Pro Milone 36

Cicero's grief and debt to Milo

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Mil. 36.1Haec tū mēcum saepe hīs absentibus, sed īsdem audientibus haec ego tēcum, Milō: "Tē quidem, cum istō animō sīs, satis laudāre nōn possum, sed, quō est ista magis dīvīna virtūs, eō maiōre ā tē dolōre dīvellor.These things you often said to me when these men were absent, and I said these things to you, Milo, while the same men were listening: 'You, indeed, I cannot praise enough, since you have such a spirit; but the more godlike that courage of yours is, the greater the pain with which I am torn from you. Mil. 36.1Nec vērō, sī mihi ēriperis, reliqua est illa saltem ad cōnsōlandum querēla ut eīs īrāscī possim ā quibus tantum volnus accēperō.Nor indeed, if you are snatched from me, is there left me even that complaint to console me, that I can be angry with those from whom I shall have received so great a wound. Mil. 36.1Nōn enim inimīcī meī tē mihi ēripient, sed amīcissimī, nōn male aliquandō dē mē meritī, sed semper optimē."For it will not be my enemies who snatch you from me, but my closest friends; not those who have at some time treated me badly, but those who have always treated me best.' Mil. 36.1Nūllum mihi umquam, iūdicēs, tantum dolōrem inūrētis—tametsī quis potest esse tantus?—sed nē hunc quidem ipsum ut oblīvīscar quantī mē semper fēcerītis.You will never inflict on me, judges, so great a pain — and yet what pain could be so great? — but not even this very one, as to make me forget how highly you have always valued me.

Mil. 36.1Quae sī vōs cēpit oblīviō aut sī in mē aliquid offendistis, cūr nōn id in meō capite potius luitur quam Milōnis?But if forgetfulness of this has seized you, or if you have taken offence at something in me, why is it not atoned for on my head rather than on Milo's? Mil. 36.1Praeclārē enim vīxerō, sī quid mihi acciderit prius quam hoc tantum malī vīderō.For I shall have lived gloriously, if something happens to me before I see so great an evil. Mil. 36.100Nunc mē ūna cōnsōlātiō sustentat, quod tibi, T. Annī, nūllum ā mē amōris, nūllum studī, nūllum pietātis officium dēfuit.Now one consolation sustains me: that no duty of love, none of zeal, none of devotion has been lacking on my part towards you, Titus Annius. Mil. 36.100Ego inimīcitiās potentium prō tē appetīvī;For your sake I courted the enmity of the powerful; Mil. 36.100ego meum saepe corpus et vītam obiēcī armīs inimīcōrum tuōrum;I often exposed my body and my life to the arms of your enemies; Mil. 36.100ego mē plūrimīs prō tē supplicem abiēcī;I threw myself down as a suppliant before many on your behalf; Mil. 36.100bona, fortūnās meās ac līberōrum meōrum in commūniōnem tuōrum temporum contulī;my goods and fortunes and those of my children I made common with your circumstances; Mil. 36.100hōc dēnique ipsō diē, sī qua vīs est parāta, sī qua dīmicātiō capitis futūra, dēposcō.finally, on this very day, if any violence has been prepared, if any struggle for life is to come, I claim it for myself.

Mil. 36.100Quid iam restat?What remains now? Mil. 36.100quid habeō quod faciam prō tuīs in mē meritīs nisi ut eam fortūnam quaecumque erit tua dūcam meam?what can I do in return for your services to me except to count whatever fortune is yours as my own? Mil. 36.100Nōn abnuō, nōn recūsō, vōsque obsecrō, iūdicēs, ut vestra beneficia quae in mē contulistis aut in huius salūte augeātis aut in eiusdem exitiō occāsūra esse videātis.I do not refuse, I do not decline; and I beg you, judges, either to increase the kindnesses you have conferred on me by saving this man, or to recognise that they will perish in his ruin.

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (135 words)

hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
saepe, adv.	often, frequently
absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrus	be away, be absent, be distant; be wanting
sed, conj.	but
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.	the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	hear; listen or attend to
quidem, adv.	in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.	that of yours, that
animus, -ī, m.	mind; heart; spirit, courage
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
satis, adv.	enough, sufficiently
laudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	praise
nōn, adv.	not
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
quō, adv.	to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
magis, comp. adv.	more, rather
dīvīnus, -a, -um	divine, of the gods
virtūs, -tūtis, f.	manliness, courage, bravery
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
dolor, -ōris, m.	pain, grief; anger
dīvellō, -vellere, -vellī, -vulsus	tear apart, rend asunder, tear in pieces
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
vērō, adv.	in truth, indeed; however
sī, conj.	if
ēripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptus	snatch out or away, rescue
reliquus, -a, -um	left, the remaining, the other, the rest of
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
saltem (adv.)	at least
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
cōnsōlor, -ārī, -ātus sum	comfort, console
querēla, -ae f.	complaint, lament
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
īrāscor, īrāscī, īrātus	be angry
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
tantus, -a, -um	so great or much
vulnus, vulneris, n.	wound
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
enim, conj.	for
inimīcus, -a, -um	unfriendly, hostile
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
amīcus, -ī, m.	friend
male, adv.	badly, ill
aliquandō, adv.	at some time or other; finally, at length
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
mereor, -ērī, meritus sum	deserve; (dē) do service to
semper, adv.	always
bene, adv.	well; successfully
nūllus, -a, -um	not any, none, no
umquam, adv.	ever
iūdex, iūdicis, m.	judge
inūrō, -ere, -ussī, -ustus	burn in, brand
tametsī (conj.)	although
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
oblīvīscor, -līvīscī, -lītus	forget
quantus, -a, -um	how great or much?
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
vōs	plur. of tū
capiō, capere, cēpī, captus	take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
oblīviō, -ōnis f.	forgetfulness, oblivion
aut, conj.	or; aut ... aut, either ... or
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
aliquis, -quid, indef. pron.	someone, any one, something, anything, some, any
offendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsus	offend
cūr, adv.	why
caput, capitis, n.	head
potius (adv.)	rather
luō, -ere, luī	pay; atone for, expiate
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
praeclārē, adv.	splendidly, brilliantly, very well
vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctus	live
quis, qua, quid, indef. pron.	any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something
accidō, -cidere, -cidī	fall to or upon; befall, happen
prius, adv.	before, first
malum, -ī, n.	evil, mischief
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
nunc, adv.	now
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
cōnsōlātiō, -ōnis f.	comfort, consolation, encouragement
sustentō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	hold out, endure
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
amor, -ōris, m.	love
studium, -ī, n.	eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
pietās, -ātis f.	dutifulness, devotion to family and gods
officium, -ī, n.	service; duty
dēsum, deesse, dēfuī	be lacking, fail
inimīcitia, -ae f.	enmity (usu. pl.)
potēns, -entis	powerful
prō, prep. with abl.	before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
appetō, -petere, -petīvī, -petītus	draw near
corpus, corporis, n.	body
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
vīta, -ae, f.	life
obiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus	throw in the way or to
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.	arms, weapons
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
supplex, -icis	begging, as a suppliant
abiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus	throw away
bonum, -ī n.	a good thing, advantage; (pl.) goods
fortūna, -ae, f.	fortune
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
līberī, -ōrum, m. plur.	children
commūniō, -ōnis f.	sharing, partnership, common bond
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
cōnferō, cōnferre, contulī, conlātus	bring together; grant, confer; sē cōnferre, to betake oneself, make one's way
dēnique, adv.	lastly, finally
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.	day
vīs, vīs, f.	violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	make ready, prepare
dīmicātiō, -ōnis f.	fight, struggle, combat
dēposcō, -ere, -poposcī	demand, call for
iam, adv.	now, already
restō, -āre, restitī	stay behind, remain
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	have, hold; consider
meritum, -ī n.	service, desert
nisi, conj.	if not, unless
quīcumque, quaecumque, quodcumque	whoever, whatever
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus	lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
abnuō, -ere, -nuī	refuse, decline, reject
recūsō, -cūsāre, -cūsāvī, -cūsātus	give a reason against, refuse
que, enclitic conj.	and
obsecrō, -secrāre, -secrāvī, -secrātus	beseech, entreat
vester, -tra, -trum	your
beneficium, -ī, n.	well-doing, kindness, service, benefit
salūs, salūtis, f.	safety, deliverance, escape
augeō, -ēre, auxī, auctum	increase, enlarge
exitium, -ī n.	destruction, ruin
occidō, -ere, occidī, occāsum	fall; (of the sun) set (sōl occidēns: the west)

Cicero, Pro Milone. Latin text: A. C. Clark, M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes II (Oxford, 1918), 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.