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Oh, but Oppianicus gave Stalenus money, not to corrupt the judges, but to conciliate their
favour. Can you, O Attius, can a man endued with your prudence, to say nothing of your
knowledge of the world, and practice in pleading, say such a thing as this? For they say that
he is the wisest man; to whom everything which is necessary is sure to occur of his own
accord; and that he is next best to him, who is guided by the clever experience of another.
1 But in folly it is just the contrary; for he is less foolish to whom no folly occurs
spontaneously, than he who approves of the folly which occurs to another. That idea of
conciliating favour Stalenus thought of, while the case was fresh, when he was held by the
throat as it were; or rather, as people said at the time, he took the hint from Publius
Cethegus, when he published that fable about conciliation and favour.
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M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge, B. A. London. Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. 1856.
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