Kitap 6
3.109
The derogatory he illustrates by the words used by Cicero of Pompey and Caesar in a letter to Atticus: Ad. Att. VIII. vii. 2. I know whom to avoid, but whom to follow I know not. Finally, he illustrates the intermediate, which he calls apophthegmatic (as it is), by the passage from Cicero's speech against Catiline IV ii. 3. where he says, Death can never be grievous to the brave nor premature for one who has been consul nor a calamity to one that is truly wise. All these are admirable sayings, but what special title they have to be called urbane I do not see.
3.110
If it is not merely, as I think, the whole complexion of our oratory that deserves this title, but if it is to be claimed for individual sayings as well, I should give the name only to those sayings that are of the same general character as humorous sayings, without actually being humorous. I will give an illustration of what I mean. It was said of Asinius Pollio, who had equal gifts for being grave or gay, that he was a man for all hours,
3.111
and of a pleader who was a fluent speaker extempore, that his ability was all in ready money. Of the same kind, too, was the remark recorded by Marsus as having been made by Pompey to Cicero when the latter expressed distrust of his party: Go over to Caesar and you will be afraid of me. Had this last remark been uttered on a less serious subject and with less serious purpose, or had it not been uttered by Pompey himself, we might have counted it among examples of humour.
