Helps to Latin Translation at Sight Part 50

[Linenote: 13. +Granius+, the chief magistrate of Puteoli, had kept back money destined for the building of the new temple of Jupiter Capitolinus.

The old one was destroyed by fire 83 B.C. 'It was Sulla's great desire that his name should be recorded on the front of the new temple, for it was to be the symbol of the Republic, restored as he fondly hoped by him to its pristine purity.' --Ihne.]

B18

THE LEGES CORNELIAE, 81 B.C.

A. _Limitation of the Tribune's Right of Veto._

In ista quidem re vehementer Sullam probo, qui tribunis plebis sua lege iniuriae faciendae potestatem ademerit, auxili ferendi reliquerit.

CICERO, _de Legibus_, iii. 9. 22.

[Linenotes: 2. +iniuriae faciendae+, e.g. by their abuse of the right of veto.

3. +auxili ferendi.+ 'Sulla limited the office of tribune to the original functions for which it was established, _the legal protection of the people from the abuse of magisterial power_.'

--Ihne.]

B. _Abolition of Corn Distributions._

Populus Roma.n.u.s, paullo ante gentium moderator, exutus imperio gloria iure, agitandi inops despectusque ne servilia quidem alimenta relicua habet.

SALl.u.s.t, _Hist., Orat. M. Lepidi_.

[Linenotes: 5. +agitandi inops+ (i.e. _vitam sustentandi_) = _without means of livelihood._ 6. +servilia alimenta+ = _a slave's allowance of food_. Sulla abolished the largesses of corn.]

C. _Restoration of Judicial Functions to the Senators._

Iudicandi munus quod C. Gracchus ereptum senatui ad Equites, Sulla ab illis ad Senatum transtulerat.

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS, ii. 32.

[Linenote: 8-10. Sulla filled up the gaps in the Senate from the ranks of the Equites, and to the new Senate thus const.i.tuted he entrusted the administration of justice.]

D. _A Sumptuary Law, Limiting the Expense of the Table._

L. Sulla dictator, c.u.m plerique in patrimoniis amplis eluerentur et familiam pecuniamque suam prandiorum conviviorumque gurgitibus proluissent, legem ad populam tulit, qua cautum est, ut Kalendis, Idibus, Nonis diebusque ludorum et feriis quibusdam {15} sollemnibus sestertios trecenos in cenam insumere ius potestasque esset, ceteris autem diebus omnibus non amplius tricenos.

AULUS GELLIUS, ii. 24, 11.

[Linenote: 12. +eluerentur+ = _had squandered_ (lit. 'washed away').]

+Leges Corneliae.+ 'Sulla's legislation was an attempt to revive what was dead and gone. The time had arrived when the old republican inst.i.tutions could last no longer. The transformation of the state into a monarchy was inevitable.' --Ihne.

+The Sultan Const.i.tution.+ It had as little endurance as that of Cromwell, and was finally destroyed in 70 B.C. during the consulship of Pompeius and Cra.s.sus.

B19

_Speech of Lepidus against Sulla, 78 B.C._

Nam praeter satellites commaculatos quis eadem volt? aut quis non omnia mutata praeter victorem? Scilicet milites, quorum sanguine Tarulae Scyrtoque, pessumis servorum, divitiae partae sunt! Itaque maxumam mihi fiduciam parit victor exercitus, cui {5} per tot volnera et labores nihil praeter tyrannum quaesitum est. Nisi forte tribuniciam potestatem evorsum profecti sunt, per arma conditam a maioribus suis, utique iura et iudicia sibimet extorquerent, egregia scilicet mercede, c.u.m relegati in paludes et {10} silvam contumeliam atque invidiam suam, praemia penes paucos intellegerint. Quare igitur tanto agmine atque animis incedit?

Quia secundae res mire sunt vitiis obtentui; quibus labefactis, quam formidatus est, tam contemnetur; nisi forte specie {15} concordiae et pacis, quae sceleri et parricidio suo nomina indidit; neque aliter rempublicam et belli finem ait, nisi maneat expulsa agris plebes, praeda civilis acerbissima, ius iudiciumque omnium rerum penes se, quod populi Romani fuit. Quae si vobis {20} pax et concordia intelleguntur, maxuma turbamenta reipublicae atque exitia probate, annuite legibus impositis, accipite otium c.u.m servitio et tradite exemplum posteris ad populum Romanum suimet sanguinis mercede circ.u.mveniundum. {25}

SALl.u.s.t, _Hist, Orat. M. Lepidi_.

[Linenotes: 1. +Nam+, sc. 'His luck is not so great as he supposes, for...'

7-8. +tribuniciam ... evorsum+, i.e. by the Leges Corneliae 81 B.C.

9. +iudicia.+ Sulla restored the judicial functions to the Senate (from the Equites).

10. +relegati in paludes.+ Sulla established 120,000 soldiers in military colonies in different parts of Italy, but their roaming adventurous life had unfitted them for agricultural pursuits.

13-14. +Quia ... obtentui+ = _because prosperity serves in a marvellous manner to cover a man's faults of character_. --Holden.

For +obtentui+ cf. _draw a veil over_.

16. +parricidio+ = _treason_.

18. +nisi ... agris+, i.e. Sulla's confiscations of estates, especially of those Italians who had fought against him.

24-25. +ad p. R. circ.u.mveniundum+ = _for oppressing_ (enslaving) _the people of Rome_.]

+M. Aemillus Lepidus+, Consul 78 B.C., a disappointed Optimate, jealous of Sulla's power, but without Sulla's ability. He posed as leader of the democratic party, took up arms against the State, but was defeated by Q.

Catulus at the Milvian Bridge, 77 B.C.

B20

WAR WITH SERTORIUS IN SPAIN, 78-72 B.C. (1)

_Sertorius and his Fawn._

Huic Sertorio cerva alba eximiae pulchritudinis et vivacissimae celeritatis a Lusitano quodam dono data est. Hanc sibi oblatam divinitus, et instinctam Dianae numine colloqui sec.u.m, monereque, et docere, quae utilia factu essent, persuadere omnibus inst.i.tuit: {5} ac, si quid durius videbatur, quod imperandum militibus foret, a cerva sese monitum tum praedicabat. Id c.u.m dixerat, universi, tamquam si deo, libentes parebant. Ea cerva quodam die, c.u.m incursio esset hostium nuntiata, festinatione ac tumultu consternata {10} in fugam se proripuit, atque in palude proxima delituit; et postea requisita perisse credita est. Neque multis diebus post inventam esse cervam Sertorio nuntiatur. Tum, qui nuntiaverat, iussit tacere: ac, ne cui palam diceret, interminatus est: {15} praecepitque, ut eam postero die repente in eum loc.u.m, in quo ipse c.u.m amicis esset, immitteret: admissis deinde amicis postridie, visum sibi esse ait in quiete cervam, quae perisset, ad se reverti, et, ut prius consueverat, quod opus esset facto praedicare. {20} Tum servo, quod imperaverat, significat. Cerva emissa in cubiculum Sertorii introrupit; clamor factus et orta admiratio est: eaque hominum barbarorum credulitas Sertorio in magnis rebus magno usui fuit. {25}

GELLIUS, _Noctes Atticae_, xv. 22.

[Linenotes: 1. +alba+ = a _dull_ white as opp. to +ater+ = _dull_ black. Cf.

+candidus+ = _shining_ white as opp. to +niger+ = _shining_ black.

3. +instinctam+ = _fired_, _animated_.

15. +interminatus+ = _he forbade with threats_. +inter + minor+, freq. in Plautus and Terence.

23-25. 'Sertorius did not disdain to turn to account the superst.i.tion of the ruder Spanish tribes, and to have his plans of war brought to him as commands of Diana by the white fawn of the G.o.ddess.' --M.]

+Character of Sertorius.+ 'He was the only democratic (Marian) officer who knew how to prepare and to conduct war, and the only democratic statesman who opposed the furious doings of his party with statesmanlike energy. His Spanish soldiers called him the new Hannibal, and not merely because he had, like that hero, lost an eye in war. He in reality reminds us of the great Phoenician by his equally cunning and courageous strategy, and by the quickness of his ingenuity in turning to good account his victories and averting the consequences of his defeats.'

--M.

B21

WAR WITH SERTORIUS IN SPAIN (2)

A. _A New Hannibal._

Sertorius, exsul et profugus feralis illius tabulae, vir summae quidem sed calamitosae virtutis, malis suis maria terrasque permiscuit; et iam Africae, iam Balearibus insulis fortunam expertus usque in Oceanum Fortunatasque insulas penetravit consiliis, {5} tandem Hispaniam armavit. Viro c.u.m viris facile convenit. Nec alias magis apparuit Hispani militis vigor quam Romano duce. Quamquam ille non contentus Hispania ad Mithridatem quoque Ponticosque respexit regemque cla.s.se iuvit. Et quid futurum {10} fuit satis tanto hosti, cui uno imperatore resistere res Romana non potuit? Additus Metello Gnaeus Pompeius. Hi copias attrivere viri prope tota Hispania persecuti. Diu et ancipiti semper acie pugnatum est; nec tamen prius bello quam suorum scelere {15} et insidiis extinctus est.