In section 86 of In Pisonem, Cicero addresses the specific scenario where the citizens of Apollonia bribed Piso with 200 talents. As a direct consequence (or corollary) of this bribe, Piso "sold out" the highly respected Roman knight, Fufidius, effectively handing a Roman creditor over to his foreign debtors. [1, 2]

The exact Latin text for this interaction is: [1]

"Nonne, cum CC talenta tibi Apolloniatae Romae dedissent ne pecunias creditas solverent, ultro Fufidium, equitem Romanum, hominem ornatissimum, creditorem debitoribus suis addixisti?" [1]

Precise Translation & Grammatical Breakdown

• "Nonne...": "Did you not..." (introducing a question expecting an emphatic "yes").
• "...cum CC [ducenta] talenta tibi Apolloniatae Romae dedissent": "...when the Apolloniates had given two hundred talents to you at Rome..." [1]
• "...ne pecunias creditas solverent...": "...in order that they might not pay back the money they owed..." [1]
• "...ultro Fufidium, equitem Romanum, hominem ornatissimum...": "...actually [go so far as to hand over] Fufidius, a Roman knight, a most distinguished man..." [1]
• "...creditorem debitoribus suis addixisti?": "...[and] adjudge/enslave him, the creditor, to his own debtors?" [1]

Rhetorical Context

The shameful behavior here belongs entirely to Piso, rather than Fufidius. Cicero uses the highly legalistic and sharp verb addixisti (from addicere, which means to formally adjudge or bind a debtor over to their master as property/a slave). The ultimate insult to Roman dignity highlighted by Cicero is the corruption of justice: Piso took a foreign bribe to turn the legal hierarchy upside down, subjugating an honorable Roman citizen (hominem ornatissimum) to the very foreigners who owed him money. [1, 2]

If you are exploring further instances of financial extortion in Cicero's provincial speeches, I can contrast this with similar cases in his In Verrem orations. Would you like to analyze those?