Pro Archia 4

Arch. 4.1Interim satis longō intervallō, cum esset cum M. Lūcullō in Siciliam profectus et cum ex eā prōvinciā cum eōdem Lūcullō dēcēderet, vēnit Hēraclēam.

Meanwhile, after a fairly long interval, when he had gone to Sicily with Marcus Lucullus and was leaving that province with the same Lucullus, he came to Heraclea.

Note. Archias went with M. Lucullus to Sicily and on the way back stopped at Heraclea, a Greek city in Lucania. satis longō intervallō: ablative of time, 'after a fairly long interval'.

Arch. 4.1Quae cum esset cīvitās aequissimō iūre ac foedere, ascrībī sē in eam cīvitātem voluit idque, cum ipse per sē dignus putārētur, tum auctōritāte et grātiā Lūcullī ab Hēraclīēnsibus impetrāvit.

Since this was a city with the fullest rights and an equal treaty, he wished to be enrolled as a citizen of it, and, while he was thought worthy of it on his own account, he obtained it from the people of Heraclea through the influence and favour of Lucullus.

Note. Quae cum esset: connecting relative, 'since it was'. aequissimō iūre ac foedere: ablative of description; Heraclea had an especially favourable treaty with Rome. ascrībī: 'to be enrolled' as a citizen. cum … tum: 'not only … but also'.

Arch. 4.7Data est cīvitās Silvānī lēge et Carbōnis: "Sī quī foederātīs cīvitātibus ascrīptī fuissent, sī tum cum lēx ferēbātur in Ītaliā domicilium habuissent et sī sexāgintā diēbus apud praetōrem essent professī."

Citizenship was granted by the law of Silvanus and Carbo: "If any had been enrolled as citizens of allied states; if, at the time the law was passed, they had had their home in Italy; and if they had made a declaration before a praetor within sixty days."

Note. The law of Silvanus and Carbo (lēx Plautia Papiria, 89 B.C.) gave Roman citizenship to citizens of allied states who met three conditions, quoted here: enrolment in an allied city, a home in Italy, and a declaration (professiō) before a praetor within sixty days. The pluperfect subjunctives are the law's own conditions put into reported form.

Arch. 4.7Cum hic domicilium Rōmae multōs iam annōs habēret, professus est apud praetōrem Q. Metellum, familiārissimum suum.

Since this man had already had his home at Rome for many years, he made his declaration before the praetor Quintus Metellus, a close friend of his.

Note. Romae: locative. multōs iam annōs: accusative of duration. The praetor was Q. Metellus Pius, Archias' friend.

Arch. 4.8Sī nihil aliud nisi dē cīvitāte ac lēge dīcimus, nihil dīcō amplius;

If we are speaking of nothing but citizenship and the law, I say nothing more;

Note. nihil … amplius: 'nothing more'. Cicero claims that the legal case is already won on these facts.

Arch. 4.8causa dicta est.

the case has been argued.

Arch. 4.8Quid enim hōrum īnfirmārī, Grattī, potest?

For which of these points, Grattius, can be shaken?

Note. Grattius was the prosecutor; Cicero addresses him directly (vocative). Quid … hōrum: 'which of these points'.

Arch. 4.8Hēraclēaene esse tum ascrīptum negābis?

Will you deny that he was enrolled at Heraclea at the time?

Note. Hēraclēae: locative, with -ne attached to make a question; the edition prints the two as one word. ascrīptum esse: perfect passive infinitive.

Arch. 4.8Adest vir summā auctōritāte et religiōne et fidē, M. Lūcullus;

A man of the greatest authority, scruple and good faith is here, Marcus Lucullus;

Note. M. Lucullus, who took Archias to Heraclea, was present as a witness. summā auctōritāte: ablative of description.

Arch. 4.8quī sē nōn opīnārī sed scīre, nōn audīsse sed vīdisse, nōn interfuisse sed ēgisse dīcit.

he says that he does not think it but knows it, that he did not hear of it but saw it, that he was not merely present but did it himself.

Note. Three antitheses (nōn … sed) in a row: Lucullus does not think but knows, did not hear but saw, was not just present but acted. audīsse: contracted for audīvisse.

Arch. 4.8Adsunt Hēraclīēnsēs lēgātī, nōbilissimī hominēs, huius iūdicī causā cum mandātīs et cum pūblicō testimōniō vēnērunt;

Envoys from Heraclea are here, men of the highest rank; they have come for this trial with instructions and with official testimony;

Note. Hēraclīēnsēs lēgātī: an official delegation sent by Heraclea. huius iūdicī causā: causā with the genitive, 'for the sake of this trial'. pūblicō testimōniō: the city's official evidence.

Arch. 4.8quī hunc ascrīptum Hēracliae esse dīcunt.

they say that this man was enrolled at Heraclea.

Arch. 4.8Hīc tū tabulās dēsīderās Hēraclīēnsium pūblicās, quās Italicō bellō incēnsō tabulāriō interīsse scīmus omnēs?

And at this point you demand the public records of Heraclea, which we all know perished when the record office was burned in the Italian War?

Note. Italicō bellō: the Social War (91-88 B.C.), in which the record office (tabulārium) of Heraclea was burned. incēnsō tabulāriō: ablative absolute.

Arch. 4.8Est rīdiculum ad ea quae habēmus nihil dīcere, quaerere quae habēre nōn possumus, et dē hominum memoriā tacēre, litterārum memoriam flāgitāre et, cum habeās amplissimī virī religiōnem, integerrimī mūnicipī iūs iūrandum fidemque, ea quae dēprāvārī nūllō modō possunt repudiāre, tabulās quās īdem dīcis solēre corrumpī dēsīderāre.

It is absurd to say nothing about the evidence we have and to ask for evidence we cannot have; to keep silent about the memory of men and demand the memory of documents; and, when you have the scrupulous word of a most distinguished man and the oath and good faith of a most upright town, to reject what cannot possibly be tampered with and to demand records which you yourself say are often falsified.

Note. Est rīdiculum: the subject is the series of infinitives (dīcere, quaerere, tacēre, flāgitāre, repudiāre, dēsīderāre). Cicero contrasts living memory (hominum memoria) with documents (litterārum memoria). iūs iūrandum: 'oath'. cum habeās: 'when you have', a generalising 'you'.

Arch. 4.9An domicilium Rōmae nōn habuit is quī tot annīs ante cīvitātem datam sēdem omnium rērum ac fortūnārum suārum Rōmae conlocāvit?

Or did he not have his home at Rome, when for so many years before citizenship was granted he had settled at Rome the seat of all his affairs and fortunes?

Note. An: introduces an indignant question, 'Or…?'. ante cīvitātem datam: 'before citizenship was granted', the participle phrase doing the work of a noun (the 'ab urbe condita' construction).

Arch. 4.9An nōn est professus?

Or did he not make his declaration?

Arch. 4.9Immō vērō eīs tabulīs professus quae sōlae ex illā professiōne conlēgiōque praetōrum obtinent pūblicārum tabulārum auctōritātem.

On the contrary, he made it in those very records which alone, of that registration by the board of praetors, have the authority of public records.

Note. Immō vērō: 'on the contrary, indeed'. Archias' declaration was in the records of Metellus, the only praetor whose records were trustworthy.