The Fall of the Roman Republic
PlutarkhosSözler ve Alıntılar
Dangerous is the lion's lair
Even when the lion's not there.
Then there was Marcus Appius who opened his speech in a lawsuit by saying that his friend had begged him to show care, eloquence and integrity. ‘And how can you be so hard-hearted,’ said Cicero, ‘as not to exhibit a single one of those qualities which your friend demanded of you?’
First, when the pirates demanded a ransom of twenty talents, Caesar burst out laughing. They did not know, he said, who it was that they had captured, and he volunteered to pay fifty.
These people objected to his jurisdiction and authority, claiming that it was contrary to an ancient law established by the Romans. To this Pompey replied: ‘Stop quoting the laws to us. We carry swords.’
Apollonius had shown no particular excitement while he was listening, and now that Cicero had stopped speaking he sat for a long time lost in thought. Cicero was distressed at this, but finally Apollonius said: ‘Certainly, Cicero, I congratulate you and I am amazed at you. It is Greece and her fate that I am sorry for. The only glories that were left to us were our culture and our eloquence. Now I see that these too are going to be taken over in your person by Rome.‘