Cicero Pro Roscio Amerino (Colour Coded Translation)

[5] Forsitan quaeratis, qui iste terror sit et quae tanta formido, quae tot ac talis viros impediat,

You may ask, perhaps, what that terror and what so great a fear there iswhich is deterring so many and such distinguished men,

quo minus pro capite et fortunis alterius, quem ad modum consuerunt, causam velint dicere.

as is their usual custom, to defend someone’slife and property

Quod adhuc vos ignorare non mirum est propterea, quod consulto ab accusatoribus

It is not surprising that you should still be unaware of this, since the prosection have deliberately

eius rei, quae conflavit hoc iudicium, mentio facta non est.

omitted to mention the very circumstance which has been the reason for this trial.

[6] Quae res ea est? Bona patris huiusce Sex. Rosci, quae sunt sexagiens,

And what is that? The property of the father, of my client Sextus Roscius, is worth six million sesterces,

quae de viro fortissimo et clarissimo L. Sulla, quem honoris causa nomino,

and it is from the very valiant and very illustrious Lucius Sullla, whose name I mention with the greatest respect,

duobus milibus nummum sese dicit emisse adulescens vel potentissimus hoc tempore nostrae civitatis, L. Cornelius Chrysogonus!

that a young man, arguably the most powerful man in Rome at the present time, claims to have purchased this property for two thousand sesterces: this man is Lucius Cornelius Chrysogonus!

Is a vobis, iudices, hoc postulat, ut, quoniam in alienam pecuniam tam plenam atque praeclaram nullo iure invaserit,

He has a particular request to make of you, gentlemen. Seeing that he has unlawfully seized the extremely valuable and splendid property of another man,

quoniamque ei pecuniae vita Sex. Rosci obstare atque officere videatur, deleatis ex animo suo suspicionem

and seeing that the life of Sextus Roscius appears to him to stand in the way of and impede his access to that property, he asks that you remove all uneasiness

omnem metumque tollatis; sese hoc incolumni non arbiratur huius innocentis patrimonium tam amplum et copiosumposse obtinere,

from his mind and release him from all his fears For as long as Sextus Roscius is still unharmed, Chrysogonus does not imagine that he can keep possession of the very large and valuable inheritance of this innocent man;

damnato et eiecto sperat se posse, quod adeptus est per scelus, id per luxuriam effundere atque consumere.

with Roscius condemned and forced into exile,however, he believes that he will be free to squander and fritter away his ill-gotten gains.

Hunc sibi ex animo scrupulum, qui se dies noctesque stimulat ac pungit, ut evallatis, postulat,

Chrysogonus therefore requests that you relieve him of this anxiety which worries and torments his mind night and day

ut ad hanc suam praedam tam nefariam adiutores vos profiteamini.

and declare yourselves his accomplices in this outrageous theft which he has committed.

[7] Sivobis aequa et honesta postulatio videtur, iudices,

If this request seems to you, members of the jury, to be right and proper,

ego contra brevem postulationem adfero et, quo modo mihi persuadeo aliquanto aequiorem.

then I for my part should like to make a small request of my own - and one which is, I think, rather more reasonable.

Primum a Chrysogono peto, ut pecunia fortunisque nostris contentus sit,

First of all I ask Chrysogonus to content himself with our wealth and property,

• pecunia fortunisque, and sanguinem et vitam

  • weighing up both sides of the case

  • or materials goods vs. life

sanguinem et vitam ne petat; deinde a vobis, iudices, ut audacium sceleri resistatis,

and not to demand our life-blood as well. Secondly I ask you, gentlemen, to make a stand against the wickedness of criminals,

innocentium calamitatem levetis et in causa Sex, Rosci periculum, quod in omnis intenditur, propulsetis.

to alleviate the misfortunes of innocent men, and in the case of Sextus Rosciusto repel a danger which threatens every one of us.

[8] Quod si aut causa criminis

[8] But if any ground for the accusation

aut facti suspicio aut quaelibet denique vel minima res reperietur, quam ob rem videantur

any suspicion of guilt or even the slightest thing can be discovered, which would make them appear

illi non nihiltamen in deferendo nomine secuti, postremo si praeter eam praedam quam dixi, quicquam aliud causae inveneritis,

to have had at least some reason for bringing the charge, and lastly if you find any other explanation of it than the booty of which I have spoken

non recusamus, quin illorum libidini Sex. Rosci vita dedatur.

we make no objection to the life of Roscius being abandoned to their passion

• illorum libidini

Sin aliud agitur nihil nisi, ut eis ne quid desit, quibus satis nihil est,

But if the only issue is that of satisfying the wants of those who are never satisfied,

si hoc solum hoc tempore pugnatur, ut ad illam opimam praeclaramque praedam damnatio Sex. Rosci velut cumulus accedat,

if the only object of the present struggle is to crown the seizure of that rich and spendid booty by the condemnation of Sextus Roscius,

• pugnatur = military connection

• velut cumulus - a simile “crown”

• indignissimum - another superlative

nonne cum multa indigna tum vel hoc indignissimum est vos idoneos habitos,

is it not the greatest of all these indignities that you should be thought capable of helping them,

per quorum sententias iusque iurandum id adsequantur,

by your vote given under oath, to obtain

quod

antea ipsi scelere et ferro adsequi consuerunt?

what they themselves had

formerly been accustomed to obtain by crime and the sword?

Qui ex civitate in senatum propter dignitatem, ex senatu in hoc consilium delecti estis propter severitatem,

You were elected into the senate from the rest of the citizens owing to your merit, and have been summoned from the senate to form this court owing to your strict sense of justice,

ab his hoc postulare homines sicarios atque gladiatores, non modo ut

is it from you that these fellows, assassins and gladiators, demand not only that

supplica vitent, quae a vobis pro maleficiis suis metuere atque horrere debent,

they may escape the punishment whichthey ought to fear and dread from you owing to their misdeeds,

verum etiam ut spoliis ex hoc iudicio ornati auctique discedant?

but also that they may leave the court adorned and enriched with their spoils

[9] His de rebus tantis tamque atrocibus neque satis me commode dicere neque

satis graviter conqueri neque satis libere vociferari posse intellego.

[9] Of crimes so great and so atrocious as these I feel that I can neither speak in appropriate language, nor make my complaint with sufficient impressiveness nor give vent to my indignation with sufficient freedom;

commoditati ingenium, gravitati aetas, libertati tempora sunt impedimento.

my poor abilities, my youth, and the times in which we live prevent the use of appropriate language, impressiveness, and freedom of speech

Huc accedit summus timor, quem mihi natura pudorque meus attribuit, et vestra dignitas et vis adversariorum et Sex. Rosci pericula.

A further obstacle is the excessive nervousness imposed upon me by my natural modesty, by your dignity, the power of my opponents, and the peril of Sextus Roscius.

Quapropter vos oro atque obsecro, iudices, ut attente bonaque cum venia verba mea audiatis

For these reasons, gentemen, I beg and implore you to listen to my words with attention and kindly indulgence

[10] Fide sapientiaque vestra fretus plus oneris sustuli quam ferre me posse intellego.

[10] Relying on your integrity and good sense, I feel that I have taken upon myself a burden heavier than I can bear.

Hoc onus si vos aliqua ex parte adlevabitis, feram ut potero studio et industria, iudices;

If you lighten this burden to some extent, I will bear it as well as I can, gentlemen, by zeal and effort;

sin a vobis, id quod non spero, deserar, tamen animo non deficiam et id quod

but if I am abandoned by you - which I do not expect - I will not love courage,

suscepi, quoad potero perferam.

but will accomplish to the best of my ability the task which I have undertaken.

Quod si perferre non potero, opprimi me onere offici malo quam id, quod mihi

But if I cannot accomplish it, I prefer to succumb to the burden of duty rather

cum fide semel impositum est aut propter perfidiam abicere aut propter infirmitatem animi deponere.

than renounce through treachery or abandon through the lack of courage a task which has once been imposed upon me in reliance upon my good faith.