Pro S. Roscio Amerino

46 CICERO
of Sulla : after tlie cessation of the wai*, in the midst of
perfect tranquillity, he was murdered in Eome wliile returning
from dinuer. If he had been put to death legally, then
I admit that his property also was legally sold ; but if it is
a well-known fact that he was murdered contrary, not only
to all ancient laws, but also to all those of modern times, I
ask by what right, or by what custom, or by what law his
property was put up for sale.
127. Do you ask about whom I am making these statements,
Erucius ? It is not about him whom you wish and
believe itto be; for SuUa has beencleared fromblame both
b}' my speech from its commencement and by his own surpassing
excellence at every time. I say that Chrysogonus
did all this—that he told lies, that he falsely represented
Eoscius to have been a bad citizen, that he stated that he
had been killed while with the enemy, that he did not
allow Lucius SuUa to be informed of the facts by the
envoys of the townsmen of Ameria; finally, I even have
a suspicion that these goods were not sold ; a point which
if you have no objection, gentlemen, shall be presently
cleared up.
128. Now I believe there is stated in the law the date
by which proscriptions and sales of property are to be
made, namely the first of June : it was some months afterwards
that the man was murdered and his property is said
to have been put up for sale. In any case either this
property was not entered in the State accounts at all, and
we are more cleverly tricked by this scoundrel thau we
think, or, if it was entered, the State accounts were tampered
with by some means ; for it is an undisputed fact
that the property could not have been sold legally at any
rate. I know that I am making these iJi