#pro plancio

[philosophybits]

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.

Cicero, Pro Plancio

[homerandcicero]

Excerpts from Cicero's Pro Plancio

(aka, Chapter 2)

I do not fear, jury members, that I will seem to be too boastful if I will have spoken of my quaestorship. Nor do I fear lest anyone who dares to speak of my quaestorship in Sicily was either popular or distinguished.

Truly, by Hercules, I will say this: as I thought at the time, that other men in Rome spoke of nothing unless I was my quaestorship. When corn was very dear the greatest number were unhappy; I was seeing most diligent in my office civil bankers, just merchants, and generous tax gatherers, all while keeping away from the possessions of our allies: they were devising certain unheard of Sicilian honores for me. Therefore I was leaving in this hope that I expected the Roman people to grant me all this un-asked-for.

[...]

But I, when at that time it fell intending to make the journey departing from my province I came by chance to Puteoli, a place where many f the most fashionable were accustomed to be, I almost collapsed, jury members, when someone asked of me if I had come from Rome and whether there was any news.

When I replied that I had departed from my province, he replied "Yes, by Hercules. As I believe, from Africa."

Here I now I replied "No, from Sicily," being irritated and scornful.

At that moment, one of those know-it-alls said "What? Do you not know he was quaestor in Syracuse?"

To cut a long story short, I stopped being annoyed and made myself one of those who had come for the waters. But that incident, jury members, I do not know but that it benefitted me more than all the praise would have. For after that I realized that the ears of the Roman people were rather dull, but their eyes were keen and sharp, I ceased to expect that men were going to hear about me; after I made sure that they saw me in person, I dwelled in eyesight, I haunted the forum; no one was driven away from a meeting with me by my doorkeeper or sleep.