starters from the 44 bce speech by cicero, ATTACK ON AN ENEMY OF FREEDOM
âwhy is this my fate?â
âthey have paid me graver penalties than i could have wished.â
âwhat happened to them ought to frighten you.â
âbut you, i have never injured, even in words.â
âi think you know why you brought this matter up.â
âi do not see how you could have killed me.â
âit seemed to me less undesirable to admit my obligation to you than to let ignorant people think me ungrateful.â
âyou admitted this yourself.â
âjust see how unbelievably stupid he is as well.â
âwhat a disgusting, intolerable, sensualist the man is, as well as a vicious, unsavoury crook!â
âyour impudence must be equal to your debauchery if you dare make that assertion in this very place.â
âheaven knows this did not suit you.â
âthese are old stories.â
âdo you not understand this?â
âwhat a fool you are, (Â name ).â
âconcentrate please - just for a little.â
âtry to make your brain work for a moment as if you were sober.â
âyou look rather worried.â
âif what i am now going to say is known to you already, then your fate is sad indeed : and sadder still if it is not.â
âwell, is that a lie?â
âthat would be out of the question.â
âi pity the very walls and roof of that house.â
âi feel no surprise when you disturb the peace.â
âwhat were you begging for?â
âwhat would you then have said?â
âfear made you a good citizen.â
âwe are colleagues ; no one will refuse.â
âpeace and slavery are very different things.â
âif the hope of being praised cannot entice you to behave decently, is fear equally incapable of scaring you out of your repulsive behaviour?â
âto be afraid of danger from oneâs own people night and day is no sort of a life.â
âyou and he are not in any way comparable.â
âi shall not be intimidated by you.â
âi would gladly offer my own body, if my death could redeem the freedom of our nation.â