Brutus ou Des orateurs illustres Passage 309

eram cum Stoico Diodoto , qui cum habitavisset apud me me cumque vixisset, nuper est domi meae mortuus. A quo cum in aliis rebus tum studiosissime in dialectica exercebar, quae quasi contracta et astricta eloquentia putanda est; sine qua etiam tu, Brute, iudicavisti te illam iustam eloquentiam, quam dialecticam esse dilatatam putant , consequi non posse. Huic ego doctori et eius artibus variis atque multis ita eram tamen deditus ut ab exercitationibus oratoriis nullus dies vacuus esset.

I was studying with the Stoic Diodotus, who, after residing with me and sharing my life, recently died in my house. Among other subjects, he trained me most diligently in dialectic, which must be regarded as a compressed and tightly bound eloquence. Without it, even you, Brutus, judged that you could not attain that complete eloquence which is considered an expanded dialectic. Yet I was devoted to this teacher and his many varied arts in such a way that no day was free from oratorical exercises.

Je vivais avec le stoïcien Diodotus, qui, après avoir habité et vécu auprès de moi, est mort récemment dans ma maison. Il m’exerçait très assidûment, entre autres matières, à la dialectique, qu’il faut regarder comme une éloquence resserrée et étroitement liée. Sans elle, toi aussi, Brutus, tu as jugé ne pouvoir atteindre cette éloquence véritable que l’on considère comme une dialectique déployée. J’étais pourtant si attaché à ce maître et à ses arts nombreux et variés qu’aucun jour ne restait exempt d’exercices oratoires.