Letter 101.8

To Caesar Aurelius, my lord, from your consul Fronto, greeting. 1. What sort of ears men have these days, and what refinement they bring to the appraisal of speeches, you will be able to learn from our friend Aufidius: what shouts of applause my speech stirred up, and with what a chorus of praise the line was received, "In those days every portrait was painted with the patrician insignia." But when, comparing a noble line of descent with an obscure one, I said, "As if someone were to suppose that fire kindled from a funeral pyre and fire kindled from an altar are the same, simply because each gives off light alike" -- at this a few muttered under their breath. 2. Why have I brought this up? So that you, my lord, may prepare yourself in such a way, whenever you are to deliver something before a gathering of people, that you know you must serve the ears -- not, to be sure, everywhere or in every manner, yet now and then and on occasion. And when you do this, consider that you are doing the very thing you do when, at the people's demand, you reward or set free those who have killed wild beasts with spirit -- men who may even be guilty, or condemned for a crime, yet at the people's demand you grant them pardon. Everywhere, then, the people hold the mastery; they prevail and have the upper hand. Therefore you will act and speak in whatever way will be pleasing to the people. 3. Here lies that supreme and difficult excellence of an orator: that he should delight his hearers without any great loss to correct eloquence; and that those enticements which he provides for soothing the ears of the crowd should not be so falsely painted as to bring much and great disgrace. Rather, let the fault lie in a softness of composition and structure than in a shamelessness of thought [sententia]: just as a garment, too, should be made delicate by the softness of its wool rather than by an effeminate color, and should be of fine or silken thread; and let the purple itself be true purple, not muddy yellow nor saffron. For you, moreover, who must of necessity wear purple and scarlet, your oratory too must sometimes be clothed in the same dress. You will do this, and you will be tempered with the best of measure and moderation. For thus I prophesy: whatever has ever been achieved with distinction in eloquence, you will bring to perfection. With so great a natural talent, even application -- or natural talent alone, without application -- will give birth to outstanding glory. I hold it certain, my lord, that you also devote some portion of your time to writing prose oratory. For although the swiftness of horses is exercised equally whether they run and train at a four-footed gallop or at an amble, nevertheless those skills that are more necessary must be put to the test more often. 4. For by now I no longer deal with you as though I were considering you a youth of twenty-two -- the age at which I myself had scarcely yet touched any reading of the ancient authors. By the gods' favor and by your own merit you have made such progress in eloquence as would be enough to bring glory to older men, and -- what is most difficult -- in every kind of speaking. For your letters, which you have written assiduously, show me well enough what you can do even in that more relaxed and Ciceronian vein. 5. In place of Polemon the rhetorician, whom you presented to me in your recent letter as a Ciceronian, I, in the speech I delivered in the Senate, rendered him as a philosopher -- one of the most Attic stamp, unless my judgment deceives me. Come, what do you say, Marcus, how does the story of Polemon as I have set it down strike you? To be sure, Horatius Flaccus furnished me with a great deal of wit on that point -- a memorable poet, and one not unconnected with me on account of Maecenas and my Gardens of Maecenas. [Fronto owned the former estate of Maecenas, Horace's patron.] For this Horatius, in the second book of his Satires, worked in that story of Polemon, if I remember rightly, in these verses: "Be changed, like Polemon: lay aside the badges of your malady -- the bandages, the elbow-cushion, the throat-wrappers -- as he is said, in his cups, to have stolen the garlands from his neck by stealth, once he was struck to the quick by the voice of his fasting master." 6. The verses you had sent me I have sent back to you by our friend Victorinus, and I sent them back in this fashion: I sewed the sheet carefully through with thread and so sealed up the thread that that little mouse should not be able to pry into anything by any means. For he himself has never shared a single thing of your hexameters with me, so wicked and mischievous is he. But he claims that you recite your hexameters deliberately quickly and at a rush, so that he cannot commit them to memory. So I have repaid him in kind: like for like -- that he should not hear a single verse from this packet. I remember, too, that you have frequently warned me not to show your verses to anyone. 7. How is it, my lord? Surely you are in good spirits, surely you are in good health, surely you are sound in all respects? Provided you are never unwell in like manner -- never throw us into such alarm as you did on your birthday; about the rest I worry less. "If any evil is coming to you, may it fall upon the heads of the Pyrrhaeans." Farewell, my joy, my security, my cheer, my glory. Farewell, and love me, I beg you, in every way, both in jest and in earnest. 8. I have written your mother a letter -- such is my impudence -- in Greek, and I have folded it into the letter written to you. Read it first yourself, and if any barbarism is in it, you, who are fresher in Greek letters than I am, correct it and so hand it over to your mother. For I would not have your mother despise me as an Opican. [An Opican was, in Greek eyes, a crude, uncultured Italian.] Farewell, my lord, and give your mother a kiss when you give her the letter, so that she may read it the more gladly.

After August 13, 143 A.D. To my Lord Aurelius Caesar your consul Fronto. 1. What nice ears men have nowadays! What taste in judging of speeches! You can leam from our Aufidius what shouts of applause were evoked in my speech, and with what a chorus of approval were greeted the words in those days every bust was decorated with patrician insignia ; but when, comparing a noble with a plebeian race, I said, As if one were to think the flame kindled on a pyre and on an altar to be the same because both alike give light , at this a few murmurs were heard. 2. Why have I told you this? That you, my Lord, may be prepared, when you speak before an assembly of men, to study their taste, not, of course, everywhere and by every means, yet occasionally and to some extent. And when you do so, remind yourself that you are but doing the same as you do when, at the people's request, you honour or enfranchise those who have slain beasts manfully in the arena; criminals even they may be or felons, yet you release them at the people's request. Everywhere, then, the people prevail and get their way. Therefore must you so act and so speak as shall please the people. 3. Herein lies that supreme excellence of an orator, and one not easily attainable, that he should please his hearers without any great sacrifice of right eloquence, and should let his blandishments, meant to tickle the ears of the people, be coloured indeed, but not along with any great or wholesale sacrifice of dignity: rather that in its composition and fabric there should be a lapse into a certain softness but no wantonness of thought. So, too, in a garment, I should prefer it to be of the softness that belongs to wool rather than to an effeminate colour; it should be of finely woven or silken thread, and itself purple not flame-red or saffron. You and your father, moreover, who are bound to wear purple and crimson, must on occasion clothe your words, too, in the same dress. You will do this and be restrained and moderate with the best moderation and restraint. For this is what I prophesy, that what has ever been done in eloquence will be done to the full by you, so great is your natural capacity, and with such zeal and application do you devote yourself to learning; although, in others, either application without capacity, or capacity alone without application, has won outstanding glory. I feel sure, my Lord, that you spend no little time in writing prose also. For though the swiftness of steeds is equally well exercised whether they run and practise at a gallop or a trot, yet the more serviceable qualities must be the more frequently put into requisition. 4. For by now I do not treat you as if I thought you were twenty-two years old. At an age when I had scarcely touched any of the ancient authors you, by the grace of the gods and your own merit, have made such progress in eloquence as would bring fame to greybeards, and that, too—a far from easy task—in every branch of the art. For your letters, which you write so regularly, are enough to shew me what you can further do in that more familiar and Ciceronian vein. 5. Instead of Polemo the rhetorician, whom you lately presented to me in your letter as a Ciceronian, I have given back to you in my speech, which I delivered in the Senate, a philosopher, if I am not mistaken, of the hoariest antiquity. Come, what say you, Marcus, how does my version of the story of Polemo strike you? Of course, Horatius Flaccus, a famous poet, and one with whom I have a connexion through Maecenas and my "gardens of Maecenas," supplied me with plenty of smart things on that subject. For this Horatius, in his second book of Satires, brings in the story of Polemo, if I remember rightly, in the following lines:— Would you the marks of mental ill forswear, The scarf, spats, lappet, that the rake declare? Be changed, like Polemo, who, in drunken rage, Scoffed at the teaching of the sober sage; But cut to the heart by what he heard, 'tis said, Plucked off by stealth the garlands from his head. 6. The verses which you sent me I have sent you back by our Victorinus, and this is how I have sent them. I have carefully sewn the paper across with thread, and so sealed the thread that that little mouse should poke his nose in anywhere. For he himself has never given me any information about your hexameters, so naughty is he and knavish. But he says that you purposely recite your hexameters so glibly and so fast that he cannot commit them to memory. So I have paid him back in his own coin: tit for tat—not to hear a line out of the packet. I remember, too, that you have often impressed upon me not to let anyone see your verses. 7. How is it with you, my Lord? Surely you are cheerful, surely you are well, surely sound in all respects. Other things are of little consequence, so you never give us the bad fright you did on your birthday. If any evil threatens you, "may it fall on the Pyrrhaeans' heads." Farewell, my joy, my refuge, happiness, glory. Farewell, and love me, I beseech you, every way in jest as in earnest. I have written your mother a letter, such is my assurance, in Greek, and enclose it in my letter to you. Please read it first, and if you detect any barbarism in it, for you are fresher from your Greek than I am, correct it and so hand it over to your mother. I should not like her to look down on me as a goth. Farewell, my Lord, kiss your mother when you give her my letter, that she may read it the more gladly.

ad M. Caesarem 2.2 [17 Hout; 1.118 Haines] Caesari Aurelio domino meo consul tuus Fronto salutem 1 Quae sint aures hominum hoc tempore, quanta in spectandis orationibus elegantia, ex Aufidio nostro scire poteris: Quantos in oratione mea clamores concitarit, quantoque concentu laudantium sit exceptum “omnis tunc imago patriciis pingebatur insignibus”. At ubi genus nobile cum ignobili comparans dixi: “Ut si quis ignem e rogo et ara accensum similem putet, quoniam aeque luceat”, ad hoc pauculi admurmurati sunt. 2 Quorsum hoc rettuli? Uti te, domine, ita conpares, ubi quid in coetu hominum recitabis, ut scias auribus serviendum; plane non ubique nec omni modo, attamen nonnumquam et aliquando. Quod ubi facies, simile facere te reputato atque illud facitis, ubi eos, qui bestias stenue interfecerint, populo postulante ornatis aut manumittitis, nocentes etiam homines aut scelere damnatos, sed populo postulante conceditis. Ubique igitur populus dominatur, praevalet et praepollet. Igitur ut populo gratum erit, ita facies atque ita dices. 3 Hic summa illa virtus oratoris atque ardua est, ut non magno detrimento rectae eloquentiae auditores oblectet; eaque delenimenta, quae mulcendis volgi auribus conparat, ne cum multo ac magno dedecore fucata sint: Potius, ut in conpositionis structuraeque mollitia sit delictum quam in sententia inpudentia; vestem quoque lanarum mollitia delicatam esse quam colore muliebri, filo tenui aut serico; purpuram ipsam, non luteam nec crocatam. Vobis praetera, quibus purpura et cocco uti necessarium est, eodem cultu nonnumquam oratio quoque est amicienda. Facies istud, et temperaberis modo temperamentoque optimo. Sic enim auguror: Quicquid egregie umquam in eloquentia factum sit, te id perfecturum: Tanto ingenio studium vel sine studio solum ingenium egregiam gloriam pepererit. Certum habeo te, domine, aliquantum temporis etiam prosae orationi scribendae impertire. Nam etsi aeque pernicitas equorum exercetur, sive quadripedo currant atque exerceantur sive tolutim, attamen ea, quae magis necessaria frequentius sunt experiunda. 4 Jam enim non ita tecum ago, ut te duos et viginti annos natum cogiem, qua aetate ego vixdum quicquam veterum lectione attigeram. Deorum et tua virtute profectum tantum in eloquentia adsecutus es, quantus senioribus ad gloriam sufficat et, quod es difficillimum, in omni genere dicendi. Nam epistulae tuae, quae adsidue scripsisti, mihi satis ostendunt, quid etiam in istis remissioribus et Tullianis facere possis. 5 Pro Polemone rhetore, quem mihi tu in epistula tua proxime exhibuisti Tullianum, ego in oratione, quam in senatu recitavi, philosophum reddidi, nisi me opinio fallit, peratticum. Ain, quid judicas, Marce, quemadmodum tibi videtur fabula Polemonis a me descripta? Plane multum mihi facetiarum contulit istic Horatius Flaccus, memorabilis poeta mihique propter Maecenatem ac Maecenatianos hortos meos non alienus. Is namque Horatius Sermonum libro secundo fabulam istam Polemonis inseruit, si recte memini, hisce versibus: “Mutatus Polemon ponas insignia morbi, fasciolas, cubital, focalia, potus ut ille dicitur ex collo furtim carpsisse coronas, postquam est inpransi correptus voce magistri.” 6 Versus quos mihi miseras remisi tibi per Victorinum nostrum atque ita remisi: Chartam diligenter lino transui et ita linum obsignavi, ne musculus iste aliquid aliqua rimari possit. Nam mihi ipse de tuis hexametris numquam quicquam impertivit, ita est malus ac malitiosus. Sed ait te de industria cito et cursim hexametros tuos recitare: Eo se memoriae mandare non posse. Remuneratus est igitur a me mutuo; paria paribus habet, ne ullum hinc versum audiret. Memini etiam te frequenter ne cuiquam versus tuos ostenderem admonuisse. 7 Quid est, domine? Certo hilaris es, certe bene vales, omnium rerum certe sanus es? Male dum similiter, ne umquam ita nos perturbes, ut natali tuo perturbasti; cetera minus laboro. εἴ τί σοι κακόν, εἰς Πυρραίων κεφαλήν. Vale meum gaudium, mea securitas, hilaritas, gloria. Vale et me, obsecro, omni modo ames, qua joco, qua serio. 8 Epistulam matri tuae scripsi quae mea inpudentia est Graece, eamque epistulae ad te scriptae inplicui. Tu prior lege et, si quis inerit barbarimus, tu, qui a Graecis litteris recentior es, corrige atque ita matri redde. Nolo enim me mater tua ut Opicum contemnat. Vale, domine, et matri savium da, cum epistulam dabis, quo libentius legat.