[75] Lar. This is generally understood to have been a title of honour equivalent to our term Lord.
[76] Arbitrium signifies not only the "privilege," but the "rent" paid for such privilege, or right of monopoly.
[77] Was all taken into the hands of government. In my version of this passage I have conformed to the emendation of the original first proposed by Gronovius, and admitted by Stroth and Bekker; scil. in publicum omne sumptum.—They did not let these salt-works by auction, but took them into their own management, and carried them on by means of persons employed to work on the public account. These salt-works, first established at Ostia by Ancus, were, like other public property, farmed out to the publicans. As they had a high rent to pay, the price of salt was raised in proportion; but now the patricians, to curry favour with the plebeians, did not let the salt-pits to private tenants, but kept them in the hands of public labourers, to collect all the salt for the public use; and appointed salesmen to retail it to the people at a cheaper rate. See Stocker's ed.
[78] The origin. Niebuhr mentions a more probable one. See Nieb. i. p. 541; ii. p. 204.
[79] Niebuhr thinks, that from this defeat of the Etrurians may be dated the commencement of the recovery of their liberty by the Romans, and that the flight of the Roman hostages, the sale of Porsena's goods, &c. were subsequent to it.
[80] Nec quibus consulibus parum creditum sit, scil. fides non habita fuerit. Arnold in his Roman Hist. considers this to have been the true cause of creating a dictator.
[81] Eo magis quod propter se. From this one would be disposed to suspect that the dictator was created to take on him the management of war. See Nieb. p. 553, and Niebhr. Epit. by Twiss, Append. p. 355.
[82] By giving up the advantage of their horses, and forgetting their superiority of rank.
[83] Qui consules secundum quosdam, who were the consuls that came after certain consuls.
[84] The determination of the plebeians and senators.