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This is the fifth civil war (and all of them have fallen upon our times); the
first which has not only not brought dissensions and discord among the citizens,
but which has been signalized by extraordinary unanimity and incredible concord.
All of them have the same wish, all defend the same objects, all are inspired
with the same sentiments. When I say all, I except those whom no one thinks
worthy of being citizens at all. What, then, is the cause of war, and what is
the object aimed at? We are defending the temples of the immortal gods, we are
defending the walls of the city, we are defending the homes and habitations of
the Roman people, the household gods, the altars, the hearths and the sepulchers
of our forefathers; we are defending our laws, our courts of justice, our
freedom, our wives, our children, and our country. On the other hand, Marcus
Antonius labors and fights in order to throw into confusion and overturn all
these things; and hopes to have reason to think the plunder of the republic
sufficient cause for the war, while he squanders part of our fortunes, and
distributes the rest among his parricidal followers.
M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge. London. George Bell & Sons. 1903.
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