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Cicero · Pro Roscio Amerino

Pro Roscio 6

The elder Roscius and his enemies

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Rosc. Am. 6.1Sex. Roscius, pater huiusce, mūniceps Amerīnus fuit, cum genere et nōbilitāte et pecūniā nōn modo suī mūnicipī vērum etiam eius vīcīnitātis facile prīmus, tum grātiā atque hospitiīs flōrēns hominum nōbilissimōrum.Sextus Roscius, the father of this man, was a citizen of the town of Ameria, easily the first not only of his own town but also of that neighbourhood in birth, rank and wealth, and moreover flourishing in the favour and the ties of hospitality of men of the highest nobility. Rosc. Am. 6.1Nam cum Metellīs, Servīliīs, Scīpiōnibus erat eī nōn modo hospitium vērum etiam domesticus ūsus et cōnsuētūdō, quās, ut aequum est, familiās honestātis amplitūdinisque grātiā nōminō.For with the Metelli, the Servilii and the Scipios he had not only ties of hospitality but also close domestic acquaintance and intimacy, families which, as is right, I name with respect for their honour and standing. Rosc. Am. 6.1Itaque ex suīs omnibus commodīs hoc sōlum fīliō relīquit;And so of all his advantages he left this alone to his son; Rosc. Am. 6.1nam patrimōnium domesticī praedōnēs vī ēreptum possident, fāma et vīta innocentis ab hospitibus amīcīsque paternīs dēfenditur.for his patrimony is held by robbers of his own household, who seized it by force, while the good name and life of an innocent man are defended by his father's guests and friends.

Rosc. Am. 6.16Hic cum omnī tempore nōbilitātis fautor fuisset tum hōc tumultū proximō, cum omnium nōbilium dignitās et salūs in discrīmen venīret, praeter cēterōs in eā vīcīnitāte eam partem causamque operā, studiō, auctōritāte dēfendit.He had at all times been a supporter of the nobility, and especially in this last upheaval, when the dignity and safety of all the nobles were put at stake, he defended that party and cause beyond all others in that neighbourhood with his effort, zeal and influence. Rosc. Am. 6.16Etenim rēctum putābat prō eōrum honestāte sē pugnāre propter quōs ipse honestissimus inter suōs numerābātur.For he thought it right to fight for the honour of those through whom he himself was counted the most honoured among his own people. Rosc. Am. 6.16Posteā quam victōria cōnstitūta est ab armīsque recessimus, cum prōscrīberentur hominēs atque ex omnī regiōne caperentur eī quī adversāriī fuisse putābantur, erat ille Rōmae frequēns atque in forō et in ōre omnium cōtīdiē versābātur, magis ut exsultāre victōriā nōbilitātis vidērētur quam timēre nē quid ex eā calamitātis sibi accideret.After victory had been established and we had withdrawn from arms, when men were being proscribed and those who were thought to have been opponents were being seized in every region, he was often at Rome and went about in the forum and in the sight of all every day, so that he seemed rather to be exulting in the victory of the nobility than fearing that any disaster might befall him from it.

Rosc. Am. 6.17Erant eī veterēs inimīcitiae cum duōbus Rosciīs Amerīnīs, quōrum alterum sedēre in accūsātōrum subselliīs videō, alterum tria huiusce praedia possidēre audiō;He had old feuds with two Roscii of Ameria, one of whom I see sitting on the accusers' benches, while the other, I hear, holds three of this man's farms; Rosc. Am. 6.17quās inimīcitiās sī tam cavēre potuisset quam metuere solēbat vīveret.if he had been able to guard against those feuds as well as he used to fear them, he would be alive. Rosc. Am. 6.17Neque enim, iūdicēs, iniūriā metuēbat.Nor indeed, judges, was he wrong to fear them. Rosc. Am. 6.17Nam duo istī sunt T. Rosciī, quōrum alterī Capitōnī cognōmen est, iste quī adest Magnus vocātur, hominēs eius modī: alter plūrimārum palmārum vetus ac nōbilis gladiātor habētur, hic autem nūper sē ad eum lanistam contulit, quīque ante hanc pugnam tīrō esset quod sciam, facile ipsum magistrum scelere audāciāque superāvit.For these two men are both called Titus Roscius, one of whom has the surname Capito, while the one who is present here is called Magnus, men of this sort: the one is regarded as an old and famous gladiator with very many prizes to his name, while this one has lately betaken himself to him as his trainer, and he who before this fight was a raw recruit, so far as I know, has easily surpassed his master himself in wickedness and recklessness.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×4

Latin vocabulary for this passage (154 words)
pater, patris, m.father
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
mūniceps, -cipis m.citizen of a municipium, townsman
Amerīnus, -a, -umof Ameria in Umbria
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
genus, generis, n.kind, nature
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
nōbilitās, -tātis f.the nobility
pecūnia, -ae, f.money (the possession of cattle constituting wealth in early times)
nōn, adv.not
modo, adv.only
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
mūnicipium, -ī n.municipium, a self-governing Italian town with Roman citizenship
vērum (conj.)but, but in fact; nōn modo ... vērum etiam: not only ... but also
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
vīcīnitās, -ātis f.neighborhood; the people living nearby
facile, adv.easily
prīmus, -a, -umfirst, foremost
tum, adv.then, at that time
grātia, -ae, f.favor; gratitude, thanks; plur., thanks; grātiās agere, to give thanks, thank; grātiam referre, to return a favor, show gratitude, requite
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
hospitium, -ī, n.hospitality
flōreō, -ēre, -uīflourish, be prosperous
homō, hominis, m.man
nōbilis, -ewell-known, noble
nam, conj.for
cum, prep, with abl.with
domesticus, -a, -umof one's own home, domestic
ūsus, -ūs, m.use; experience
cōnsuētūdō, -inis f.custom, habit; way of life
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
aequus, -a, -umlevel; equal; fair
familia, -ae f.household (incl. slaves and dependents)
honestās, -ātis f.honor, integrity
amplitūdō, -inis f.size, greatness
que, enclitic conj.and
nōminō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumname, mention
itaque, adv.and so, accordingly, therefore
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
omnis, -eall, every
commodum, -ī n.advantage, interest
sōlus, -a, -umalone
fīlius, -ī, m.son
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictusleave behind, leave
patrimōnium, -ī n.inheritance, family estate
praedō, -ōnis m.robber, pirate
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
ēripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptussnatch out or away, rescue
possideō, -sidēre, -sēdī, -sessushold, possess
fāma, -ae, f.report, rumor
vīta, -ae, f.life
innocēns, -entisharmless; innocent
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
hospes, hospitis m.guest; host; guest-friend
amīcus, -ī, m.friend
paternus, -a, -umof a father, a father's
dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsusward off; defend
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
fautor, -ōris m.supporter, patron
tumultus, -ūs m.uproar, uprising
proximus, -a, -umnearest, next
dignitās, -ātis f.rank, standing, prestige
salūs, salūtis, f.safety, deliverance, escape
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
discrīmen, -crīminis, n.crisis, peril, danger
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
praeter, prep. with acc.before, past, by; besides, except
cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.the other, the remaining, the rest of
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
causa, -ae, f.cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
opera, -ae, f.effort, work, labor
studium, -ī, n.eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
auctōritās, -tātis f.influence, authority, prestige
etenim (conj.)for indeed, and in fact
rēctus, -a, -umdirect, straight
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthink
prō, prep. with abl.before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusfight
propter, prep. with acc.on account of, because of
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
honestus, -a, -umrespected, honourable
inter, prep, with acc.among, between
numerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscount, number; reckon, count as
posteā, adv.after this, afterwards
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
victōria, -ae, f.victory
cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtusset together or up; appoint; determine
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
recēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessumgo back, withdraw, retire
prōscrībō, -ere, -scrīpsī, -scrīptuspublish; outlaw (put a man's name on a list, his life and property forfeit)
regiō, -ōnis, f.direction; country, region
capiō, capere, cēpī, captustake, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
adversārius, -ī m.opponent, enemy
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
frequēns, -entiscrowded, in great numbers; frequent
forum, -ī n.market place, public square
ōs, ōris, n.mouth
cottīdiē, adv.daily, every day
versor, -ārī, -ātuskeep turning, be busy or employed, be
magis, comp. adv.more, rather
exsultō, -āre, -āvīleap up; exult, revel, run riot
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
timeō, -ēre, -uīfear
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
quis, qua, quid, indef. pron.any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something
calamitās, -tātis, f.misfortune, calamity, disaster
accidō, -cidere, -cidīfall to or upon; befall, happen
vetus, veterisold, former
inimīcitia, -ae f.enmity (usu. pl.)
duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj.two
alter, -era, -erumone or the other (of two); another, second
sedeō, sedēre, sēdī, sessussit
accūsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumblame, accuse
subsellium, -ī n.bench, seat (in the senate or courts)
trēs, tria, plur. adj.three
praedium, -ī n.estate, farm
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītushear; listen or attend to
sī, conj.if
tam, adv.so
caveō, cavēre, cāvī, cautusbeware, take care; be on one's guard against, beware of
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
metuō, -ere, metuīfear, be afraid of
soleō, -ēre, solitus sumbe accustomed, usually do
vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctuslive
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
enim, conj.for
iūdex, iūdicis, m.judge
iniūria, -ae, f.injury, wrong, hurt, harm
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.that of yours, that
cognōmen, -inis n.surname, added name, nickname
adsum, adesse, adfuībe present, be at hand
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscall, summon
modus, -ī, m.way, manner
plūrimus, -a, -umsuperl. of multus
palma, -ae f.palm of the hand; flat spreading branch
gladiātor, -ōris m.gladiator; as an insult: cutthroat, ruffian
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
autem, conj.moreover; but, however; now
nūper, adv.newly, lately, recently
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
lanista, -ae m.trainer of gladiators
cōnferō, cōnferre, contulī, conlātusbring together; grant, confer; sē cōnferre, to betake oneself, make one's way
ante, prep, with acc. and adv.before
pugna, -ae, f.fighting, battle, combat
tīrō, -ōnis m.a recruit, a raw soldier
sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītusknow
magister, -trī, m.master
scelus, sceleris, n.wickedness, crime
audācia, -ae, f.boldness, audacity
superō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusovercome, defeat, conquer
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.