188. mirentur atque efferant: POTENTIAL SUBJUNCT. with forsitan, they may perhaps….
esto: fut. imper. of esse, let it be = granted.
189. honestius est: it is more honorable (not more honest) for + the inf. phrase imperatorem…reliquisse.
ea: obj. of reliquisse and abstulisse.
192. argumenta: subjects, scenes, carved in relief on panels attached to the doors.
curavit:he took care (that), saw to it (that).
193. Gorgonis: gen. of Gorgo, Gorgon. The three Gorgons (Medusa the best known of them) were female monsters with snakes for hair who turned anyone who gazed upon them into stone; images of their faces were often attached to temples as apotropaic devices.
cinctum: perf. partic. of cingere, to surround, bind.
anguibus: anguis,snake.
revellit: revellere,to tear away, pull off.
195. quaestu: quaestus, gain, profit.
bullas: ornamental bosses or bolt heads.
197. pondere: pondus, weight.
200. Sappho: i.e., a statue of Sappho, the celebrated Greek lyric poet of the seventh century B.C.
tibi iustam excusationem (201): Cicero addresses Verres directly in a highly sarcastic tone.
201. concedendum…videatur: an impers. pass. construction; lit., it seems to have to be permitted and even pardoned = it seems we should permit and even pardon (you).
202. Silanionis: Silanion, a famous Athenian sculptor of the fourth century B.C.
203. quisquam…haberet (204): POTENTIAL SUBJUNCT., who should have had.
205. nimirum: adv., doubtless, of course, surely.
206. delicati: fastidious; more sarcasm.
He stole the ornaments from the temple doors.
Iam vero quid ego de valvis illius templi commemorem? Vereor ne haec qui non viderunt, omnia me nimis augere atque ornare arbitrentur. Confirmare hoc liquido, iudices, possum valvas 185 magnificentiores, ex auro atque ebore perfectiores, nullas umquam ullo in templo fuisse. Incredibile dictu est quam multi Graeci de harum valvarum pulchritudine scriptum reliquerint. Nimium forsitan haec illi mirentur atque efferant. Esto; verum tamen honestius est rei publicae nostrae, iudices, ea quae illis 190 pulchra esse videantur imperatorem nostrum in bello reliquisse, quam praetorem in pace abstulisse. Ex ebore diligehtissime perfecta argumenta erant in valvis: ea detrahenda curavit omnia. Gorgonis os pulcherrimum, cinctum anguibus, revellit atque abstulit; et tamen indicavit se non solum artificio sed etiam pretio 195 quaestuque duci. Nam bullas aureas omnes ex eis valvis, quae erant multae et graves, non dubitavit auferre, quarum iste non opere delectabatur, sed pondere. Itaque eius modi valvas reliquit ut quae olim ad ornandum templum erant maxime, nunc tantum ad claudendum factae esse videantur. (IV. 124, excerpts)
The statue of Sappho was stolen from the city hall.
Gorgon, 6th century B.C. Museco Archologico, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy
Scala/Art Resource, NY.
200 Sappho quae sublata de prytaneo est dat tibi iustam excusationem, prope ut concedendum atque ignoscendum esse videatur. Silanionis opus tam perfectum, tam elegans, tam elaboratum quisquam non modo privatus sed etiam populus potius haberet quam homo elegantissimus atque eruditissimus, Verres? 205 Nimirum contra dici nihil potest. Nostrum enim unus quisque—qui tam beati quam iste est non sumus, tam delicati esse non possumus—si quando aliquid istius modi videre volet, eat ad aedem Felicitatis, ad monumentum Catuli, in porticum Metelli; det operamut admittatur in alicuius istorum Tusculanum; spectet 210 forum ornatum, si quid iste suorum aedilibus commodarit; Verres haec habeat domi, Verres ornamentis fanorum atque oppidorum habeat plenam domum, villas refertas. Etiamne huius operari studia ac delicias, iudices, perferetis?—qui ita natus, ita educatus est, ita factus et animo et corpore ut multo appositior 215 ad ferenda quam ad auferenda signa esse videatur. Atque haec Sappho sublata quantum desiderium sui reliquerit dici vix potest. Nam cum ipsa fuit egregie facta, tum epigramma Graecum pernobile incisum est in basi; quod iste eruditus homo et Graeculus, qui haec subtiliter iudicat, qui solus intellegit, si unam litteram 220 Graecam scisset, certe non sustulisset. Nunc enim quod scriptum est inani in basi, declarat quid fuerit, et id ablatum indicat. (IV. 126–27)
208. aedem Felicitatis: the temple of Fortune, built ca. 150 B.C. and filled with art objects taken from the conquered city of Corinth.
monumentum Catuli: a portico constructed by Quintus Lutatius Catulus with the spoils from his successful campaign against the Cimbri in 101 B.C.
porticum Metelli: ca. 146 B.C. Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus enclosed with a portico two temples (to Juno and Jupiter Stator) in the Campus Martius; the buildings served much as art museums.
209. det operam: a common idiom, let him take care (to), make an effort (to) + JUSSIVE NOUN CL.
istorum: i.e., Verres and his friends.
Tusculanum: sc. praedium, Tusculan villa, estate; Tusculum, a beautiful spot about 15 miles southeast of Rome, where many wealthy Romans had estates, among whom later was Cicero.
210. suorum: i.e., statues and other works of art; PARTITIVE GEN. with quid.
aedilibus: the aediles were in charge of state entertainments and might borrow art objects from wealthy associates for public display.
commodarit: = commodaverit, fut. perf. indic. of commodare, to loan; FUT. MORE VIVID CONDITION, with an imper. in the apodosis, paralleling si…volet, eat in 207.
211. habeat…habeat (212): JUSSIVE SUBJUNCTS., paralleling det and spectet; Verres should have his own private art collection, Cicero sarcastically asserts, so that he need not stoop to visit the public galleries and so that he can accommodate the aediles when they require assistance.
ornamentis: ABL. OF MEANS with plenam and refertas (crammed full, packed).
oppidorum: oppidum,town.
212. plenam domum, villas refertas: CHIASMUS and ASYNDETON underscore Cicero’s indignation.
