[145] Virīs[1] doctīs māgnum honōrem habēbat Pompēius. Ex Syriā
dēcēdēns, cōnfectō bellō Mithridāticō, cum Rhodum vēnisset,
Posīdōnium cupiit audīre[2]; sed cum audīvisset eum graviter esse
aegrum, quod[3] vehementer ēius artūs labōrārent, voluit tamen
nōbilissimum philosophum vīsere. Mōs erat ut, cōnsule[4] aedēs
[150] aliquās ingressūrō, līctor forēs percuteret,[5] admonēns cōnsulem
adesse, at Pompēius forēs Posīdōniī percutī honōris causā vetuit.
Quem ut vīdit et salūtāvit, molestē sē dīxit ferre, quod eum nōn
posset audīre. At ille “Tū vērō” inquit “potes, nec committam
ut dolor corporis efficiat[5] ut frūstrā tantus vir ad mē vēnerit.[5]”
[155] Itaque cubāns graviter et cōpiōsē dē hōc ipsō disputāvit: nihil
esse[6] bonum nisi quod honestum esset, nihil malum dīcī posse,
quod turpe nōn esset. Cum vērō dolōrēs ācriter eum pungerent,
saepe “Nihil agis,” inquit “dolor! quamvīs[7] sīs molestus, numquam
tē esse malum cōnfitēbor.”
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[80.3] See Vocab., [Pompēius].
[80.4] The reference is to the war between Marius and Sulla. See selections [XXIV] and [XXV].
[80.5] Cf. iuvenī, [l. 7]. We should say ‘the younger.’ He was at this time but nineteen years of age.
[80.6] hunc . . . suscēpit: ‘undertook to kill him.’ How literally? For occīdendum, see [p. 2, n. 18].
[80.7] dum, though meaning ‘while’ (cf. [p. xx], G 2), takes the subjunctive here because of the informal indir. disc. Terenti said: fīlium . . . suscipiam dum aliī incenditis.
[80.8] solitō hilarius: ‘with (even) more gaiety than usual.’ solitō is here a noun. Neuter adj. and part. are often so used. For its case, see [p. 10, n. 18].
[80.9] quā anteā: sc. ūsus erat.
[80.10] percutiō.