[96] (1) Nunc enim mihi, quod aegrē ferō, ā commemorātiōne tantī virī ad pestēs istās ōrātiō revolvenda est. (2) Audēsne tē ergō, Aemiliāne, cum Avītō cōnferre? Quemne ille bonum virum ait, cuius animī disputātiōnem tam plēnē suīs litterīs collaudat, eum tū magīae, maleficiī crīminis īnsectābere? (3) An invāsisse mē domum Pudentillae et concipilāre bona eius tū magis dolēre dēbēs quam doluisset Pontiānus, quī mihi ob paucōrum diērum vestrō scīlicet īnstīnctū ortās simultātēs etiam absentī apud Avītum satisfēcit, quī mihi apud tantum virum grātiās ēgit?
(4) Putā mē ācta apud Avītum, nōn litterās ipsīus lēgisse. Quid possēs vel † quās quis in istō negōtiō accūsāre? Pontiānus ipse quod ā mātre dōnātum accēperat meō mūnerī acceptum ferēbat, Pontiānus mē vitricum sibi contigisse intimīs affectiōnibus laetābātur. (5) Quod utinam incolumis Carthāgine revertisset! Vel, quoniam sīc eī fuerat fātō dēcrētum, utinam tū, Rūfīne, suprēmum eius iūdicium nōn impedīssēs! Quās mihi aut cōram aut dēnique in testāmentō grātiās ēgisset! (6) Litterās tamen, quās ad mē Carthāgine vel iam adveniēns ex itinere praemīsit, quās adhūc validus, quās iam aeger, plēnās honōris, plēnās amōris, quaesō, Maxime, paulisper recitārī sinās, (7) ut sciat frāter eius, accūsātor meus, quam in omnibus minor vitae curriculum cum frātre optumae memoriae virō currat. (...)
Vocabulary
commemorātiō –ōnis f.: a mentioning
pestis pestis f.: plague
revolvō –ere –volvī –volūtus: to turn back
Aemiliānus –ī m.: Sicinius Aemilianus, principal accuser, uncle of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens.
(2)
Lolliānus Avītus: (L. Hedius Rufus) Lollianus Avitus (H 40), proconsul of Africa (probably) 157/8
disputātiō –ōnis f.: explanation
conlaudō (collaudō) –āre: to praise highly
magīa –ae f.: magic, sorcery
maleficium –ī n.: crime, wicked deed
īnsector īnsectārī īnsectātus sum: to accuse
invādō invādere invāsī invāsum: to break into, invade
(3)
Pudentilla –ae f.: Pudentilla (name)
concipilō –āre –āvī –ātus: to seize, take
Pontiānus –ī m.: Sicinius Pontianus, Roman knight, elder son of Sicinius Amicus and Aemilia Pudentilla, now dead
īnstīnctus –ūs m.: instigation
simultās –ātis f.: a feud, quarrel
satisfaciō (satis faciō) –facere –fēcī –factum: to apologize, make amends
accūsō accūsāre accūsāvī accūsātus: to accuse
(4)
vītricus –ī m.: a step–father
interior –ius; intimus (superlative): nearer, deeper
affectiō –ōnis f.: affection, warm feeling
laetor laetārī laetātus sum: to rejoice, be glad
utinam: "if only," "would that," introduces an Optative subjunctive
(5)
incolumis incolumis incolume: uninjured
Carthāgō Carthāginis f.: Carthage
Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus, allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia)
suprēmus –a –um: final; + iudicium = last will and testament
impediō impedīre impedīvī/impediī impedītus: to hinder
corām: in person, face to face (+ abl.)
testāmentum testāmentī n.: will, testament
praemittō praemittere praemīsī praemissum: to send ahead
(6)
quaesō quaesere: to beg; *quaeso* = "please"
Māximus –ī m.: cognomen of Claudius Maximus, judge in the case
paulisper: for a short while
recitō recitāre recitāvī recitātus: to read aloud
accūsātor –ōris m.: the accuser
(7)
curriculum –ī n.: career