Matheson Collection > Pro S. Roscio Amerino

CH. VI.] NOTES. 1*i
like that of the Metelli (intimately connected with SuFa) would not
be ineluded in the lists of the proscribed.
6. quas . . . familias : strictly speaking only the Metelli and
tlie Scipiones were familiae, the former belonging to the plebeian
Caecilia gens, the latter to the patrician Comelia gens ; the Sennlii
were a patrician geiis, not a familia. But in Cicero's time there
was no clear line of demarcation between a gens and a familia, and
this fact was reflected in conimon speech.
7. honestatis . . . gratia nomino : see note on 2, 13.
8. itaque : "andso."
9. domestici : " belonging to his own family " (domns).
11. hic : " he, of whom I am speaking," i.e. the elder Roscius.
12. fuisset : subjunctive in a causal clause, wliich expresses in
general terms the reason for Roscius' action in the special case
(lum hoc tumultu, etc. ). hoc tumultu proximo : tumtdtus was
strictly speaking any sudden outbreak or " disturbance " in or near
Italy which caused panic and confusion in Rome. Here the refer-
ence is to the Civil War between Sulla and the democratic party
under the younger Marius (83-82 b.c. ) ; see Introd., § 2.
15. opera . . . studio . . . auctoritate : " activity . . . inclina-
tion . . . influence on others."
16. propter quos : " to whom he owed it that."
17. numerabatur : indicative in a clause dependent on an accu-
sative and infinitive phrase ; the subjunctive would here be more
regular, but Cicero wishes to emphasise the actual fact rather than
to give the thought of Roscius.
18. proscriberentur : see Introd., §2.
19. caperentur : = comprehenderentur.
20. frequens : advevhisil = frequenter, " constantly."
21. magis : witli exsultare. ut . . . videretur : "so that he
appeared," subjunctive in consecutive clause.
23. calamitatis : partitive genitive with quid. inimicitiae :
"feuds." For the facts see Introd. , § 3.
24. in accusatorum subselliis : since Roscius supported the prose-
cution the evidencc lie wished to give would necessarily be biassed.
For suhsellia see 5, 17, note.
26. possidere audio : see Introd. , § 3.
27. neque . . . iniuria : "and not without grounds." The
ablative iniuria (the converseof mre) is practicallyan adverb, and so
does not need c^im or an epithet, as the ordinary ablative of manner
does.
29. Capitoni : a name is often attracted to agree in ease with the
dative substantive or pronoun (here alteri) denoting the person to
whom the name is given.
30. eius modi : " of the following character." palmarum :
genitive of qualitj' with gladiator.
31. vetus et nobilis gladiator: secondary predicate. nobilis : a
Btanding epithet of those who excel in any art or accomplishment.
32. lanistam . . . tiro : when gladiators, after winning many