Pro S. Roscio Amerino

126 CICERO : PRO ROSCIO. [CH. L.
17. facis iniuriam: sc. Sullae, since he had akeady, in his laws
regulating the proscriptions, provided that the ohildren of the proscribed
should never be able to recover their ancestral propertj-.
/acere iniuriam usually takes the dative.
18. emptionis tuae : i.e. for the permanent validity of your purchase.
in iis rebus, quas L. Sulla gessit : Sulla's triumph over the
democratic party had been so complete that there was no need to
fear a reaction and the consequent repeal of his legislation relating
to the proscriptions.
20. velis : consecutive subjunctive, cur = ut ob eam.
27. nihil audere : with the view of regaining his property.
28. contra rem tuam : "against your interests."
30. reliqui : partitive genitive, in dependence on quicquam.
'.^: 34. Balearici: Quintus Caecilius Metellus, who in 123 b.c. by his
j? occupation and colonisation of the Balearic Isles gained the agnomen
.i Balearicus. Nepotis : Quintus Metellus Nepos, consul in 98 b.c,
' and one of the two proposers of the Lex Caecilia Didia of that year,
' a law designed to prevent hasty legislation, and the combination of
different measures in a single bill.
36. amplissimos patruos : viz. Lucius Metellus Diadematus, consul
in 117 B.c. ; Marcus Metellus, who in 114 b.c. crushed a rebellion in
Sardinia, and was consul in the foUowing year ;
' about
and Gaius Metellus
Caprarius, Avho as consul in 113 B.c. was successful against the
Thracians, and enjoyed a triumph on the same day as his brother
Marcus.
37. cum esset mulier : concessive, " womanasshe was." virtute :
" manly qualities " ; the word is purposely selected with reference
to mulier.
LI., §§ 148, 149. Argument.— The de/ence o/ Roscius is not so
strong that his opponents need compJain o/ undue injluence. It was
Messala who tooJc up his case, and i/the othernobles were Wke Messala,
it ivoidd he hetter/or themselves and/or the State.
Ch. LI.— 2. hospitiis . . . hospites : see note on 6, 4.
4. copiose: " abundantly," as regards the number of ^a/?-o?n and
advocati. pro . . . pro :
'
' proportionate to . . . in view of .
5. summa res publica : "the liighest interests of the State," in
this case, the fate of all the children of the proscribed.
9. potentia : " through undue influence."
10. fori iudiciique rationem : = res in /oro iudicioque gerendas,
ratio means " reference," " relation," then " what has reference to,"
"department," "sphere," "province."
11. M. Messala : either the Messala who became consul in 61 b.c,
or the Messala who became consul in 53 B.c The former would be
as old as Cicero hiraself, but the person here referred to is re-
; presented as being much younger ; the latter is therefore probably
5 meant ; he would be about sixteen at the date of this speech, and
^ had therefore just asaumed the toga virilis, or gown of manliood.
"