Letters of Pliny Part 11

[Footnote 17: An elegant Attic orator, remarkable for the grace and lucidity of his style, also for his vivid and accurate delineations of character.]

[Footnote 18: A graceful and powerful orator, and friend of Densosthenes.]

[Footnote 19: A Roman orator of the Augustan age. He was a poet and historian as well, but gained most distinction as an orator.]

[Footnote 20: A man of considerable taste, talent, and eloquence, but profligate and extravagant. He was on terms of some intimacy with Cicero.]

[Footnote 21: The praetor was a.s.sisted by ten a.s.sessors, five of whom were senators, and the rest knights. With these he was obliged to consult before he p.r.o.nounced sentence. M.]

[Footnote 22: A contemporary and rival of Aristophanes.]

[Footnote 23: Aristophanes, Ach. 531]

[Footnote 24: Thersites. Iliad, II. V. 212.]

[Footnote 25: Ulysses. Iliad, III. V. 222.]

[Footnote 26: Menelaua. Iliad, III. V. 214.]

[Footnote 27: Great-grandfather of the Emperor M. Aurelius.]

[Footnote 28: An eminent lawyer of Trajan's reign.]

[Footnote 29: The philosophers used to hold their disputations in the gymnasia and porticoes, being places of the most public resort for walking, &c.

M.]

[Footnote 30: "Verginius Rufus was governor of Upper Germany at the time of the revolt of Julius Vindex in Gaul. A.D. 68. The soldiers of Verginius wished to raise him to the empire, but he refused the honour, and marched against Vindex, who perished before Vesontio. After the death of Nero, Verginius supported the claims of Galba, and accompanied him to Rome. Upon Otho's death, the soldiers again attempted to proclaim Verginius emperor, and in consequence of his refusal of the honour, he narrowly escaped with his life." (See Smith's Dict. of Greek and Rom.

Biog., &c.)]

[Footnote 31: Nerva.]

[Footnote 32: The historian,]

[Footnote 33: Namely, of augurs. "This college, as regulated by Sylla, consisted of fifteen, who were all persons of the first distinction in Rome; it was a priesthood for life, of a character indelible, which no crime or forfeiture could efface; it was necessary that every candidate should be nominated to the people by two augurs, who gave a solemn testimony upon, oath of his dignity and fitness for that office." Middleton's Life of Cicero, I. 547. M.]

[Footnote 34: The ancient Greeks and Romans did not sit up at the table as we do, but reclined round it on couches, three and sometimes even four occupying one conch, at least this latter was the custom among the Romans. Each guest lay flat upon his chest while eating, reaching out his hand from time to time to the table, for what he might require.

As soon as he had made a sufficient meal, he turned over upon his left side, leaning on the elbow.]

[Footnote 35: A people of Germany.]

[Footnote 36: "Any Roman priest devoted to the service of one particular G.o.d was designated Flamen, receiving a distinguishing epithet from the deity to whom he ministered. The office was understood to last for life; but a flamen might be compelled to resign for a breach of duty, or even on account of the occurrence of an ill-omened accident while discharging his functions." Smith's Dictionary of Antiquities.]

[Footnote 37: Trajan.]

[Footnote 38: By a law pa.s.sed A. D. 762, it was enacted that every citizen of Rome who had three children should be excused from all troublesome offices where he lived. This privilege the emperors sometimes extended to those who were not legally ent.i.tled to it.]

[Footnote 39: About 54 cents.]

[Footnote 40: Avenue]

[Footnote 41: "Windows made of a transparent stone called lapis specularis (mica), which was first found in Hispania Citerior, and afterwards in Cyprus, Cappadocia, Sicily, and Africa; but the best caine from Spain and Cappadocia. It was easily split into the thinnest sheets. Windows, made of this stone were called specularia." Smith's Dictionary of Antiquities.]

[Footnote 42: A feast held in honour of the G.o.d Saturn, which began on the 19th of December, and continued as some say, for seven days. It was a time of general rejoicing, particularly among the slaves, who had at this season the privilege of taking great liberties with their masters. M.]

[Footnote 43: Cicero and Quintilian have laid down rules how far, and in what instances, this liberty was allowable, and both agree it ought to be used with great sagacity and judgment. The latter of these excellent critics mentions a witticism of Flavius Virginius, who asked one of these orators, "Quot nillia a.s.suum deciama.s.sett." How many miles he had declaimed. M.]

[Footnote 44: This was an act of great ceremony; and if Aurelia's dress was of the kind which some of the Roman ladies used, the legacy must have been considerable which Regulus had the impudence to ask. M.]

[Footnote 45: $3,350,000.]

[Footnote 46: A poet to whom Quintilian a.s.signs the highest rank, as a Writer of tragedies, among his contemporaries (book X. C. I. 98). Tacitus also speaks of him in terms of high appreciation (Annals, v. 8).]

[Footnote 47: Stepson of Augustus and brother to Tiberius. An amiable and popular prince. He died at the close of his third campaign, from a fracture received by falling from his horse.]

[Footnote 48: A historian under Augustus and Tiberius. He wrote part of a history of Rome, which was continued by the elder Pliny; also an account of the German war, to which Quintilian makes allusion (Inst. X. 103), p.r.o.nouncing him, as a historian, "estimable in all respects, yet in some things failing to do himself justice."]

[Footnote 49: The distribution of time among the Romans was very different from ours. They divided the night into four equal parts, which they called watches, each three hours in length; and part of these they devoted either to the pleasures of the table or to study. The natural day they divided into twelve hours, the first beginning with sunrise, and the last ending with sunset; by which means their hours were of unequal length, varying according to the different seasons of the year. The time for business began with sunrise, and continued to the fifth hour, being that of dinner, which with them was only a slight repast. From thence to the seventh hour was a time of repose; a custom which still prevails in Italy. The eighth hour was employed in bodily exercises; after which they constantly bathed, and from thence went to supper. M.]

[Footnote 50: $16,000.]

[Footnote 51: Born about A. D. 25. He acquired some distinction as an advocate.

The only poem of his which has come down to us is a heavy prosaic performance in seventeen books, ent.i.tled "Tunica," and containing an account of the events of the Second Punic War, from the capture of Saguntum to the triumph of Scipio Africa.n.u.s. See Smith's Dict. of Gr.

and Roin. Biog.]

[Footnote 52: Trajan.]

[Footnote 53: Spurinna's wife.]

[Footnote 54: Domitian banished the philosophers not only from Rome, but Italy, as Suetonius (Dom. C. X.) and Aulus Gellius (Noct. Att. b. XV. CXI. 3, 4, 5) Inform us among these was the celebrated Epictetus. M.]

[Footnote 55: The following is the story, as related by several of the ancient historians. Paetus, having joined Scribonia.n.u.s, who was in arms, in Illyria, against Claudius, was taken after the death of Scribonia.n.u.s, and condemned to death. Arria having, in vain, solicited his life, persuaded him to destroy himself, rather than suffer the ignominy of falling by the executioner's hands; and, in order to encourage him to an act, to which, it seems, he was not particularly inclined, she set him the example in the manner Pliny relates. M.]

[Footnote 56: Trajan.]

[Footnote 57: The Roman, used to employ their criminals in the lower ones of husbandry, such as ploughing, &c. Pun. H. N. 1. 18, 3. M.]

[Footnote 58: About $500,000.]

[Footnote 59: About $800,000.]

[Footnote 60: One of the famous seven hills upon which Rome was situated.]

[Footnote 61: Mart. LX. 19.]

[Footnote 62: Calpurnia, Pliny's wife.]

[Footnote 63: Now Citta di Castello.]