Pro Caelio 13

Two charges: gold and poison

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Cael. 13.1Sunt autem duo crīmina, aurī et venēnī;There are, then, two charges, concerning gold and poison; Cael. 13.1in quibus ūna atque eadem persōna versātur.and in both one and the same person is involved. Cael. 13.1Aurum sūmptum ā Clōdiā, venēnum quaesītum quod Clōdiae darētur, ut dīcitur.Gold was taken from Clodia; poison was sought, to be given to Clodia, so it is said. Cael. 13.1Omnia sunt alia nōn crīmina sed maledicta, iūrgī petulantis magis quam pūblicae quaestiōnis.All the rest are not charges but abuse, belonging to a petulant quarrel rather than a public court. Cael. 13.1"Adulter, impudīcus, sequester" convīcium est, nōn accūsātiō.'Adulterer, lecher, briber's agent' is slander, not accusation. Cael. 13.1Nūllum est enim fundāmentum hōrum crīminum, nūllae sēdēs;For these charges have no foundation, no ground to stand on; Cael. 13.1vōcēs sunt contumēliōsae temerē ab īrātō accūsātōre nūllō auctōre ēmissae.they are insulting words recklessly hurled by an angry prosecutor on no one's authority. Cael. 13.1Hōrum duōrum crīminum videō auctōrem, videō fontem, videō certum nōmen et caput.For these two charges I see an author, I see a source, I see a definite name and head. Cael. 13.31Aurō opus fuit;He needed gold; Cael. 13.31sūmpsit ā Clōdiā, sūmpsit sine teste, habuit quamdiū voluit.he took it from Clodia, he took it without a witness, he kept it as long as he wished.

Cael. 13.31Maximum videō signum cuiusdam ēgregiae familiāritātis.I see here the greatest sign of a quite remarkable intimacy. Cael. 13.31Necāre eandem voluit;He wanted to kill the same woman; Cael. 13.31quaesīvit venēnum, sollicitāvit servōs, pōtiōnem parāvit, locum cōnstituit, clam attulit.he sought poison, he tampered with slaves, he prepared a potion, he fixed a place, he brought it secretly. Cael. 13.31Magnum rūrsus odium videō cum crūdēlissimō discidiō exstitisse.Again I see that a great hatred has arisen, with a most cruel break. Cael. 13.31Rēs est omnis in hāc causā nōbīs, iūdicēs, cum Clōdiā, muliere nōn sōlum nōbilī vērum etiam notā;Our whole business in this case, gentlemen, is with Clodia, a woman not only noble but notorious; Cael. 13.31dē quā ego nihil dīcam nisi dēpellendī crīminis causā.about whom I shall say nothing except for the purpose of rebutting the charge. Cael. 13.32Sed intellegis prō tuā praestantī prūdentiā, Cn. Domitī, cum hāc sōlā rem esse nōbīs.But you understand, Gnaeus Domitius, with your outstanding wisdom, that it is with her alone that we have to do. Cael. 13.32Quae sī sē aurum Caeliō commodāsse nōn dīcit, sī venēnum ab hōc sibi parātum esse nōn arguit, petulanter facimus, sī mātrem familiās secus quam mātronārum sānctitās postulat nōmināmus.If she does not say that she lent gold to Caelius, if she does not allege that poison was prepared for her by him, we are acting insolently in naming a mother of a family otherwise than the sanctity of matrons demands.

Cael. 13.32Sīn istā muliere remōtā nec crīmen ūllum nec opēs ad oppugnandum M. Caelium illīs relinquuntur, quid est aliud quod nōs patrōnī facere dēbeāmus, nisi ut eōs quī īnsectantur repellāmus?But if, with that woman removed, neither any charge nor any resources for attacking Marcus Caelius are left to them, what else ought we advocates to do but drive off those who are hounding him? Cael. 13.32Quod quidem facerem vehementius, nisi intercēderent mihi inimīcitiae cum istīus mulieris virō — frātrem voluī dīcere;And this I should do more vehemently, were it not that I have a feud with that woman's husband — brother, I meant to say; Cael. 13.32semper hīc errō.I always make this slip. Cael. 13.32Nunc agam modicē nec longius prōgrediar quam mē mea fidēs et causa ipsa cōget: nec enim muliebrīs umquam inimīcitiās mihi gerendās putāvī, praesertim cum ea quam omnēs semper amīcam omnium potius quam cuiusquam inimīcam putāvērunt.As it is, I shall proceed with moderation and go no further than my duty and the case itself compel me: for I have never thought I should wage feuds with women, especially with one whom everyone has always thought a friend to all men rather than an enemy to any.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×3, indirect statement ×3, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (156 words)

sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
autem, conj.	moreover; but, however; now
duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj.	two
crīmen, -inis n.	charge, accusation; crime
aurum, -ī, n.	gold
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
venēnum, -ī, n.	poison
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.	the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
persōna, -ae f.	mask; character, role; personal standing
versor, -ārī, -ātus	keep turning, be busy or employed, be
sūmō, sūmere, sūmpsī, sūmptus	take under or up, take; poenam sūmere, to exact or inflict punishment
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus	seek; ask, inquire
dō, dare, dedī, datus	give
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
omnis, -e	all, every
alius, -a, -ud	another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
nōn, adv.	not
sed, conj.	but
maledictum, -ī n.	insult, abuse
iūrgium, -ī n.	quarrel, dispute
petulāns, -antis	pert, impudent, unruly
magis, comp. adv.	more, rather
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
pūblicus, -a, -um	public, of the state (rēs pūblica: the state)
quaestiō, -ōnis f.	inquiry, examination
adulter, -erī m.	adulterer
impudīcus, -a, -um	shameless, unchaste
sequester, -tra, -trum	intervening; pāx sequestra: truce; (m. as noun) go-between, agent holding bribes
convīcium, -ī n.	loud noise, wrangling; abuse
accūsātiō, -ōnis f.	accusation, charge
nūllus, -a, -um	not any, none, no
enim, conj.	for
fundāmentum, -ī n.	foundation
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
sēdēs, -is, f.	seat, abode
vōx, vōcis, f.	voice; word
contumēliōsus, -a, -um	insulting, abusive, outrageous
temerē, adv.	rashly
īrātus, -a, -um	angered, enraged, angry, furious
accūsātor, -ōris m.	accuser, prosecutor
auctor, -ōris m.	originator, instigator
ēmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus	send out or forth
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
fōns, fontis, m.	fountain, spring
certus, -a, -um	determined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform
nōmen, -minis, n.	name (that by which one is known)
caput, capitis, n.	head
opus, operis, n.	work, task
sine, prep. with abl.	without
testis, -is m./f.	witness
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	have, hold; consider
quamdiū (adv., conj.)	how long; as long as
volō, velle, voluī	wish
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
signum, -ī, n.	sign, signal
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.	a certain, certain
ēgregius, -a, -um	outstanding, excellent
familiāritās, -ātis f.	close friendship
necō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	put to death, slay, kill
sollicitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	stir up, tempt
servus, -ī, m.	slave, servant
pōtiō, -ōnis f.	drink, draught; potion, poison
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	make ready, prepare
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.	place, situation
cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus	set together or up; appoint; determine
clam (adv.)	secretly
afferō, afferre, attulī, allātum	bring, bring to; cause
rūrsus, adv.	again
odium, -ī, n.	hatred
cum, prep, with abl.	with
crūdēlis, -e	cruel
discidium, -ī n.	separation, breach, quarrel; divorce
exsistō, -ere, -stitī	come forth, arise; appear
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
causa, -ae, f.	cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
nōs	plur. of ego
iūdex, iūdicis, m.	judge
mulier, mulieris, f.	woman
sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n.	only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil
nōbilis, -e	well-known, noble
vērum (conj.)	but, but in fact; nōn modo ... vērum etiam: not only ... but also
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
nōtus, -a, -um	known, well-known, famous
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
nihil, n., indecl.	nothing
nisi, conj.	if not, unless
dēpellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsus	drive off or away, drive
intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctus	perceive, understand
prō, prep. with abl.	before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
praestāns, -stantis, adj.	preëminent, remarkable
prūdentia, -ae, f.	prudence
sōlus, -a, -um	alone
sī, conj.	if
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
commodō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	lend, provide, supply
arguō, -ere, -uī, -ūtus	show up, expose; accuse, convict
petulanter (adv.)	insolently, impudently, wantonly
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
māter, mātris, f.	mother
familia, -ae f.	household (incl. slaves and dependents)
secus (prep. + acc.)	beside, along
sānctitās, -ātis f.	holiness, sanctity; purity, integrity
postulō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	ask, request, demand
nōminō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	name, mention
sīn (conj.)	but if
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.	that of yours, that
removeō, -movēre, -mōvī, -mōtus	move back, remove
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
ūllus, -a, -um	any
ops, opis f.; pl. opēs, -um	help; (pl.) resources, wealth, power
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
oppugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	attack, besiege
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus	leave behind, leave
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
patrōnus, -ī m.	patron, protector
dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	owe; with infin., ought
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
īnsector, -ārī, -ātus sum	pursue, chase; harass
repellō, repellere, reppulī, repulsus	drive back or away, repulse, repel
quidem, adv.	in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
vehementer, adv.	violently, vehemently; earnestly; exceedingly, greatly
intercēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessum	come between, pass (of time)
inimīcitia, -ae f.	enmity (usu. pl.)
vir, virī, m.	man
frāter, frātris, m.	brother
semper, adv.	always
hīc, adv.	here; hereupon
errō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	wander, stray; be mistaken
nunc, adv.	now
agō, agere, ēgī, āctus	drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
modicē (adv.)	moderately, with restraint; slightly
longē, adv.	far
prōgredior, -gredī, -gressus	go forward, advance
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
fidēs, -eī f.	faith, trust; pledge
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus	drive together, collect; compel
muliebris, -e	of a woman, womanly; (n. pl.) a woman's part
umquam, adv.	ever
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus	carry, wear; carry on, do
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	think
praesertim (adv.)	especially
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
amīca, -ae f.	friend (a woman); girlfriend, mistress
potius (adv.)	rather
quisquam, quicquam, indef. pron.	any one, anything
inimīcus, -a, -um	unfriendly, hostile

Cicero, Pro Caelio. Latin text: A. C. Clark, M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes I (Oxford, 1908), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.