In Verrem 2.4.10-13

Question 1

Quae fuit causa cur tam diligenter nos in provinciis ab emptionibus removerent?

Answer 1

What was the reason why they kept us so diligently from making purchases in the provinces?

Question 2

Haec, iudices, quod putabant ereptionem esse,

Answer 2

This is the cause, judges, because they thought this was theft,

Question 3

non emptionem, cum venditori suo arbitratu vendere non liceret.

Answer 3

not a purchase, since it was not allowed for the seller to sell on his own judgement/terms.

Question 4

In provinciis intellegebant,

Answer 4

In the provinces they were understanding

Question 5

si is qui esset cum imperio ac potestate quod apud quemque esset emere vellet,

Answer 5

if the man who was with the power and command was wanting to buy something which was in the possession of anyone,

Question 6

idque ei liceret,

Answer 6

and that was permitted to him,

Question 7

fore uti quod quisque vellet, [auferret]

Answer 7

it would be with the result that what each guy was wanting he would carry it away,

Question 8

sive esset venale sive non esset,

Answer 8

whether it was for sale or it wasn’t

Question 9

quanti vellet auferret.

Answer 9

for however much he wanted

Question 10

Dicet aliquis:

Answer 10

Another would say

Question 11

Sic agam:

Answer 11

Thus I would act in this way:

Question 12

si, quod venale habuit Heius,

Answer 12

if Heius had that which was for sale

Question 13

id quanti aestimabat tanti vendidit,

Answer 13

he sold it for as much as he estimated the value to be,

Question 14

desino quaerere cur emeris.

Answer 14

I cease to ask why you bought it.

Question 15

Quid igitur nobis faciendum est?

Answer 15

What must be done by us therefore?

Question 16

num argumentis utendum in re eius modi?

Answer 16

Must we use arguments in a matter of this kind?

Question 17

Quaerendum, credo, est Heius iste num aes alienum habuerit,

Answer 17

It must be asked, I suppose, whether Heius had debt (bronze of another),

Question 18

num auctionem fecerit;

Answer 18

whether he held an auction;

Question 19

si fecit, num tanta difficultas eum rei nummariae tenuerit,

Answer 19

if he did, whether so great a difficulty of a financial matter held him,

Question 20

tanta egestas,

Answer 20

so much violence,

Question 21

tanta vis presserit ut sacrarium suum spoliaret,

Answer 21

so great a force squeezed/pressed him to plunder his own shrine,

Question 22

ut deos patrios venderet.

Answer 22

to sell his ancestral gods.

Question 23

At hominem video auctionem fecisse nullam,

Answer 23

But I see that the man held no auction;

Question 24

vendidisse praeter fructus suos nihil umquam,

Answer 24

that he had sold nothing except his own produce ever;

Question 25

non modo in aere alieno nullo,

Answer 25

that he not only is and always has been in no debt,

Question 26

sed in suis nummis multis esse et semper fuisse;

Answer 26

but in a lot of his own money;

Question 27

si haec contra ac dico essent omnia,

Answer 27

if all these things were otherwise than I say

Question 28

tamen illum haec, quae tot annos in familia sacrarioque maiorum fuissent, [venditurum non fuisse]

Answer 28

nevertheless that Heius [was not about to sell] these things which had been in his family and in the shrine of his ancestors for so many years.

Question 29

venditurum non fuisse.

Answer 29

was not about to sell

Question 30

'Quid, si magnitudine pecuniae persuasum est?'

Answer 30

"What if there was persuasion by the magnitude of money?"

Question 31

Veri simile non est ut ille homo tam locuples,

Answer 31

It is not probable that a man so rich,

Question 32

tam honestus,

Answer 32

so honest/honorable,

Question 33

religioni suae monumentisque maiorum pecuniam anteponeret.

Answer 33

would put money before his own religion and the monuments of his ancestors.

Question 34

'Sunt ista;

Answer 34

“There are those things;

Question 35

verum tamen abducuntur homines non numquam etiam ab institutis suis magnitudine pecuniae.'

Answer 35

nevertheless men are sometimes led astray even from their own principles by a large amount of money.”

Question 36

Videamus quanta ista pecunia fuerit quae potuerit Heium,

Answer 36

Let us see how great a sum this was which able to turn/lead away Heius,

Question 37

hominem maxime locupletem,

Answer 37

a man especially rich,

Question 38

minime avarum,

Answer 38

not at all greedy,

Question 39

ab humanitate, a pietate, ab religione deducere.

Answer 39

away from his culture, from his devotion, and from religion observance / reverence.

Question 40

Ita iussisti, opinor, ipsum in tabulas referre:

Answer 40

Thus, you ordered him himself, I believe, to record on tablets:

Question 41

'Haec omnia signa Praxiteli, Myronis, Polycliti HS sex milibus quingentis Verri vendita.'

Answer 41

“All these statues of Praxiteles, of Myron, of Polycletus, were sold to Verres for six thousand five hundred sesterces.”

Question 42

Sic rettulit.

Answer 42

Thus he recorded them.

Question 43

Recita. Ex tabulis.

Answer 43

Read it from the tablets.

Question 44

Iuvat me haec praeclara nomina artificum,

Answer 44

It pleases me that these very famous names of artists,

Question 45

quae isti ad caelum ferunt,

Answer 45

which those men carry to the heavens,

Question 46

Verris aestimatione sic concidisse.

Answer 46

thus have fallen in the estimation of Verres.

Question 47

Cupidinem Praxiteli HS mdc!

Answer 47

A cupid of Praxiteles for 1600 sesterces!

Question 48

Profecto hinc natum est,

Answer 48

From this place certainly it was born,

Question 49

'Malo emere quam rogare.'

Answer 49

“I prefer to buy rather than to ask.”

Question 50

Dicet aliquis:

Answer 50

Someone will say,

Question 51

'Quid? tu ista permagno aestimas?'

Answer 51

“What? Do you really value those things for a high price?”

Question 52

Ego vero ad meam rationem usumque meum non aestimo;

Answer 52

I in truth do not value them according to my calculation and my experience;

Question 53

verum tamen a vobis ita arbitror spectari oportere,

Answer 53

But nevertheless, thus I think that it is fitting that it be considered by you all,

Question 54

quanti haec eorum iudicio qui studiosi sunt harum rerum aestimentur,

Answer 54

for how much these things are valued by the judgement of those who are passionate about these things,

Question 55

quanti venire soleant,

Answer 55

for how much they are accustomed to come to market,

Question 56

quanti haec ipsa, si palam libereque venirent, venire possent,

Answer 56

for how much these things themselves, if they were coming to market openly and freely, were able to come to market,

Question 57

denique ipse Verres quanti aestimet.

Answer 57

finally for how much Verres himself values them.

Question 58

Numquam enim,

Answer 58

For he would never have been so foolish,

Question 59

si denariis cccc Cupidinem illum putasset,

Answer 59

if he had thought that Cupid (was worth) four hundred denarii,

Question 60

commisisset ut propter eum in sermonem hominum atque in tantam vituperationem veniret.

Answer 60

that he came on account of it into the conversation of men and so much hostility/blame.