The conspirators bring a charge of parricide against the younger Roscius, thinking that, for political reasons, nobody will dare defend him. The condition of Roscius is indeed miserable, but an advocate, however inefficient, has been found in the person of the speaker.
ut . . . deferrent, compararent, pugnarent: subst. clauses of purpose in app. with consilium, 1.6; § 561, a,563 (331, headnote); Cf. B. 295; G. 546, N.2; H. 564 (499, 3); H.-B. 319 c. nomen deferrent, i.e. lay a formal charge before the president of the proper court. de parricidio: § 353,2 (220, b, 2); G. 378, R.2; H.456,3 (410, ii, 3); H.-B. 342, b. veterem, old in the trade: the reign of terror through which Rome had just passed had given ample practice. de ea re, etc., in a case in which, etc. posset, clause of purpose, rather than result (but the two constructions approach each other so closely that it is not always possible to distinguish between them). subesset, subj. of char. suspicio, i.e. should be able, from his skill as a prosecutor, to make a show of a case even when there was no ground for suspicion against the accused. crimine (abl. of means), on the charge itself, i.e. by any strength in the incriminating evidence. poterant: indicative as being their reason given by Cicero on his own authority; § 540 (321); B. 286, 1; G. 540; H.588, 1 (516, i); H.-B. 554, 555. tempore (opposed to crimine), the circumstances of the times (i.e. partly the generally disturbed condition of the state, partly the fact that the courts were now first reopened, after their reorganization by Sulla). loqui: historical infin.; § 463 (275); B. 335; G. 647; H.610 (536,1); H.-B. 595. tam diu, i.e. during the Civil War. eum, the man (i.e. any one). oportere, was sure to. qui primus: this was the first case that came before the Quaestio inter Sicarios. adductus esset: for fut. perf. of direct disc. huic: the emphatic position may be rendered by in his case. B 14 gratiam, favor or influence, i.e. with Sulla. fore ut, etc.: the usual periphrasis for the fut. infin. pass.; the supine with iri is rare. nullo negotio: cf. § 10, p. 5, l. 15. tolleretur: cf. de medio tolli, § 10. nullo: for the abl. of nemo, which is never used. atque adeo, or rather. quem: the antecedent is eum below. jugulandum, i.e. for judicial murder: § 500, 4 (294, d); B. 337, 7, b, 2; G. 430; H. 622 (544, N.2); H.-B. 605, 2.
querar, deliberative subj.: § 444 (268); B. 277; G. 265; H. 559, 4 (484, v); H.-B. 503. unde, where, lit. whence: the Latin conceives the speaker as proceeding from some point, whereas the English represents him as beginning at some point. potissimum (superl. of potius, as if rathest), best (rather than anywhere else); cf. sect. 1, 1.3. summam potestatem, unlimited power (i.e. with respect to rendering a verdict). fidem, i.e. the protection required by good faith. pater, etc.: these nominatives are in no grammatical construction, but are used to enumerate in a vivid way the crimes of the conspirators afterwards referred to by his (l. 26); cf. § 497 (292, a); B. 337, 5; G. 664, R.2; H. 636, 4 (549, N.2); H.-B. 608, 2. infesta, imperilled. nefariis, abl of instr. after cumulant: the idea in Latin is that of making a heap of what already exists, by means of other things piled on it (hence acc. and abl.); but translate, upon these they heap up other infamies. hujusce (emphatic instead of ejus): translate by his own. condicionem, terms (or dilemma): as containing the idea of a bargain, it is followed by ut; § 563, d (331, d); cf. B. 295,4; G. 546, N.2; H.564, iii (498, 1); H.-B. 502, 3, a. cervices: this word is used by early writers in the plural only. insutus in culeum: the old punishment for a parricide was to be "beaten with blood-red rods, then sewed into a sack, with a dog, a cock, a viper, and an ape, and thrown into the deep sea" (see below, sect. 29). patronos: Cicero's modesty will not allow him to call himself a patronus (cf. note on p. 3, l. 17). qui . . . dicat, purpose-clause: the antecedent is the subject of deest, below.
