Sophie BC 10
/
Latin
English
[ 10 ] sed ubi labōre atque iūstitiā rēs pūblica crēvit , rēgēs magnī bellō domitī , nātiōnēs ferae et populī ingentēs vī subāctī , Carthāgō , aemula imperī Rōmānī , ab stirpe interiit , cūncta maria terraeque patēbant , saevīre fortūna ac miscēre omnia coepit . 2 quī labōrēs , perīcula , dubiās atque asperās rēs facile tolerāverant , iīs ōtium dīvitiae , optanda aliās , onerī miseriaeque fuēre . 3 igitur prīmō pecūniae , deinde imperī cupīdō crēvit ; ea quasi māteriēs omnium malōrum fuēre . 4 namque avāritia fidem , probitātem , cēterāsque artīs bonās subvortit ; prō hīs superbiam , crūdēlitātem , deōs neglegere , omnia vēnālia habēre ēdocuit . 5 ambitiō multōs mortālīs falsōs fierī subēgit , aliud clausum in pectore , aliud in linguā prōmptum habēre , amīcitiās inimīcitiāsque nōn ex rē , sed ex commodō aestumāre ; magisque voltum quam ingenium bonum habēre . 6 haec prīmō paulātim crēscere , interdum vindicārī ; post , ubi contāgiō quasi pestilentia invāsit , cīvitās immūtāta , imperium ex iūstissumō atque optumō crūdēle intolerandumque factum .
But
,
when
the
commonwealth
had
grown
through
hard
work
and
justice
,
and
great
kings
had
been
tamed
in
war
,
and
wild
nations
and
mighty
peoples
subdued
by
force
,
and
Carthage
-
the
rival
of
Rome
for
command
of
an
empire
-
had
been
eradicated
,
and
all
seas
and
lands
became
accessible
,
then
Fortune
began
to
turn
savage
and
to
confound
everything
.
Those
who
had
easily
tolerated
hard
work
,
danger
and
uncertain
and
rough
conditions
,
regarded
leisure
and
riches
(
things
to
be
craved
under
other
circumstances
)
as
a
burden
and
a
source
of
misery
.
Hence
it
was
the
desire
for
money
first
of
all
,
and
then
for
empire
,
which
grew
;
and
those
factors
were
the
kindling
(
so
to
speak
)
of
every
wickedness
.
For
avarice
undermined
trust
,
probity
and
all
other
good
qualities
;
instead
,
it
taught
men
haughtiness
,
cruelty
,
to
neglect
the
gods
,
to
regard
everything
as
for
sale
.
Ambition
reduced
many
mortals
to
becoming
false
,
having
one
sentiment
shut
away
in
the
heart
and
another
ready
on
the
tongue
,
assessing
friendships
and
antagonisms
in
terms
not
of
reality
but
of
advantage
,
and
having
a
good
demeanour
rather
than
a
good
disposition
.
At
first
these
things
grew
gradually
;
sometimes
they
were
punished
;
but
after
,
when
the
contamination
had
attacked
like
a
plague
,
the
community
changed
and
the
exercise
of
command
,
from
being
the
best
and
most
just
,
became
cruel
and
intolerable
.