103

The words of the formal accusation are absurd, and the specific charges can be summarily refuted with two words each. If I have refuted all these bad faith accusations I can await your judicial decision without fear, Maximus, though being convicted would be less awful to me than losing your good opinion.

(1) 

Quīn igitur: "So why don't you ...."

reum magistrum, reum vitricum, reum dēprecātōrem: supply apud tē facere īnstituī from 102.9. "(I formally accuse) my teacher, my step-father, my intercessor." Apuleius has been all three of these (positive roles) to Pudens, in whose name the trial is being brought to court.

Plūrimōrum maleficiōrum et manifēstissimōrum: genitive of the charge, "of very many and very obvious misdeeds," a further quote from the formal charge.

Cedo ūnum dē plūrimīs: "give us one of these 'very many.'" Apuleius is still waiting for one charge that will stick.

cedo dubium vel saltem obscūrum dē manifēstissimīs: "give us (one accusation that is) doubtful or even unclear out of (all these) 'very obvious (ones).'"

(2)

Cēterum: "as for the rest (of the case)."

haec, quae: "these (accusations) which."

numerā an ... respondeam: "count (to see) whether ... I can respond."

'Dentēs splendidās': ignōsce munditiīs: the quotation gives a two-word summary of an accusation leveled at Apuleius, followed by a two-word refutation. The last point in 103.3 is refuted three times over to finish off the feat of oratory.

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The list of charges alluded to is far from complete. It forms a selection of elements from the entire speech. Reference is made to the preliminary charges of tooth care (chs. 6-8); mirrors (13-6) and verse (6 and 9-13); to the magical practices of using fish (29-41) and a wooden statuette (61-65); and to the alleged seduction of Pudentilla (66 ff.), her age (89), and finally the motif of gain (92; 93; 100).
It is noteworthy that the middle part of the speech, which deals with magical practices, is represented only poorly. The central charge of magic is not even mentioned at all. Inevitably, the elements that are mentioned, are often expressed tendentiously. This is especially true of the charges referring to the marriage (see below).
Likewise, the various responses do reflect Apuleius' defense to some extent, but are also chosen for their effect: almost any response will do, so it seems, as long as it can be expressed in two words (Hunink).

Aristotelēs docet: "Aristotle instructs (his followers to do so)."  Supply a similar thought after Platō suādet and lēgēs iubent.

(3)

Prior nātū'st': "She was older than you" (Jones, taking nātū'st as nātū est). 

The manuscripts read nātū is est, which would mean "he is older by birth," but this is incorrect. Pudentilla was older than Apuleius. Helm prints prior nātū ist<ta> est, which gives the required sense, but breaks the two-word pattern (B/O).

sectātu's: sectātus es > sector, "to pursue."

dōtālēs accipe, dōnātiōnem recordāre, testāmentum lege: Apuleius finishes this passage with a reminder of the three documents which will free him from the suspicion of being after Pudentilla's money: their marriage contract (with the expounding of the dowry), the documents giving over part of their inheritance to her sons early, and her updated will still listing Pudens as her heir after the death of his brother. See 102.8 for the most recent mention of these three together.

(4)

Quae ... omnia: connecting relative.

in omnibus nōn modo crīminibus, vērum etiam maledictīs: nōn modo in omnibus crīminibus, vērum etiam (in omnibus) maledictīs.

procul ā culpā tūtus sum: "I am safe, far from blame," = "I am safely removed from blame." Jones accepts the emendation ā culpā magīae, "from the charge of magic."

salūte meā: ablative of comparison.

antīquior: "more dear," "more important," LS antiquus II.B.

nusquam ... ubīque: "at no point (in my speech) ... at every point (in my speech)."

cum septem pennīs: "with seven feathers," i.e., "with flying colors" (Jones). 

The allusion is to the gladiator styled pinnirapus ("crest-snatcher"), whose aim was to snatch the plume from his adversary's helmet. The adversary was generally a "Samnite" (B/O).

eum: honōrem philosophiae.

tenuī: "I have upheld," LS teneo I.B.2.b.

(5)

possum sēcūrus ... virō improber:

The thought in the last few lines is not easy to follow. We may paraphrase it as follows: "now that I have refuted all charges, I can await your judgement with confidence. This I do not so much in fear of your authority (being legally convicted by a proconsul would not be such a disaster), but with respect for your integrity (incurring moral disapproval of a man like you would be the worst)" (Hunink).

exīstimātiōnem tuam: "your judgment" of me, rather than the outcome of the case per se. 

reverērī: revereor normally means "to stand in awe of" (some superior person or majestic thing), hence "to feel dismay in the face of (a prospect)" (OLD 1 a and b), in this case Maximus's judgment. But Apuleius says he has no anxiety (sēcūrus). He thus signals both respect for Maximus and confidence in his own innocence.

quam: supply potius, "rather than."

potestātem: "legal authority," in antithesis with exīstimātiōnem, opinion or judgment.

minus grave et verendum mihi: "less serious and fearful to me," adjectives describing the subject infinitive-phrase ā prōcōnsūle damnārī.

ā prōcōnsūle damnārī: "to be found guilty by a proconsul," subject of implied verb esse in an indirect statement after arbitror.

quam sī ... improber: "than if I should be disapproved of."

That is, an innocent man can be guilty before the law, for example Socrates, but for a philosopher it would be worse to seem guilty in the eyes of someone such as Maximus (Jones).

Dīxī: stative, "I have spoken" = "I am done speaking," "I rest my case."