Matheson Collection > Pro S. Roscio Amerino

116 CICERO : PRO EOSCIO. [CH. XLl.
10. dicerent . . . esset . . . putaret : these verbs depend on
vixerunt, the words talesque a populo Romano putant^ir being to a
certain extent parenthetical, and denoting the result arrived at by
the blanieless mode of life of the homines nohilissimi. esset : the
subjunctive is hypothetical (in the apodosis of a conditional sen-
tence) as well as consecutive ("there would be no one . . . "),
quidquid dicerent being protasis {quidquid = si quid). When the
apodosis of a conditional sentence referring to present or past time
is also consecutive, a periphrasis by means of the future participle
with fuerim is usually resorted to, instead of the imperfect or
pluperfect active ; so that here we might have expected futurus
fuerit for esset. An hypothetical imperfect is, however, sometimes
found (as here), — a pluperfect very rarely.
12. cuperet: potential subjunctive. dum : = dummodo, "pro-
vided that."
]6. reeusaris : the object rem can easily be supplied. cuni
occiditur Sex. Roscius : "at the time when Sex. Roscius was
killed " ; the present is here employed with cum af ter a past
tense almost in the sense of dum ("whilst"), a rare usage. (Dum
meaning "during the time that" is regularly used with the
present indicative.)
18. quod : = " tlie fact that," introducing a noun clause, subject
of suspiciosum est. oppugnari : = obsisti, hence foUowed by ne.
21. aliquid : " something iniportant."
22. in dominos : see note on 28, 16.
24. de hoc : " about him," i.e. Sextus Roscius.
25. credo : ironical.
27. deliciarum . . . artium : genitives of quality. pueruloa :
"pet slaves."
29. operarios : with special reference to field-work, "farm-
labourers." ex : " fresh from."
30. non est veri simile ut : veri siinile is constructed with ut only
in negative or quasi-negative sentences.
XLII., §§ 122, 123. Argument.— ^s regards Chrysogonus, I do
not suspect him of the murder, or of a desire to conceal it. But I do
say that the excessive influence of Chrysogonus is intolerable, and
should be wealcened.
Ch. XLII.— 1. suine: "of his own" as opposed to that of the
Roscii.
2. non vult : = recusat. minime : referring to sui.
3. non in omnes arbitror omnia convenire : i.e. circumstances
alter cases ; in this instance the circumstances are such that we
■cannot regard Chrysogonus as implicated in the ictual murder.
6. meministis . . . distribuisse : cf. Ch. 13. Memini is said to be
tised with the present infinitive and sometimes (as here) with the
perfect infinitive of events, which the subjeet himself witnessed,
"with the perfect infinitive of events of which the Bubject was