plead | Dictionaries | Morcus Latin Tools

• plead:

1. expr. by exceptio (v. plea, I.): cf. Gai. 4, 119, sic exceptio concipitur, i. e. the defendant must p. as follows (inserting a certain exceptio in the formula actionis, the effect of which is to enter a defence in law): it is inadmissible to p. ..., non habet locum exceptio, ib. § 122: to allow a person to p. ..., ex. alicui dare, Cic. de Or. 1, 37, 168. (N.B.--Only in a civil case.)
2. in a criminal case: dēfendo, di, sum, 3: to p. sufficient justification for what is done (as in homicide), recte ac jure factum esse (aliquid) d., Cic. Mil. 3, 8: he p.'d that he had (only) carried out the sovereign's pleasure, ille principi (se) paruisse defendebat, Tac. A. 13, 43: Gell.
3. causor, 1: v. infr. (III.). Also simply, dīco, 3: cf. Quint. 3, 11, 4, Orestes matrem occidit ... dicit se juste fecisse, he p.s justifiable homicide. Phr.: to p. not guilty, factum negare, Cic. Mil l. c.: Quint. l. c. § 10 to p. a second justification of matricide, alteram matris necatae causam afferre, ib. § 6.

1. ōro, 1 (denoting the function of the pleader generally, not with ref. to a particular case): no one ever p.'d a cause better, nemo unquam melius causam oravit, Cic. Br. 12, 47: cf. Virg. Aen. 6, 849, (alii) orabunt causas melius. the art of p.ing causes, orandi scientia, Quint. 1, 10, 2. Comp. pĕrōro, 1 (to p. throughout, to finish p.ing): the cause of P. Sextius has been fully p.'d by Q. Hortensius, a Q. Hortensio causa est P. Sextii perorata, Cic. Sext. 2, init.: Liv.
2. dīco, xi, ctum, 3 (the usu. word for p.ing a particular cause): to p. one's cause, causam d., Caes. B. G. 1, 4: cf. Cic. Coel. 29, 70, dicta est a me causa et perorata. Liv.
3. ăgo, ēgi, actum, 3: with acc. causam, referring to the entire conduct of a case in court: cf. Cic. de Or. 2, 48, extr., apud quos judices causa agebatur, the judges before whom the case was being p.'d (= tried). Frequent. actĭto, 1: he p.'d. many private causes, multas privatas causas actitavit, Cic. Br. 70, 246. Phr.: one who has had much to do with p.ing, homo in causis multum exercitatus, versatus, cf. Cic. Quint. 1, 3: to have no practice in p.ing, nihil in causis versari, id. Br. 70, 247: he was always ready to p. the causes of his friends, in suorum necessariorum causis nunquam defuit, ib. § 245: to p. in defence of any one, defendere: v. to defend.

1. excūso, 1: v. to excuse.
2. causor, 1: to p. ill-health, valetudinem c. (al. excusare), Liv. 23, 8, med.: they p.'d the consent of the senate, consensum Patrum causabantur, id. 3, 64, init.: Ov.
3. obtendo, di, tum, 3 (implying that the alleged reason is but a pretext): to plead a justification for baseness, rationem turpitudini ob., Plin. 8, 6, 15.

PROP., causas agere, actitare; causas dicere in foro; versari in foro; in judiciis causas versare (Cic., Or., 9, 31); causas tractare atque agere. To plead a cause, causam agere (of the whole management of it; hence apud quos [judices] causa agebatur; Cic., De Or., 2, 48, extr.): causam dicere (to plead one’s own cause as defendant, or another’s as an orator): causam orare, perorare (the latter with reference to pleading it thoroughly, at great length, etc., and often with reference to the concluding appeal: dicta est a me causa et perorata, Cic.): causam defendere (as advocate for defendant). To plead anybody’s cause, orare or dicere pro aliquo; defendere aliquem: to plead one’s own cause, ipsum pro se dicere.
Figuratively, To allege, rationem, causam afferre; (as an excuse), excusare aliquid.

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