Rosc. Am. 13.1Trēs sunt rēs, quantum ego exīstimāre possum, quae obstent hōc tempore Sex. Rosciō, crīmen adversāriōrum et audācia et potentia.There are three things, as far as I can judge, which stand in the way of Sextus Roscius at this time: the charge brought by his opponents, their recklessness and their power. Rosc. Am. 13.1Crīminis cōnfictiōnem accūsātor Erucius suscēpit, audāciae partīs Rosciī sibi poposcērunt, Chrȳsogonus autem, is quī plūrimum potest, potentia pugnat.The fabrication of the charge the accuser Erucius has undertaken, the part of recklessness the Roscii have claimed for themselves, while Chrysogonus, the man who has the most power, fights with power. Rosc. Am. 13.1Dē hīsce omnibus rēbus mē dīcere oportēre intellegō.I realise that I must speak about all these things. Rosc. Am. 13.1Quid igitur est?What, then? Rosc. Am. 13.36Nōn eōdem modō dē omnibus, ideō quod prīma illa rēs ad meum officium pertinet, duās autem reliquās vōbīs populus Rōmānus imposuit;Not in the same way about all, because the first of them belongs to my duty, while the other two the Roman people has laid upon you; Rosc. Am. 13.36ego crīmen oportet dīluam, vōs et audāciae resistere et hominum eius modī perniciōsam atque intolerandam potentiam prīmō quōque tempore exstinguere atque opprimere dēbētis.I must wash away the charge, while you ought both to resist recklessness and at the earliest opportunity to extinguish and crush the ruinous and intolerable power of men of this kind.
Rosc. Am. 13.37Occīdisse patrem Sex. Roscius arguitur.Sextus Roscius is accused of having killed his father. Rosc. Am. 13.37Scelestum, dī immortālēs!A wicked deed, immortal gods! Rosc. Am. 13.37ac nefārium facinus atque eius modī quō ūnō maleficiō scelera omnia complexa esse videantur!and an impious crime, and of such a kind that in this single misdeed all crimes seem to be contained! Rosc. Am. 13.37Etenim sī, id quod praeclārē ā sapientibus dīcitur, voltū saepe laeditur pietās, quod supplicium satis ācre reperiētur in eum quī mortem obtulerit parentī?For if, as is admirably said by the wise, filial duty is often wounded by a look, what punishment will be found harsh enough against one who has brought death on his parent? Rosc. Am. 13.37prō quō morī ipsum, sī rēs postulāret, iūra dīvīna atque hūmāna cōgēbant.for whom laws divine and human compelled him to die himself, if the situation demanded it. Rosc. Am. 13.38In hōc tantō, tam atrōcī, tam singulārī maleficiō, quod ita rārō exstitit ut, sī quandō audītum sit, portentī ac prōdigī simile numerētur, quibus tandem tū, C. Erucī, argūmentīs accūsātōrem cēnsēs ūtī oportēre?In so great, so atrocious, so singular a misdeed, which has occurred so rarely that, if ever it has been heard of, it is reckoned like a portent and prodigy, what arguments, pray, Gaius Erucius, do you think an accuser ought to use?
Rosc. Am. 13.38nōnne et audāciam eius quī in crīmen vocētur singulārem ostendere et mōrēs ferōs immānemque nātūram et vītam vitiīs flāgitiīsque omnibus dēditam, dēnique omnia ad perniciem prōflīgāta atque perdita?ought he not to show both the singular recklessness of the man who is called to account, and his savage character and monstrous nature, and a life given over to every vice and outrage, in short everything abandoned and lost to ruin? Rosc. Am. 13.38Quōrum tū nihil in Sex. Roscium nē obiciendī quidem causā contulistī.Not one of these things have you brought against Sextus Roscius, not even for the sake of a reproach.