Introduction for journalists

And so Scaevola, when he had come across the very mention, explained to us the conversation of Laelis about the friendship he had with himself and with his second son-in-law, C. Fannius the son of Marcus, a few days after the death of Africanus. I committed to memory the sentences of his discussion, which I set forth in this book at my discretion; for it was as if I brought in the speakers themselves, so that 'I say' and 'he says' should not often be interposed, and that the speech might appear as if it were being spoken by those present.