Cicero Sections 16-23 Latin A level Prose

hic cum omni tempore nobilitatis fautor fuisset tum hoc tumultu proximo, cum omnium nobilium dignitas et salus in discrimen veniret, praeter ceteros in ea vicinitate eam partem causamque opera, studio, auctoritate defendit.

This man (Sextus Roscius) whilst he had been a defender of the nobility all his life, in particular in this most recent unrest, when the standing and safety of all nobel men came into jeopardy, more than the others in that neighbourhood he defended that party and cause with his efforts, zeal and influence.

etenim rectum putabat pro eorum honestate se pugnare propter quos ipse honestissimus inter suos numerabatur.

For truly he thought it right that he fight for the reputation of those men on whose account he himself was reckoned the most reputable among them.

postea quam victoria constituta est ab armisque recessimus, cum proscriberentur homines atque ex omni regione caperentur ei qui adversarii fuisse putabantur,

After the victory had been established and we drew back from armed conflict, when men were being proscribed and those who were thought to have been enemies were being arrested from every district.

erat ille Romae frequens atque in foro et in ore omnium cotidie versabatur, magis ut exsultare victoria nobilitatis videretur quam timere ne quid ex ea calamitatis sibi accideret.

He was frequently at Rome and was seen in the forum everyday before the eyes of all, so that he seemed to delight in the victory of the nobility more than to fear that some calamity might befall him from this.

erant ei veteres inimicitiae cum duobus Rosciis Amerinis, quorum alterum sedere in accusatorum subselliis video, alterum tria huiusce praedia possidere audio; quas inimicitias si tam cavere potuisset quam metuere solebat viveret.

There was a long standing rivalry between the two Rosci of Ameria one of whom I see sitting on the prosecution benches, the other I hear is in possession of three of this mans farms; if he had been as weary of this rivalry, as he usually was fearful, he would still be alive.

neque enim, iudices, iniuria metuebat. nam duo isti sunt Roscii, quorum alteri Capitoni cognomen est, iste qui adest Magnus vocatur, homines eius modi:

For, jurors, he was not unjustly afraid. Those two Titi Roscii, one of whom is called Capito, and that one who is here is called Magnus, are men of this type:

alter plurimarum palmarum vetus ac nobilis gladiator habetur, hic autem nuper se ad eum lanistam contulit, quique ante hanc pugnam tiro esset quod sciam, facile ipsum magistrum scelere audaciaque superavit.

one of whom is reckoned to be experienced and distinguished gladiator with many palms of victory, whereas the later has recently taken himself to Capito to be coached and he who before this fight was a novice as I understand he easily surpassed his own tutor in his criminality and audacity.

nam cum hic Sex. Roscius esset Ameriae, T. autem iste Roscius Romae, cum hic filius adsiduus in praediis esset cumque se voluntate patris rei familiari vitaeque rusticae dedisset, ipse autem frequens Romae esset, occiditur ad balneas Pallacinas rediens a cena Sex. Roscius.

For when my client Sextus Roscius was in Ameria, that Titus Roscius on the other hand was in Rome. While this son was constantly on the estate and devoted himself in accordance with his fathers will to the family business and the life of the countryside, Magnus on the otherside was constantly at Rome, and Sextus Roscius while returning from dinner was killed by the Pallastine Baths.

spero ex hoc ipso non esse obscurum ad quem suspicio malefici pertineat; verum id quod adhuc est suspiciosum nisi perspicuum res ipsa fecerit, hunc adfinem culpae iudicatote.

I hope from this very fact that it is not unclear, on whom the suspicion of the crime should fall, but unless, the evidence itself makes what is now only a suspicion abundantly clear, you may judge this man as partaking in the crime.

occiso Sex. Roscio primus Ameriam nuntiat Mallius Glaucia quidam, homo tenuis, libertinus, cliens et familiaris istius Rosci, et nuntiat domum non fili sed Capitonis inimici;

Upon the murder of Sextus Roscius, the news was first announced to Ameria by a certain Mallius Glaucia, a freedman, a client and close friend of that Titus Roscius, and he brought news not to the house of his son, but to the house of Titus Capito, a personal enemy;

et cum post horam primam noctis occisus esset, primo diluculo nuntius hic Ameriam venit; decem horis nocturnis sex et quinquaginta milia passuum cisiis pervolavit,

and although he had been killed after the first hour of the night, this messenger came to Ameria at the very first light of day, in ten hours of the night he flew through fifty six miles with a relay of light carriages,

non modo ut exoptatum inimico nuntium primus adferret sed etiam cruorem inimici quam recentissimum telumque paulo ante e corpore extractum ostenderet.

not only so that he might be the first to bring the longed for news to his enemy, but also to show him the blood of his enemy still quite fresh and the dagger pulled from the body just a little while before.

quadriduo quo haec gesta sunt res ad Chrysogonum in castra Sullae Volaterras defertur; magnitudo pecuniae demonstratur; bonitas praediorum — nam fundos decem et tris reliquit qui Tiberim fere omnes tangunt

Within four days of these things taking place, the matter was brought to Chrysogonus at the camp of Lucius Sulla at Volaterra; the scale of his wealth was pointed out; the excellence of the estates - for he left thirteen farms, nearly all of which boarded the Tiber -

— huius inopia et solitudo commemoratur; demonstrant, cum pater huiusce Sex. Roscius, homo tam splendidus et gratiosus, nullo negotio sit occisus, perfacile hunc hominem incautum et rusticum et Romae ignotum de medio tolli posse; ad eam rem operam suam pollicentur.

the helplessness and isolation of my client were mentioned, they further pointed out, since the father of my client, Sextus Roscius, so distinguished and po

ne diutius teneam, iudices, societas coitur. cum nulla iam proscriptionis mentio fieret, cum etiam qui antea metuerant redirent ac iam defunctos sese periculis arbitrarentur, nomen refertur in tabulas Sex. Rosci, hominis studiosissimi nobilitatis;

manceps fit Chrysogonus; tria praedia vel nobilissima Capitoni propria traduntur, quae hodie possidet; in reliquas omnis fortunas iste Roscius nomine Chrysogoni, quem ad modum ipse dicit, impetum facit. haec omnia, iudices, imprudente Sulla facta esse certo scio.

neque enim mirum, cum eodem tempore et ea quae praeterita sunt reparet[*] et ea quae videntur instare praeparet, cum et pacis constituendae rationem et belli gerendi potestatem solus habeat,

cum omnes in unum spectent, unus omnia gubernet, cum tot tantisque negotiis distentus sit ut respirare libere non possit, si aliquid non animadvertat, cum praesertim tam multi occupationem eius observent tempusque aucupentur ut, simul atque ille despexerit, aliquid huiusce modi moliantur.

huc accedit quod, quamvis ille felix sit, sicut est, tamen in tanta felicitate nemo potest esse in magna familia qui neminem neque servum neque libertum improbum habeat.

interea iste T. Roscius, vir optimus, procurator Chrysogoni, Ameriam venit, in praedia huius invadit, hunc miserum, luctu perditum, qui nondum etiam omnia paterno funeri iusta solvisset, nudum eicit domo atque focis patriis disque penatibus praecipitem, iudices, exturbat, ipse amplissimae pecuniae fit dominus.

qui in sua re fuisset egentissimus, erat, ut fit, insolens in aliena; multa palam domum suam auferebat, plura clam de medio removebat, non pauca suis adiutoribus large effuseque donabat, reliqua constituta auctione vendebat.