First he had to fight for the right to deliver the prosecution instead of quintus caecilius niger, a client of verres who would likely have neutered the case against him. Latin text with introduction, study questions, commentary and english translation marcus tullius cicero edited and translated by ingo gildenhard november 2011. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Verres in sicilia sacra profanaque omnia et privatim et publice spoliarit, versatusque sit sine ulla non modo religione verum etiam dissimulatione in omni genere furandi atque praedandi. Sed quaedam mihi magnifica et praeclara eius defensio ostenditur. It is true that the person of verres was sufficiently inviting as a subject for ridicule. Nemini video dubium esse, iudices, quin apertissime c. Latin text with introduction, study questions, commentary and english translation. Tullius cicero, against verres, actio 2, the second book of. Cicero had no dislike to puns, and has played a good deal on the name of verres, which means a boar. Against verressecond pleadingbook 2 wikisource, the free online. Second pleading, book 3 concerning his manner of deciding cases as a judge while in sicily.
And in this branch of the accusation he does not attend to the. He was too eager to acquire the reputation of a wit. Against verres wikisource, the free online library. Against verressecond pleadingbook 2 wikisource, the. Tullius cicero, against verres, actio 2, the fourth. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. Cicero divides his accusation of verres, on account of his conduct in sicily, under four heads, of which the first is judicial corruption and extortion. Verrine orations, which are divided into five books. Concerning his manner of deciding cases as a judge while in sicily 50%. Tullius cicero, against verres, actio 2, the fourth book of. You will find that they were all so continued in the. In 70 bc cicero, who had served as quaestor in sicily five years previously, was commissioned by the sicilians to prosecute the islands former governor, gaius verres, for corruption. A french translator in commenting on this oration says, with reference to the slighting way in which cicero speaks of the works of art thus stolen,the romans.