1But I let these things go; 1this is what I ask: through what men could this man, who, as you yourself say, has never been among men, have carried out so great a deed, so secret, and that while he was absent? 1There are many false charges, judges, which can nevertheless be argued in a way that arouses suspicion; 1in these matters, if any ground of suspicion is found, I shall concede that there is guilt. 1Sextus Roscius is killed at Rome while his son was on the estate at Ameria. 1He sent a letter, I suppose, to some assassin, he who knew no one at Rome. 1He summoned someone.
1Whom, or when? 1He sent a messenger. 1Whom, or to whom? 1He induced someone with money, influence, hope, promises. 1None of these things can even be invented; 1and yet a case of parricide is being tried. 77The remaining possibility is that he committed it through slaves. 77O immortal gods, what a wretched and calamitous state of affairs! 77What then? 77In such a charge, is Sextus Roscius not allowed to do what usually saves an innocent man, to offer his slaves for examination? 77You who accuse him have all his slaves; 77not a single slave-boy to serve his daily food has been left to Sextus Roscius out of so large a household.
77I appeal to you now, Publius Scipio, and to you, Marcus Metellus; 77with you as his supporters, with you acting for him, Sextus Roscius several times demanded from his opponents two of his father's slaves for examination; 77do you remember that Titus Roscius refused? 77Well? 77where are those slaves? 77They are in Chrysogonus' train, judges; 77with him they are held in honour and at a high value. 77Even now I demand that they be examined, and this man begs and implores it. 78What are you doing? 78why do you refuse? 78Doubt even now, judges, if you can, by whom Sextus Roscius was killed: by the man who because of his death lives in poverty and amid plots, who is not even allowed to inquire into his father's death, or by those who shun examination, possess his property, and live in bloodshed and on bloodshed.
78Everything in this case, judges, is wretched and outrageous; 78yet nothing can be cited more bitter or more unjust than this: a son is not allowed to have his father's slaves examined about his father's death! 78Is he not to be master over his own slaves even for as long as it takes to question them about his father's death? 78I shall come to this point, and not much later; 78for this whole matter concerns the Roscii, about whose audacity I promised I would speak when I had refuted Erucius' charges.