56BC

As to the fact that

17. For in respect to the debt with which he is charged, his expenses seized , his account books requisitioned, see how briefly I may respond. A man, who is under his father’s power, prepares no accounts.  He has never at all incurred any debt. He is charged with only one kind of expense, his rent; you have claimed that his rent is 30 000 sesterces. Now at last I realise that P. Clodius’ block of flats is for sale, in which this man lives in an apartment for 10 000 sesterces, so I believe. However while you want to please that man, you have allowed your lie to accommodate his needs.

18. You have blamed him because he lived away from his father, that which in fact now in a man of his age must not be blamed at all. Since however already out of both a public case and a victory he obtained victory, which indeed was troublesome for me but glorious for him, and he was able to seek a magistracy by his age, not only with his father allowing him, but also encouraging him to live away from him, and, since his father’s house was far away from the forum, he rented a house for a small amount on the Palatine, so he could more easily go to our homes and he himself receive visits from his own friends. On this subject, I can say this, what a most distinguished man, M. Crassus, said before, when he was complaining about the arrival of king Ptolomy;

“Would that never in the Pelian groves -”And may I be allowed rather longer To quote this poem:For a wandering mistress would never produce this trouble for usMedea with a sick heart, wounded by a savage love.

This, gentlemen of the jury, you will find what  I will show when I come to this point, that this Palatine Medea and this move was either the cause of all the evils of the young man or rather the gossip.

19. On account of that assertion, which I understand now to be invented and fortified which I infer from the speech of the accusers, trusting in your wisdom, gentlemen of the jury, I am not afraid. For they were saying that there would be a senator as a witness, who would say that he was beaten up by Caelius at the election of priests. From this man, I shall ask, if he appears, why at first did he immediately do nothing, then, if he preferred to complain about this rather than take legal action, I shall ask why he preferred to be brought forth by you rather than through his own self, why he preferred to complain so much later rather than straightaway. If he answers to these questions for me sharply and assertively, then I will finally ask, from what source that senator flows. For if on his own he will arises and will appear by himself, perchance, I shall be moved, as I usually am, if however he is a rivulet summoned and drawn from the source itself of your prosecution, I will rejoice that, although your accusation relies on such great wealth and such great influence, only one senator was found, who was willing to oblige you.

20. Nor however am I afraid of that other kind of night witnesses. For it is claimed by these people [prosecutors] that there will be men who will say that their wives while returning from dinner were assaulted by Caelius. They are serious men who will dare to swear this oath, although they must admit that they never began to seek redress in relation such great crimes, not even with private meetings and agreements .Gentlemen of the jury, you look out for the whole type of this attack in your mind, and when it is

carried out, you will have to ward it off. For Marcus Caelius is not accused by the same

ones by whom he was attacked; openly spears thrown at him, secretly, they are being supplied.

21. Nor do I say this to be hostile against those for whom this matter even ought to be full of glory. They perform business, they protect their own men, they do that which the bravest men usually do; injured, they suffer, angered, they rise up, provoked, they fight. But however it is of your wisdom, o judges, if brave men have a just reason for attacking M. Caelius, not for that reason to think that, there is also cause for you to think it is just, consulting the cause of someone else’s pain rather than your own sense of honour. You see now what a great crowd may be in the forum, what classes they might be, what desires they might have, what diversities of men. From this throng how many do you judge to be the sort who are accustomed to offering themselves of their own accord to a man who is powerful, popular, and eloquent, when they think they want something, to diligently perform a service, to promise their testimony?

22. From this class if there are men who by chance have thrust themselves into this trial, shut out their greedy desire, o judges, in your wisdom, so that at the same time you are seen to have cared for both the safety of this man, your own duty and also the general welfare of all citizens against the dangerous powers of men. Indeed I will lead you away from the witnesses and nor will I allow the truth of this trial which is possible to change in no way, to be depend upon the desire of witnesses, which can be manipulated, be twisted and altered more easily than any other business. We shall conduct the case with arguments, we shall rebut the charges with proofs clearer than all daylight, fact will fight with fact, charge with charge, reckoning with reckoning.

23. Therefore I easily allow that that part of the case was concluded seriously and eloquently by Marcus Crassus about the seditions of Naples, about the expulsions of the Alexandrians from Puteolana, about the goods of Palla. I even wish that the same man had discussed about Dio. Yet about this itself what is it that you are waiting for? The man who did it is either not afraid, or even admits it; for he is a king; he however who is said to have been a help and conspirator, P. Asicius, has been freed by a trial. Therefore, should this man, who not only was removed from suspicion of the deed but also far from knowledge of it, be afraid of a charge which is of such a type that he who has committed it does not deny it, that he who has denied it has been absolved of it? And, if the case benefited Asicius than ill-will has hurt him, will your slander harm this man who not only is not strewn with suspicion but also no ill repute.

1) Non modo non + verb, sed etiam / ne quidem + verb

2) non modo, sed etiam/ ne quidem + verb – understand a non in each clause

24. Oh but, Asicius was freed through collusion. It is very easy to reply to that point, especially for me, by whom that case was defended. But Caelius thinks that the charge of Asicius is excellent, however of whatever sort it is, he thinks that it is separate from his case. And not only Caelius but also very cultured and very learned young men, gifted with being most upright in their studies and the best in their pursuit, Titus and Gaius Coponius and who have lamented most greatly out of everyone the death of Dio, who were bound not only with the pursuit of learning and humanity but also even with the hospitality of Dio. Dio was living with Titus, as you have heard, he had become acquainted with him at Alexandria. What either he gifted with his brilliance or his brother think about Marcus Caelius, you will hear from them themselves, if they are brought out [as witnesses].

25. Therefore let this be put aside, so that at last we might come to the things on which

case depends. For I noticed, o jurores, that my friend, Lucius Herennius, was being

heard by you very attentively. In this, although you were being held by his character and by his certain way of speaking, sometimes however I was afraid that that this speech, gently introduced to accuse a crime approached gradually and softy to your minds. For he said much about luxuriance, much about pleasure, much about the vices of youths, much about customs, and, he who is gentle and he is usually in this pleasantness of his humanity with which now all are delighted dwell near very agreeably, was in this case an overbearing uncle, a censor, a schoolmaster. He scolded Marcus Caelius, just as no parent ever foes; he explained much about greediness and extravagance. What do you look for, judges? I began to forgive you for listening so attentively, on the grounds that I myself was horrified at this kind of speech so rough and so abrasive.

26. And the first part was this which affected me less, that Caelius was familiar with my own intimate friend Bestia, that he dined with him, that he often visited his house, that he aided him with the praetorship. These things did not affect me because clearly they are false; for indeed he says that those men dined together, who are either absent or for whom it is necessary to say the same. Nor indeed does it affect me the fact that he said that Caelius was friendly with him in the Lupercal Games. A certain savage companionship and wholly a rough and rustic one, of the Lupercal comrades, of whom that gathering was in the woods put into place before culture or laws, if even not only do companions denounce each other among them but also they remember the fellowship by accusing each other, so that they appear to be afraid, lest anyone be ignorant of it.

27. But I pass over these things; I reply to the those things which have affected me more. The rebuking of allurements was long, even more gentle, and had more more

argument than fierceness, so it was heard even more attentively. For Publius Clodius, my friend, when he was uttering most seriously and violently and incensed drove on everything with the most gloom laden words, at the top of his voice, although I admire his eloquence, I however was not afraid; for I had seen him striving in vain in several cases. To you however, Balbus, I reply first of all, by your leave, if it is allowed, if it is right to be defended by me a man who refuses no banquet, who has been in a pleasure-garden, who applies perfumes, who has seen Baiae.

28. I both see many men and hear them in this state, not only who tasted with their lips edge [who whet their lips with] this kind of life and, as people sat, touched it with their fingertips, but men who have given their youth to pleasures, who have emerged at some time and, as it is said, recovered to good produce [become a new man] and were serious and distinguished men. For by the leave of all some fun is given to this age, and nature itself with youthful desires. These if they bursts forth in this way so that they overthrow no life, they overturn no home, they easy and pardonable are usually borne

[29] sed tu mihi videbare ex communi infamia iuventutis aliquam invidiam Caelio velle conflare. itaque omne illud silentium quod est orationi tributum tuae fuit ob eam causam quod uno reo proposito de multorum vitiis cogitabamus. facile est accusare luxuriem. dies iam me deficiat 1 , si quae dici in eam sententiam possunt coner expromere; de corruptelis, de adulteriis, de protervitate, de sumptibus immensa oratio est. Vt tibi reum neminem sed vitia ista 4 proponas, res tamen ipsa et copiose et graviter accusari potest. sed vestrae sapientiae, iudices, est 6 non abduci ab reo nec, quos aculeos habeat severitas gravitasque vestra, cum eos accusator erexerit in rem, in vitia, in mores, in tempora, emittere in hominem et in reum , cum is non suo crimine sed multorum vitio sit in quoddam odium iniustum vocatus .

But you seemed to me from to want to enflame some hatred from the common ill-repute of young men. Therefore all that silence that was assigned to your speech was caused by the fact that with only one defendant proposed,we were thinking about the vices of many. It is easy to blame luxury. Now the day disappoints me.