offering; iron and
bronze are instruments of war. Whatsoever a man dedicates, let it be
of wood and wood only, or if it be of stone, of stone only.' The
general murmur of assent shows, O Maximus, and you, gentlemen, who
have the honour to assist him, that I am adjudged to have made
admirable use of Plato, not only as a guide in life, but as an
advocate in court, to whose instructions, as you see, I give implicit
obedience.

66. It is now time for me to turn first and foremost to the letters of
Pudentilla, or rather to retrace the whole course of events a little
further back still. For I desire to make it abundantly clear that I,
whom they keep accusing of having forced my way into Pudentilla's
house solely through love of money, ought really never to have come
near that house, had the thought of money ever crossed my mind. My
marriage has for many reasons brought me the reverse of prosperity
and, but for the fact that my wife's virtues are compensation for any
number of disadvantages, might be described as disastrous.

Disappointment and envy are the sole causes that have involved me in
this trial, and even before that gathered many mortal perils about my
path. What motives for resentment has Aemilianus against me, even
assuming him to be correctly informed when he accuses me of magic? No
least word of mine has ever injured him in such a way as to give him
the appearance of pursuing a just revenge. It is certainly no lofty
ambition that prompts him to accuse me, ambition such as fired Marcus
Antonius to accuse Cnaeus Carbo, Caius Mucius to accuse Aulus
Albucius, Publius Sulpicius to accuse Cnaeus Norbanus, Caius Furius to
accuse Manius Aquilius, Caius Curio to accuse Quintus Metellus. They
were young men of admirable education and were led by ambition to
undertake these accusations as the first step in a forensic career,
that by the conduct of some _cause celebre_ they might make themselves
a name among their fellow citizens. This privilege was conceded by
antiquity to young men just entering public life as a means of winning
glory for their youthful genius. The custom has long since become
obsolete, but even if the practice were still common, it would not
apply to Aemilianus. It would not have been becoming to him to make
any display of his eloquence, for he is rude and unlettered; nor to
show a passion for renown, since he is a mere barbarian bumpkin; nor
thus to open his career as an advocate, for he is an old man