Pro Roscio 33

Opportunity points to Titus Roscius

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Rosc. Am. 33.1Videō igitur causās esse permultās quae istum impellerent;I see, then, that there are very many motives which might have driven that man; Rosc. Am. 33.1videāmus nunc ecquae facultās suscipiendī maleficī fuerit.let us now see whether there was any opportunity of undertaking the crime. Rosc. Am. 33.1Vbi occīsus est Sex. Roscius?Where was Sextus Roscius killed? Rosc. Am. 33.1— Rōmae.— At Rome. Rosc. Am. 33.1— Quid?— Well? Rosc. Am. 33.1tū, T. Roscī, ubi tunc erās?you, Titus Roscius, where were you then? Rosc. Am. 33.1— Rōmae.— At Rome. Rosc. Am. 33.1Vērum quid ad rem?But what has that to do with it? Rosc. Am. 33.1et aliī multī.so were many others. Rosc. Am. 33.1— Quasi nunc id agātur quis ex tantā multitūdine occīderit, ac nōn hoc quaerātur, eum quī Rōmae sit occīsus utrum vērī similius sit ab eō esse occīsum quī adsiduus eō tempore Rōmae fuerit, an ab eō quī multīs annīs Rōmam omnīnō nōn accesserit.— As if the question now were which of so great a multitude killed him, and not rather this: whether it is more probable that a man killed at Rome was killed by one who was constantly at Rome at that time, or by one who for many years had not come near Rome at all.

Rosc. Am. 33.93Age nunc cēterās quoque facultātēs cōnsīderēmus.Come now, let us consider the other opportunities too. Rosc. Am. 33.93Erat tum multitūdō sīcāriōrum, id quod commemorāvit Erucius, et hominēs impūne occīdēbantur.There was at that time a multitude of assassins, as Erucius mentioned, and men were killed with impunity. Rosc. Am. 33.93Quid?Well? Rosc. Am. 33.93ea multitūdō quae erat?of whom did that multitude consist? Rosc. Am. 33.93Opīnor, aut eōrum quī in bonīs erant occupātī, aut eōrum quī ab eīs condūcēbantur ut aliquem occīderent.Either, I suppose, of those who were busy with confiscated estates, or of those who were hired by them to kill someone. Rosc. Am. 33.93Sī eōs putās quī aliēnum appetēbant, tū es in eō numerō quī nostrā pecūniā dīves es;If you mean those who were grasping at others' property, you are among them, you who are rich on our money; Rosc. Am. 33.93sīn eōs quōs quī leviōre nōmine appellant percussōrēs vocant, quaere in cuius fidē sint et clientēlā;if you mean those whom people who use a milder name call 'hit-men', ask under whose protection and patronage they are; Rosc. Am. 33.93mihi crēde, aliquem dē societāte tuā reperiēs;believe me, you will find someone from your partnership; Rosc. Am. 33.93et, quicquid tū contrā dīxeris, id cum dēfēnsiōne nostrā contenditō;and whatever you say in reply, compare it with our defence; Rosc. Am. 33.93ita facillimē causa Sex. Roscī cum tuā cōnferētur.in this way the case of Sextus Roscius will most easily be set against yours.

Rosc. Am. 33.94Dīcēs: "Quid posteā, sī Rōmae adsiduus fuī?"You will say: 'What of it, if I was constantly in Rome?' Rosc. Am. 33.94Respondēbō: "At ego omnīnō nōn fuī."I shall answer: 'But I was not there at all.' Rosc. Am. 33.94— Fateor mē sectōrem esse, vērum et aliī multī.— I admit I am a buyer of confiscated property, but so are many others. Rosc. Am. 33.94— At ego, ut tūte arguis, agricola et rūsticus.— But I, as you yourself allege, am a farmer and a countryman. Rosc. Am. 33.94— Nōn continuō, sī mē in gregem sīcāriōrum contulī, sum sīcārius.— It does not follow that if I joined a gang of assassins, I am an assassin. Rosc. Am. 33.94— At ego profectō quī nē nōvī quidem quemquam sīcārium longē absum ab eius modī crīmine.— But I, who do not even know any assassin, am surely far removed from a charge of that kind. Rosc. Am. 33.94Permulta sunt quae dīcī possunt quā rē intellegātur summam tibi facultātem fuisse maleficī suscipiendī;There are very many things that could be said to show that you had every opportunity of undertaking the crime; Rosc. Am. 33.94quae nōn modo idcircō praetereō quod tē ipsum nōn libenter accūsō vērum eō magis etiam quod, sī dē illīs caedibus velim commemorāre quae tum factae sunt istā eādem ratiōne quā Sex. Roscius occīsus est, vereor nē ad plūrīs ōrātiō mea pertinēre videātur.which I pass over not only because I do not like accusing you, but even more because, if I wanted to recall those murders committed at that time in the same way as Sextus Roscius was killed, I fear my speech might seem to concern more people.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×2, purpose clauses ×1, indirect statement ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (133 words)

videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
igitur, conj.	therefore
causa, -ae, f.	cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
permultus, -a, -um	very many, very much
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.	that of yours, that
impellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsus	drive or urge on, incite, urge
nunc, adv.	now
ecquis, ecquid	is there any...? (ecquid: anything; in indirect questions, whether anything)
facultās, -tātis, f.	possibility, opportunity, chance, means
suscipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	undertake
maleficium, -ī n.	harm, wrongdoing
ubi, adv.	where; conj., when
occīdō, -cīdere, -cīdī, -cīsus	cut down, kill
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
tunc (adv.)	then, at that time
vērum (conj.)	but, but in fact; nōn modo ... vērum etiam: not only ... but also
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
alius, -a, -ud	another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
quasi, conj.	as if
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
agō, agere, ēgī, āctus	drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
tantus, -a, -um	so great or much
multitūdō, -tūdinis, f.	multitude
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
nōn, adv.	not
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus	seek; ask, inquire
utrum (conj.)	whether (utrum … an: whether … or)
similis, -e	like, similar (vērī similis: likely)
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
assiduus, -a, -um	constant, unremitting
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
an, conj.	or (in questions)
annus, -ī, m.	year
omnīnō, adv.	altogether, wholly, entirely
accēdō, -ere, accessī, accessum	come near, approach; be added
cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.	the other, the remaining, the rest of
quoque, adv.	also
cōnsīderō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	look at closely, consider, think over
tum, adv.	then, at that time
sīcārius, -ī m.	assassin, cutthroat
commemorō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	mention, recount
homō, hominis, m.	man
impūne (adv.)	without punishment
opīnor, -ārī, -ātus sum	think, suppose; ut opīnor: I imagine
aut, conj.	or; aut ... aut, either ... or
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
bonum, -ī n.	a good thing, advantage; (pl.) goods
occupō, -cupāre, -cupāvī, -cupātus	seize; fill
condūcō, -ere, -dūxī, -ductum	bring together, assemble
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
aliquis, -quid, indef. pron.	someone, any one, something, anything, some, any
sī, conj.	if
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	think
aliēnus, -a, -um	belonging to another, out of place
appetō, -petere, -petīvī, -petītus	draw near
numerus, -ī, m.	number
noster, -tra, -trum	our
pecūnia, -ae, f.	money (the possession of cattle constituting wealth in early times)
dīves, dīvitis (superl. dītissimus)	rich
sīn (conj.)	but if
levis, -e	light, slight
nōmen, -minis, n.	name (that by which one is known)
appellō, -pellāre, -pellāvī, -pellātus	call, name
percussor, -ōris m.	assassin, murderer; one who strikes, destroyer
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	call, summon
fidēs, -eī f.	faith, trust; pledge
clientēla, -ae f.	clientship, protection; pl. dependants, clients
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
crēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus	believe
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
societās, -ātis f.	alliance, partnership
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertus	find, discover
quisquis, quidquid (quicquid)	whoever, whatever
contrā, prep, with acc.	against, contrary to
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
cum, prep, with abl.	with
dēfēnsiō, -ōnis f.	defence
contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus	stretch, hasten
ita, adv.	in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
facile, adv.	easily
cōnferō, cōnferre, contulī, conlātus	bring together; grant, confer; sē cōnferre, to betake oneself, make one's way
posteā, adv.	after this, afterwards
respondeō, -spondēre, -spondī, -spōnsus	reply, answer
at, conj.	but
fateor, -ērī, fassus sum	admit, confess
sector, -ōris m.	buyer of confiscated property at auction, speculator in such goods
arguō, -ere, -uī, -ūtus	show up, expose; accuse, convict
agricola, -ae m.	farmer, tiller of the soil
rūsticus, -a, -um	rural, of the country
continuō (adv.)	at once, immediately
grex, gregis m.	flock, herd; band, gang
profectō, adv.	certainly, surely
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
nōscō, -ere, nōvī, nōtum	get to know (perf. nōvī: know)
quidem, adv.	in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
quisquam, quicquam, indef. pron.	any one, anything
longē, adv.	far
absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrus	be away, be absent, be distant; be wanting
modus, -ī, m.	way, manner
crīmen, -inis n.	charge, accusation; crime
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctus	perceive, understand
summus, -a, -um	uppermost, highest, greatest
modo, adv.	only
idcircō (adv.)	for that reason
praetereō, -īre, -iī, -itus	pass by
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
libenter, adv.	willingly, gladly
accūsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	blame, accuse
eō (adv.)	to that place, thither; to that point (usque eō); (with comparatives) by so much, all the (more)
magis, comp. adv.	more, rather
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
caedēs, -is, f.	cutting down, killing, slaughter
volō, velle, voluī	wish
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.	the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
ratiō, -ōnis, f.	plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
vereor, -ērī, -itus	fear
plūrēs, -a, plur. adj.	more, many, several
ōrātiō, -ōnis, f.	speech; ōrātiōnem habēre, to deliver an oration, speak
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
pertineō, -ēre, -uī	extend, reach; tend toward, concern

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.