M. Tullius Cicero In C. Verrem 2.4.107

erat optandum, what was chiefly to be wished: not implying a protasis contrary to fact. See § 522 , a (311, c); B. 304, 3; G. 254, R.1; H. 583 (511, 1, N.8); H.-B. 582, 3, a.

quod . . .pertinebat, the one thing which most tended (or, was of chief importance).

invidiam . . . infamiamque, odium and ill repute, from the partisan use of the courts by the Senators.

vestri ordinis , i.e. the senatorial order. The word ordo signified, loosely, any recognized body of citizens—as freedmen, publicans, clerks; but it was more especially used of the two powerful classes of the Roman aristocracy, the Senatorial and the Equestrian, which struggled with each other for power during the last century of the Republic. The Senators, from whom the jurors were at this time taken (see note on Rosc. Am., p. 2,1. l), formed a limited (300 to 600) order of nobility which virtually controlled the government. The equites constituted a moneyed aristocracy. Naturally these two orders had opposing interests, as the Senators were excluded from trade and the equites practically from political power. Their antagonism showed itself more especially in the matter of the provinces, which the Senators wished to oppress by official plunder and the equites by commercial extortion.

summo . . . tempore , most critical time (more lit. extreme crisis): the year of the consulship of Pompey and Crassus ( B.C. 70).

inveteravit (emphatic position), there has come to be deeply rooted (observe that the figure is quite different in the Latin).

opinio , notion or idea (not so strong as our opinion, which should be sententia ).

exteras nationes: the reference is, of course, to the peoples subject to Rome, who were aggrieved by the rapacity of the provincial governors.

his iudiciis : in consequence of the situation described above (note on

ordinis , l. 2) it became all important for one class or the other to control the courts, before which any misdoings of either party were likely to come for trial. For years these two orders had struggled for such control. At this particular time the courts were in the hands of the Senators, who were bound together by a common cause to shield any one of their number who might be charged with misconduct as a provincial governor.

neminem (more emphatic than nullum)

: translate, never.

cum (causal)

sint , when men are ready.—

contionibus et legibus, harangues and bills (proposed laws). The proposition of a law which took the exclusive control of the courts from the Senators was even now pending, and the law ( Lex Aurelia) was passed before the case of Verres was decided.

conentur , purpose clause.

magnitudine , abl. of means.

spe , abl. of specification.

actor , complainant, i.e. agent or attorney for conducting the suit in personal processes ( in personam ).

adduxi enim hominem, etc.: cf. Burke, Impeachment of Warren Hastings: We have brought before your Lordships the first man in property and power; we have brought before you the head, the chief, the captain-general in iniquity,—one in whom all the frauds, all the peculations, all the tyranny in India are embodied, disciplined, and arrayed. Then, if we have brought before you such a person, if you strike at him, you will not have need of a great many more examples,— you strike at the whole corps if you strike at the head:

in quo , in whose case

reconciliare, etc., win back the lost repute.

possetis , purpose.

depeculatorem, etc.: for a more complete statement of these charges, see chs. iv , v .

juris urbani, i.e. as praetor urbanus (see sect. 12 ).