Pro S. Roscio Amerino
Pro S. Roscio Amerino
Pro S. Roscio Amerino
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34 CICEBO<br />
of your confederacy; and contrast whatever you say in<br />
reply with my defence : in this way can Sextus Koscius'<br />
case be most easily contrasted with yours.<br />
94. Tou will say, " What follows if I was continually at<br />
Kome ? " I shall reply, " But I was not there at all." " I<br />
confess that I was a dealer in property, but so were many<br />
others." " But I, as you yoiu-self allege, was a country<br />
farmer." " It does not follow that because I did join<br />
myself to a band of assassins I am an assassin." " But<br />
surely I, who was not even acquainted with any assassins,<br />
am quite out of reach of a charge of that nature." There<br />
are many grounds, which can be stated, whereby it can<br />
be understood that you had every facility for committing<br />
the crime, and I pass over these not only because I am<br />
not accusing you from my own inclination, but still more<br />
because, if I choose to speak at length about those bloody<br />
deeds which were done at that time in the same way as<br />
you murdered Sextus Eoscius, I am afraid my speech will<br />
appear to be pointed at a large number of people.<br />
95. Now let us give a glance, as we did at the other<br />
details, so at the things you did, Titus Roscius, after the<br />
death of Sextus Eoscius. They are so evident and clear<br />
that, so help me the god of faith, gentlemen, I should be<br />
sorry to detail them ;<br />
for I am afraid, Titus Eoscius—whatever<br />
be your character—that people will think my desire<br />
for the safety of my client has been so strong as to<br />
prevent my showing any consideration at all for you.<br />
While I am afraid of this and desire to spare you in some<br />
degree, so far as I can without breakiug through my<br />
obligations, I am again changing my purpose : for your<br />
effrontery comes back to my memory. When the rest of<br />
your confederates fled and hid themselves, so that the trial<br />
might seem not so much one concerning their plunder as<br />
about my clienfs crime, to think that you should have<br />
claimed for yourself the role you have claimed of busyiug<br />
yourself in this court and sitting vrith the prosecutor ! By<br />
this conduct you will get nothing except the privilege of<br />
having your recklessness and brazen effrontery known to<br />
all mankind.<br />
96. After the murder of Sextus Eoscius, who was the