M. Tullius Cicero, Pro S. Roscio Amerino, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 150

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

[150] 52 verum si a Chrysogono, iudices, non impetramus ut pecunia nostra contentus sit, vitam ne petat, si ille adduci non potest ut, cum ademerit nobis omnia quae nostra erant propria, ne lucem quoque hanc quae communis est eripere cupiat, si non satis habet avaritiam suam pecunia explere, nisi etiam crudelitati sanguis praebitus¹ sit, unum perfugium, iudices, una spes reliqua est Sex. Roscio eadem quae² rei publicae, vestra pristina bonitas et misericordia. quae si manet, salvi etiam nunc esse possumus; sin ea crudelitas quae hoc tempore in re³ publica versata est vestros quoque animos — id quod fieri profecto non potest — duriores acerbioresque reddit⁴, actum est, iudices; inter feras satius est aetatem degere quam in hac tanta immanitate versari.

Pro S. Roscio Amerino. M. Tullius Cicero. ed. Albert Curtis Clark. Oxford. 1908.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

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

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (1)

For Sextus Roscius of Ameria Perseus (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 1. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1903.) — 150 focus

[150] But if, O judges, we cannot prevail with Chrysogonus to be content with our money, and not to aim at our life; if he cannot be induced, when he has taken from us everything which was our private property, not to wish to take away this light of life also which we have in common with all the world; if he does not consider it sufficient to glut his avarice with money, if he be not also dyed with blood cruelly shed—there is one refuge, O judges; there is one hope left to Sextus Roscius, the same which is left to the republic—your ancient kindness and mercy; and if that remain, we can even yet be saved. But if that cruelty which at present stalks abroad in the republic has made your dispositions also more harsh and cruel, (but that can never be the case,) then there is an end of everything, O judges; it is better to live among brute beasts than in such a savage state of things as this.

Notes on the current edition

Pro S. Roscio Amerino

1. crudelitati sanguis praebitus Madvig: crudelitate (-i A) sanguinis praeditus codd.: fort. crudelitati sanguine perlitatum

2. eadem quae Naugerius (2): eademque codd.

3. in re p. ed. Mediol.: in rem p. codd.

4. reddidit ψ

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

quae domi , i.e. the personal protection of Roscius, supply of money, providing of witnesses, etc.

fori . . . rationem , the business of forum and court, i.e. the preliminaries of the trial.

ut videtis , i.e. he is here in court.

aetas , youth.

adsiduitate , constant presence, probably at the preliminary proceedings.

sectorum , a pun: the word means both buyers (of confiscated property) and cut-throats.

hac nobilitate , i.e. such nobles as he.

haec res , the present state of things.

ei , such.

qui . . . facerent : in this Clause (as often in Latin) purpose and result approach so Close]y as to be indistinguishable.

loco , rank in life.

M. Tullius Cicero Pro S. Roscio Amerino 150

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Commentary

Stable identifiers