The Theft of A Statue of Sappho: Cicero, In Verr. 2.4.126,127

Name:  Cicero Date:  106 – 43 BCE Region:  Rome [modern Italy] Citation:  Against Verres 2.4.126-127

The statue of Sappho that you took from the municipal building was such a perfect fit for you that it almost seemed like you were entitled to it.  For the sculpture crafted by Silanian was so perfect, so delicate, and so intricate that not just anybody—not just any country—could have it except the most polished and learned person:  you, Verres! Of course it would make sense for you to take it...

  

But words cannot express how much loss was felt from the theft of the Sappho statue. For not only was the statue exquisitely carved, but there was also a famous Greek epigram of hers inscribed on the base, which any learned scholar of Greece with any amount of sense would have taken it too if he actually understood Greek. Now only the inscription remains, an empty base showcasing what used to be on the pedestal before it was stolen.

Nam Sappho quae sublata de prytanio est dat tibi iustam excusationem, prope ut concedendum atque ignoscendum esse videatur. Silanionis opus tam perfectum, tam elegans, tam elaboratum quisquam non modo privatus sed populus potius haberet quam homo elegantissimus atque eruditissimus, Verres? Nimirum contra dici nihil potest.  ...

Atque haec Sappho sublata quantum desiderium sui reliquerit, dici vix potest. Nam cum ipsa fuit egregie facta, tum epigramma Graecum pernobile incisum est in basi, quod iste eruditus homo et Graeculus, qui haec subtiliter iudicat, qui solus intellegit, si unam litteram Graecam scisset, certe non sustulisset. Nunc enim quod scriptum est inani in basi declarat quid fuerit, et id ablatum indicat.

Cicero [Marcus Tullius Cicero; 106 – 43 BCE, modern Italy] was an Italian-born Roman statesman and author who lived during the complexities of Rome’s transition from Republic to monarchy. Cicero spent most of his life in service of his country, serving as both a lawyer, senator, and even consul [Roman equivalent of president]. He is known for his suppression of the failed governmental coup in 63 BCE known as the Catilinarian conspiracy that occurred during his consulship. After the rise of Octavian [later known as the first Roman emperor Augustus], his views fell out of favor and he was eventually put to death during the proscriptions under the Second Triumvirate [Octavian, Marc Antony and Lepidus]. He was a prolific author in a wide range in genres, and his literary style was adopted by Petrarch as the default model for the Latin language.