Cicero - part 28

Nam postquam isti intellexerunt summa diligentia vitam Sex. Roscii custodiri

For after those men understood that the life of Sextus Roscius was being guarded with the utmost care

Neque sibi ullam caedis faciendae potestatem dari

And that no opportunity for carrying out murder was given to them

Consilium ceperunt plenum sceleris et audaciae

They formed a plan full of crime and boldness

Ut nomen huius de parricidio deferrent

Ti accuse this man of parricide

Ut ad eam rem aliquem accusatorem veterem compararent

To get some experienced prosecutor for this matter

Qui de ea re posset dicere aliquid

Who could say something about this

In qua re nulla subesset suspicio

In which matter there was no underlying suspicion

Denique ut quoniam crimine non poterant

Finally, since they were not able to fight the accusation

Tempore ipso pugnarent

To fight making use of the state of the times

Ita loqui homines

Men spoke in this way

‘Quod iudicia tam diu facta non essent

‘Because trials were not held for so long

Condemnari eum oportere

He should be condemned

Qui primus in iudicium adductus esset

Who was first brought to trial

Huic autem patronos propter Chrysogoni gratiam defuturos

However the defender would be unavailable to this man because of the influence of Chrysogonus

De bonorum venditione et de ista societate verbum esse facturum neminem

No one would say a word about the sale of the inheritance and about that partnership

Ipso nomine parricidi et atrocitate criminis fore

Under the pretext of parricide and through the enormity of the crime

Ut hic nullo negotio tolleretur, cum ab nullo defensus esset

He would be removed with no difficulty, since he was defended by no one