Pro S. Roscio Amerino

CH. t.J NOTBS. 125
by the mere fact tliat lie associates that cause with Chrysogonus, the
real baseness of his own character.
13. rationem : "interest."
14. communicatam : = communem. tcum laeditur : for laeditur,
cum, the reading of the MSS. The meaning is that he feels himself
injured because the cause of the nobility is recognised as distinct
from the interests of Chrysogonus ; he ipso facto cuts himself off
from his party and ceases to belong to the aristocracy. ab hoc
splendore causae : = ah hac splendida causa.
16. haec omnis oratio " : all this part of my speech." mea :
"spoken on my own account." Cicero wishes to shield his client
from the consequences of any unfavourable effect which the orator's
free expression of opinion may have upon the judges.
17. respublica: " the interests of the state." istorum : subjective
genitive with iniuria, " the wrongs done by these men."
20. imperitus morum: " ignorant of the ways of men," i.e.
" ignorant of the world."
21. iure gentium : not " international law," butthe commonrules
'
of right and wrong recognised by all nations ; ' right common to all
nations."
24. careat : subjunctive representing present indicative of direct
speeeh.
26. in suam rem " : to his own use."
anulum : the gold signet ring which Roscius had a right to
rear as a member of the equestrian order. He would deliver it up
3 a token that he renounced all the rights and claims of his family.
t28.
30. excepit : a legal term ; in surrendering his father's goods he
made an " exception " or " reservation " in favour of his o^vn body,
on the ground that it was private property.
L., §§ 145-147. Argument.— Why, Chnjsogonus, should you seeh
to slay Rosciv^, now that he hasnothing left lohich youcan rob him of?
If you are striving to destroy the son because you have thefather^spossessions,
do you not show that you are afraid lest the children of the
proscribed may regain theirfather's property ? This betrays a lack of
confdence in the efficacy of Sidla's laivs.
Ch. L.— 1. praedia . . . obsto : in lines 1-7 we have an instance
of sermocinatio, in which the advocate identil5es himself witli his
elient. After obsto (line 7) the orator speaks again in his own person,
and continues his attack on Chrysogonus.
8. hominem : =
addrcssed.
eum (i.e. Roscius). Chrysogonus is the person
15. praeter ceteros : "beforeall others," "more thanall others";
with the negative (non) " less than all others." tu metuere non
debeas : i.e. because Sulla would never rob bis favourite freedman
of property he had onee acquired.
16. debeas : subjunctive in a relative clause depending on the
accusative and infinitive phrase id te vereri. ne : " namely, that."