[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.
Vocabulary
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