Cicero | Page 9

municipal franchise of Consa--that he had served in a campaign with
Lucius Pretius, a distinguished Roman knight, now engaged in business
at Panormus, from whom Verres might ascertain the truth of his
statement. Then that man replies that he has discovered that he, Gavius,
has been sent into Sicily as a spy by the ringleaders of the runaway
slaves; of which charge there was neither witness nor trace of any kind,
or even suspicion in any man's mind. Then he ordered the man to be
scourged severely all over his body. Yes--a Roman citizen was cut to
pieces with rods in the open forum at Messana, gentlemen; and as the
punishment went on, no word, no groan of the wretched man, in all his
anguish, was heard amid the sound of the lashes, but this cry,--'I am a

Roman citizen!' By such protest of citizenship he thought he could at
least save himself from anything like blows--could escape the indignity
of personal torture. But not only did he fail in thus deprecating the
insult of the lash, but when he redoubled his entreaties and his appeal to
the name of Rome, a cross--yes, I say, a cross--was ordered for that
most unfortunate and ill-fated man, who had never yet beheld such an
abuse of a governor's power.
"O name of liberty, sweet to our ears! O rights of citizenship, in which
we glory! O laws of Porcius and Sempronius! O privilege of the tribune,
long and sorely regretted, and at last restored to the people of Rome!
Has it all come to this, that a Roman citizen in a province of the Roman
people--in a federal town--is to be bound and beaten with rods in the
forum by a man who only holds those rods and axes--those awful
emblems--by grace of that same people of Rome? What shall I say of
the fact that fire, and red-hot plates, and other tortures were applied?
Even if his agonised entreaties and pitiable cries did not check you,
were you not moved by the tears and groans which burst from the
Roman citizens who were present at the scene? Did you dare to drag to
the cross any man who claimed to be a citizen of Rome?--I did not
intend, gentlemen, in my former pleading, to press this case so
strongly--I did not indeed; for you saw yourselves how the public
feeling was already embittered against the defendant by indignation,
and hate, and dread of a common peril".
He then proceeds to prove by witnesses the facts of the case and the
falsehood of the charge against Gavius of having been a spy.
"However", he goes on to say, addressing himself now to Verres, "we
will grant, if you please, that your suspicions on this point, if false,
were honestly entertained".
"You did not know who the man was; you suspected him of being a spy.
I do not ask the grounds of your suspicion. I impeach you on your own
evidence. He said he was a Roman citizen. Had you yourself, Verres,
been seized and led out to execution, in Persia, say, or in the farthest
Indies, what other cry or protest could you raise but that you were a
Roman citizen? And if you, a stranger there among strangers, in the

hands of barbarians, amongst men who dwell in the farthest and
remotest regions of the earth, would have found protection in the name
of your city, known and renowned in every nation under heaven, could
the victim whom you were dragging to the cross, be he who he
might--and you did not know who he was--when he declared he was a
citizen of Rome, could he obtain from you, a Roman magistrate, by the
mere mention and claim of citizenship, not only no reprieve, but not
even a brief respite from death?
"Men of neither rank nor wealth, of humble birth and station, sail the
seas; they touch at some spot they never saw before, where they are
neither personally known to those whom they visit, nor can always find
any to vouch for their nationality. But in this single fact of their
citizenship they feel they shall be safe, not only with our own
governors, who are held in check by the terror of the laws and of public
opinion--not only among those who share that citizenship of Rome, and
who are united with them by community of language, of laws, and of
many things besides--but go where they may, this, they think, will be
their safe guard. Take away this confidence, destroy this safeguard for
our Roman citizens--once establish the principle that there is no
protection in the words, 'I am a citizen of Rome'--that praetor or other
magistrate may with impunity sentence to what punishment he will a
man