admiserit
: §
569
(332, a) ; B. 297, 2 ; G. 553, 4; H. 571, I (501, i, vi); H.-B. 521, 3, a, footnote 2
quod
,
that.
quod
: the antecedent is id (
p. 15, l. 1
); the clause
ut . . . polliceatur
is in apposition with
quod
.
quaestionem
,
question, in the technical sense, i.e. examination by torture, the regular legal way of examining slaves. An accused person could, of his own accord, offer his slaves for that purpose (
polliceri
): in this Case Roscius had lost his slaves, and so was deprived of that privilege.
unus puer
,
as much as a single slave.
minister
, i.e. to wait upon him. - familia: this word, in its primary meaning, properly embraced the entire body of free persons, Clients, and slaves, under the patriarchal rule of the
paterfamilias. In time, the meaning was divided, applying either (1) to the family proper — the
paterfamilias, with his wife, children, etc. ; or (2) to a body (or gang) of slaves. The latter is the meaning here.
Scipio
,
Metelle
: these were, probably, P. Scipio Nasica, father of Metellus Scipio (a leader on Pompey's side in the Civil War), and his cousin, Q. Metellus Nepos, brother of Caecilia (sect.
50
), and father of the Celer and Nepos referred to in the orations against Catiline.
advocatis
,
called in (as friends of the accused) ;
agentibus
,
taking active part. The demand seems to have been formal, and these friends were present to attest it.
meministisne
:
ne
=
nonne
; §
332
, c (210, d); B. 162, 2, c; G. 454, N.5 ; H.-B. 231, b, N.1. - T. Roscium, i.e. Magnus.
sectantur
,
are in the train of
quid facitis
: up to this point Cicero appears to be merely accounting for the fact (which might have made against his case) that the younger Roscius had not offered his slaves for examination. With this abrupt question he shows the true bearing of the refusal of Magnus, retorting suddenly the countercharge, which he carries out in a chapter here omitted. The effect on a jury of such an appeal as Dubitate, etc., must have been very great.
