Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes
Lucilius, unassigned fragment (1228-1234 Marx, 1145-1151 Warmington, tr. Warmington):
Newer› ‹Older
But, as it is, from morning till night, on holiday and workday, the whole commons and the senators too, all alike go bustling about in the Forum and nowhere leave it; all give themselves over to one and the same interest and artifices—namely to be able to swindle with impunity, to fight cunningly, to strive, using soft words as weapons, to act the 'fine fellow,' to lie in wait, as though all of them were enemies of all men.Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
nunc vero a mani ad noctem festo atque profesto
totus item pariterque die populusque patresque
iactare indu foro se omnes, decedere nusquam;
uni se atque eidem studio omnes dedere et arti—
verba dare ut caute possint, pugnare dolose,
blanditia certare, bonum simulare virum se,
insidias facere ut si hostes sint omnibus omnes.
