Lettres à Atticus Passage 3

sed accipe alia. res fluit ad interregnum, et est non nullus odor dictaturae, sermo quidem multus; qui etiam Gabinium apud timidos iudices adiuvit. candidati consulares omnes rei ambitus. accedit etiam Gabinius; quem P. Sulla non dubitans quin foris esset postularat contra dicente et nihil obtinente Torquato. sed omnes absolventur nec posthac quisquam damnabitur nisi qui hominem occiderit. hoc tamen agitur severius, itaque iudicia calent. M. Fulvius Nobilior condemnatus est; multi alii urbani ne respondent quidem.

But hear something else. Affairs are drifting toward an interregnum, and there is some scent of a dictatorship, with much talk of it. That even helped Gabinius before the timid jurors. All the consular candidates are defendants on charges of bribery. Gabinius is added to them. Publius Sulla, not doubting that he was outside the city, had summoned him to trial, despite Torquatus' opposition, which achieved nothing. But they will all be acquitted, and from now on no one will be condemned unless he has killed a man. That charge, however, is being pursued more severely, and so the courts are busy. Marcus Fulvius Nobilior has been condemned; many other city fellows do not even answer their summonses.

Mais voici autre chose. La situation dérive vers un interrègne, et l’on sent quelque odeur de dictature; on en parle beaucoup. Cela a même aidé Gabinius auprès de juges timorés. Tous les candidats au consulat sont accusés de brigue. Gabinius s’y ajoute. P. Sulla, ne doutant pas qu’il fût rejeté, l’avait assigné, malgré l’opposition vaine de Torquatus. Mais tous seront acquittés et personne désormais ne sera condamné, sauf pour avoir tué un homme. Cette dernière accusation est cependant poursuivie avec plus de rigueur, si bien que les tribunaux sont en effervescence. M. Fulvius Nobilior a été condamné. Beaucoup d’autres citadins ne répondent même pas à l’accusation.