sed tamen venenum unde fuerit, quem ad modum paratum sit, non dicitur. datum esse aiunt huic P. Licinio, pudenti adulescenti et bono, Caeli familiari; constitutum esse cum servis, ut venirent ad balneas Senias; eodem Licinium esse venturum atque iis veneni pyxidem traditurum. Hic primum illud requiro, quid attinuerit ferri in eum locum constitutum, cur illi servi non ad Caelium domum venerint. si manebat tanta illa consuetudo Caeli, tanta familiaritas cum Clodia, quid suspicionis esset, si apud Caelium mulieris servus visus esset? sin autem iam suberat simultas, exstincta erat consuetudo, discidium exstiterat, "hinc illae lacrimae " nimirum, et haec causa est omnium horum scelerum atque criminum.
- ad with words denoting measure, weight, manner, model, rule, etc: according to, agreeably to, after
But however, where the poison had been from, according to what method it was prepared, is not said. They say it was given to this Publius Licinius, a prudent and good young man, an intimate of Caelius; that it was arranged with (Clodia's) slaves to go to the Seniae baths; Licinius will go to the same place and will give them the box of poison. Here I first demand what was useful about bringing (the poison) to this decided location, why those slaves did not go to Caelius' house. If that great habit of Caelius, great familiarity with Clodia, remained, why would there be suspicion, if the woman's slave had been seen at Caelius'? If however already an animosity was near, the habit was dead, a separation had appeared, "those tears because of this" without doubt, and this is the cause of all these evils and accusations.