[99] (1) Testor igitur tē, Claudī Maxime, vōsque, quī in cōnsiliō estis, vōsque etiam, quī tribūnal mēcum adsistitis, haec damna et dēdecora mōrum eius patruō huic et candidātō illō socerō adsignanda (2) mēque posthāc bonī cōnsultūrum, quod tālis prīvignus cūrae meae iugum cervīce excusserit, neque posteā prō eō mātrī eius supplicātūrum.

(3) Nam, quod paenissimē oblītus sum, nūperrimē cum testāmentum Pudentilla post mortem Pontiānī fīliī suī in malā valētūdine scriberet, diū sum adversus illam renīsus, nē hunc ob tot īnsignēs contumēliās, ob tot iniūriās exhērēdāret. (4) Ēlogium gravissimum iam tōtum medius fīdius perscrīptum ut abolēret, impēnsīs precibus ōrāvī. Postrēmō, nī impetrārem, dīversūrum mē ab eā comminātus sum; mihi hanc veniam tribueret, malum fīlium beneficiō vinceret, mē invidiā omnī līberāret. (5) Nec prius dēstitī quam ita fēcit.

Doleō mē hunccē scrūpulum Aemiliānō dēmpsisse, tam inopīnātam rem eī indicāsse. Spectā quaesō Maxime, ut hīsce audītīs subitō obstipuerit, ut oculōs ad terram dēmīserit. (6) Enim longē sequius ratus fuerat, nec inmeritō: mulierem fīliī contumēliīs īnfectam, meīs officiīs dēvīnctam sciēbat. Dē mē quoque fuit quod timēret: quīvīs vel aequē ut ego spernēns hērēditātis tamen vindicārī dē tam inofficiōsō prīvignō nōn recūsāsset. (7) Haec praecipuē sollicitūdō eōs ad accūsātiōnem meī stimulāvit: hērēditātem omnem mihi relictam falsō ex suā avāritiā coniectāvēre. Solvō vōs in praeteritum istō metū. Namque animum meum neque hērēditātis neque ultiōnis occāsiō potuit locō dēmovēre. (8) Pugnāvī cum īrātā mātre prō prīvignō malō vitricus, velutī pater prō optimō fīliō adversus novercam, nec satis fuit, nī bonae uxōris prōlixam līberālitātem circā mē nimiō plūs aequō coercērem.

    testor –ārī –ātus sum: to call to witness

    Claudius Maximus –ī m.: Claudius Maximus, proconsul of Africa 158/9, presiding at Apuleius’ trial

    tribūnal tribūnālis n.: platform used by the judge in a trial

    adsistō (assistō) –ere adstitī: to stand with or by

    dēdecus dēdecōris n.: shame, disgrace

    patruus patruī m.: uncle

    candidātus –ī m.: a candidate, a person aspiring

    socer socerī m.: father–in–law

    adsignō (assignō) –āre: to attribute to, assign responsibility for

    posthāc: after this, hereafter

    (2)

    prīvignus –ī m.: a step-son

    cervīx cervīcis f.: neck

    excutiō excutere excussī excussum: to shake off

    supplicō –āre: beseech, intercede with (+ dat.)

    oblīvīscor oblīvīscī oblītus sum: to forget

    (3)

    nūperrime: very recently

    testāmentum testāmentī n.: will, testament

    Pudentilla –ae f.: Aemilia Pudentilla, married first to Sicinius Amicus and then to Apuleius; mother of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens

    Pontiānus –ī m.: Sicinius Pontianus, Roman knight, elder son of Sicinius Amicus and Aemilia Pudentilla, now dead

    valētūdō valētūdinis f.: health

    renītor –nītī –nīsus sum: to strive or struggle against, resist

    īnsīgnis īnsīgne: notable, remarkable, extraordinary

    contumēlia contumēliae f.: insult

    exhērēdō –āre: to disinherit

    ēlogium –ī n.: added clause to a will, codicil

    (4)

    perscrībō perscrībere perscrīpsī perscrīptum: to write out in full

    aboleō abolēre abolēvī abolitus: to delete, rescind

    impensus –a –um: excessive, vehement

    impetrō impetrāre impetrāvī impetrātus: to obtain

    dīvertō –ere –vertī –versus: to turn, separate; *sē dīvertere*, to divorce

    comminor –ārī comminātus sum: to threaten

    venia veniae f.: favor, indulgence

    tribuō tribuere tribuī tribūtus: to grant

    līberō līberāre līberāvī līberātus: to free

    dēsistō dēsistere dēstitī dēstitus: to cease, stop

    (5)

    -ce: intensifying demonstrative particle (equivalent to γέ)

    scrūpulus –ī m.: a cause for uneasiness or misgiving

    Aemiliānus –ī m.: Sicinius Aemilianus, principal accuser, uncle of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens

    dēmō dēmere dēmpsī dēmptus: to remove

    inopīnātus –a –um: unexpected

    quaesō quaesere: to beg, ask

    obstipescō (obstupescō) –ere –stipuī (stupuī): to become stupefied; to be astonished

    dēmittō dēmittere dēmīsī dēmissum: to send down, drop

    secus; comp. sequius: otherwise, differently, not so, the contrary

    (6)

    immeritō: without reason, undeservedly; *nec immeritō* = justifiably

    contumēlia contumēliae f.: insult

    īnficiō –ere –fēcī –fectus: to taint, infect

    dēvinciō –īre –vinxī –vinctus: to bind, oblige

    quīvīs quaevīs quodvīs; quidvīs (subst.): whoever you please, anybody

    spernō spernere sprēvī sprētum: to reject

    hērēditās hērēditātis f.: inheritance

    vindicō vindicāre vindicāvī vindicātus: to punish; *vindicārī de* = to exact punishment from, get revenge on

    inofficiōsus –a –um: undutiful

    prīvignus –ī m.: a step-son

    recūsō recūsāre recūsāvī recūsātus: to refuse

    praecipuē: especially, particularly

    (7)

    sollicitūdō –inis f.: anxiety, worry

    accūsātiō accūsātiōnis f.: formal filing of legal charges

    stimulō stimulāre stimulāvī stimulātus: to spur; to rouse

    avāritia avāritiae f.: greed

    coniectō –āre: to guess, assume

    praeteritum –ī n.: the past

    ultiō –ōnis f.: act of vengeance

    occāsiō occāsiōnis f.: opportunity

    dēmoveō –movēre –mōvī –mōtum: to dislodge

    prīvignus –ī m.: a step-son

    (8)

    vītricus –ī m.: a step–father

    noverca novercae f.: stepmother

    prolixus –a –um: lavish

    līberālitās līberālitātis f.: generosity

    coerceō coercēre coercuī coercitus: check, limit

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