Caius Verres, a man of noble birth, but notorious for his crimes and
exactions in the civil war and in the offices he had held since, was city
praetor (praetor urbanus) B.C.
74. At the close of his term of office, he went, in accordance
with the law, as propraetor, to govern the province of Sicily. By reason of
the disturbed condition of Italy, from the revolt of Spartacus, he was not
relieved at the end of a year, as the law required, but continued two years
longer in the government of the province, when he was succeeded by Lucius
Caecilius Metellus. During these three years he was guilty of the most
abominable oppressions and exactions; and the Sicilians, as soon as they
were relieved of his presence, brought suit against him in the court of
Repetundae (that for the trial of cases of Extortion), then presided over by
the praetor Manius Acilius Glabrio. To conduct the prosecution they had
recourse to Cicero, who already stood high among Roman advocates, and who
was personally known and trusted by the Sicilians on account of his
honorable administration of the quaestorship in their island in B.C.
77. Cicero willingly took charge of the case, the more so as the
counsel for Verres was Hortensius, the leading lawyer of the time, against
whom he was eager to measure his strength.
Although the cruelty and rapacity of Verres were notorious, yet his relations
to the Roman nobility insured him the same kind of support at home which
recently, under somewhat similar circumstances, was afforded to Governor
Eyre in England, on his return from Jamaica: not only Hortensius, but Curio,
a man of excellent reputation, with members of the eminent families of
Scipio and Metellus, stood firmly by him. The only hope of Verres lay in
preventing a fair and speedy trial. First he tried to obtain a prosecutor
who should be in collusion with him, and would not push him too hard. For
this purpose one Caecilius was put forward, an insignificant person, but a
native of Sicily. Cicero’s first speech in the case (
In
Q. Caecilium) was therefore a preliminary argument before the
praetor Glabrio in person, to show that he, rather than Caecilius, should be
allowed to conduct the case. This it was not hard to do, and he set out at
once for Sicily to collect evidence, for which purpose he was allowed one
hundred and ten days.
To consume time the opposition had planned to bring before the same court a
trumped-up action against another provincial governor which should have
precedence of the trial of Verres. To this end they had procured for the
prosecutor in the rival suit an allowance of one hundred and eight days for
collecting evidence in Achaia — or two days less than the time which Cicero
was expected to need. This intrigue was foiled by Cicero’s industry and
skill. He used not quite half of the time allowed him, arriving in Rome,
with ample evidence, not only before the prosecutor in the rival case was
ready, but even before the latter had left Italy on his pretended tour of
investigation. The trial of Verres was now fixed for Aug. 5, B.C.
70 (consulship of Pompey and Crassus).
Meantime (in the latter part of July) the elections were held for the next
year. As was the custom in Rome, these occurred several months before the
newly elected magistrates were to enter upon their offices. The successful
candidates, under the title of
designati, enjoyed a dignity almost equal to that of the
actual magistrates, although with no real power (see [ch. ix].). In these elections Cicero was
designated aedile; but his rival Hortensius was chosen consul, with Quintus
Metellus Creticus, Verres’ fast friend, as his colleague. More than this,
Marcus Metellus, brother of Quintus, was chosen praetor, and the lot fell to
him to preside the next year in the court of Repetundae. If now the trial
could be put over till the next year, when Hortensius and the two Metelli
would be in the three most influential positions in the State, Verres felt
quite sure of getting clear. Neither did it seem as if this would be very
hard to bring about; for the last six months of the Roman year were so full
of festivals and other days on which the court could not sit, that the case
would be liable to constant interruptions and delays. The postponement would
have disappointed Cicero sorely, for, by good luck in drawing the names, and
sagacity in challenging, he had a jury that he could trust, and he was not
willing to run the risk of a change.
Under these circumstances Cicero made the second speech of the Verrine group
— that which is known as the Actio Prima (included in the present edition,
pp. 28-47 below). In this oration he declared his intention of departing
from the usual course of procedure in order to push the trial through before
the New Year. It was customary for the prosecutor, after opening the case
(as in the present speech), to present his proofs and arguments in a long
connected oration (or a series of orations); there followed a reply from the
defendant’s counsel, and then the witnesses were introduced. Cicero,
omitting the long statement just described, proceeded to bring forward his
witnesses immediately. Since the only hope of the defence lay in putting off
the trial, Cicero’s promptitude was decisive: Hortensius soon threw up his
case, and Verres went into exile, with a name forever associated with
extortion and misgovernment. Full restitution of the plunder was, however,
not obtained: a compromise was made, by which a less sum was paid in
satisfaction of the claims. The five speeches known as the
Accusation
proper (
Actio Secunda) were
never delivered, but were written out and published in order to put on
record the facts which Cicero had gathered with so much pains, and to give a
specimen of his powers in the way of forensic composition.
With the trial of Verres the student may compare the impeachment of
Warren
Hastings in the eighteenth century, probably the most famous modern
instance
of the arraignment of a provincial governor for alleged misgovernment,
extortion, and cruelty. The prosecution in this case (and in particular
Burke) seem to have modelled their speeches on the Verrine orations of
Cicero, and many parallels may easily be discovered A few of these are
quoted in these notes. That the similarity of the two situations was
clearly
felt at the time may be seen from Lord Erskine’s Defence of Stockdale
(December, 1789) on a charge connected with the impeachment of Hastings:
“When Cicero impeached Verres before the great tribunal of Rome, of
similar
cruelties and depredations in her provinces, the Roman people were not
left
to such inquiries. All Sicily surrounded the Forum, demanding justice
upon
her plunderer and spoiler, with tears and imprecations. It was not by
the
eloquence of the orator, but by the cries and tears of the miserable,
that
Cicero prevailed in that illustrious case. Verres fled from the oaths of
his
accusers and their witnesses, and not from the voice of Tully.”
The trial of Verres gives the senatorial order an opportunity to redeem
the reputation of the courts. Verres had no defence, but had expected to
escape by bribing the jury in case he should be prosecuted. His guilt
was notorious, so that the chief question now to be determined was that
of the integrity of the jury. Cicero accordingly makes this the main
point of the present oration: it is the court, he insists, that is on
trial rather than Verres.
erat optandum,
what
was chiefly to be wished: not implying a protasis contrary
to fact. See § [522], a (311, c); B. 304, 3; G. 254,
R.1; H. 583 (511, 1, N.8); H.-B. 582, 3, a.
quod . . .pertinebat,
the
one thing which most tended (or, was of
chief importance).
invidiam . . . infamiamque,
odium
and ill repute, from the partisan use of the courts by the
Senators.
vestri ordinis
, i.e. the senatorial order.
The word ordo signified, loosely, any
recognized body of citizens—as freedmen, publicans, clerks; but it was
more especially used of the two powerful classes of the Roman
aristocracy, the Senatorial and the Equestrian, which struggled with
each other for power during the last century of the Republic. The
Senators, from whom the jurors were at this time taken (see note on
Rosc. Am., p. 2,1. l), formed a limited (300 to 600) order of nobility
which virtually controlled the government. The
equites constituted a moneyed aristocracy. Naturally these two
orders had opposing interests, as the Senators were excluded from trade
and the equites practically from
political power. Their antagonism showed itself more especially in the
matter of the provinces, which the Senators wished to oppress by
official plunder and the equites by
commercial extortion.
summo . . . tempore
, most critical time
(more lit. extreme crisis): the year of the consulship of
Pompey and Crassus (B.C. 70).
inveteravit
(emphatic position), there
has come to be deeply
rooted (observe that the figure is quite different in the
Latin).
opinio
,
notion or idea (not so strong as our
opinion, which should be sententia
).
exteras nationes:
the
reference is, of course, to the peoples subject to Rome, who were
aggrieved by the rapacity of the provincial governors.
his iudiciis
:
in consequence of the situation described above (note on
ordinis
,
l. 2) it became all important for one class or the other to control the
courts, before which any misdoings of either party were likely to come
for trial. For years these two orders had struggled for such control. At
this particular time the courts were in the hands of the Senators, who
were bound together by a common cause to shield any one of their number
who might be charged with misconduct as a provincial governor.
neminem
(more emphatic than nullum)
:
translate, never.
cum
(causal)
sint
, when
men are ready.—
contionibus et legibus,
harangues
and bills (proposed laws). The proposition of a law which
took the exclusive control of the courts from the Senators was even now
pending, and the law (Lex Aurelia) was
passed before the case of Verres was decided.
conentur
,
purpose clause.
magnitudine
,
abl. of means.
spe
,
abl. of specification.
actor
,
complainant, i.e. agent or attorney for
conducting the suit in personal processes (in personam ).
adduxi enim hominem,
etc.: cf. Burke, Impeachment
of Warren Hastings: We have
brought before your Lordships the first man in property and power;
we have brought before you the head, the chief, the
captain-general
in iniquity,—one in whom all the frauds, all the peculations,
all
the tyranny in India are embodied, disciplined, and arrayed.
Then,
if we have brought before you such a person, if you strike at
him,
you will not have need of a great many more examples,— you
strike at
the whole corps if you strike at the head:
in quo
, in
whose case
reconciliare,
etc., win back the lost
repute.
possetis
,
purpose.
depeculatorem,
etc.: for a more complete
statement of these charges, see chs. [iv], [v] .
juris urbani,
i.e. as praetor urbanus
(see sect. [12]).
vos
,
opposed to
ego
below.
religiose,
according to your oath.
religionem veritatemque:
here, feeling
of obligation and regard for the
truth.Notice that the Latin, having a comparatively poor
vocabulary, is obliged to use one word for all the phrases or sides of
an idea; hence such a word as veritas
may mean truth (abstractly), a truth
(concretely), the truth (generally), regard
for truth, or truthful
conduct.
judicium
, etc., i.e. the court
will be found wanting,—not a suitable defendant or a zealous prosecutor.
equidem
,
i.e. for my own part.
quas partim,
some of which.
devitarim,
subj.
as a part of the concession contained in
cum . . .sint
: § [593] (342);
B. 324, I; G. 663, I; H. 652 (529, ii); H-B. 539.
Verres had already relied on bribing the courts. His vain attempt to
delay his trial by the trumped-up Achaian case. His present effort
to
procure a postponement by corrupt means.
neque . . . neque
,
following
numquam,
does not destroy the negative, but
is more emphatic than aut . . . aut.
istius
: see note on Rosc. Am., [p. 4, l. 16].
Glabrioni
:
the praetor presiding.
ordini . . . senatorio,
the senatorial order, nay, the very name of Senator.
dictitat,
constantly
repeats: § [263], 2 (167, b); B. 155, 2,
a; G. 191, I; H. 364 (336); H.-B. 212, I.
esse metuendum
: for erat
met. in dir. disc.; hence followed by the secondary sequence,
i.e. those
would have to fear (if the case were theirs), but
he, etc. § [584], a and N. (336 A, N.l);
H.-B. 581, b, I.
quod
,
i.e. only what.
multis,
i.e. not only for himself but also for
his counsel and for those whom he may wish to bribe,—in particular, the
jurors (see sect. [40]).
pecunia
belongs
to both clauses, as is shown by their parallelism.
possit:
for tense, see § [485],
c (287, c); B. 268, 7; G. 513; H. 550 (495, vi); cf. H.-B. 478.
esset:
imperf. subj. in protasis of a
continued condition lasting till now; § [517],
a (308, a); B. 304, 2; G. 597, R.l; H. 579, I (510, N.2); H.-B. 581.
fefellisset,
he would have eluded us.
cadit:
pres. tense, of an action lasting till
now; § [466] (276, a); B. 259, 4; G. 230; H. 533
(467, 2); H.-B. 485.
corrumpendi judici
, of bribing the
court (cf. our phrase bribery
and corruption
).
factus sit:
for sequence, see § [485], c, N.2 (287, C, N.); B. 268, 6; G. 513; H. 550
(495, vi); cf. H.-B. 478; notice that the perf. would necessarily be
used in the dir. disc. with
cum primum
.
tempus . . . offenderet,
he
hit an unfavorable time; because popular sentiment was
already so exasperated in regard to the corruption of the courts.
in Siciliam inquirendi,
i.e. for going into
Sicily to make an
investigation (hence the acc.).
invenit . . . qui,
he found some one who.
in Achaiam
,
sc.
inquirendi:
on
this trumped-up case, which was intended to have the precedence of the
trial of Verres, see Introd. to this Oration (p. 27).
ut . . . conficeret,
purp.
clause dependent on
invenit.
Brundisium,
Brindisi,the port whence the greater part of Italian travel,
now as then, embarks for the East.
obii
,went
throughout.
populorum
,commmunities: the
word
populus, meaning originally multitude, is a
semi-abstract noun often used to denote the community in its official
capacity Our use of the word people in some later
meanings frequently produces confusion in the minds of beginners. The
political system of the ancients was composed of an indefinite number of
petty communities, all possessing a certain degree of independence.
Hence the plur. is used here to indicate several such communities.
ut . . . posset
(clause of result), imperf by seq.
of tenses: translate, however,
can.
qui . . . obsideret
(purpose), to block my
chance (of bringing Verres to trial).
nunc:
i.e.
now that his former scheme has failed.
hoc
,this
new idea. What the idea is is detailed in sects. [7],[8]: viz.
the reasons for desiring a postponement together with grounds for hoping
for it.
civis
,
citizens, i.e. Romans travelling or doing business in the
provinces, or provincials who had received the citizenship.
socios,
allies: citizens of communities which, although embraced
within the boundaries of Roman provinces, had, for special reasons, been
allowed to retain a nominal independence, with their own laws and
magistrates.
auctoritatibus,
documents, i.e. official testimony (
resolutions,
etc.) relating to the acts of Verres.
bonis
,good
citizens: here, as generally in Cicero, used in a partisan
sense for the aristocracy.
experiatur:
this violates the sequence of
tenses in order to make the meaning clear; the imperf. would refer to
the time of getting the money, not to the present moment; cf. § [481], N. (287, h, N.); B. 268, 7; G. 509, 1, N.;
H.-B. 478.
fuerit
:
the subj. shows that this is the thought of Verres, and not merely
something thrown in by Cicero.
tempus
:
the present scheme of the defence is by corrupt means to stave off the
trial to a more advantageous time (see chs. vi-viii).
posses:
imperf.
to express his purpose at the time of the purchase.
criminum vim
,the force of the
charges.
poterat
:indic.,
the reason being Cicero’s. (The whole passage is an instructive example
of the freedom of a living language from its own trammels. Rules are
made for language, not language for rules.)
eloquentia, gratia:
even
mere rhetorical skill or personal influence would be, to a criminal who
had no case
(causa),
a respectable (
honesto
)
means of escape compared with these attempts at corruption.
profecto
,I am sure.
aucuparetur,
be
fishing for (lit. set nets for
birds).
ut . . . fieret,
as
to have some one chosen to be put on trial ; the Senate
itself was insulted by the selection of one of its members to be set up
as a man of straw, that Verres might get clear. The reference is to the
trumped-up case with regard to abuses in Achaia (see sect. [6]).
hic
,
i.e. Verres.
causam . . . diceret,
stand
trial.
quibus . . . rebus
,from this
(abl. of means with
perspicio
).
consilio
,panel, i.e. the
body of jurors (cf. Rosc. Am., p. 24, I. 2). An obvious, and apparently
a deserved, compliment. Whatever the general character of the courts,
Cicero had in this instance secured a jury on whom he could rely.
in rejectione . . . judicavit,
decided
at the challenging (throwing out
) of
the jury, i.e. on seeing the kind of men challenged by the two
sides respectively.
ut . . . constitueret . . .
arbitraretur:
subst.
clauses of result (justified by the introductory
ea
) instead of the more regular acc. and
inf. of ind. disc.; § [571], c (332,f); G.
557, R. and N1; cf. H. 571,4 (501, iii).
Crimes of Verres from his youth up. His quaestorships. His
city-praetorship.
His
career in Sicily. His guilt is notorious.
etenim,
introducing
the reason of
nullam sibi rem
,
etc., above.
adulescentiae,
i.e.
before he entered public life.
quaestura,
quaestorship, the first grade of political honor.
Carbonem:
Carbo was the leader of the Marian
faction after the death of Marius and Cinna. He was consul B.C. 82, the year of Sulla’s return and victory.
Verres was his quaestor (or paymaster), and went over to the enemy with
the money-chest when he saw which side was likely to prevail.
necessitudinem religionemque:
the quaestor
was originally nominated specially by the consul; and the peculiarly
close and sacred relation (
necessitudo) existing between them was known as pietas,—a sentiment akin to filial
affection. The designation by lot (sors)
was also held to be a token of divine will, and therefore sacred (religio). In betraying his consul, then,
Verres was guilty of more than an ordinary breach of trust,—he committed
an act of impiety.
legatio:
Verres was in
B.C. 80-79
legatus and acting quaestor (
pro quaestore
)
of Dolabella, whose province was Cilicia. The extortions of the two were
practiced in the adjoining regions of Pamphylia, Pisidia, and parts of
Asia (i.e. of the Roman province of Asia, the old kingdom of Pergamus,
embracing the western part of Asia Minor);
totius
is a rhetorical exaggeration.
scelus . . . quaestorium:
Verres
treated Dolabella much as he had treated Carbo. Neither of these
infamous commanders deserved better treatment; but this does not excuse
the perfidy of Verres.
pro quaestore,
acting
quaestor:when there was a vacancy in a provincial
quaestorship, the commander might appoint any person to perform the
duties of the office.
adduxit:
Dolabella,
in addition to the odium of his own crimes, had to bear the infamy of
the outrageous acts of Verres; and after all Verres saved himself by
turning against him (
oppugnavit
)
and appearing as a witness in his trial for extortion.
aedium,
etc.
The public buildings were regularly under the charge of the aedile, not
of the praetor; the cases referred to here were certain flagrant
instances of corruption and extortion arising out of contracts for
public buildings, in which the praetor had it exceptionally in his power
to interfere for his own advantage.
in jure dicundo: jus dicere
(
jurisdictio),declaring the
law, was the primary function of the praetor.
bonorum . . . addictio
is
the adjudging of property to a claimant;
condonatio
(
grant) is the act of giving it up to a defendant: no matter
which way the decision of Verres went in a case, his action was sure to
be unlawful and for his own corrupt ends.
instituta
,
precedents. The edicts of the praetors made up a body of
common law, not absolutely binding, however, on their successors.
jam vero,
but
finally, introducing the climax of the list of crimes.
possit:
for tense, see § [485],
c (287, c); B. 268, 7; G. 513; H. 550 (495, vi); cf. H.-B. 478.
communia jura,
the same as jus gentium, those laws common to all
mankind (see note on
jure gentium
, Rosc. Am., [p.
21, l. 3]). The terms leges,
senatus-consulta, jura include the three sources of provincial
law.
tantum,
[only] so
much.
imprudentiam subterfugit,
escaped
his vigilance (lit. want of
vigilance).
res,
case;
res
(next line),
property.
ab eo
,away
from him, i.e. the possessor.
aratorum,
cultivators (whether tenants or proprietors), who paid
tithes (decumae) to the state.
socii
: see note on [p. 30,
l. 31].
cruciati et necati:
a Roman citizen could not
legally receive any punishment touching life or limb, except by judgment
of his peers in Rome. Thus, Jesus was crucified by the Roman governor
Pilate under the ordinary provincial law applying to Jews; while Paul, a
Roman citizen of the free city Tarsus, appealed to Caesar, and was sent
to Rome for trial. (See extract from Verr. v, and pp. 59-65: (Crucifixion
of a Roman Citizen.
)
rei facti
,
accused (
rei
from reus).
The details of these charges are given in the five orations of the Accusatio; it would require too much space
to repeat them here.
ejecti,
expelled from the country.
optimae
,
best in themselves;
opportunissimae,
most
valuable under the circumstances.
regum
:
the famous kings of Syracuse,— Hiero, Agathocles, etc.
imperatorum:
Marcellus,
who conquered Syracuse, and Scipio Africanus the elder, who had Sicily
as his province and crossed over from there for the conquest of
Carthage.
deum
,
i.e. statue of a god (see pp. 55, 56).
videretur:
subj.
of characteristic.
commemorare:
complem. infin. for subj. with ne or quominus;
§[558], b, N. (331, e, 2); B. 295, 3 and N.; G. 548,
N.2; H. 596, ii (505, ii); H.-B. 587 and a.
at enim
(a supposed objection), but,you
may say.
quin . . . possit:
§[559]
(319, d ); B. 284, 3; G.556; H 595, I (504, I); H.-B 521, I.
ut . . . timendum sit:
clause
of result.
multitudo:
including
a large number of Sicilians, present at Rome for the purpose of
prosecuting Verres, and of course personally cognizant of his crimes.
Verres attempted to buy up the court in advance, but, on the selection of the
present jury, lost heart (sects. [16],[17]). The election of Hortensius to the
consulship gave him fresh courage (sect. [17]).
A significant incident on election day (sects. [18]
-[20]).
Cicero here returns to the subject of bribery. He has already asserted
(sects. [3]-[10])
that this had always been the sole hope of Verres; he has pointed out that
Verres need not expect to corrupt the present tribunal (sect. [10]), and that his guilt is so enormous and so
notorious that no honest jury could fail to convict him (sects. [10] -[14]). He
now goes on to show that in endeavoring to postpone the trial Verres is, as
heretofore, trying to defeat justice by corrupt means. In establishing this
point, the orator reviews the several schemes of bribery, thus leading up to
the matter immediately before the court and bringing out the fact that it is
like the devices that had preceded it.
eloquentiam,
etc.: see note on [p. 31, l. 12].
potentia,
control
of the courts: a stronger word than
gratia
(personal influence
)
or
auctoritate
(official
influence
) and indicating a kind of
domination over the courts.
simulat, proponit:
notice the emphatic
position of these verbs, as opposed to what Verres is really
doing.
proponit,
puts
forward (i.e. as his backers).
inania
,
idle: i.e. mere names, because Verres does not really rely
upon these men, but upon a scheme which Cicero details in the following
sections.
noti
,
notorious
simulat:
cf.
note on
simulat,
l.
30, above.
redemptio:
a
contract with another party for buying up the court.
mansit . . . pacto,
held
on to the terms of the bargain (hendiadys): until the jury
was actually made up, the bargain could not be absolutely concluded;
when the character of the jury was known, the contract was annulled.
rejectio:
after
Cicero’s careful challenging, the lot had fortunately given a
trustworthy jury.
istorum,
i.e.
the partisans of Verres.
praeclare,
admirably well for the cause of justice.
libelli,
lists.
color:
a covert allusion to a former case, in
which Hortensius had been counsel, and in which colored ballots were
given to the bribed jurors in order to make sure that they voted as they
had agreed (see sect. [40]).
sententiis:
this is the word regularly used
for a formal and official expression of opinion in the Senate (
vote) or in a court of justice (
verdict).
cum
,
whereupon (inversion): § [546], a (325,
b); B. 288, 2; G. 581; H. 600, i, I (521, ii, I); H.-B. 566, a.
ex alacri
,from
being, etc.; cf. the Latinism in Milton, Par.
Lost, ix, 563: How cam’st thou
speakable of
mute?
his diebus paucis
,a few days ago:
the consular and other elections were held this year, as usual, toward
the end of July.
famae fortunis,
dat.
after
insidiae comparantur.
per eosdem homines,
i.e. the same professional
bribers (the redemptor, etc., referred to in sect. [16] ).
aperto
, etc., when
the door to suspicion had once been
opened.
nam:
introducing
Cicero’s account of the significant incident referred to above in the
words
pertenui argumento
(l.24).
reducebatur:
the
successful candidate was escorted home by his friends after the
election.
Campo:
see note on [p. 104,
l. 7].
Curio
:
C. Scribonius Curio, one of the leaders of the aristocratic party, was
always a good friend of Cicero’s. Curio, like Horten sius and Metellus,
was a man of excellent reputation. His support of Verres was due to
political and social ties.
honoris causa
: see note on Rosc. Am., [p. 3, l. 28]. The words in brackets are probably not
genuine.
tamen,
i.e.
in spite of Curio’s open way of speaking.
ratio
,
consideration.
videt
,
etc.: observe the hist. pres., marking a change to lively narrative.
fornicem Fabianum,
the Fabian Arch,
erected B.C.
109 by Q. Fabius Maximus Allobrogicus,—one of the earliest
triumphal arches in Rome. It stood at the southern end of the Forum, and
served as an entrance to it. Fig. 3 (Arch of Gallienus) shows the
situation of such structures with respect to streets.
defertur
signifies
a formal announcement by some one person;
narrabat
means
told, casually, as a piece of news. The use of tenses in
viderat . . . narrabat
is like that in the general
condition in past time: § [518], b (309, c); cf. B.
302, 3; G. 594, N.I; cf. H.-B 579.
criminum ratione,
the nature of the charges.
positam,
resting on.
altius
,
deeper.
ratiocinabantur,
reasoned (the imperf. describing a state of mind, and one
existing in different persons).
ipse
, etc.: cf. sect. [17], ll. 17-19.
quod
,the
fact that.
negotiatores,
Roman
citizens doing business in Sicily.
omnes . . . litterae,
all
kinds of, etc.
publicae,
official, from cities of Sicily (as
auctoritates,
above).
existimationem,
opinion, i.e. their estimate of the character of Verres.
unius,
i.e.
Hortensius.
moderatione,
control.
vertentur,
are to turn on.
sect. [25]. Metellus is chosen (by lot) to
preside over the Court of Extortion for the next year. Joy of Verres. His
attempts to defeat by bribery Cicero’s election to the aedileship revealed
to Cicero. Cicero made anxious, but finally elected.
quidem
(concessive), it is true:
this criminal may be rescued, but such a thing will not be allowed to
happen again; the judicial power will be given into other hands (i.e.
those of the
equites); cf.
de transferendis judiciis,
below.
nos,
i.e.
we Senators.
hominis amplissimi,
i.e.
Curio: the congratulations of so honored a man showed the expected
effect of the election on this trial.
nova
,
strange (surprising).
dissimulare
,to
conceal the fact that, etc.
sortirentur
,were
drawing their lots: the particular posts or duties of
coordinate magistrates (like the several praetors) were assigned by lot.
Metello:
a
brother of Q. Metellus Creticus, consul elect, and of L. Metellus,
praetor in Sicily.
obtigisset,
had
fallen to (the regular word for this kind of assignment).
ut . . . quaereret
, to have charge of the
Court of Extortion: subst. clause of result; § [
569], 2 (332, a, 2); B. 297, 2; G. 553, 3; H. 571,1 (501, i, I);
H.-B. 521, 3, a.
de pecuniis repetundis,
of
extortion (lit. concerning demanding back
the [extorted] property).
factam,
offered.—
pueros,
slaves.
sane,
you may
be sure.
ne haec quidem,
etc., this incident did
not please me either.
neque . . . intellegebam,
i.e.
his confidence in the integrity of Metellus was so great that he did not
even yet see through the tricks of the defence.
tanto opere
,so
very well (with
intellegebam
).
reperiebam
:
the imperf. denotes a succession of items of information.
senatore
, etc.: the Senator, a man of the
same class as Verres, put the money to be used in the elections and
trial into the hands of an
eques,one of the class that had the management of all such
financial operations. He retained, however, say (
quasi
)
ten baskets, to be used directly to defeat Cicero’s election as aedile.
nomine
, on account
of.
divisores
,
managers. The money to be used at elections was put into the
hands of sequestres (election agents),
who themselves made use of divisores
to approach the voters personally. On this occasion, the exigency was so
great that Verres (
istum
) summoned the
divisores to his own house, without the mediation of sequestres .
omnia debere,
was bound to do anything for me.
proximis,
the last.
negasse audere
,said
they did not dare.
fortem,
stanch (ironical), in allusion to
audere
(l.23).
Romilia
,
without
tribu
expressed,—the regular way of giving the name of a man’s tribe.
ex optima . . . disciplina,
from
the best school (ironical), i.e. that of Verres’ father.
HS
: the defeat of Cicero would, therefore,
cost nearly $25,000; See § [632]-635(377-380); G.
493; H.757,2(647); H.-B.675
se unâ facturos esse
,that they would act with
him
A lively description of the embarrassment in which Cicero was placed
at the end of July by the election and the trial, both coming on
together.
in his ipsis,
in
that too (as well as the trial).
agere . . . deterrebar
,from doing freely
what, etc., I was
deterred by, etc.: § [558], b (331, e,
2); B. 295, N.; G. 423, 2, N.2; H. 596, 2 (505, ii); H.-B. 587 and a.
petitioni,
canvass.
ratio
, good policy.
denuntiatum esse,
that
a message was sent. This compound implies a peremptory and
threatening message.
primum
corresponds to
arcessit alter
, etc., [p.
38, l. 4], below.
ut venirent
:
subj. of purpose, since
denuntiatum est
expresses a command; § [580], a (332, h); cf. B. 295, 1; G.
546, N.I; H. 564 (540, iii); H.-B. 502, 3, a.
sane liberos,
pretty
independent, i.e. in refusing to come. If he had been
consul, instead of merely consul elect, they would have had to come.
venisse
:
the subj. acc. is
eos
, the
implied antecedent of
qui
.
ceterorum,
i.e.
those for consuls and praetors, which had lately been held.
cursare
(historical infinitive), ran
hither and
thither.
paternos amicos:
see [p. 36,
l. 26].
appellare . . . et convenire,
accosted and conferred with.
cuius
:
the antecedent is
eiusdem
(l.19).
de fide
, i.e. his
good faith to the Sicilians: probably a hint that Cicero
himself had been approached with a bribe.
Cicero learns of the efforts made to have the trial postponed to the next
year in order that it might be brought before Metellus. The Sicilians are
threatened by one of the consuls elect (Q. Metellus Creticus) (sects. [26]-[
28]). By that time not only would there be a favorably disposed
presiding judge, but most of the jury would have been changed. It seemed
easy to get the trial put off, for many holidays intervened (sects. [29]-[31] ).
eo
,in
this course, i.e. postponing the trial.
esse:
indir.
disc.
The asterisk marks a defect in the text.
praerogativam
,an
earnest. In the comitia
centuriata, it was determined by lot which century should
first cast its vote. The vote of this century, called
praerogativa (praerogo), was
superstitiously regarded as an omen or earnest of the
result which it was likely to decide. Hence the word is here used of the
effective support given to Metellus at the polls by Verres. The praerogativa which Q. Metellus gave to
Verres, in return for the
praerogativae of the comitia, is described in the next
section.
cuiquam
,for
anything.
alter consul designatus
: Q. Caecilius Metellus
Creticus (see sect. [
21]). The three brothers, fast friends of Verres, were so
situated as to promise the greatest help the next year, when Quintus
would be consul, and Marcus praetor, presiding over the court of Repetundae, while Lucius was already
pro-praetor in Sicily. Some of the Sicilians, therefore, obeyed the
summons of Metellus, although they had disregarded that of Hortensius
(sect. [25]). The object of Metellus was
to induce the Sicilians to withdraw the suit, or at any rate to refrain
from appearing as witnesses.
quaesiturum
(technical term), was to
preside over the
court.
quid faceres:
apodosis
of cont. to fact construction, with protasis implied in
innocente.
alienissimum
,no
kin whatever of yours.
dictitat,
says
incessantly (see next section).
alicui
depends
upon
videatur.
ignoret,
subj.
of characteristic.
fato, ut ceteros,
etc.: the Metelli seemed born
to hold office. Cicero here alludes to a verse written by the poet
Naevius, a hundred and fifty years before:
Fato Metelli Romae fiunt
consules.
populi existimationi,
reputation
with the people.—
M’. Glabrionem:
observe the skill with which
this compliment to the praetor before whom Cicero is now arguing the
case, and the following compliments to the
judices, are put into the mouth of Verres.
illud
:
referring to what follows. Cicero makes Verres point out the changes in
the jury which must follow from changes in the government that is to
come in with the new year.
conlega
: both Caesonius and Cicero were aediles
designati.
expediat
:
fut. apodosis with
conemur
as
its
protasis, but hardly to be distinguished
from subj. of characteristic; cf. § [534] (319,
headnote).
Juniano consilio:
referring to a case four
years before, in which wholesale bribery had been proved, so that the
presiding praetor, Junius, as well as almost the entire consilium (body of jurors), had been
stamped with infamy. Caesonius, a member of the jury, had been proof
against corruption, and had disclosed the whole affair (
in medium protulit
).
hunc judicem,
him as juryman.
ex Kal. Jan.:
after
the New Year; for at that time he would be excluded from the panel by
his aedileship.
P. Sulpicius
:
he had probably just been elected quaestor.
Non. Dec
.
(Dec. 5): on this day the new quaestors entered on their office.
L. Cassius
: the family characteristic here
stated was proverbial (Cassiani judices
)
tribuni militares:
at
this time legion-commanders.
non judicabunt
,will
not serve as jurors.
subsortiemur,
i.e. we shall draw another to
fill his place. This is the regular use of
sub
in similar compounds: as suffectus,
subrogatus etc.
prope toto
:
the jury, therefore, apparently consisted of about twelve or fifteen.
Nonae
,
etc.: it was, therefore, about 3 P.M. of the 5th of August.
votivos
: these games were in celebration of
Pompey’s victory over the Marian party in Spain (B.C.
72). The votive games would occupy from Aug. 16 to Sept. I
(August had at this time only 29 days); On Sept. 4 began the Ludi Romani, continuing till the 19th. The
intervening days (Sept. 2, 3) were of no account for the trial, so that
it could not be resumed before Sept. 20, a suspension of 34 days (prope
quadraginta). The Ludi Victoriae
(established by Sulla in honor of his victory) would continue from Oct.
27 to Nov. I, and the Ludi Plebeii,
from Nov. 4 to Nov. 17. All these games were sacred festivals, during
which business was suspended: the time was occupied with religious
observances, accompanied by races and dramatic entertainments.
tum denique
,not
till then.
Victoriae:
see
Fig. 4 (from the Column of Trajan).
perpauci:
for
the month of December was full of festivals.
rem integram,
i.e. from the beginning. The
zeal of the prosecution would have flagged, the public interest would
have cooled down, and the jury would be almost wholly new. The case
would therefore have to be taken up de novo
.
non retinuissem
,
i.e. I should have challenged him. Metellus was now one of the jurors.
nunc,
opposed
to
si diffisus essem,
above.
eo
, etc. (abl. abs.), with him as
juryman.
jurato,
on
oath. The judices were
sworn; the praetor was not. Metellus might therefore be trusted to vote
honestly as a juror, though he might, when praetor, connive at the
corruption of the jury men. Cicero ran less risk of offending Metellus
by thus accusing him of extreme partisanship than if he had accused him
of perjury.
To prevent postponement, Cicero will push the trial, dispensing with the
usual long opening argument. He is forced to this by the tactics of
Hortensius (sects. [32],[33]). Cicero will oppose the arrogance of
Hortensius and offers himself as the opponent of any who shall hereafter
attempt to bribe the courts. The illegal domination of Hortensius is
dangerous to justice. It must be met by proofs of judicial corruption, which
are abundant (sects. [34]-[39]). The acquittal of Verres will be
subversive of the whole judicial system (sects. [
40]-[42]). The jurors are urged to
vindicate the courts (sects [43] ,[45]). All Rome is on the watch, and bribery is
sure to be detected. Not Verres, but the senatorial courts are on trial
(sects. [46]-[50]
).
The skill of the argument in sects. [32]-[50] is remarkable. Cicero contrives, without
directly asserting that Hortensius is guilty of judicial corruption, to
suggest that he is in a measure responsible for its prevalence. He declares
his intention of devoting his aedileship to exposing such practices, and
adds that he expects to be opposed by Hortensius. He calls attention to
several notorious cases of bribery which he means to use as illustrations in
pressing his reforms. Then, in a moment, he makes it clear, by a sudden
turn, that he has not been digressing, but simply accumulating force for his
main point: How shall I feel,
he asks suddenly (sect. [40]), if I find this present
case of Verres added to the long list of instances of corruption? His guilt
is clear: it is the court that is on trial!
In this way what appears at the outset to be a personal attack on the
opposing counsel is made a most effective means for the introduction of the
central point of the whole oration.
legitimo tempore
:
he had a right to use twenty days for developing the points of the
prosecution.
capiam,
i.e.
by showing, in a long speech, how carefully he had prepared his case.
ne elabatur
,
with
periculum est,
which
takes the constr. of a verb of fearing.
possit:
see § [535], a
(320, a); B. 283, 2; G. 631, 2; H. 591 (503, i); H.-B 521, I.
perpetua oratione,
a
continuous argument, before bringing up the witnesses. This
is what we possess in the five speeches of the
Accusatio, which, in the usual order of proceeding, would have
been delivered before bringing up the witnesses, but which were in fact
never spoken at all (see Introd. to the oration, page 28).
percipi,
reaped: the regular term for gathering crops.
potuit
,might
have been: §[517], c (308, c); B. 304,
3, a; G. 597, R.3; H. 583 (511, 1, N.3); H.-B. 582, 3,a.
publicis:
see note on [p. 35,
l. 23].
tabulis,
records.
auctoritatibus
,
documents.
res omnis:
here,
after stating his plan briefly, Cicero goes off into a seeming
digression against Hortensius. In this he shows clearly one of his
principal motives in undertaking the prosecution, namely, to overthrow
the latter’s excessive control of the courts. The attack is skillfully
introduced. His sole reason, he says, for departing from the ordinary
course of procedure is that Hortensius does not wish to meet him in fair
legal fight. The sally against Hortensius, again, serves as a transition
to Cicero’s final appeal to the sense of shame and the prudence of the
court.
diluendis, explicandis:
technical
terms in argument (see Vocab.).
ex tua nature:
Hortensius,
like M. Metullus, was personally an amiable and honorable man, though
pledged to a bad cause.
rationi,
scheme,
course, looking to the method;
consilio,
plan
of action, looking to the end. Cicero contrasts them more
than once.
binos ludos,
i.e.
Pompey’s and the Roman games.
comperendinem,
close
my case (lit. adjourn over). After the
testimony was all in, it was customary to adjourn over to the next day
but one (
comperendinare
), in order to give
opportunity for a rehearing (usually a brief one). When this stage had
been reached, there was no chance for further postponement. Cicero’s
determination to bring about a comperendinatio
before Pompey’s games—i.e. within ten days settled the case in his
favor; for, as has been shown, the only hope of the defence lay in
putting off the trial, Hortensius having absolutely nothing to say in
behalf of his client’s innocence.
necessarium
,
unavoidable (not a mere shrewd trick like that of
Hortensius).
id
:
refers forward to
eos velle
,
etc. (l. 24).
amplum et praeclarum,
an
honor and distinction (translating as nouns).
innocentiae
(an almost technical term), purity
of
administration in Sicily (see Introd. to the oration).
majus quiddam
: what this was is explained
in sect. [35] .
illud
:
refers to
istum . . . vocari
(l. 29).
potentia,
domineering(i.e. his illegal control of the courts);
cupiditas
(in a bad sense), unscrupulous
eagerness (for gaining your case).
interponeretur:
for
fut. ind. of the dir. disc.
nunc:
opposed
to the time of
videbatur.
regnum judiciorum,
lording it over the courts.
homines,
i.e.
the corrupt senatorial jurors.
inruere
, etc., to
be bent on making themselves hateful and
offensive. —hoc, i.e. to break down Hortensius’s control,
and the corruption of a few Senators.
nervos aetatis:
Cicero
was now 36.
ordo
,
i.e. the Senate.
paucorum
,
artfully put so as not to offend the whole body.
loco
:the
Rostra (see Vocab., under rostrum
).
secum agere:
the technical expression for
transacting business in the comitia
was agere
cum populo (or plebe).
Cicero refers to the office of curule aedile, upon which he was to enter
January 1. One of the most important functions of this magistrate was
the administration of criminal justice (
de hominibus improbis
)
in cases where there had been an appeal from the sentence of a court to
the judgment of the public assembly.
munus,
service. The word also means the public
games, which were given to the people by the aediles
especially; hence there is a kind of pun here.
moneo
,
etc.: observe the climax.
deponere
,
deposit with the sequestres
(see note on [p. 36, l.
15]).
accipere
,
take (money);
recipere,
undertake to do anything (upon request or the like).
polliceri
,
offer.
interpretes,
go-betweens: the divisores are probably
meant.
potentiam
: it is hardly accidental that
this is the same word used above (sect. [35],
l. 31) of the influence of Hortensius. In the next section Cicero
expressly asserts that he expects to meet with all possible opposition
from the latter.
erit,
will
be (it is true): notice the
emphatic
position, opposing it to the clause with
tamen
(l. 24).
imperio et potestate,
military
and civil power. Of the regular magistrates, all possessed potestas, i.e. power in general (including
military power); but only consuls and praetors possessed the imperium,—i.e. sovereign power, as of a
general in the field, somewhat limited, however, in the city by special
privileges of Roman citizens.
commemorabuntur,
shall
be mentioned (by me).
certis rebus,
well-ascertained facts.
agentur,
made ground of action.
inter decem annos,
i.e since Sulla’s lex
judiciaria, transferring the courts to the senatorial
order (see note on Rosc. Am., [p. 2, l. 1]).
quinquaginta,
i.e. from the law of Caius
Gracchus, B.C.
123, to that of Sulla, B.C. 80.
ne tenuissima quidem suspicio:
one of the exaggerations of the
advocate. If the courts were really worse in B.C. 70
than they had been in 90, it was simply because the times were worse.
sublata,
taken away.
populi Romani,
etc., i.e. the ability of the
people to hold in check the senatorial order by means of the tribunician
power suspended by Sulla (see note on [p. 43, l. 32]
).
Q. Calidius:
praetor B.C.
79; condemned for extortion in Spain. It seems that Calidius,
being condemned de repetundis, with
bitter irony assailed the bribed jurors on account of the smallness of
the bribe for which he was condemned, saying that it was not respectable
(
honestum
)
to condemn an ex-praetor for so small a sum. The allusion shows that the
corruption was notorious and universal.
HS triciens:
3,000,000
sestertii = $150,000 (nearly); § [634]
(379); G. p. 493; H. 757 (647, iv, I); H.-B. 675, 2.
praetorium:
an ex-magistrate kept the rank of
the highest office he had held,—as consularis,
praetorius, aedilicius.
P. Septimio
(Scaevola), condemned B.C. 72; the damages were increased because of
his connection with the odious consilium
Junianum (sect. [29]). The
amount extorted was estimated in a separate process (litis
aestimatio), and in this case the money taken in bribery
was included in the reckoning.
inventi sint
represents
an hist. perf., and hence takes the secondary sequence (
exirent
): see § [485],
j (287, i); cf. B. 268, 7, b; G. 517, R.l; H.-B. 479, a.
sortiente:
the
jurymen were drawn by lot by the presiding officer; in the case
mentioned there was collusion between Verres and the persons drawn, so
that the lot was a mere form.
qui . . . exirent
(purp. clause), to be
drawn for [the case of] a
defendant to condemn him without a hearing (through a
corrupt bargain between Verres and the packed jury).
jam vero
,and
finally (introducing the climax of all).
illam
,
i.e. the one described in the passage
hoc factum esse
,
etc.
discoloribus signis:
see
note on
color,
[p. 34, l. 16]. The case referred to was one in
which Hortensius was counsel.
acturum esse,
will
attend to (i.e. officially, as aedile: cf. the use of
agere,
above).
hominem
,
i.e. Hortensius.
cujus
:
obj. gen.
secum . . . agi,
he
was doing very well (see Vocab., under
ago
).
in rem suam,
into his own pocket.
patronis:
see note, Rosc. Am., sect. [4],[p. 3, l. 17].
quod,
at
which (with
commoveri,
l.6): cf. § [390],
c (238, b); B. 176, 2; G. 333, 1; H. 416, 2 (378, 2); H.-B. 396, 2.
apud Glabrionem,
i.e
in the preliminary proceedings.
reiciundis judicibus
(local. abl.), at
the time of challenging (making up the jury).
fore uti
,that
the result would be.
tolleretur,
should
be abolished (purp. clause with
legatos mitterent,
which
is equivalent to a verb of requesting).
victoriae,
i.e.
in the courts. They could endure it if a man stole only enough to
satisfy his own avarice (
sibi ac liberis suis
),
but they cannot afford to be robbed of enough besides to secure him an
acquittal by bribery, if guilty (
nocentissimi victoriae
). Cf. the similar
argument in Burke’s Opening Speech on the Impeachment of Warren
Hastings: If, from any
appearance of chicane in
the court, justice should fail, all men will say, ’Better there
were no
courts at all.’
animo
:
abl. of means.
majore . . . odio
:
abl. of quality.
Sudden and powerful appeal to the jurors to save the senatorial courts
from present infamy and threatened destruction.
loco
,
point (raised in his argument).
contemnimur
:
Cicero uses the first person to include himself as a member of the
Senate.
tribuniciam potestatem
: referring chiefly
to the power of the tribunes to try criminal cases before the comitia
tributa; this power, greatly abridged by Sulla, had been
restored by a law of Pompey early in this year, B.C.
70.
verbo
,in
name.
re vera
,in
fact.
illam,
the
tribunician power (because this was a check on the power of the
Senators).
Catulum
:
Q. Lutatius Catulus was the best and most eminent man of the
aristocracy.
fugit
,has
escaped.
referente,
consulting
[the Senate]: the technical expression for bringing a matter before the
Senate for action.
rogatus
:
each Senator in turn was asked his opinion (
sententiam
)by
the consul or other presiding officer; cf.
hos sententiam rogo,
Cat. 1, sect. [9].
patres conscriptos
: see note on Cat. 1,
sect. [9],[p. 103, l. 6]
.
fuisse desideraturos
(the regular way of
expressing the contrary to fact apodosis in indir. disc.), would
have missed: §[
589], b, 2 (337, b, 2); 321, A, 2; G. 656, N.2; H. 647 (527,
iii); H.-B. 581, b, 1.
contionem habuit,
made
a speech:
contio means,
strictly, an assembly called for the purpose of listening to discussion
merely (so in l.12, below).
ad urbem,
i.e.
in the Campus Martius, not in the city. Pompey was elected in his
absence, and while still clothed with the military imperium: he could
not therefore enter the city to meet the citizens, but called them to
him outside the walls.
ubi
,in
which.
in eo
,at
that point (properly on that
point).
suam
by its emphatic position gives the
force of the English what THEY
desired.
religione
,regard
for oath.
tribuniciam,
i.e., the law referred to in the
note on sect. [
44].
unum,
one,
it is true; but since he was a man of no
means at all (
vel tenuissimum,
)his
conviction was no proof of the integrity of the courts. The present
trial will afford the people the criterion they wish.
nihil sit,
etc.,
i.e. this is simply a case of guilt and money; there are no political or
other disturbing influences. To acquit him, then, will be to admit that
you are bribed.
gratia,
personal popularity.
agam
,
conduct.
res
,
facts.
manifestas
:
a technical word denoting direct proof, not circumstantial evidence.
a vobis . . . contendere
,urge upon you.
eorum,
i.e.
of the defence.
vos
:
opposed to former juries, which have occasioned the scandal.
huic ordini:
cat. of agent; § [
375] (232, a); B. 189, 2; G. 354 H 431 (388, 1); H.-B. 373, 2.
post haec,
etc., i.e. since the
reorganization of the courts by Sulla (see note on Rosc. Am., sect. [1]).
utimur
,
have.
splendore
,personal
distinction, from wealth and exploits.
dignitate
,
dignity, from rank and office.
si . . . offensum,
if
there is any slip (a euphemism).
opto
,
pray. Observe the adroit union of compliment and threat in
this passage, which at the same time forms the transition to the appeal
to the praetor presiding.
Cicero states his plan for preventing delay. He will introduce his
witnesses
at once, without preliminary argument. Brief statement of the charges
against Verres. End.
mihi certum est
,for my part
(emph.) am
resolved.
non committere,
not
to allow (in the weak sense of letting it
occur by mistake or fault).
ut . . . mutetur
,to be changed; §[568], N I (332, e); G. 553, I; cf. H. 566, I (498,
ii, N.2).
nobis
(eth. dat.), our.
servi,
etc.: Hortensius and Metellus (sects. [25] ,[27]),
while consuls elect, had sent for the Sicilians, but of course without
any authority to enforce their coming. Cicero suggests that, if the case
is put off till the next year, the summons may be repeated, this time by
means of lictors. Each consul was attended by twelve of these officers,
who had the power of arresting and coercing (see Manil. Law, note on
sect. [
32],[p. 81,
l.
15]).
novo exemplo,
in an unheard-of manner.
ius suum,
their [lost] rights.
eorum:
this word suggests in a skillfully
vague way that Verres, the Metelli, and Hortensius are all in the same
conspiracy, as it were, to rob the Sicilians, Verres having used his
imperium to carry out the actual robbery, the others using
theirs to protect him by intimidating the victims.
nobis responderi,
i.e.
the argument for the defence to be made.
adducta sit:
§[593]
(342); B. 324, 1; G. 663, 1; H. 652 (529, ii); H-B. 539; if this were
not dependent on
responderi,
it
would be fut. perf. ind.
comitiorum, ludorum:
the trial came just
between the elections and Pompey’s votive games (sect. [31]).
censendi causâ,
on
account of the census-taking (registration).
At this time censors were in office, for the first time since Sulla’s
domination: they were holding a registration of property and voters, at
which citizens from all parts of Italy were obliged to report. The
importance of proceeding with the trial while Rome was thus filled with
citizens and provincials is obvious.
vestrum, nostram
(mine), and
omnium
(next page) are predicate after
esse
([p. 47, l. 2]).
quid agatur
(inc. quest.) depends on the verbal noun
scientiam,
as
the next clause does on
memoriam
.
omnium
,
i.e. not the inhabitants of Rome alone.
principes
:
the two distinguished brothers, L. and M. Lucullus.
ita testis constituam
, etc.: this is the criminum
ratio (sect. [19], l.14). Cicero’s
plan appears to be so to arrange his witnesses that their examination
shall make the usual long introductory accusatio
unnecessary. He will, he says, produce his witnesses in such an order
and with such introduction in each case as to bring out the crimen totum in the course of these
proceedings. When he has explained what he expects to prove in a given
instance, he will immediately bring forward the appropriate witnesses,
and so on till the whole case is in.
crimen totum
,the
impeachment as a whole.
crimen
(below),the
special charge of extortion (stated formally in the next
section), the only charge for which Verres was really on trial.
dantur
,are
offered.
in singulas res
,to each point.
illis,
the
counsel for the defence.
altera actione,
i.e. after the comperendinatio: in this sense the speeches
of the accusatio are correctly called Actio Secunda (see note above).
haec
(referring forward to sect. [56]), etc., this is all the Accusatio there will be in the first
Action.
quadringentiens
[centena
milia]
sestertium,
40,000,000
sestertii, = $2,000,000 (nearly): § [634]
(379); G. p. 493; H. 757 (647, iv, 1); H-B 675, 2.
habuissemus:
cont. to fact protasis regularly
retained, without change of mood or tense, in indir. disc.; § [589], b (337, b); B. 321, B; G. 659; H. 647 (527,
iii); H.-B. 581, b, N.; the apodosis is
opus fuisse
for opus
fuit
, there would
have been no need: §[517], c (308, c);
B. 304, 3, a; G. 597, R.3 a; H. 525,1 (476, 4); H.-B. 582, 3, a.
Dixi
,I
have done: a common formal ending.