Conspiracy of Catiline and the Jurgurthine War Part 9

[207] Caius Muraena in Further Gaul--_In Ulteriore Gallia C. Muraena_.

All the editions, previous to that of Cortius, have _in citeriore Gallia_. "But C. Muraena," says the critic, "commanded in Gallia Transalpina, or Ulterior Gaul, as appears from Cic. pro Muraena, c. 41. To attribute such an error to a lapse or memory in Sall.u.s.t, would be absurd. I have, therefore, confidently altered _citeriore_ into _ulteriore_." The praise of having first discovered the error, however, is due, not to Cortius, but to Felicius Durantinus, a friend of Rivius, in whose note on the pa.s.sage his discovery is recorded.

[208] XLIII. The excellent consul--_Optimo consuli_. With the exception of the slight commendation bestowed on his speech, _luculentam_ atque _utilem reipublicae_, c. 31, this is the only epithet of praise that Sall.u.s.t bestows on the consul throughout his narrative. That it could be regarded only as frigid eulogy, is apparent from a pa.s.sage in one of Cicero's letters to Atticus (xii.

21), in which he speaks of the same epithet having been applied to him by Brutus: "Brutus thinks that he pays me a great compliment when he calls me an excellent consul (optimum consulem); but what enemy could speak more coldly of me?"

[209] Twelve places of the city, convenient for their purpose--_ Duodecim--opportuna loca_. Plutarch, in his Life of Cicero, says a hundred places. Few narratives lose by repet.i.tion.

[210] In order that, during the consequent tumult--_Qu tumultu_.

"It is best," says Dietsch, "to take _quo_ as the _particula finalis_ (to the end that), and _tumultu_ as the ablative of the instrument".

[211] Delay--_Dies prolatando_. By putting off from day to day.

[212] XLIV. Soon to visit their country--_Semet e brevi venturum_.

"It is plain that the adverb relates to what precedes (_ad cives_); and that Ca.s.sius expresses an intention to set out for Gaul." _Dietsch_.

[213] Remember that you are a man--_Memineris te virum_. Remember that you are a man, and ought to act as one. Cicero, in repeating this letter from memory (Orat. in Cat., iii. 5), gives the phrase, _Cura ut vir sis_.

[214] XLV. The praetors--_Praetoribus_ urbanis, the praetors of the city.

[215] The Milvian Bridge--_Ponte Mulvio_. Now _Ponte Molle_.

[216] Of the object with which they were sent--_Rem--cujus gratia mittebantur_.

[217] From each side of the bridge--_Utrinque_. "Utrinque," observes Cortius, "glossae MSS. exponunt _ex utraque parte pontis," and there is little doubt that the exposition is correct. No translator, however, before myself, has availed himself of it.

[218] XLVI. The box with the letters--_Scrinium c.u.m literis. Litterae_ may be rendered either _letter_ or _letters_. There is no mention made previously of more letters than that of Lentulus to Catiline, c. 44.

But as it is not likely that the deputies carried a box to convey only one letter, I have followed other translators by putting the word in the plural. The oath of the conspirators, too, which was a written doc.u.ment, was probably in the box.

[219] XLVII. His letter--_Litteris._ His own letter to Catiline, c. 44.

So _praeter litteras_ a little below.

[220] What object he had had in view, etc.--_Quid, aut qua de causa, consilli habuisset_. What design he had entertained, and from what motive _he had entertained it_.

[221] To prevaricate.--_Fingere alia._ "To pretend other things than what had reference to the conspiracy." _Bernouf._

[222] On the security of the public faith--_Fide publica._ "Cicero pledged to him the public faith, with the consent of the senate; or engaged, in the name of the republic, that his life should be spared, if he would but speak the truth." _Bernouf._

[223] That Cinna and Sylla had ruled already--_Cinnam atque Syllam antea._ "Had ruled," or something similar, must be supplied. Cinna had been the means of recalling Marius from Africa, in conjunction with whom he domineered over the city, and made it a scene of bloodshed and desolation.

[224] Their seals--_Signa sua_. "Leurs cachets, leurs sceaux."

Bernouf. The Romans tied their letters round with a string, the knot of which they covered with wax, and impressed with a seal. To open the letter it was necessary to cut the string: "_nos linum incidimus_."

Cic. Or. in Cat. iii. 5. See also C. Nep. Panc. 4, and Adam's _Roman Antiquities_. The seal of Lentulus had on it a likeness of one of his ancestors; see Cicero, _loc. cit._

[225] In private custody--_In liberis custodiis._ Literally, in "free custody," but "private custody" conveys a better notion of the arrangement to the mind of the English reader. It was called _free_ because the persons in custody were not confined in prison. Plutarch calls it [Greek: _adeomon phylakin_] as also Dion., cap. lviii. 3. See Tacit. Ann. vi. 8. It was adopted in the case of persons of rank and consideration.

[226] XLVIII. If the public faith were pledged to him--_Si fides publica data, esset_. See c. 47.

[227] And to facilitate the escape of those in custody--_Et illi facilius e periculo eriperentur_.

[228] A man of such power--_Tanta vis hominis_. So great power of the man.

[229] Liberty of speaking--_Potestatem_. "Potestatem loquendi."

_Cypria.n.u.s Popma_. As it did not appear that he spoke the truth, the pledge which the senate had given him, _on condition that he spoke the truth_, went for nothing; he was not allowed to continue his evidence, and was sent to prison.

[230] As was his custom--_More suo_. Plutarch, in his Life of Cra.s.sus, relates that frequently when Pompey, Caesar, and Cicero, had refused to undertake the defense of certain persons, as being unworthy of their support, Cra.s.sus would plead in their behalf; and that he thus gained great popularity among the common people.

[231] XLIX. Piso, as having been attacked by him, when he was on, etc.--_Piso oppugnatus in judicio repetundarum propter cujusdam Transpadani supplicium injustum_. Such is the reading and punctuation of Cortius. Some editions insert _pecuniarum_ before _repetundarum_, and some a comma after it. I have interpreted the pa.s.sage in conformity with the explanation of Kritzius, which seems to me the most judicious that has been offered. _Oppugnatus_, says he, is equivalent to _gravitur vexatus_, or violently a.s.sailed; and Piso was thus a.s.sailed by Caesar on account of his unjust execution of the Gaul; the words _in judicio repetundarum_ merely mark the time when Caesar's attack was made. While he was on his trial for one thing, he was attacked by Caesar for another. Gerlach, observing that the words _in judicio_ are wanting in one MS., would emit them, and make _oppugnatus_ govern _pecuniarum repetundarum_, as if it were _accusatus_; a change which would certainly not improve the pa.s.sage.

The Galli Transpadani seem to have been much attached to Caesar; see Cic. Ep. ad Att., v. 2; ad Fam. xvi. 12.

[232] Comparatively a youth--_Adolescentalo_. Caesar was then in the thirty-third, or, as some say, the thirty-seventh year of his age.

See the note on this word, c. 3.

[233] By magnificent exhibitions in public--_Publice maximis muneribus_.

Shows of gladiators.

[234] L. In various directions throughout the city--_Variis itineribus --in vicis_. Going hither and thither through the streets.

[235] Slaves--_Familiam_. "Servos suos, qui proprie _familia_,"

Cortius. _Familia_ is a number of _famuli_.

[236] A full senate, however, had but a short time before, etc.--The senate had already decreed that they were enemies to their country; Cicero now calls a meeting to ascertain what sentence should be pa.s.sed on them.

[237] On this occasion--moved--_Tunc--decreverat_. The _tunc_ (or, as most editors have it, _tum_) must be referred to the second meeting or the senate, for it does not appear that any proposal concerning the punishment of the prisoners was made at the first meeting. There would be no doubt on this point, were it not for the pluperfect tense, _decreverat_. I have translated it as the perfect.

We must suppose that Sall.u.s.t had his thoughts on Caesar's speech, which was to follow, and signifies that all this business _had been done_ before Caesar addressed the house. Kritzius thinks that the pluperfect was referred by Sall.u.s.t, not to Caesar's speech, but to the decree of the senate which was finally made; but this is surely a less satisfactory method of settling the matter. Sall.u.s.t often uses the pluperfect, where his reader would expect the perfect; see, for instance, _concusserat_, at the beginning of c. 24.

[238] That he would go over to the opinion of Tiberius Nero--_Pedibus in sententian Tib. Neronis--iturum_. Any question submitted to the senate was decided by the majority of votes, which was ascertained either by _numeratio_, a counting of the votes, or by _discessio_, when those who were of one opinion, at the direction of the presiding magistrate, pa.s.sed over to one side of the house, and those who were of the contrary opinion, to the other. See Aul. Gell. xiv. 7; Suet.

Tib. 31; Adam's Rom. Ant.; Dr. Smith's Dictionary, Art. _Senatus_.

[239] LI. It becomes all men, etc.--The beginning of this speech, attributed to Caesar, is imitated from Demosthenes, [Greek: _Peri ton hen Chersonaeso pragmaton: Edei men, o andres Athaenaioi, tous legontas apantas en umin maete pros echthran poieisthai logon maedena, maete pros charin_]. "It should be inc.u.mbent on all who speak before you, O Athenians, to advance no sentiment with any view either to enmity or to favor."

[240] I consent to extraordinary measures--_Novum consilium adprobo_.

"That is, I consent that you depart from the usage of your ancestors, by which Roman citizens were protected from death." _Bernouf_.

[241] Whatever can be devised--_Omnium ingenia_.

[242] Studied and impressive language--_Composite atque magnifice.

Composite_, in language nicely put together; elegantly. _Magnifice_, in striking or imposing terms. _Composite_ is applied to the speech of Caesar, by Cato, in the following chapter.

[243] Such I know to be his character, such his discretion--_Eos mores, eam modestiam viri cognovi_. I have translated _modestiam, discretion_, which seems to be the proper meaning of the word. Beauzee renders it _prudence_, and adds a note upon it, which may be worth transcription. "I translate _modestia_," says he, "by _prudence_, and think myself authorized to do so. _Sic definitur a Stoicis_, says Cicero (De Off. i. 40), _ut modestia sit sicentia earum rerum, quae agentur, aut dicentur, loco suo collocandarum_; and shortly afterward, _Sic fit ut modestia scientia sit opportunitatis idoneorum ad agendum temporum_. And what is understood in French by prudence? It is, according to the Dictionary of the Academy, 'a virtue by which we discern and practice what is proper in the conduct of life.' This is almost a translation of the words of Cicero".

[244] That--death is a relief from suffering, not a torment, etc.

--This Epicurean doctrine prevailed very much at Rome in Caesar's, and afterward. We may very well suppose Caesar to have been a sincere convert to it. Cato alludes to this pa.s.sage in the speech which follows; as also Cicero, in his fourth Oration against Catiline, c. 4.

See, for opinions on this point, the first book of Cicero's Tusculan Questions.

[245] The Porcian Law--_Lex Porcia_. A law proposed by P. Porcius Loeca, one of the tribunes, A.U.O. 454, which enacted that no one should bind, scourge or kill a Roman citizen. See Liv., x. 9; Cic.

pro. Rabir., 3, 4: Verr., v 63; de Rep., ii, 31.

[246] Other laws--_Aliae leges_. So Caesar says below, "Tum lex Porcia aliaeque paratae, quibus legibus auxilium d.a.m.natis permissum;"

what other laws these were is uncertain. One of them, however, was the Semp.r.o.nian law, proposed by Caius Gracchus, which ordained that sentence should not be pa.s.sed on the life of a Roman citizen without the order of the people. See Cic. pro Rabir. 4. So "O lex Porcia legesque Semp.r.o.niae!" Cic. in. Verr., v. 63.