Do we wonder now that
this man should be so far superior to all others, when his legions arrived in Asia in such order that not only no man's hand in so numerous an
army, but not even any man's footstep was said to have done the least injury to any peaceful
inhabitant? But now we have daily rumours—yes, and letters too—brought to Rome about the way in which the soldiers are behaving in their
winter quarters; not only is no one compelled to spend money on the entertainment of the troops,
but he is not permitted to do so, even if he wish. For our ancestors thought fit that the houses
of our allies and friends should be a shelter to our soldiers from the winter, not a theatre for
the exercise of their avarice.
Come now, consider also what moderation he has displayed in other matters also. How was it, do
you suppose, that he was able to display that excessive rapidity, and to perform that incredible
voyage? For it was no unexampled number of rowers, no hitherto unknown skill in navigation, no
new winds, which bore him so swiftly to the most distant lands; but those circumstances which
are wont to delay other men did not delay him. No avarice turned him aside from his intended
route in pursuit of some plunder or other; no lust led him away in pursuit of pleasure; no
luxury allured him to seek its delights; the illustrious reputation of no city tempted him to
make its acquaintance; even labour did not turn him aside to seek rest. Lastly, as for the
statues, and pictures, and other embellishments of Greek cities, which other men think worth
carrying away, he did not think them worthy even of a visit from him.
And, therefore, every one
in those countries looks upon Cnaeus Pompeius as some one descended from heaven, not as some one
sent out from this city. Now they begin to believe that there
really were formerly Romans of the same moderation; which hitherto has seemed to foreign nations
a thing incredible, a false and ridiculous tradition. Now the splendour of your dominion is
really brilliant in the eyes of those nations. Now they understand that it was not without
reason that, when we had magistrates of the same moderation, their ancestors preferred being
subject to the Roman people to being themselves lords of other nations. But now the access of
all private individuals to him is so easy, their complaints of the injuries received from others
are so little checked, that he who in dignity is superior to the noblest men, in affability
seems to be on a par with the meanest.
How great his wisdom
is, how great his authority and fluency in speaking,—and that too is a quality in which the
dignity of a general is greatly concerned,—you, O Romans, have often experienced yourselves in
this very place. But how great do you think his good faith must have been towards your allies,
when the enemies of all nations have placed implicit confidence in it? His humanity is such that
it is difficult to say, whether the enemy feared his valour more when fighting against him, or
loved his mildness more when they had been conquered by him. And will any one doubt, that this
important war ought to be entrusted to him, who seems to have been born by some especial design
and favour of the gods for the express purpose of finishing all the wars which have existed in
their own recollection?
And since authority has great weight in conducting wars,
and in discharging the duties of military command, it certainly is not doubtful to any one that
in that point this same general is especially preeminent. And who is ignorant that it is of
great importance in the conduct of wars, what opinion the enemy, and what opinion the allies
have of your generals, when we know that men are not less influenced in such serious affairs, to
despise, or fear, or hate, or love a man by common opinion and common report, than by sure
grounds and principles? What name, then, in the whole world has ever been more illustrious than
his? whose achievements have ever been equal to his? And, what gives authority in the highest
degree, concerning whom have you ever passed such numerous and such honourable resolutions?
Do you believe that there is anywhere in the whole world any
place so desert that the renown of that day has not reached it, when the whole Roman people, the
forum being crowded, and all the adjacent temples from which this place can be seen being
completely filled,—the whole Roman people, I say, demanded Cnaeus Pompeius alone as their
general in the war in which the common interests of all nations were at stake? Therefore, not to
say more on the subject, nor to confirm what I say by instances of others as to the influence
which authority has in war, all our instances of splendid exploits in war must be taken from
this same Cnaeus Pompeius. The very day that he was appointed by you commander-in-chief of the
maritime war, in a moment such a cheapness of provisions ensued, (though previously there had
been a great scarcity of corn, and the price had been exceedingly high,) owing to the hope
conceived of one single man, and his high reputation, as could scarcely have been produced by a
most productive harvest after a long period of peace.
Now,
too, after the disaster which befell us in Pontus, from
the result of that battle, of which, sorely against my will, I just now reminded you, when our
allies were in a state of alarm, when the power and spirits of our enemies had risen, and the
province was in a very insufficient state of defence, you would have entirely lost Asia, O Romans, if the fortune of the Roman people had not, by
some divine interposition, brought Cnaeus Pompeius at that particular moment into those regions.
His arrival both checked Mithridates, elated with his unusual victory, and delayed Tigranes, who
was threatening Asia with a formidable army. And can
any one doubt what he will accomplish by his valour, when he did so much by his authority and
reputation? or how easily he will preserve our allies and our revenues by his power and his
army, when he defended them by the mere, terror of his name?
Come, now; what a great proof does this circumstance afford us of the influence of the same
man on the enemies of the Roman people, that all of them, living in countries so far distant
from us and from each other, surrendered themselves to him alone in so short a time? that the
ambassadors of the Cretans, though there was at the time a general Metellus, afterwards called Creticus, from his victory over the Cretans. and an army of
ours in their island came almost to the end of the world to Cnaeus Pompeius, and said, all the
cities of the Cretans were willing to surrender themselves to him? What did Mithridates himself
do? Did he not send an ambassador into Spain to the
same Cnaeus Pompeius? a man whom Pompeius has always considered an ambassador, but who that
party, to whom it has always been a source of annoyance that he was sent to him particularly,
have contended was sent as a spy rather than as an ambassador. You can now, then, O Romans, form
an accurate judgment how much weight you must suppose that this authority of his—now, too, that
it has been further increased by many subsequent exploits, and by many commendatory resolutions
of your own—will have with those kings and among foreign nations.
It remains for me timidly and briefly to speak of his good fortune, a quality which no man
ought to boast of in his own case, but which we may remember and commemorate an happening to
another, just as a man may extol the power of the gods. For my judgment is this, that very often
commands have been conferred upon, and armies have been entrusted to Maximus, to Marcellus, to
Scipio, to Marius, and to other great generals, not only on account of their valour, but also on
account of their good fortune. For there has been, in truth, in the case of some most
illustrious men, good fortune added as some contribution of the gods to their honour and glory,
and as a means of performing mighty achievements. But concerning the good fortune of this man of
whom we are now speaking, I will use so much moderation as not to say that good fortune was
actually placed in his power, but I will so speak as to appear to remember what is past, to have
good hope of what is to come; so that my speech may, on the one hand, not appear to the immortal
gods to be arrogant, nor, on the other hand, to be ungrateful.
Accordingly, I do not intend to mention, O Romans, what great exploits he has achieved both
at home and in war, by land and by sea, and with what invariable felicity he has achieved them;
how, not only the citizens have always consented to his wishes,—the allies complied with
them,—the enemy obeyed them, but how even the winds and weather have seconded them. I will only
say this, most briefly,—that no one has ever been so impudent as to dare in silence to wish for
so many and such great favours as the immortal gods have showered upon Cnaeus Pompeius. And that
this favour may continue his, and be perpetual, you, O Romans, ought to wish and pray (as,
indeed, you do), both for the sake of the common safety and prosperity, and for the sake of the
man himself
Wherefore, as the war is at the same time so necessary that
it cannot be neglected, so important that it must be conducted with the greatest care; and since
you have it in your power to appoint a general to conduct it, in whom there is the most perfect
knowledge of war, the most extraordinary valour, the most splendid personal influence, and the
most eminent good fortune, can you hesitate, O Romans, to apply this wonderful advantage which
is offered you and given you by the immortal gods, to the preservation and increase of the power
of the republic?