Pro Roscio 30

Who stood to gain?

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Rosc. Am. 30.1Veniō nunc eō quō mē nōn cupiditās dūcit sed fidēs.I come now to a point to which I am led not by desire but by duty. Rosc. Am. 30.1Nam sī mihi libēret accūsāre, accūsārem aliōs potius ex quibus possem crēscere;For if I cared to accuse, I would rather accuse others by whom I could advance myself; Rosc. Am. 30.1quod certum est nōn facere, dum utrumvīs licēbit.and that I am resolved not to do, as long as I am free to do either. Rosc. Am. 30.1Is enim mihi vidētur amplissimus quī suā virtūte in altiōrem locum pervēnit, nōn quī ascendit per alterīus incommodum et calamitātem.For to me the most distinguished man seems to be the one who has reached a higher place by his own merit, not one who climbs up through another's misfortune and ruin. Rosc. Am. 30.1Dēsināmus aliquandō ea scrūtārī quae sunt inānia;Let us at last stop searching into things that are empty; Rosc. Am. 30.1quaerāmus ibi maleficium ubi et est et invenīrī potest;let us look for the crime where it both is and can be found; Rosc. Am. 30.1iam intellegēs, Erucī, certum crīmen quam multīs suspīciōnibus coarguātur, tametsī neque omnia dīcam et leviter ūnum quidque tangam.you will soon understand, Erucius, by how many grounds for suspicion a real charge is proven, even though I shall not say everything and shall touch on each point lightly.

Rosc. Am. 30.1Neque enim id facerem, nisi necesse esset, et id erit signī mē invītum facere, quod nōn persequar longius quam salūs huius et mea fidēs postulābit.For I would not do this unless it were necessary, and this will be a sign that I do it unwillingly, that I shall not pursue it further than my client's safety and my own duty demand. Rosc. Am. 30.84Causam tū nūllam reperiēbās in Sex. Rosciō;You could find no motive in Sextus Roscius; Rosc. Am. 30.84at ego in T. Rosciō reperiō.but I find one in Titus Roscius. Rosc. Am. 30.84Tēcum enim mihi rēs est, T. Roscī, quoniam istīc sedēs ac tē palam adversārium esse profitēris.For my business is with you, Titus Roscius, since you sit there and openly declare yourself an adversary. Rosc. Am. 30.84Dē Capitōne post vīderimus, sī, quem ad modum parātum esse audiō, testis prōdierit;We shall see about Capito later, if, as I hear he is prepared to, he comes forward as a witness; Rosc. Am. 30.84tum aliās quoque suās palmās cognōscet dē quibus mē nē audīsse quidem suspicātur.then he will learn of other trophies of his too, which he does not suspect I have even heard of.

Rosc. Am. 30.84L. Cassius ille quem populus Rōmānus vērissimum et sapientissimum iūdicem putābat identidem in causīs quaerere solēbat "cui bonō" fuisset.The famous Lucius Cassius, whom the Roman people thought a most truthful and wise judge, used to ask again and again in trials 'to whose advantage' it had been. Rosc. Am. 30.84Sīc vīta hominum est ut ad maleficium nēmō cōnētur sine spē atque ēmolumentō accēdere.Human life is such that no one attempts to embark on a crime without hope of profit. Rosc. Am. 30.85Hunc quaesītōrem ac iūdicem fugiēbant atque horrēbant eī quibus perīculum creābātur ideō quod, tametsī vēritātis erat amīcus, tamen nātūrā nōn tam prōpēnsus ad misericordiam quam applicātus ad sevēritātem vidēbātur.This investigator and judge was shunned and dreaded by those against whom a prosecution was being brought, because, although he was a friend of truth, he seemed by nature not so much inclined to mercy as disposed towards severity. Rosc. Am. 30.85Ego, quamquam praeest huic quaestiōnī vir et contrā audāciam fortissimus et ab innocentiā clēmentissimus, tamen facile mē paterer vel illō ipsō ācerrimō iūdice quaerente vel apud Cassiānōs iūdicēs, quōrum etiam nunc eī quibus causa dīcenda est nōmen ipsum refōrmīdant, prō Sex. Rosciō dīcere.As for me, although the man presiding over this court is both most courageous against audacity and most merciful towards innocence, I would still readily let myself plead for Sextus Roscius either with that very keen judge conducting the inquiry or before Cassian judges, whose very name even now those who must stand trial dread.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×2, gerunds and gerundives ×1, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (162 words)

veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus	come
nunc, adv.	now
eō (adv.)	to that place, thither; to that point (usque eō); (with comparatives) by so much, all the (more)
quō, adv.	to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
nōn, adv.	not
cupiditās, -tātis, f.	desire, longing, eagerness
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus	lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
sed, conj.	but
fidēs, -eī f.	faith, trust; pledge
nam, conj.	for
sī, conj.	if
libet, -ēre, libuit (impers.)	it pleases; mihi libet: I like, I want
accūsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	blame, accuse
alius, -a, -ud	another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
potius (adv.)	rather
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
crēscō, -ere, crēvī, crētum	grow, rise (in power)
certus, -a, -um	determined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
dum, conj.	while, as; as long as; until
utervīs, utravīs, utrumvīs	whichever of the two you please, either
licet, -ēre, -uit or -itum est, impers.	is lawful or permitted
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
enim, conj.	for
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
amplus, -a, -um	large, great; distinguished
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
virtūs, -tūtis, f.	manliness, courage, bravery
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
altus, -a, -um	high, deep; altum, -ī, n., the deep
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.	place, situation
perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus	come through, come, arrive, reach
ascendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scēnsus	climb to, ascend, mount
per, prep, with ace.	through, by means of
alter, -era, -erum	one or the other (of two); another, second
incommodum, -ī, n.	inconvenience
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
calamitās, -tātis, f.	misfortune, calamity, disaster
dēsinō, -sinere, -siī, -situs	stop, cease (+ inf.)
aliquandō, adv.	at some time or other; finally, at length
scrūtor, -ārī, -ātus sum	search, examine closely
inānis, -e	empty
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus	seek; ask, inquire
ibi, adv.	in that place, there
maleficium, -ī n.	harm, wrongdoing
ubi, adv.	where; conj., when
inveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus	come upon, find
iam, adv.	now, already
intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctus	perceive, understand
crīmen, -inis n.	charge, accusation; crime
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
suspīciō, -ōnis, f.	suspicion
coarguō, -ere, -uī	expose, prove guilty, denounce
tametsī (conj.)	although
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
omnis, -e	all, every
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
leviter, adv.	slightly
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.	each
tangō, tangere, tetigī, tāctus	touch
nisi, conj.	if not, unless
necesse, indecl. adj.	necessary
signum, -ī, n.	sign, signal
invītus, -a, -um	unwilling
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
persequor, -sequī, -secūtus	follow up, pursue
longē, adv.	far
salūs, salūtis, f.	safety, deliverance, escape
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
postulō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	ask, request, demand
causa, -ae, f.	cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
nūllus, -a, -um	not any, none, no
reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertus	find, discover
at, conj.	but
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
quoniam, conj.	since now, since
istīc (adv.)	there, where you are
sedeō, sedēre, sēdī, sessus	sit
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
palam (adv.)	openly, publicly
adversārius, -ī m.	opponent, enemy
profiteor, -ērī, -fessus sum	declare openly; offer oneself as
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
post, adv.	after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
modus, -ī, m.	way, manner
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	make ready, prepare
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	hear; listen or attend to
testis, -is m./f.	witness
prōdeō, -īre, prōdiī, prōditum	go forward, come out
tum, adv.	then, at that time
quoque, adv.	also
palma, -ae f.	palm of the hand; flat spreading branch
cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitus	find out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
quidem, adv.	in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
suspicor, -spicārī, -spicātus	suspect
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
populus, -ī m.	people, nation
Rōmānus, -a, -um	Roman
vērus, -a, -um	true; rē vērā, in truth, in fact
sapiēns, -entis	wise; as noun, a wise man, a philosopher
iūdex, iūdicis, m.	judge
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	think
identidem (adv.)	again and again
soleō, -ēre, solitus sum	be accustomed, usually do
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
bonum, -ī n.	a good thing, advantage; (pl.) goods
sīc, adv.	so, thus
vīta, -ae, f.	life
homō, hominis, m.	man
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
nēmō, nēminis, m. and f.	no one, nobody
cōnor, -ārī, -ātus	try, attempt
sine, prep. with abl.	without
spēs, speī, f.	hope
ēmolumentum, -ī n.	profit, advantage, gain
accēdō, -ere, accessī, accessum	come near, approach; be added
quaesītor, -ōris m.	investigator, judge of an inquiry
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrus	flee, run away
horreō, -ēre, horruī	shudder at, dread
perīculum, -ī, n.	danger, peril, risk
creō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	elect, appoint
ideō (adv.)	for that reason, therefore
vēritās, -ātis f.	truth
amīcus, -ī, m.	friend
tamen, adv.	however, yet, nevertheless
nātūra, -ae, f.	nature, character
tam, adv.	so
prōpēnsus, -a, -um	inclined, disposed, willing; eager
misericordia, -ae, f;	pity, compassion
applicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	attach; (with sē) lean against
sevēritās, -ātis f.	strictness, severity
quamquam, conj.	however much, although
praesum, -esse, -fuī	be before, preside over, have charge of, command
quaestiō, -ōnis f.	inquiry, examination
vir, virī, m.	man
contrā, prep, with acc.	against, contrary to
audācia, -ae, f.	boldness, audacity
fortis, -e	brave
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
innocentia, -ae f.	blamelessness, integrity
clēmēns, -entis	merciful, mild, lenient
facile, adv.	easily
patior, patī, passus, bear	suffer, allow
vel	or; vel … vel: either … or
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
ācer, ācris, ācre	sharp, shrill
apud, prep, with acc.	among, with
Cassiānus, -a, -um	of Cassius (bellum Cassiānum: the war in which Cassius died)
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
nōmen, -minis, n.	name (that by which one is known)
refōrmīdō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	dread, shrink from
prō, prep. with abl.	before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for

Cicero, Pro Roscio Amerino. 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.