[31] - what the prosecution said
The prosecution speech for this trial hasn't survived, which means everything we know about the prosecution was inferred from Cicero's speech
1
horum duorum criminum video auctorem, video fontem, video certum nomen et caput.
- author comes from auctor
- nomen et caput referring to Clodia
I see the author of these two accusations, I see the origin, I see the obvious name and head.
2
auro opus fuit; sumpsit a Clodia, sumpsit sine teste, habuit, quamdiu voluit.
- opus est + ablative = the <thing in ablative> is needed
- you can say "ablative with opus fuit" or "ablative of separation" - since if you need something, you are separated from it.
- careo (I lack) also takes the ablative
- sumo, sumpsi, I take, buy, borrow
Gold was needed, it was taken from Clodia, taken without a witness, he had it, for as long as he wished.
This is Cicero stating what the prosecution has said.
3
maximum video signum cuiusdam egregiae familiaritatis.
- cuiusdam egregiae familiaritatis - genitive of quality
I see the great marks of a certain remarkable closeness.
Simplification: the stuff in the prev sentence (auro ... voluit), which is what the prosecution has said, is evidence that suggests Clodia and Caelius were in a close relationship.
4
necare eandem voluit; quaesivit venenum, sollicitavit servos, potionem paravit, locum constituit, clam attulit.
- in this phrase, why does Cicero not use the subjunctive, if he's trying to defend Caelius
- attulit - referring to bringing the poison
He wished to kill the same person; he sought poison, he incited servants, he prepared a drink, decided the location, he carried [it] secretly.
This is referring to the handover of poison that was planned to happen at the bathhouse. (It didn't actually happen).
5
magnum rursus odium video cum crudelissimo discidio exstitisse.
- video ... exstitisse - indirect statement
- exstitisse - from existo, existere, extiti, no passive.
I see, again, that great hate had appeared with the cruelest separation.
6
res est omnis in hac causa nobis, iudices, cum Clodia, muliere non solum nobili verum etiam nota; de qua ego nihil dicam nisi depellendi criminis causa.
- nobis - dative, indirect object referring to the defense (Cicero's side)
- causa
- first usage: technical term, "cause" as in a cause that you fight for.
- second usage: causa (+genitive) is a postposition meaning "for the same of, on account of"
- e.g. amoris causa
- often comes with a gerundive/gerund
- iudices - vocative
- muliere - ablative, in apposition with Clodia
- dicam - future indicative/present subjunctive
- nobili ... nota* pun. both come from novi. nobilis - famous, in a good sense. nota - known
All the matter in this case for us, jurors, is with Clodia, a woman not only noble but also in truth notorious; about her I shall speak nothing except for the sake of destroying the charge (literally: for the sake of the charge to be destroyed).
Cicero is saying the "de qua ego nihil dicam" because it's considered rude (in aristocratic circles) for a man to insult a noblewoman, especially since Clodia is a widow.