a
time when there was a most important war going on, and most active enemies were banded against
us, went to his father's army and to the discipline of the camp; who, when scarcely out of his
boyhood, became a soldier of a consummate general,—when entering on manhood, became himself the
general of a mighty army; who has been more frequently engaged with the enemy, than any one else
has ever disputed with an adversary; who has himself, as general, conducted more wars than other
men have read of; who has subdued more provinces than other men have wished for; whose youth was
trained to the knowledge of military affairs, not by the precepts of others, but by commanding
himself,—not by the disasters of war, but by victories,—not by campaigns, but by triumphs. In
short, what description of war can there be in which the fortune of the republic has not given
him practice? Civil war, African war, Transalpine war, Spanish war, promiscuous war of the most
warlike cities and nations, servile war, naval war, every variety and diversity of wars and of
enemies, has not only been encountered by this one man, but encountered victoriously; and these
exploits show plainly that there is no circumstance, in military practice which can elude the
knowledge of this man.
But now, what language can be found equal to the valour of Cnaeus Pompeius? What statement can
any one make which shall be either worthy of him, or new to you, or unknown to any one? For
those are not the only virtuous of a general which are usually thought so,—namely, industry in
business, fortitude amid dangers, energy in acting, rapidity in executing, wisdom in foreseeing;
which all exist in as great perfection in that one man as in all the other generals put together
whom we have either seen or heard of.
Italy is my witness, which that illustrious conqueror
himself, Lucius Sulla, confessed had been delivered by this man's valour and ready assistance.
Sicily is my witness, which he released when it was
surrounded on all sides by many dangers, not by the dread of his power, but by the promptitude
of his wisdom. Africa is my witness, which, having been
overwhelmed by numerous armies of enemies, overflowed with the blood of those same enemies.
Gaul is my witness, through which a road into
Spain was laid open to our legions by the destruction
of the Gauls. Spain is my witness, which has repeatedly
seen our many enemies there defeated and subdued by this man. Again and again, Italy is my witness, which, when it was weighed down by the
disgraceful and perilous servile war, entreated aid from this man, though he, was at a distance;
and that war, having dwindled down and wasted away at the expectation of Pompeius, was destroyed
and buried by his arrival.
But now, also every coast, all
foreign nations and countries, all seas, both in their open waters and in every bay, and creek,
and harbour, are my witnesses. For during these last years, what place in any part of the sea
had so strong a garrison as to be safe from him? what place was so much hidden as to escape his
notice? Whoever put to sea without being aware that he was committing himself to the hazard of
death or slavery, either from storms or from the sea being crowded with pirates? Who would ever
have supposed that a war of such extent, so mean, so old a war, a war so extensive in its
theatre and so widely scattered, could have been terminated by all our generals put together in
one year, or by one general in all the years of his life?
In
all these later years what province have you had free from pirates? what revenue has been safe?
what ally have you been able to protect? to whom have your fleets been any defence? How many
islands do you suppose have been deserted? how many cities of the allies do you think have been
either abandoned out of fear of the pirates, or have been taken by them?
But why do I speak of distant events? It was—it was, indeed, formerly—a characteristic of the
Roman people to carry on its wars at a distance from home, and to defend by the bulwarks of its
power not its own homes, but the fortunes of its allies. Need I say, that the sea has during all
these latter years been closed against your allies, when even our own armies never ventured to
cross over from Brundusium, except in the depth
of winter? Need I complain that men who were coming to you from foreign nations were taken
prisoners, when even the ambassadors of the Roman people were forced to be ransomed? Need I say,
that the sea was not safe for merchants, when twelve axes The Scholiast
says that a consul named Milienus (whose name, however, does not appear in the Fasti) was taken
prisoner by the pirates, and sold with his ensigns of office. The axes mean his faces. came into the power of the pirates?
Need I mention, how Cnidus, and
Colophon, and Samos, most noble cities, and others too in countless numbers, were taken by them,
when you know that your own harbours, and those harbours too from which you derive, as it were,
your very life and breath, were in the power of the pirates? Are you ignorant that the harbour
of Caieta, that illustrious harbour, when full of
ships, was plundered by the pirates under the very eyes of the praetor? and that from Misenum, the children of the very man who had before that
waged war against the pirates in that place, were carried off by the pirates? For why should I
complain of the disaster of Ostia, and of that stain
and blot on the republic, when almost under your very eyes, that fleet which was under the
command of a Roman consul was taken and destroyed by the pirates? O ye immortal gods! could the
incredible and godlike virtue of one man in so short a time bring so much light to the republic,
that you who had lately been used to see a fleet of the enemy before the mouth of the Tiber, should now hear that there is not one ship belonging to
the pirates on this side of the Atlantic?
And although you
have seen with what rapidity these things were done, still that rapidity ought not to be passed
over by me in speaking of them.—For who ever, even if he were only going for the purpose of
transacting business or making profit, contrived in so short a time to visit so many places, and
to perform such long journeys, with as great celerity as Cnaeus Pompeius has performed his
voyage, bearing with him the terrors of war as our general? He, when the weather could hardly be
called open for sailing, went to Sicily, explored the
coasts of Africa; from thence he came with his fleet to
Sardinia, and these three great granaries of the
republic he fortified with powerful garrisons and fleets;
when, leaving Sardinia, he came to Italy, having secured the two Spains and Cisalpine Gaul with
garrisons and ships. Having sent vessels also to the coast of Illyricum, and to every part of Achaia
and Greece, he also adorned the two seas of Italy with very large fleets, and very sufficient garrisons; and
he himself going in person, added all Cilicia to the
dominions of the Roman people, on the forty-ninth day after he set out from Brundusium. Will the pirates who were anywhere to be
found, were either taken prisoners and put to death, or else had surrendered themselves
voluntarily to the power and authority of this one man. Also, when the Cretans had sent
ambassadors to implore his mercy even into Pamphylia to
him, he did not deny them hopes of being allowed to surrender, and he exacted hostages from
them. And thus Cnaeus Pompeius at the end of winter prepared, at the beginning of spring
undertook, and by the middle of summer terminated, this most important war, which had lasted so
long, which was scattered in such distant and such various places, and by which every nation and
country was incessantly distressed.
This is the godlike and incredible virtue of that general. What more shall I say? How many and
how great are his other exploits which I began to mention a short time back; for we are not only
to seek for skill in war in a consummate and perfect general, but there are many other eminent
qualities which are the satellites and companions of this virtue. And first of all, how great
should be the incorruptibility of generals! How great should be their moderation in everything!
How perfect their good faith! How universal should be their affability! how brilliant their
genius! how tender their humanity! And let us briefly consider to what extent these qualities
exist in Cnaeus Pompeius. For they are all of the highest importance, O Romans, but yet they are
to be seen and ascertained more by comparison with the conduct of others than by any display
which they make of themselves.
For how can we rank a man
among generals of any class at all, if centurionships The Scholiast says
that Cicero is here hinting at Glabrio the consul, or at the younger Marius. are sold,
and have been constantly sold in his army? What great or honourable thoughts can we suppose that
that man cherishes concerning the republic, who has either distributed the money which was taken
from the treasury for the conduct of the war among the magistrates, out of ambition Lucullus is supposed to be meant here as it is said that he had employed large
sums in soliciting the votes of influential men, so as to be left in command of the province of
Asia, in which he had amassed enormous riches.
to keep his province, or, out of avarice, has left it behind him at Rome, invested for his own advantage? Your murmurs show, O
Romans, that you recognise, in my description, men who have done these things. But I name no
one, so that no one can be angry with me, without making confession beforehand of his own
malpractices. But who is there who is ignorant what terrible distresses our armies suffer
wherever they go, through this covetousness of our generals?
Recollect the marches which, during these latter years, our generals have made in Italy, through the lands and towns of the Roman citizens; then
you will more easily imagine what is the course pursued among foreign nations. Do you think that
of late years more cities of the enemy have been destroyed by the arms of your soldiers, or more
cities of your own allies by their winter campaigns? For that general who does not restrain
himself can never restrain his army; nor can he be strict in judging others who is unwilling for
others to be strict in judging him.