M. CORNELIUS FRONTO
achievements, civil and military, had already won him the love of others. Not to mention his other friends, he was on the most intimate terms with Marcius Turbo[1] and Erucius Clarus,[2] who were both eminent men in the first rank, the one of the Knights, the other of the Senators. Subsequently, however, a great accession of honours and authority accrued to him from your courts[3] also. Such was the man whose friendship I coveted.
4. Possibly some might say that I ought to have given up my friendship with him when I realized that he was not held by you in the same favour as before. But, Imperator, I was never of such a spirit as to cast off a friendship formed in prosperity as soon as a whisper of adversity was audible. And in any case—for why should I not say what is in my mind?—I shall hold as an enemy one who bears you no love, but one for whom you have but little love I shall count as an unfortunate rather than as an enemy[† 1] . . . . There is a very great difference between blaming a man and hating him . . . . was in want of friends and advice. And would that Niger, as in most things subsequently he was guided by me, so had asked my advice in drawing up his will! Never would he have seared his memory with such a stain by reckless words that injured himself more than anyone else.
5. Nor . . . .[† 2] would an interval have intervened . . . . a man at the very time of his offence. But he offends from very love, just as most animals that
- ↑ He was praef. pract. under Hadrian from 119–135 A.D.
- ↑ Consul II. in 146, and then praef. urbi.
- ↑ Or do the words mean "from your marks of approbation"?
