M. Tullius Cicero, Pro S. Roscio Amerino, 15

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[15] Sextus Roscius, the father of this man, was a citizen ¹ of Ameria , by far the first man not only of his municipality, but also of his neighbourhood, in birth, and nobility and wealth, and also of great influence, from the affection and the ties of hospitality by which he was connected with the most noble men of Rome . For he had not only connections of hospitality with the Metelli, the Servilii, and the Scipios, but he had also actual acquaintance and intimacy with them; families which I name, as it is right I should, only to express my sense of their honour and dignity. And of all his property he has left this alone to his son,—for domestic robbers have possession of his patrimony, which they have seized by force the fame and life of this innocent man is defended by his paternal connections ² and friends.

Pro S. Roscio Amerino. M. Tullius Cicero. London. 1903.

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Funding provided by National Endowment For The Humanities (NEH).

Current edition Perseus

For Sextus Roscius of Ameria (English) (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 1. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1903.)

Editions (1)

Pro Sex. Roscio Amerino Perseus (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Volume 1. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908.) — 15 focus

[15] 6 Sex. Roscius, pater huiusce, municeps Amerinus fuit, cum genere et nobilitate et pecunia non modo sui municipi verum etiam eius vicinitatis facile primus, tum gratia atque hospitiis florens hominum nobilissimorum. nam cum Metellis, Serviliis, Scipionibus erat ei non modo hospitium verum etiam domesticus usus et consuetudo, quas, ut aequum est, familias honestatis amplitudinisque gratia nomino. itaque¹ ex suis omnibus² commodis hoc solum filio reliquit; nam patrimonium domestici praedones vi ereptum possident, fama et vita innocentis ab hospitibus amicisque paternis defenditur.

Notes on the current edition

For Sextus Roscius of Ameria

1. A municeps was a citizen of a municipium. For a full explanation of these terms see Smith, Dict. Ant. p.259, v. Colonia.

2. The Latin word is hospes, answering to the Greek ce/nos.

Commentary

Notes on Pro S. Roscio Amerino (Select Orations of Cicero (Allen and Greenough's Edition). Greenough, James Bradstreet; Kittredge, George Lyman, editors. Boston, London: Ginn & Company, 1897.) focus

decurionum : these constituted the municipal senate or city council. The decem primi were a standing executive committee of the town, to whom, in this instance, an unusual piece of business was entrusted. If the delegates had been a special committee appointed expressly to report the case to Sulla, Capito, one of the conspirators, would hardly have been chosen a member.

qui vir , what sort of man, i.e. especially in his political principles. The delegates were apparently to certify to the fact that Roscius had been of Sulla's party.

ut . . . velit , that he will consent.

decretum : the decree was here read to the court, but it has not been preserved. Its reading must have produced considerable effect. It was not only important testimony to the innocence of the younger Roscius, but it was introduced by Cicero at such a point in the case as to repeat and confirm the summary of the plot just given.

id quod , as (see note on p. 2, l. 16 , above).

nobilis , acc. plur.

ab eis qui peterent , to beg of them : § 531 , 2 (317, 2); B. 282, ; G. 630; H.590 (497,i); H.-B. 502,2;

eis refers to the

decem primi

ne . . .

adirent , obj. of

peterent .

vellent : § 580 (336, 2); B. 314, I; G. 508, 2; H. 643 (524); H.-B. 534, 2.

pollicerentur , same constr. as

peterent .

M. Tullius Cicero Pro S. Roscio Amerino 15

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