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Cicero

Brutus, or On Eminent Orators Passage 46

Passage 46 of 334

Canonical reference 46

Latin

perseus-cicero-brutus-lat

itaque ait Aristoteles, cum sublatis in Sicilia tyrannis res privatae longo intervallo iudiciis repeterentur, tum primum, quod esset acuta illa gens et controversia †natura , artem et praecepta Siculos Coracem et Tisiam conscripsisse - nam antea neminem solitum via nec arte, sed accurate tamen et descripte plerosque dicere - ; scriptasque fuisse et paratas a Protagora rerum inlustrium disputationes, qui nunc communes appellantur loci;

English AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

"Thus Aristotle says that, after the tyrants had been removed in Sicily and private claims were pursued in the courts after a long interval, the Sicilians Corax and Tisias, because that people was keen-witted and by nature †contentious, were the first to compose a systematic art and rules. Before them, no one had been accustomed to speak by method or art, though many spoke carefully and according to an arranged plan. He also says that Protagoras wrote out and prepared discussions of notable subjects, which are now called commonplaces;

French AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

«Ainsi Aristote rapporte que, les tyrans ayant été renversés en Sicile et les biens privés ayant été, après une longue interruption, réclamés devant les tribunaux, les Siciliens Corax et Tisias, parce que ce peuple était pénétrant et naturellement †porté à la controverse, rédigèrent les premiers un art et des préceptes. Auparavant, personne ne suivait, disait-on, une méthode ou un art, quoique la plupart prononçassent des discours soigneusement travaillés et ordonnés. Protagoras avait aussi composé des discussions écrites et préparées sur des sujets illustres, qu'on appelle aujourd'hui lieux communs.»

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