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Cicero · Pro Roscio Amerino

Pro Roscio 43

The illegal sale of the property

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Rosc. Am. 43.1Veniō nunc ad illud nōmen aureum Chrȳsogonī sub quō nōmine tōta societās latuit;I come now to that golden name of Chrysogonus, under which name the whole partnership has hidden; Rosc. Am. 43.1dē quō, iūdicēs, neque quō modō dīcam neque quō modō taceam reperīre possum.about which, gentlemen, I can find neither how to speak nor how to keep silent. Rosc. Am. 43.1Sī enim taceō, vel maximam partem relinquō;For if I keep silent, I leave out perhaps the greatest part; Rosc. Am. 43.1sīn autem dīcō, vereor nē nōn ille sōlus, id quod ad mē nihil attinet, sed aliī quoque plūrēs laesōs sē putent.but if I speak, I fear that not he alone — which does not concern me at all — but many others too may think themselves injured. Rosc. Am. 43.1Tametsī ita sē rēs habet ut mihi in commūnem causam sectōrum dīcendum nihil magnō opere videātur;And yet the matter stands so that I do not think I need say anything much about the common cause of the buyers of confiscated property; Rosc. Am. 43.1haec enim causa nova profectō et singulāris est.for this case is surely new and unique. Rosc. Am. 43.1Bonōrum Sex. Roscī ēmptor est Chrȳsogonus.The buyer of Sextus Roscius' property is Chrysogonus.

Rosc. Am. 43.125Prīmum hoc videāmus: eius hominis bona quā ratiōne vēniērunt aut quō modō vēnīre potuērunt?Let us look at this first: on what grounds was this man's property sold, or how could it be sold? Rosc. Am. 43.125Atque hoc nōn ita quaeram, iūdicēs, ut id dīcam esse indignum, hominis innocentis bona vēnīsse — Sī enim haec audientur ac līberē dīcentur, nōn fuit tantus homō Sex. Roscius in cīvitāte ut dē eō potissimum conquerāmur — vērum ego hoc quaerō: Quī potuērunt istā ipsā lēge quae dē prōscrīptiōne est, sīve Valeria est sīve Cornēlia — nōn enim nōvī nec sciō — vērum istā ipsā lēge bona Sex. Roscī vēnīre quī potuērunt?And I shall not ask this, gentlemen, so as to say that it is a scandal that an innocent man's property has been sold — for if such things are to be heard and spoken freely, Sextus Roscius was not so great a man in the state that we should complain about him above all — but this is what I ask: how could, under that very law which concerns the proscription, whether it is the Valerian or the Cornelian — for I neither know nor am aware — under that very law, I say, how could the property of Sextus Roscius be sold?

Rosc. Am. 43.126Scrīptum enim ita dīcunt esse: VT AVT EŌRVM BONA VĒNEANT QVĪ PRŌSCRĪPTĪ SVNT;For they say it is written thus: THAT THE PROPERTY BE SOLD EITHER OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PROSCRIBED; Rosc. Am. 43.126quō in numerō Sex. Roscius nōn est: AVT EŌRVM QVĪ IN ADVERSĀRIŌRVM PRAESIDIĪS OCCĪSĪ SVNT.in which number Sextus Roscius is not: OR OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED WITHIN THE LINES OF THE OPPOSING SIDE. Rosc. Am. 43.126Dum praesidia ūlla fuērunt, in Sullae praesidiīs fuit;While there were any lines, he was within Sulla's lines; Rosc. Am. 43.126posteā quam ab armīs omnēs recessērunt, in summō ōtiō rediēns ā cēnā Rōmae occīsus est.after all had withdrawn from arms, in the midst of complete peace, he was killed at Rome while returning from dinner. Rosc. Am. 43.126sī lēge, bona quoque lēge vēnīsse fateor.if he was killed lawfully, I admit that the property too was sold lawfully. Rosc. Am. 43.126Sīn autem cōnstat contrā omnīs nōn modo veterēs lēgēs vērum etiam novās occīsum esse, bona quō iūre aut quō modō aut quā lēge vēnierint quaerō.But if it is agreed that he was killed contrary to all laws, not only the old but even the new, I ask by what right, in what manner, or under what law the property was sold.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×4, gerunds and gerundives ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (111 words)
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
nunc, adv.now
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
nōmen, -minis, n.name (that by which one is known)
aureus, -a, -umof gold, golden
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
tōtus, -a, -umall the, the whole or entire
societās, -ātis f.alliance, partnership
lateō, -ēre, -uīlie hid, be concealed
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
iūdex, iūdicis, m.judge
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.what?
modus, -ī, m.way, manner
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictussay, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
taceō, -ēre, -uī, -itusbe silent
reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertusfind, discover
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
sī, conj.if
enim, conj.for
velor; vel … vel: either … or
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictusleave behind, leave
sīn (conj.)but if
autem, conj.moreover; but, however; now
vereor, -ērī, -itusfear
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
nōn, adv.not
sōlus, -a, -umalone
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
ego, meī, pers. pron.I
nihil, n., indecl.nothing
attineō (adtineō), -ēre, -tinuī, -tentumhold fast; concern, matter (nihil attinet: it is no use, there is no point)
sed, conj.but
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
quoque, adv.also
plūrēs, -a, plur. adj.more, many, several
laedō, -ere, laesī, laesushurt, injure; break (an oath)
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthink
tametsī (conj.)although
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
commūnis, -ecommon, shared, public
causa, -ae, f.cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
sector, -ōris m.buyer of confiscated property at auction, speculator in such goods
opus, operis, n.work, task
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
novus, -a, -umnew; novissimus, last
profectō, adv.certainly, surely
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
singulāris, -esingle; remarkable
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
bonum, -ī n.a good thing, advantage; (pl.) goods
ēmptor, -ōris m.buyer, purchaser
prīmum, adv.first, in the first place
homō, hominis, m.man
ratiō, -ōnis, f.plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
vēneō, -īre, -iībe sold (+ abl. of price)
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītusseek; ask, inquire
indignus, -a, -umunworthy; shameful
innocēns, -entisharmless; innocent
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītushear; listen or attend to
līberē (adv.; comp. līberius)freely, frankly
tantus, -a, -umso great or much
cīvitās, -tātis, f.state
potissimum (adv.)above all, in preference to all others
conqueror, -querī, -questus sumcomplain bitterly of, lament
vērum (conj.)but, but in fact; nōn modo ... vērum etiam: not only ... but also
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.that of yours, that
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
lēx, lēgis f.law
prōscrīptiō, -ōnis f.public notice of sale; proscription (outlawing and confiscation, as under Sulla)
sīve or seu, conj.or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
Cornēlius, -a, -umCornelian (Castra Cornēlia: the Cornelian Camp near Utica, where P. Cornelius Scipio Africanus camped in 204 BC)
nōscō, -ere, nōvī, nōtumget to know (perf. nōvī: know)
sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītusknow
scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptuswrite
prōscrībō, -ere, -scrīpsī, -scrīptuspublish; outlaw (put a man's name on a list, his life and property forfeit)
numerus, -ī, m.number
adversārius, -ī m.opponent, enemy
praesidium, -ī, n.protection; guard, escort
occīdō, -cīdere, -cīdī, -cīsuscut down, kill
dum, conj.while, as; as long as; until
ūllus, -a, -umany
posteā, adv.after this, afterwards
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
omnis, -eall, every
recēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessumgo back, withdraw, retire
summus, -a, -umuppermost, highest, greatest
ōtium, -ī n.leisure, rest; peace, quiet
redeō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo back, return
cēna, -ae, f.dinner
fateor, -ērī, fassus sumadmit, confess
cōnstō, -stāre, -stitī, -stātūrusstand together, agree; consist;
contrā, prep, with acc.against, contrary to
modo, adv.only
vetus, veterisold, former
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
iūs, iūris, n.right, justice, law; iūs dīcere, to pronounce judgment; iūs iūrandum, iūris iūrandī, oath
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.