III. Narratio (§§ 23-31).
[23] The sole question to be decided is: Which was the aggressor, — Milo or Clodius? Account of the affray: The death of Milo was necessary to Clodius: Clodius had threatened Milo: he lay in wait for him and attacked him, but was killed himself. From this plain statement of facts it may be judged who was the intending assassin.
si neque
, etc.: a recapitulation of the whole of the
Confutatio (sects.
7
-
22
).
181.2
vellemus
: §
447
, 1 (311, b); B. 280, 4; G. 258; H. 556 (486, i); H.-B. 519, I, b.
181.6
uter utri
,
which against the other (lit.
which against which).
181.10
All that precedes is intended merely to brush aside prejudices and gain for the case a hearing on its merits: at this point the real defence begins with a statement of facts in which every incident is made to tell heavily against Clodius.
in praetura
: at the time of his death Clodius was candidate for this office (see Introd. to the oration).
181.12
non multos mensis
: really less than six. At whatever time the magistrates were elected, they could hold office only for the year for which they were chosen. In this case, since the election was delayed till long after the beginning of the year, the term of office was very considerably shortened.
181.13
honoris gradum
: the ambition of a Roman was to complete the series of
curule offices (
cursus honorum) as speedily as possible.
181.16
annum suum
,
the regular year in which he could legally be a candidate.
181.17
religione aliqun
,
from some religious scruple, as it is generally (Ut fit ).
181.21
consule Milone
: equiv. to a fut.
protasis; §
52
!, a (310, a); B. 305, I , G. 600, I; H. 575, 9 (507, N.7); H.-B. 578, 6. Milo was a candidate for the consulship.
181.22
fieri
,
was likely to be elected (i.e. as things were going at the time of speaking, hence the pres.).
181.25
convocabat
, not officially, but in the course of his canvass.
181.26
Collinam novam
,
a new Colline tribe. Of the thirty-five tribes, the four city tribes ranked lowest, because the freedmen and poor citizens were placed in them; and of these the
Collina was least reputable of all. It was through the
collegia compitalicia, or local clubs, that Clodius worked upon the city tribes; and, by the exaggerated expression that he registered an entirely new
Collina, it appears to be meant that the new and perhaps fraudulent names that he got upon the list outnumbered the genuine voters.
181.27
ille
, Clodius;
hic
, Milo (as generally in this speech).
181.31
suffragiis
: there had already been several attempts to elect magistrates, which had failed through the obstructive tricks familiar to Roman politicians. Hence the preference of the citizens was already well known
by their votes.
182.1
sflvas publicas
: probably some depredations of Clodius in Etruria, where he had extensive estates.
182.11
sollemne
,
annua4 or occurring at regular seasons (see derivation in Vocab.). The adjectives indicate that Milo's journey was undertaken regularly, legally, and of necessity, and hence that the idea that he went out to kill Clodius is absurd.
182.12
Lanuvium
: this was an old town of Latium, about twenty miles southeast of Rome. It contained a temple of Juno Sospita, a local divinity, so famous that, when Lanuvium became a
municipium of Rome, this sanctuary was, by special arrangement, received into the Roman religious system. The
flamen, or special priest, of Juno Sospita had to be inaugurated by the chief magistrate (
dictator) of the
municipium. Milo, of Lanuvian origin, a
municeps of the town, now held the latter office.
182.13
dictator
: this word, evidently an old name for the highest magistrate of a community, was in Rome applied to an extraordinary magistrate, but in other Italian towns it retained its earlier signification (as here).
182.16
ita
,
under such circumstances: an indication that Clodius sacrificed something of importance (namely, his presence at an assembly of the people) in order to lay this ambuscade for Milo. Milo, on the other hand (
autem), was going about his regular business, as narrated in what follows.
182.20
quoad
, etc.: the Senate adjourned on this day about the fourth hour (between ten and eleven A.M.).
182.21
calceos
: the Senator wore a special kind of shoe adorned with a crescent-shaped ornament (
lunula); his tunic was also distinguished by the broad purple stripe in front (
latus clavus). When travelling, a Roman put off his
toga and badges of office and put on a heavy travelling cloak (
paenula) and other easy garments.
182.22
id temporis
: §
397
, a (240, b); B. 185, 2; G. 336, N.2; H. 416, 2 (378, 2); H.-B. 388, b.
182.24
ob viam fit
: this was just beyond Bovillie (Albano), a village about nine miles from Rome.
182.25
raeda
(
rheda), a four-wheeled family carriage.
182.26
Graecis comitibus
, singers, dancers, etc. (see sect.
55
).
182.27
hic insidiator
, i.e. Milo (of course ironical).
182.28
apparasset
, i.e. as the accusers say: see §
592
, 3 (341, d); B. 323; G. 628; H. 649, i (528, I); H.-B. 535, I, a.
182.29
paenulatus
: the
paenula went on over the head, like a Mexican poncho, and so confined the arms (Fig. 47). It was the usual travelling cloak of a Roman.
182.30
comitatu
: this troop of singing boys and maidens was, no doubt, to take part in the village procession next day at Lanuvium.
182.31
hora undecima
: this would be about half past four P.M. In reality, as we learn from other sources, it was nearly two hours earlier; and Milo had stopped at an inn in Bovillae, in order (as was charged) to make sure of not missing his enemy.
183.1
adversi . . . occidunt
,
they attack and kilt
183.8
pugnari
, impersonal.
183.9
succurrere
: §
558
, b (331, C, 2); cf. B. 295, 31 N.; G. 549, N.1; H. 505, ii, 2; H.-B. 587.
183.10
fecerunt . . . quod quisque . . . voluisset
: this sentence is greatly admired as a delicate way of glossing over awkward facts.
183.11
derivandi
, i.e. from Milo, the master, to the irresponsible slaves.
183.14
voluisset
: for constr., see §
521
, a (310, a) ; B. 305, I ; G. 600, I; H. 595, 9 (507, N.7); H.-B. 578, 6.
183.17
consecuta sit
, i.e. by the death of Clodius.
183.19
prosit
, hortatory subjunctive.
183.20
potuerit
: for tense, see §
485
, c (287, c) ; B. 268, 6 G. 513; H. 550 (495, vi); H.-B. 481.
quin servaret
,
without saving; cf.
quin judicetis,
without judging (1.26, below).
183.22
ratio doctis
, etc.: observe the exquisite skill with which Cicero here enunciates and applies the universal law of self-defence.
183.28
Observe that this section
(sect.
31
), which ends the
Narratio (or statement of facts), is similar to sect.
23
, which introduces the
Narratio: both contain a summing up of the results arrived at in the
Confutatio (sects.
7
-
22
) and both end with a statement of the main question: Which lay in wait for the other? Much of the effort of persuasive argument depends on such repetitions, at the proper moment, of points already made.
183.28
optabilius fuit
: §
522
, a (311, c); B. 304, 3, a; G. 254, R.1; H. 583 (511, N.1); H.-B. 582, 3, a.
183.29
semel
,
once only.
183.32
illud
, referring forward to
occisusne, etc. (as often).
184.1
id
, i.e. the fact that there was a plot laid by somebody. Throughout the argument Cicero insists that neither the Senate nor Pompey intended to prejudge the guilt of Milo.
184.3
de hoc
, i.e. the question
ab utro factae sint.
latum est
, etc., i.e. this was the intent of Pompey's law
de vi.
184.7
hic
, i.e. my client;
ille
, i.e. Clodius.
ut ne sit
, subj. of purpose (i.e. the purpose of the investigation).
Commentary on Defense of Milo. James Bradstreet Greenough. ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge. Boston. 1897.
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