Pro S. Roscio Amerino

Ctt. XXXIl.] NOTfiS. 105
i the senes (those over 60) were wholly free from military service.
.? Priamum ipsum senem : Priam was the aged kiiig of Troy during
the Trojan war. There is here a sarcastic reference to Antistius as
I
I the oldest and " most venerable" of the accusers.
14. Antistium : since the praenomen is wanting, it is not clear to
which of the Antistii the name refers. P. Antistius, mentioned by
Cicero in tlie "Brutus" as a " popular brawler," was killed in
82 B.c. as a Sullan, whereas some Marian victim of the Sullan proscriptions
is here required ; moreover Publius is described by Cicero
as a patronus, not as an accuser. Perhaps L. Antistius, who in
95 B.C. indicted a certain T. Matrinius for usurpation of citizen
,, rights, is here referred to. leges prohibebant : because, having
' been convieted of malicious prosecution (calumnia) under the Lex
Jiemmia (see note on 19, 29), he became infamis andwas disqualified
from ever again becoming a prosecutor.
16. sescenti: used tosignifyanindefinitenumber. inter sicarios
see note on 6, 4, and Introd., §7. Accusers in this court are
specially mentioned, because the executioners under the Sullan
proseriptions had most to fear from them.
17. viverent : jussive subjunctive in semi-dependence on the
potential subjunctive vellem,
18. mali : partitive genitive depending on nihil.
19. verum : a thought, forming the means of transition to what
foUows, is liere intentionally suppressed : "however [not only professional
accusers, but also many innocent persons, were made
victims in tliose days, for] as usual," etc.
21. molitur : singular, since vis ac turha really form a single idea.
dum . . . erat . . . erant : dmn, meaning "so long as," when the
action of the principal verb lasts as long as that of the verb in the
temporal clause, takes the indicative. The tense in both clauses is
usually the same. is : Sulla.
22. summam rerum " : the highest power in the State." See
Introd., § 2. suis vulneribus : personal grievances and losses.
23. qui : = et ei. tamquam si : introducing a comparative conditional
clause, in which an imaginary case is put ; the apodosis is
suppressed, but may easily be supplied.
24. ita : correlative of tamquavfi ; lit. " they rushed about insuch
a way as [they would have rushed about] if," etc.
'
27. commodi : piedicative genitive, ' this belongs to advantage,"
i.e. " this is an advantage"; cp. signi in 30, 12. Commodi
may also be taken as partitive genitive dependent on lioc, " this
much advantage exists," " there is tliis much advantage."
28. ut . . . interficere non possent : "that they could not have
killed," posaent being hypothetical (in apodosis) as well as consecutive.
si : etiamsi.
30. ut coepi dicere : in lines 1-4 above ; the words are equivalent
to " as I have said already."
32. quamvis : adverb of degree with diu, " as long as he pleased,"
lit. "however long."
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