[102] (1) Quid etiam est, Aemiliāne, quod nōn tē iūdice refūtāverim? Quod pretium magīae meae repperisti ? Cūr ergō Pudentillae animum venēficiīs flecterem? Quod ut ex eā commodum caperem? Utī dōtem mihi modicam potius quam āmplam diceret? Ō praeclāra carmina! (2) An ut eam dōtem fīliīs suīs magis restipulārētur quam penes mē sineret? Quid addī ad hanc magīam potest? (3) An utī rem familiārem suam meō adhortātū plēramque fīliīs condōnāsset, quae nihil illīs ante mē marītum fuerat largīta, mihi <nihil> quicquam impertīret? Ō grave venēficium dīcam an ingrātum beneficium?! (4) An ut testāmentō, quod īrāta fīliō scrībēbat, fīlium potius, cui offēnsa erat, quam mē, cui dēvīncta, hērēdem relinqueret? Hoc quidem multīs cantāminibus difficile impetrāvī.
(5) Putāte vōs causam nōn apud Cl. Maximum agere, virum aequum et iūstitiae pertinācem, sed alium aliquem prāvum et saevum iūdicem substituite, accūsātiōnum fautōrem, cupidum condemnandī: (6) dāte eī quod sequātur, ministrāte vel tantulam vērisimilem occāsiōnem secundum vōs prōnūntiandī. Saltim fingite aliquid, ēminīsciminī quod respondeātis, quī vōs ita rogārit.
(7) Et quoniam omnem cōnātum necesse est quaepiam causa praecēdat, respondēte quī Apuleium dīcitis animum Pudentillae magicīs illectāmentīs adortum, quid ex eā petierit, cūr fēcerit. (8) Fōrmam eius voluerat? Negātis. Dīvitiās saltim concupierat? Negant tabulae dōtis, negant tabulae dōnātiōnis, negant tabulae testāmentī, in quibus nōn modo nōn cupidē appetisse, vērum etiam dūre reppulisse līberālitātem suae uxōris ostenditur. (9) Quae igitur alia causa est? Quid obmūtuistis? Quid tacētis? Ubī illud libellī vestrī atrōx prīncipium nōmine prīvignī meī formātum: 'hunc ego, domine Maxime, reum apud tē facere īnstituī'?
Vocabulary
Aemiliānus –ī m.: Sicinius Aemilianus, principal accuser, uncle of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens.
refūtō refūtāre refūtāvī refūtātus: disprove
magīa –ae f.: magic, sorcery
Pudentilla –ae f.: Pudentilla (name)
venēficium –iī n.: sorcery
flectō flectere flēxī flexus: to bend, influence
commodum -ī n.: an advantage
dōs dōtis f.: gift, endowment; dowry
modicus modica modicum: moderate, small, modest
praeclārus –a –um: splendid, excellent, efficacious
restipulor –ārī –ātus sum: to demand a counter-guarantee
(2)
penes: within one's power (+ acc.)
res familiāris, reī familiaris f.: property, estate
(3)
adhortātus –ūs m.: an urging, encouragement
condōnō condōnāre: to present, make a present of
marītus –ī m.: husband
largior –īrī –ītus sum: to bestow
impertiō impertīre (or impertior impertīrī): to share with, give
venēficium –iī n.: sorcery
testāmentum testāmentī n.: will, testament
(4)
offendō offendere offendī offēnsus: to offend, embitter
dēvinciō –īre –vinxī –vinctus: to bind, connect
hērēs hērēdis m. or f.: heir
cantāmen –inis n.: a spell, a charm, magic incantation
impetrō impetrāre impetrāvī impetrātus: to obtain
Claudius Maximus: proconsul of Africa 158/9, presiding judge
(5)
iūstitia –ae f.: righteousness, justice
pertināx –ācis: tenacious, doggedly devoted to (+ gen.)
prāvus –a –um: crooked
substituō –stituere –stituī –stitūtum: to substitute
accūsātiō accūsātiōnis f.: formal complaint
fautor fautōris m.: a partisan of, supporter of (+ gen.)
cupidus –a –um: desirous of, eager to
ministrō ministrāre ministrāvī ministrātus: to offer, provide, furnish
(6)
tantulus (tantīllus) –a –um: so little, very small
vērīsimilis –e: plausible
occāsiō occāsiōnis f.: opportunity, pretext
secundum: favorable to (+ acc.)
prōnūntiō prōnuntiāre prōnuntiāvī prōnuntiātus: to pronounce, speak publicly
saltem (or saltim): at least, at any rate
ēminīscor –ī –mentus sum: to devise, contrive
cōnātus cōnātūs m.: attempt
(7)
quispiam quaepiam quidpiam: anybody, anything
praecēdō –ere –cessī –cessus: to go before, precede
magicus –a –um: pertaining to sorcery
illectāmentum –ī n.: an allurement, charm
adorior adorīrī adortus sum: to attack
concupīscō concupiscīre concupīvī concupītus: to desire
(8)
tabulae tabulārum f. pl.: document
dōnātiō –ōnis f.: gift
testāmentum testāmentī n.: will, testament
cupidē: eagerly
appetō appetere appetīvī appetītus: to seek eagerly, grasp at
repellō repellere reppulī repulsum: to reject
līberālitās līberālitātis f.: generosity
obmūtēscō –ere –mūtuī —: to become speechless or dumb; to be silent
(9)
libellus libellī m.: document, formal charge
atrōx atrōcis: terrible, cruel
prīvignus –ī m.: a step-son
fōrmō fōrmāre fōrmāvī fōrmātus: to compose, prepare