The most illustrious men of our state, in the best of times, used to think this most
 honourable and glorious for them to ward off injuries from their hereditary friends, and
 from their clients, and from foreign nations which were either friends or subjects of
 the Roman people, and to defend their fortunes. We learn from tradition that Marcus
 Cato, that wise man, that most illustrious and most prudent man, brought upon himself
 great enmity from many men, on account of the injuries of the Spaniards among whom he
 had been when consul. We know that lately Cnaeus Domitius prosecuted Marcus Silanus on account of the
 injuries of one man, Egritomarus, his father's friend and comrade. 
 Nor indeed has anything ever had more influence over the minds of
 guilty men than this principle of our ancestors, now re-adopted and brought back among
 us after a long interval, namely, that the complaints of the allies should be brought to
 a man who is not very inactive, and their advocacy undertaken by him who appeared able
 to defend their fortunes with integrity and diligence. Men are afraid of this; they endeavour to prevent this; they are disquieted at such a
 principle having ever been adopted, and after it has been adopted at its now being
 resuscitated and brought into play again. They think that, if this custom begins
 gradually to creep on and advance, the laws will be put in execution, and actions will
 be conducted by honourable and fearless men, and not by unskillful youths, or informers
 of this sort. Of which custom and principle our fathers and ancestors did not repent when Publius
 Lentulus, he who was chief of the Senate, prosecuted Marcus Aquillius, having Caius
 Rutilius Rufus backing the accusation; or when Publius Africanus, a man most eminent for
 valour, for good fortune, for renown, and for exploits, after he had been twice consul
 and had been censor brought Lucius Cotta to trial Then the name of the Roman people was
 rightly held in high honour; rightly was the authority of this empire and the majesty of
 the state considered illustrious. Nobody marveled in the case of that great man
 Africanus, as they now pretend to marvel with respect to me, a man endowed with but
 moderate influence and moderate talents, just because they are annoyed at me; “What can he be meaning? does he want to be considered a prosecutor who hitherto has
 been accustomed to defend people? and especially now at the age when he is seeking the
 aedileship?” But I think it becomes not my age only, but even a much greater age, and I
 think it an action consistent with the highest dignity to accuse the wicked, and to
 defend the miserable and distressed. And in truth, either this is a remedy for a
 republic diseased and in an almost desperate condition, and for tribunals corrupted and
 contaminated by the vices and baseness of a few, for men of the greatest possible honour
 and uprightness and modesty to undertake to uphold the stability of the laws, and the
 authority of the courts of justice; or else, if this is of no advantage, no medicine
 whatever will ever be found for such terrible and numerous evils as these.