[100] (1) Cedo tū testāmentum iam inimīcō fīliō ā mātre factum mē, quem istī praedōnem dīcunt, verba singula cum precibus praeeunte. (2) Rumpī tabulās istās iubē, Maxime: inveniēs fīlium hērēdem, mihi vērō tenue nesciō quid honōris grātiā lēgātum, nē, sī quid ei hūmānitus attigisset, nōmēn marītus in uxōris tabulīs nōn habērem. (3) Cape istud mātris tuae testāmentum, vērē hoc quidem inofficiōsum. Quidnī, in quō obsequentissimum marītum exhērēdāvit, inimīcissimum fīlium scrīpsit hērēdem, (4) immō enimvērō nōn fīlium, sed Aemiliānī spēs et Rūfīnī nūptiās, sed tēmulentum illud collēgium, parasītōs tuōs?

(5) Accipe, inquam, fīliōrum optime, et positīs paulisper epistulīs amātōriīs mātris lege potius testāmentum. Sī quid quasi īnsāna scrīpsit, hīc reperiēs et quidem mox ā prīncipiō: 'Sicinius Pudēns fīlius meus mihi hērēs estō.' Fateor, quī hoc lēgerit īnsānum putābit. (6) Hicine fīlius hērēs, quī tē in ipsō frātris suī fūnere advocātā perditissimōrum iuvenum manū voluit exclūdere ē domō quam ipsa dōnāverās, quī tē sibi ā frātre cohērēdem relictam graviter et acerbē tulit, (7) quī cōnfestim tē cum tuō lūctū et maerōre dēseruit et ad Rūfīnum et Aemiliānum dē sinū tuō aufūgit, (8) quī tibi plūrimās posteā contumēliās dīxit cōrām et adiuvante patruō fēcit, quī nōmen tuum prō tribūnālibus ventilāvit, quī pudōrem tuum tuīsmet litterīs cōnatus est pūblicē dēdecorāre, (9) quī marītum tuum, quem ēlēgerās, quem, ut ipse obiciēbat, efflīctim amābās, capitis accūsāvit?

(10) Aperī quaesō, bone puer, aperī testāmentum: facilius insaniam mātris sīc probābis. 

    cedo: bring it here!; out with it!

    testāmentum testāmentī n.: will, testament

    praedō praedōnis m.: robber, legacy hunter, fortune-hunter, gold-digger

    prae-eō –īre –īvī –or iī –itus –īre: to go before; to dictate (a formula)

    tabulae tabulārum f. pl.: document, esp. a will

    (2)

    Māximus –ī m.: cognomen of Claudius Maximus, judge in the case

    hērēs hērēdis m. or f.: heir

    tenuis tenue: slight, insignificant

    legātum –ī n.: bequest, legacy, gift left in a will

    sīquis (or sīquī) sīqua sīquid: if any (one)

    hūmānitus: humanly

    attingō attingere attigī attāctus: to happen

    marītus –ī m.: husband

    inofficiōsus –a –um: undutiful

    (3)

    quidni?: why not?

    obsequēns –entis: devoted, doting, compliant

    exhērēdō –āre: to disinherit

    immō: actually, on the contrary

    (4)

    enimvērō (or enim vērō): yes indeed, assuredly

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

    Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus: allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia)

    nuptiae –ārum f. pl.: marriage

    tēmulentus –a –um: drunken

    collēgium collēgiī n.: fraternity, guild

    parasītus –ī m.: hanger-on, toady

    paulisper: for a short while

    (5)

    amātōrius –a –um: amatory

    sīquis (or sīquī) sīqua sīquid: if any (one)

    īnsānus –a –um: insane

    Sicinius Pudens: younger brother of Pontianus, collaborating with Herennius Rufinus and Sicinius Aemilianus in their case against Apuleius

    advocō advocāre advocāvī advocātus: to summon, call

    (6)

    exclūdō exclūdere exclūsī exclūsus: to shut out, exclude

    cohērēs cohērēdis m./f.: fellow–heir

    acerbus –a –um: bitter

    cōnfestim: immediately

    (7)

    lūctus lūctūs m.: mourning, grief

    maeror maerōris m.: mourning, grief

    aufugiō aufugere aufūgī: to run away, flee

    contumēlia contumēliae f.: insulting words or conduct

    (8)

    corām: (adv. or prep. + abl.) openly, publicly

    adiuvō adiuvāre adiūvī adiūtum: to help, assist, support

    patruus patruī m.: uncle

    tribūnal tribūnālis n.: court

    ventilō ventilāre ventilāvī ventilātus: to wave about

    -met: an enclitic that intensifies personal pronouns

    dēdecorō decorāre: to disgrace, dishonor

    marītus –ī m.: husband

    (9)

    obiiciō obiicere obiēcī obiectus: to bring as a complaint

    efflīctim: agonizingly, in torment

    accūsō accūsāre accūsāvī accūsātus: to accuse

    quaesō quaesere: to beg

    (10)

    facilius; facillimē: more easily; most easily

    īnsānia –ae f.: madness

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