The defense

 1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 As catullus says, after the filthy fashion in vogue among the iberians.

 7

 8

 9

 What is there so lascivious in all my verses compared with that one line? i will say nothing of the writings of diogenes the cynic, of zeno the founde

 Now let me read you the others also which they read last as being the most intemperate in expression.

 10

 There is another poem by plato dealing conjointly with the boys alexis and phaedrus:

 Without citing any further examples i will conclude by quoting a line addressed by plato to dion of syracuse:

 11

 The divine hadrian, when he honoured the tomb of his friend the poet voconius with an inscription in verse from his own pen, wrote thus:

 Words which he would never have written had he regarded verse of somewhat too lively a wit as proving their author to be a man of immoral life. i reme

 12

 13

 14

 15

 16

 17

 18

 19

 20

 21

 22

 The lines which follow are so wonderful, that had you read them you would envy me my wallet even more than you envy me my marriage with pudentilla.

 23

 24

 25

 26

 27

 28

 29

 30

 But you who take such exception to fish attribute far different instruments to magicians, charms not to be torn from new-born foreheads, but to be cut

 31

 Similarly in another passage he says:

 But never in the works of homer did proteus anoint his face nor ulysses his magic trench, nor aeolus his windbags, nor helen her mixing bowl, nor circ

 32

 33

 34

 35

 36

 37

 38

 39

 He glorified many fish in other verses, stating where each was to be found and whether they were best fried or stewed, and yet he is not blamed for it

 40

 41

 42

 43

 44

 45

 46

 47

 48

 49

 50

 51

 52

 53

 54

 55

 56

 57

 58

 59

 60

 61

 62

 63

 64

 65

 66

 67

 68

 69

 70

 71

 72

 73

 74

 75

 76

 77

 78

 79

 80

 81

 82

 These words, which i have quoted in greek, have been selected by rufinus and separated from their context. he has taken them round as a confession on

 83

 84

 85

 86

 87

 88

 89

 90

 91

 92

 93

 94

 95

 96

 97

 98

 99

 100

 101

 102

 103

11

Which of us is most to blame? I who am fool enough to speak seriously of such things in a lawcourt? Or you who are slanderous enough to include such charges in your indictment? For sportive effusions in verse are valueless as evidence of a poet's morals. Have you not read Catullus, who replies thus to those who wish him ill:

A virtuous poet must be chaste. Agreed.

But for his verses there is no such need.