GENERAL INTRODUCTION
The speeches are arranged chronologically and numbered continuously. Each speech receives a brief introduction in italics. Then follows the relevant evidence, with testimonia (T) preceding fragments (F). Within the latter, enough of the quoting author is included to make the reason for citation clear (except when the fragments are transmitted as lemmata in commentaries), and Cicero’s own words are enclosed in quotation marks, as in FRLO. The testimonia are arranged chronologically by quoting author. The fragments are arranged, insofar as possible, in the order in which they would have occurred in the given speech, with unplaceable fragments relegated to the end of the series. Occasionally, different versions of the same fragment are printed separately and distinguished as “a,” “b,” “c,” etc. The “Unplaced Fragments” are arranged chronologically by quoting author. Deviations from the order of items in Crawford (1994) are indicated by references in square brackets after the testimonium or fragment number on the English side and are registered in the concordances at the back. For repeated items the source is followed by “=” and the reference to the previous passage; they are ordinarily printed once only.
According to Loeb Classical Library norms, there is no full critical apparatus. Rather, select variants are indicated in footnotes to the Latin text. If the correct reading appears in a part of the transmission, this generally stands without citation of variants. Peculiar readings of individual witnesses and orthographical variants are excluded. The witnesses are usually cited as cod. or codd., the latter indicating
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
the transmitted text, whether or not it is in all witnesses. Readers should seek details in the relevant editions of the source texts (listed in part 1 of the General Bibliography). Where the reading seems fairly secure, we have been parsimonious in citing conjectures. We have cited the evidence more generously for Asconius, whose text is often corrupt; for full citation of readings in Asconius’ text, see Ramsey (forthcoming).
The text of Asconius, one of the principal sources, does not, like most classical texts, have agreed chapter divisions but is conventionally cited by reference to page and line number in standard editions. This is usually not a problem, since the testimonia and fragments are generally not more than a few lines and can be located easily. However, rather lengthy portions of Asconius’ commentary are required as background for the speeches On Behalf of Cornelius (5–6 T 11), In a White Toga (9 T 2), and Against Clodius and Curio (14 T 6); therefore, to aid the reader, we have introduced our own numbered paragraph divisions for these items and cross-referred to these.
This edition is based on the predecessor work Crawford 1994. Fragments of speeches that are extant in whole or substantial part are excluded, since these feature in the editions of the respective speeches in the Loeb series.48 The version of the defense of Milo taken down by stenographers and circulated is included here (no. 16), since, though this is a fragment, it is not a fragment of the preserved Pro Milone, which is intact; the case is similar to