FRAGMENTS ²⁹⁶

I. Words excerpted from the letter of Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi, from the book of Cornelius Nepos On the Latin Historians.²⁹⁷

You will say that it is beautiful to take revenge on enemies.  That seems neither greater nor more beautiful to anyone than to me, but <only> if it is allowed by the safety of the republic to pursue it.  But inasmuch as that cannot be done, for a long time and in many ways our enemies will not perish, as this is better than that the republic  be overthrown and perish.

II.  Likewise from another place.

I intend to swear formally that, apart from those who killed Tiberius Gracchus, no enemy has caused me so many troubles and so many labours as you on account of these things; you who should, as the only one <surviving> of all those children whom I had  previously, have taken trouble and care that I should have the fewest anxieties in my old age; certainly you should have wished that all your actions should be pleasing to me  and to consider it a sin to do things of great importance against my advice, especially when a small part of life remains to me.  Cannot even that brief span aid me in preventing you from opposing me and ruining the republic?  Finally what end will there be?  Will our family ever stop the insanity?  Will it ever be possible to have moderation?   Will we ever desist from causing and suffering trouble?  Will we ever be embarrased to confuse and disturb the republic?  But if it is not possible in any way, when I am dead, campaign for the tribunacy;  do whatever you like, as far as I am concerned, when I am no longer aware of it.  When I am dead, you will make sacrifices at my tomb, and invoke the parental deity.  In that time, will you not be ashamed to ask for the prayers of those as gods whom living and present you abandoned and deserted?  Jupiter forbid you to persist in that, or allow such madness to come into your soul.  And if you persist, I fear that you will receive so much trouble in your whole life that it will never be possible to make peace with yourself.

III.  Cornelius Nepos, in the book On the Latin Historians, in praise of Cicero.²⁹⁸

You should not ignore that this ²⁹⁹  is the sole branch of Latin letters that still cannot be compared with that of the Greeks, but was left rude and inchoate by the death of Cicero.  For he was the only man who could or sought to produce history in a worthy way, since he highly polished up the rude eloquence handed down from the great men of the past, and strengthened Latin philosophy, before him uncouth, with his style.  From which I doubt whether from his loss the republic or history suffered more.

IV.  Likewise.

Opulent and divine nature, to obtain greater admiration and wider benefit, has chosen not to give every gift to one man, nor further to deny every gift to anyone.

V.  Cornelius Nepos so wrote to ... Cicero. ³⁰⁰

I am so far from thinking that philosophy teaches how to live, and the thing that perfects a blessed life, that I consider no men have more need of teachers in how to live than most of those who spend their time teaching it. For I see that a great part of those who lecture most subtly in the schools on decency and continence themselves live in lusts for every kind of sensual pleasure.

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