Pro S. Roscio Amerino

"
100 CICEBO : PRO
ROSCIO. [CH. XXVIII.
20. fM. Metelle : quite unknown, since the p)-aenomen is wanting
in the MSS. M. (for Marcus) is generally inserted, on the supposition
that M. Metellus, praetor in 69 b.c, is meant. vobis
advocatis : see note on 1, 4. These influential raen would be called
in when S. Roseius made his demand before the praetor M. Fannius.
agentibus : sc. rem Jioscii, " when you were pleading his cause."
22. T. Roscium : sc. Magnum, from whom, as procurator or agent
of Chrysogonus, the slaves were demanded.
23. sectantur: i.e. as body-servants.
25. ut ex eis quaeratur : noun clause, object of postvlo. quaeratur
is used impersonally.
31. in caede : "amid bloodshed," as sicarii. ex caede : " by
bloodshed," as sectores.
35. erit : equivalent in sense to licebit esse ;
allowed to be ?
'
' shall he not be
36. quaeratur : subjunctive in final clause, since diun ("while")
here denotes purpose ( = " in order that meanwhile ").
39. diluissem : subjunctive in a dependent clause in oratio ohliqua ;
it depends on the accusative and infinitive phrase, me dicturum
(sc. esse) ; the pluperfect represents the future perfect indicative
of direct speech.
XXIX., §§ 79-82. Argument.— Roscius could not have employed
freemen, because he never came to Eome, and the suggestion that he
used slaves only tums suspicion upon yourselves. The argument that
there were at the time so many assassins abroad that murder could
easily be committed recoils upon the Roscii, who are themselves the
chie/s and leaders of murderers.
Cli. XXIX.— 1. conveniat: jussive subjunctive in semi-dependence
on necesse est, as in 27, 29. Cicero now recapitulates the dilemmas
of 27.
2. id quod negas : = id quod prohare non potes. Cicero is now
in a position to make this statement, since Erucius had not availed
himself of the permission given him (27, 6-8) to ask and answer
questions.
6. contra ostendo : an exaggeration, since Cicero nowhere establishes
the alibi of S. Roscius.
9. temere " : without good reason."
10. servorum nomen : = ut per servos factum diceres ; the substantive
is preferred to the noun clause, because it is a better
antecedent for the relative adverbs quo and uhi, and also suits
2)ortum a,nd scopidum. nomen : = locus, " the point," " the mention."
12. scopulum offendis : the nautical metaphor is continued
offendere is regularly used for a ship striking upon a rock.
17. nullo negotio " : without any trouble."
18. potuisti : "you would have been able," indicative instead of
potential subjunctive. See note on 19, 6.
;