sed intellegis pro tua praestanti prudentia, Cn. Domiti, cum hac sola rem esse nobis.
- Cn. Domiti: words ending in -ius have vocative -i, (it entirely removes the us)
- Gnaeus Domitius was the judge of the case
- praestanti: ablative, i stem
- [rem nobis] esse [cum hac sola]
But you understand, for your outstanding knowledge, Gnaeus Domiti, that the matter (for us) is with this person alone.
quae si se aurum Caelio commodasse non dicit, si venenum ab hoc sibi paratum esse non arguit, petulanter facimus, si matrem familias secus, (ignore the comma) quam matronarum sanctitas postulat, nominamus.
- quae: subject, refers to Clodia
- ab hoc = by this man (by Caelius). Caelius would be sitting next to Cicero in the court.
- petulanter = impudently (rude)
- matrem familias: literally mother of the family (familias is an old genitive). but it's just a Latin technical term, materfamilias, like paterfamilias.
If she did not say that she herself lent the gold to Caelio, if she did not clarify that the poison from this had been prepared for herself, we are acting impudently if we accuse the mistress of the household, whom the integrity of matrons prosecutes.
sin ista muliere remota nec crimen ullum nec opes ad oppugnandum Caelium illis relinquuntur, quid est aliud quod nos patroni facere debeamus, nisi ut eos qui insectantur repellamus?
- ista muliere remota ablative absolute
- ad oppudnandum Caelium — "ad" + accusative noun + gerundive describing the accusative noun → expresses purpose (think of it as an adverb clause).
- This is different to the { special verb + direct object + gerundive describing direct object } construction, which also expresses purpose.
- illis: (in syllabus): dative of interest, (out of syllabus) dative of reference, because there's only one dative. dative denotes a third party who is involved somehow in the thing
- quod nos patroni debeamus - indirect question
- insectantur - sense of attacking furiously. but for HSC just translating as attacking is fine.
But if that woman was removed, there is not any accusation or resources left to them (the prosecution) to attack Caelius, what else is there, that we patrons ought to do, except for the purpose of driving out those who are attacking?
quod quidem facerem vehementius, nisi intercederent mihi inimicitiae cum istius mulieris viro—fratrem volui dicere; semper hic erro.
- At this point, Cicero and Clodius hated each other very much.
- Incest: probably didn't happen, but who knows. Women were supposed to have the most socially acceptable sex life ever, so [making rumours about how sexually deviant Clodia is] is a good way to give the juror bad vibes
In fact, I would do it more vehemently, if the hostilities did not hinder [it], the hostilities between me and the husband of that woman—I wanted to say brother; I always make a mistake here.
nunc agam modice nec longius progrediar quam me mea fides et causa ipsa coget: neque enim muliebris umquam inimicitias mihi gerendas putavi, praesertim cum ea quam omnes semper amicam omnium potius quam cuiusquam inimicam putaverunt.
- mea fides - basically "the duty to my client"
- gerendas - gerundive
- mihi - dative of agent
Now, I will do [it] moderately, and not proceed further than what my faith and the case itself will compel me [to do]: for I have never considered, at any time, that feminine enemities will be carried against me, especially when everyone believed that she would always [be] a friend of all, rather than an enemy of anyone.