Pro S. Roscio Amerino

CH. XLVIII.] NOTBS. 123
XLVIII., §§ 138-141. Argument.— The nobles have noiv recovered
their proper power in the state ; if they really ivish to retain thispower,
they can easily do so ; hut not if they mahe common cause with
Chrysogonus, and subniit to the domination of afreedman.
Ch. XLVIII.— 1. haec " : the present goverament." tantum :
aecusative of the extent of the aetion of possum.
2. concessum ei non esse : Cicero means that it is only those who
find fault with the present government that complain about the
power of Chrysogonus, and so try to create discontent ; those who
praise it maintain that such great power is ouly usurped, and that
the sooner it is set aside the better.
3. commemorant : "they remind us" (= in memoriam revocant).
quod : = ut ob id, with consecutive subjunctive, " there is no reason
whyan3'oue should be," etc.
5. vellem . . . dixissem : potential subjunctives. liceret . . . dicas :
jussive subjunctives in semi-dependence on vellem and on licet
respectively.
7. decrevissem : used sometimes (as here) of the opinions and
votes of single senators, but more often of the "deerees" of the
Senate as a body. modo : = dummodo, sc. decemas.
8. iudicassem : i.e. in the capaeity of a judge.
10. omnia : accusative of the extent of the action of possum.
magistratus creavit et leges constituit : referring to the Sullan
reforms; see Introd., § 2. 11. prociiratio : "olheial duty."
12. est restituta : as a matter of fact the effect of the Sullan
constitution was to place the magistrates imder the control of the
Senate. retinere . . . obtinere : " to retain . . . to maintain."
volunt : not volent, in spite of the future poterunt in the apodosis ;
the "wish" is considered as already in existence.
16. nostri isti nobiles : not without a tinge of disdain ; Cicero
belonged to the conservative party, but he had not a very high
opinion of tlie majoi-ity of the individuals who formed that party.
18. haec : = hae virtutes (vigilantia, etc, to be supplied from the
corresponding adjectives). omamenta : the " prerogatives " conferred
by their position, viz. the right of holding curule ofBce and of
serving as judges in the criminal courts. concedant : only a few
years after the date of this speech the senators had to sliare the lawcourts
with the equitea, and the power of the tribunes was revived.
19. desinant : jussive subjunctive.
20. male : in a political sense.
21. suam eausam . . . communicare : "to identify their cause."
cum Chrysogono : an abbreviation for cum Ghrysogoni causa.
23. videant ne . . . sit : lit. "let them see to it that it is not,"
i.e. "perliaps it is."
24. equestrem splendorem : Gaius Gracchus in 123-122 b.c. transferred
tlie law-courts (Introd., § 7) from the senators to the equites.
This was the beginning of a long period of conflict between tlie two
prders, sinee tlie senatorial governors of provinces, when charged