Arcebat has for its subject the clause, quod statim, etc. He was guarded against the allurements of vice by the wholesome influences thrown around him in the place of his early education.
Massiliam. Now Marseilles. It was settled by a colony of Phocaeans. Hence Graeca comitate. Cf also Cicero's account of the high culture and refinement of Massilia (Cic. pro Flacco, 26).—Provinciali parsimonia. Parsimonia in a good sense; economy, as opposed to the luxury and extravagance of Italy and the City.
Locum—mixtum. Enallage for locus, in quo mixta erant, etc. H. 704, III., cf. 25: mixti copiis et laetitia.—Bene compositum denotes a happy combination of the elements, of which mixtum expresses only the co-existence.
Acrius, sc. aequo==too eagerly. H. 444, 1, and Z. 104, 1. note.
Concessum—senatori. Military and civil studies were deemed more appropriate to noble Roman youth, than literature and philosophy. Senatori must of course refer, not to the office of A., but to his rank by birth, cf. senatorii ordinis above.
Hausisse, ni—coercuisset. An analysis of this sentence shows, that there is an ellipsis of hausurum fuisse: he imbibed, and would have continued to imbibe, had not, &c. In such sentences, which abound in T. but are rarely found in Cic., ni is more readily translated by but. Cf. Z. 519. b; and note, His. 3, 28. For the application of haurire to the eager study of philosophy, cf. Hor. Sat. 2, 4, 95: haurire vitae praecepta beatae, and note, His. 1, 51: hauserunt animo.
Prudentia matris. So Nero's mother deterred him from the study of philosophy. Suet. Ner. 52.
Pulchritudinem ac speciem. The beautiful image, or beau ideal, by hendiadys. Cf. Cic. Or. 2: species pulchritudinis. See Rit. in loc.
Vehementius quam caute. For vehementius quam cautius, which is the regular Latin construction. T. uses both. Cf. Z. 690, and note, His. 1, 83.
Mox. In T. subsequently, not presently. R.