Quis fuerit eo tempore civitatis habitus, qui singulorum animi, quae digredientium a tanto viro omnium lacrimae, quam paene ei patria manum iniecerit, iusto servemus  operi: illud etiam in hoc transcursu dicendum est, ita septem annos Rhodi moratum, ut omnes, qui pro consulibus legatique in transmarinas sunt profecti provincias, visendi eius gratia Rhodum deverterint atque eum convenientes semper privato, si illa maiestas privata umquam fuit, fasces suos summiserint fassique sint otium eius honoratius imperio suo.
I must reserve for my regular history a description of the attitude of the state at this juncture, of the feelings of the individual citizens, of the tears of all at taking leave of such a man, and how nearly the state came to laying upon him its staying hand. Even in this brief epitome I ought to say that his stay of seven years in Rhodes was such that all who departed for the provinces across the sea, whether proconsuls or governors appointed by the emperor, went out of their way to see him at Rhodes, and on meeting him they lowered their fasces to him though he was but a private citizen'if such majesty could ever belong to a private citizen'thereby confessing that his retirement was more worthy of honour than their official position.
final_alignments\Velleius_Paterculus_Compendium.json