Pro Caelio 8

The Palatine Medea and hostile witnesses

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Cael. 8.1Quō locō possum dīcere id quod vir clārissimus, M. Crassus, cum dē adventū rēgis Ptolemaeī quererētur, paulō ante dīxit: Vtinam nē in nemore Pēliō — " Ac longius mihi quidem contexere hoc carmen licēret: Nam numquam era errāns hanc molestiam nōbīs exhibēret Mēdēa animō aegrō, amōre saevō saucia.At this point I can say what that most distinguished man Marcus Crassus said a little while ago, when complaining of the arrival of King Ptolemy: 'Would that never in the Pelian grove —' And indeed I could weave this poem further: 'For never then would a wandering mistress cause us this trouble, Medea, sick at heart, wounded by cruel love.' Cael. 8.1" Sīc enim, iūdicēs, reperiētis quod, cum ad id locī vēnerō, ostendam, hanc Palātīnam Mēdēam migrātiōnemque hanc adulēscentī causam sīve malōrum omnium sīve potius sermōnum fuisse.For so, gentlemen, you will find, as I shall show when I come to that point, that this Medea of the Palatine and this change of residence were the cause for the young man either of all his troubles or rather of all the gossip. Cael. 8.19Quam ob rem illa quae ex accūsātōrum ōrātiōne praemūnīrī iam et fingī intellegēbam, frētus vestrā prūdentiā, iūdicēs, nōn pertimēscō.Therefore, relying on your good sense, gentlemen, I have no fear of the things which I perceived from the prosecutors' speech were already being prepared in advance and invented.

Cael. 8.19Aiēbant enim fore testem senātōrem quī sē pontificiīs comitiīs pulsātum ā Caeliō dīceret.For they said there would be a senator as a witness who would declare that he had been beaten by Caelius at the pontifical elections. Cael. 8.19Ā quō quaeram, sī prōdierit, prīmum cūr statim nihil ēgerit, deinde, sī id querī quam agere māluerit, cūr prōductus ā vōbīs potius quam ipse per sē, cūr tantō post potius quam continuō querī māluerit.I shall ask him, if he comes forward, first why he took no action at once; then, if he preferred complaining to taking action, why he preferred to complain when brought forward by you rather than on his own account, so long afterwards rather than immediately. Cael. 8.19Sī mihi ad haec acūtē argūtēque responderit, tum quaeram dēnique ex quō iste fonte senātor ēmānet.If he answers me shrewdly and cleverly on these points, then at last I shall ask from what source this senator springs. Cael. 8.19Nam sī ipse oriētur et nāscētur ex sēsē, fortasse, ut soleō, commovēbor;For if he rises and is born of himself, perhaps I shall be moved, as I usually am; Cael. 8.19sīn autem est rīvolus arcessītus et ductus ab ipsō capite accūsātiōnis vestrae, laetābor, cum tantā grātiā tantīsque opibus accūsātiō vestra nītātur, ūnum senātōrem esse sōlum quī vōbīs grātificārī vellet inventum.but if he is a rivulet drawn and channelled from the very fountainhead of your accusation, I shall rejoice that, although your accusation relies on such great influence and such great resources, only one single senator has been found who was willing to oblige you.

Cael. 8.19"Dē teste Fūfiō."'On the witness Fufius.' Cael. 8.20Nec tamen illud genus alterum nocturnōrum testium perhorrēscō.Nor, however, do I dread that other kind of witnesses, the nocturnal ones. Cael. 8.20Est enim dictum ab illīs fore quī dīcerent uxōrēs suās ā cēnā redeuntīs attrectātās esse ā Caeliō.For they have said there would be men to declare that their wives, returning from dinner, had been molested by Caelius. Cael. 8.20Gravēs erunt hominēs quī hoc iūrātī dīcere audēbunt, cum sit eīs cōnfitendum numquam sē nē congressū quidem et cōnstitūtō coepisse dē tantīs iniūriīs experīrī.Weighty men they will be who dare to say this on oath, since they must admit that they never began to seek redress for such great wrongs even by a private meeting by appointment.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×5, gerunds and gerundives ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (151 words)

quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.	place, situation
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
vir, virī, m.	man
clārus, -a, -um	clear, loud; famous
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
adventus, -ūs, m.	approach, arrival
rēx, rēgis, m.	king
queror, -ī, questus sum	complain
paulō, adv.	by a little, a little, somewhat
ante, prep, with acc. and adv.	before
utinam (adv.)	if only, would that (with subjunctive)
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
nemus, -oris n.	grove, wood
Pēlius, -a, -um	of Mount Pelion in Thessaly
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
longē, adv.	far
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
quidem, adv.	in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
contexō, -ere, -texuī, -textus	weave together, join, fasten
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
carmen, -minis, n.	song, charm
licet, -ēre, -uit or -itum est, impers.	is lawful or permitted
nam, conj.	for
numquam, adv.	never
era (hera), -ae f.	mistress (of a household or slaves), lady
errō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	wander, stray; be mistaken
molestia, -ae, f.	annoyance
nōs	plur. of ego
exhibeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	show, display, present
animus, -ī, m.	mind; heart; spirit, courage
aeger, -gra, -grum	sick, ill; as noun, a sick man
amor, -ōris, m.	love
saevus, -a, -um	fierce, savage
saucius, -a, -um	wounded
sīc, adv.	so, thus
enim, conj.	for
iūdex, iūdicis, m.	judge
reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertus	find, discover
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus	come
ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus	stretch out before, show, explain
Palātīnus, -a, -um	of the Palatine; (mons) Palātīnus: the Palatine hill
migrātiō, -ōnis f.	change of residence, move
que, enclitic conj.	and
adulēscēns, -entis, m.	youth, young man
causa, -ae, f.	cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
sīve or seu, conj.	or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
malum, -ī, n.	evil, mischief
omnis, -e	all, every
potius (adv.)	rather
sermō, -ōnis, m.	conversation, talk, speech
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
ob, prep. with acc.	on account of, for; in compounds, to, against
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
accūsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	blame, accuse
ōrātiō, -ōnis, f.	speech; ōrātiōnem habēre, to deliver an oration, speak
praemūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	fortify in front, protect beforehand
iam, adv.	now, already
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
fingō, fingere, finxī, fictus	invent, make up
intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctus	perceive, understand
frētus, -a, -um (+ abl.)	relying on
vester, -tra, -trum	your
prūdentia, -ae, f.	prudence
nōn, adv.	not
pertimēscō, -ere, -timuī	become very afraid, dread
āiō (defective)	say, affirm; ut aiunt: as they say
testis, -is m./f.	witness
senātor, -ōris m.	senator, elder
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
pontificius, -a, -um	of the pontiffs, pontifical
comitia, -ōrum n. pl.	the assembly of the Roman people for voting; elections
pulsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	push or strike against, knock, knock at
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus	seek; ask, inquire
sī, conj.	if
prōdeō, -īre, prōdiī, prōditum	go forward, come out
prīmum, adv.	first, in the first place
cūr, adv.	why
statim, adv.	on the spot, forthwith, at once, immediately
nihil, n., indecl.	nothing
agō, agere, ēgī, āctus	drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
deinde, adv.	then, next
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
mālō, mālle, māluī	wish rather, prefer
prōdūcō, -ere, -dūxī, -ductum	lead out, bring out
vōs	plur. of tū
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
per, prep, with ace.	through, by means of
tantus, -a, -um	so great or much
post, adv.	after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
continuō (adv.)	at once, immediately
acūtē (adv.)	sharply; (of sound) shrilly, at a high pitch
argūtē (adv.)	shrewdly, cleverly, wittily
respondeō, -spondēre, -spondī, -spōnsus	reply, answer
tum, adv.	then, at that time
dēnique, adv.	lastly, finally
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.	what?
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.	that of yours, that
fōns, fontis, m.	fountain, spring
ēmānō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	flow out, spring from; leak out, become known
orior, -īrī, -tus	arise, come forth, spring up; ortā lūce, at dawn
nāscor, -ī, nātus sum	be born; rise, begin
fortasse (adv.)	perhaps
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
soleō, -ēre, solitus sum	be accustomed, usually do
commoveō, -movēre, -mōvī, -mōtus	move, rouse; disturb
sīn (conj.)	but if
autem, conj.	moreover; but, however; now
rīvulus (rīvolus), -ī m.	small stream, rivulet
arcessō, -ere, -īvī, -ītus	call, summon, fetch
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus	lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
caput, capitis, n.	head
accūsātiō, -ōnis f.	accusation, charge
laetor, -ārī, -ātus sum	rejoice, be glad
grātia, -ae, f.	favor; gratitude, thanks; plur., thanks; grātiās agere, to give thanks, thank; grātiam referre, to return a favor, show gratitude, requite
ops, opis f.; pl. opēs, -um	help; (pl.) resources, wealth, power
nītor, -ī, nīxus sum (+ abl.)	rely on
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
sōlus, -a, -um	alone
grātificor, -ārī, -ātus sum	do a favour, oblige, gratify
volō, velle, voluī	wish
inveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus	come upon, find
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
tamen, adv.	however, yet, nevertheless
genus, generis, n.	kind, nature
alter, -era, -erum	one or the other (of two); another, second
nocturnus, -a, -um	of night, nocturnal; nocturnum tempus, night-time
perhorrēscō, -horrēscere, -horruī	shudder at, be terrified of
uxor, -ōris, f.	wife
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
cēna, -ae, f.	dinner
redeō, -īre, -iī, -itus	go back, return
attrectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	touch, handle
gravis, -e	heavy; severe, grievous, serious
homō, hominis, m.	man
iūrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	swear; iūs iūrandum, oath
audeō, audēre, ausus sum	dare
cōnfiteor, -ērī, -fessus sum	admit, confess
congressus, -ūs m.	meeting; encounter, clash
cōnstitūtum, -ī n.	appointment, agreement (to meet); arrangement
coepī, coepisse, coeptus (used in tenses of completed action)	have begun, began
iniūria, -ae, f.	injury, wrong, hurt, harm
experior, -īrī, expertus sum	try, test, experience

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.