Academica

by Marcus Tullius Cicero

[§2]. Hic pauca primo: for the omission of locuti, cf. the very similar passages in D.F. I. 14, III. 8, also my note on [14]. Atque ea: Halm brackets ea, quite needlessly, for its insertion is like Cic. Ecquid forte Roma novi: Roma is the ablative, and some verb like attulisset is omitted. (So Turnebus.) To take it as nom., understanding faciat, is clearly wrong. Percontari: the spelling percunctari rests on false derivation (Corss. I. 36). Ecquid ipse novi: cf. De Or. II. 13. The MSS. have et si quid, bad Latin altered by Manutius. Istum: some edd. ipsum, but Cic. often makes a speaker use iste of a person who is present. Goer. qu. Brut. 125, De Or. II. 228. Velit: Walker reads velis with St Jerome. For quod velit = quod quis velit, cf. De Or. I. 30. In manibus: so often, cf. Cat. Mai. 38. Idque: MSS. have in the place of this quod with variants que, quae, qui, quo. Dav. gave quia, which was the vulgate reading down to Halm, who reads idque, after Christ. Ad hunc enim ipsum: MSS. have eum for enim (exc. Halm's G). Such a combination of pronouns is vainly defended by Goer.; for expressions like me illum ipsum (Ad Att. II. 1, 11) are not in point. Of course if quia be read above, eum must be ejected altogether. Quaedam institui: the De Lingua Latina; see Ad. Att XIII. 12.

[§3]. E Libone: the father-in-law of Sext. Pompeius; see Cæsar B. Civ. III. 5, 16, 24. Nihil enim eius modi again all MSS. except Halm's G. have eum for enim. Christ conj. enim eum; so Baiter. Illud ... requirere: i.e. the question which follows; cf. requiris in [4]. Tecum simul: Halm's G om. tecum; but cf. De Or. III. 330. Mandare monumentis—letteris illustrare: common phrases in Cic., e.g. D.F. I. 1, T.D. I. 1, De Div. II. 4. Monumentis: this, and not monimentis (Halm) or monementis, is probably the right spelling; cf. Corss. II. 314. Ortam a: Cic. always writes the prep. after ortus; cf. M.D.F. V. 69. Genus: regularly used by Cic. as opus by Quintilian to mean "department of literature." Ea res: one of Halm's MSS. followed by Baiter has ars; on the other hand Bentley (if the amicus so often quoted in Davies' notes be really he) reads artibus for rebus below. The slight variation, however, from res to artibus is such as Cic. loves. Ceteris: the spelling caeteris (Klotz) is absolutely wrong, cf. Corss. I. 325. Antecedat: some MSS. give antecellat. a frequent variant, cf. De Off. I. 105

[§4]. Deliberatam—agitatam: Cic. as usual exaggerates the knowledge possessed by the personae of the dialogue; cf. Introd. p. [38], De Or. II. 1. In promptu: so II. [10]. Quod ista ipsa ... cogitavi: Goer., who half a page back had made merry over the gloss hunters, here himself scented a miserable gloss; Schutz, Goerenz's echo expels the words. Yet they are thoroughly like Cic. (cf. De Div. II. 1, Cat. Mai. 38), and moreover nothing is more Ciceronian than the repetition of words and clauses in slightly altered forms. The reason here is partly the intense desire to flatter Varro. Si qui ... si essent: the first si has really no conditional force, si qui like ειτινες merely means "all who," for a strong instance see Ad Fam. I. 9, 13, ed Nobbe, si accusandi sunt, si qui pertimuerunt. Ea nolui scribere, etc.: very similar expressions occur in the prologue to D.F. I., which should be compared with this prologue throughout.

[§5]. Vides ... didicisti: MSS. have vides autem eadem ipse didicisti enim. My reading is that of Dav. followed by Baiter. Halm, after Christ, has vides autem ipse—didicisti enim eadem—non posse, etc. Similis: Halm, in deference to MSS., makes Cic. write i and e indiscriminately in the acc. plur. of i stems. I shall write i everywhere, we shall thus, I believe, be far nearer Cicero's real writing. Though I do not presume to say that his usage did not vary, he must in the vast majority of instances have written i, see Corss. I. 738—744. Amafinii aut Rabirii: cf. Introd. p. [26]. Definiunt ... partiuntur: n. on [32]. Interrogatione: Faber saw this to be right, but a number of later scholars alter it, e.g. Bentl. argumentatione, Ernesti ratione. But the word as it stands has exactly the meaning these alterations are intended to secure. Interrogatio is merely the conclusio or syllogism put as a series of questions. Cf. Paradoxa 2, with T.D. II. 42 which will show that interrogatiuncula and conclusiuncula are almost convertible terms. See also M.D.F. I. 39. Nec dicendi nec disserendi: Cic.'s constant mode of denoting the Greek ‛ρητορικη and διαλεκτικη; note on [32]. Et oratorum etiam: Man., Lamb. om. etiam, needlessly. In Ad Fam. IX. 25, 3, the two words even occur without any other word to separate them. For oratorum Pearce conj. rhetorum. Rhetor, however is not thus used in Cic.'s phil. works. Utramque vim virtutem: strange that Baiter (esp. after Halm's note) should take Manutius' far-fetched conj. unam for virtutem. Any power or faculty (vis, δυναμις) may be called in Gk. αρετη, in Lat virtus. Two passages, D.F. III. 72, De Or. III. 65, will remove all suspicion from the text. Verbis quoque novis: MSS. have quanquam which however is impossible in such a place in Cic. (cf. M.D.F. V. 68). Ne a nobis quidem: so all the MSS., but Orelli (after Ernesti) thinking the phrase "arrogantius dictum" places quidem after accipient. The text is quite right, ne quidem, as Halm remarks, implies no more than the Germ. auch nicht, cf. also Gk. ουδε. Suscipiatur labor: MSS. om. the noun, but it is added by a later hand in G.

[§6]. Epicurum, id est si Democritum: for the charge see D.F. I. 17, IV. 13, N.D. I. 73. Id est often introduces in Cic. a clause which intensifies and does not merely explain the first clause, exx. in M.D.F. I. 33. Cum causas rerum efficientium sustuleris: cf. D.F. I. 18, the same charge is brought by Aristotle against the Atomists, Met. A, 2. Many editors from Lamb. to Halm and Baiter read efficientis, which would then govern rerum (cf. D.F. V. 81, De Fato, 33, also Gk. ποιητικος). But the genitive is merely one of definition, the causae are the res efficientes, for which cf. [24] and Topica, 58, proximus locus est rerum efficientium, quae causae appellantur. So Faber, though less fully. Appellat: i.e. Amafinius, who first so translated ατομος. Quae cum contineantur: this reading has far the best MSS. authority, it must be kept, and adhibenda etiam begins the apodosis. Madvig (Emendationes ad Ciceronis Libros Philosophicos, Hauniae, 1825, p. 108) tacitly reads continentur without cum, so Orelli and Klotz. Goer. absurdly tries to prop up the subj. without cum. Quam quibusnam: Durand's em. for quoniam quibusnam of the MSS., given by Halm and also Baiter. Madv. (Em. p. 108) made a forced defence of quoniam, as marking a rapid transition from one subject to another (here from physics to ethics) like the Gk. επει, only one parallel instance, however, was adduced (T.D. III. 14) and the usage probably is not Latin. Adducere?: The note of interrogation is Halm's; thus the whole sentence, so far, explains the difficulty of setting forth the true system of physics. If quoniam is read and no break made at adducere, all after quoniam will refer to ethics, in that case there will be a strange change of subject in passing from quisquam to haec ipsa, both which expressions will be nominatives to poterit, further, there will be the almost impossible ellipse of ars, scientia, or something of the kind after haec ipsa. On every ground the reading of Madv. is insupportable. Quid, haec ipsa: I have added quid to fill up the lacuna left by Halm, who supposes much more to have fallen out. [The technical philosophical terms contained in this section will be elucidated later. For the Epicurean ignorance of geometry see note on II. [123]] Illi enim simpliciter: "frankly," cf. Ad Fam. VIII. 6, 1 Pecudis et hominis: note on II. [139].

[§7]. Sive sequare ... magnum est: for the constr. cf. II. [140]. Magnum est: cf. quid est magnum, [6]. Verum et simplex bonum: cf. [35]. Quod bonum ... ne suspicari quidem an opinion often denounced by Cic., see esp T.D. III. 41, where Cic.'s Latin agrees very closely with the Greek preserved by Diog. Laert. X. 6 (qu. Zeller, 451), and less accurately by Athenaeus, VII. 279 (qu. R. and P. 353). Ne suspicari quidem: for this MSS. give nec suspicari, but Madv. (D.F., Excursus III.) has conclusively shown that nec for ne ... quidem is post Augustan Latin. Christ supposes some thing like sentire to have fallen out before nec suspicari; that this is wrong is clear from the fact that in D.F. II. 20, 30, T.D. III. 46, N.D. I. 111, where the same opinion of Epicurus is dealt with, we have either ne suspicari quidem or ne intellegere quidem (cf. also In Pisonem 69). Further, ne ... quidem is esp frequent with suspicari (D.F. II. 20), and verbs of the kind (cogitari II. [82]), and especially, as Durand remarked, at the end of sentences eg Verr. II. 1, 155. Notice negat ... ne suspicari quidem without se, which however Baiter inserts, in spite of the numerous passages produced from Cic. by Madv. (Em. 111), in which not only se, but me, nos, and other accusatives of pronouns are omitted before the infinitive, after verbs like negat. Cf. also the omission of sibi in Paradoxa 40. Si vero: this, following sive enim above, is a departure from Cic.'s rule which is to write sive—sive or si—sin, but not si—sive or sive—si. This and two or three other similar passages in Cic. are explained as anacolutha by Madv. in a most important and exhaustive excursus to his D.F. (p. 785, ed. 2), and are connected with other instances of broken sequence. There is no need therefore to read sive here, as did Turn. Lamb. Dav. and others. Quam nos ... probamus: cf. Introd. p. [62]. Erit explicanda: for the separation of these words by other words interposed, which is characteristic of Cic., see [11], [17]. I am surprised that Halm and Baiter both follow Ernesti in his hypercritical objection to the phrase explicare Academiam, and read erunt against the MSS., making illa plural. If erunt is read, erit must be supplied from it to go with disserendum, which is harsh. Quam argute, quam obscure: at first sight an oxymoron, but argute need not only imply clearness, it means merely "acutely". Quantum possum: some MSS. have quantam, which is scarcely Latin, since in Cic. an accusative only follows nequeo, volo, malo, possum, and such verbs when an infinitive can be readily supplied to govern it. For velle see a good instance in D.F. III. 68, where consult Madv. Constantiam: the notions of firmness, consistency, and clearness of mind are bound up in this word, cf. II. [53]. Apud Platonem: Timaeus, 47 B, often quoted or imitated by Cic., cf. De Leg. I. 58, Laelius 20, 47, T.D. I. 64.

[§8]. Id est ... jubeo: these words have been naturally supposed a gloss. But Cicero is nothing if not tautological; he is fond of placing slight variations in phrase side by side. See some remarkable instances of slightly varied phrases connected by id est in D.F. I. 72, II. 6, 90. I therefore hold Halm and Baiter to be wrong in bracketing the words. Ea a: Lamb., objecting to the sound (which is indeed not like Cic.), would read e for a, which Halm would also prefer. De, ab, and ex follow haurire indifferently in Cic. Rivulos consectentur: so Wordsworth, "to hunt the waterfalls". The metaphor involved in fontibus—rivulos is often applied by Cic. to philosophy, see esp. a sarcastic passage about Epicurus in N.D. I. 120. Nihil enim magno opere: magno opere should be written in two words, not as magnopere, cf. the phrases maximo opere, nimio opere, the same holds good of tanto opere, quanto opere. L. Aelii: MSS. Laelii. The person meant is L. Aelius Stilo or Praeconinus, the master of Varro, and the earliest systematic grammarian of Rome. See Quintil. Inst. Or. X. 1, 99, Gellius X. 21, Sueton. Gramm. 3. Occasum: an unusual metaphor. Menippum: a Cynic satirist, see Dict. Biogr. Considerable fragments of Varro's Menippean Satires remain, and have often been edited—most recently by Riese (published by Teubner). Imitati non interpretati: Cic. D.F. I. 7, gives his opinion as to the right use to be made of Greek models. †Quae quo: these words are evidently wrong. Halm after Faber ejects quae, and is followed by Baiter. Varro is thus made to say that he stated many things dialectically, in order that the populace might be enticed to read. To my mind the fault lies in the word quo, for which I should prefer to read cum (=quom, which would be written quō in the MSS.) The general sense would then be "Having introduced philosophy into that kind of literature which the unlearned read, I proceeded to introduce it into that which the learned read." Laudationibus: λογοις επιταφιοις, cf. Ad Att. XIII. 48 where Varro's are mentioned. †Philosophe scribere: the MSS. all give philosophie. Klotz has philosophiam, which is demonstrably wrong, physica, musica etc. scribere may be said, but not physicam, musicam etc. scribere. The one passage formerly quoted to justify the phrase philosophiam scribere is now altered in the best texts (T.D. V. 121, where see Tischer). Goer. reads philosophiae scribere; his explanation is, as Orelli gently says, "vix Latina." I can scarcely think Halm's philosophe to be right, the word occurs nowhere else, and Cic. almost condemns it by his use of the Greek φιλοσοφως (Ad Att. XIII. 20). In older Greek the adverb does not appear, nor is φιλοσοφος used as an adjective much, yet Cic. uses philosophus adjectivally in T.D. V. 121, Cat. Mai. 22, N.D. III. 23, just as he uses tyrannus (De Rep. III. 45), and anapaestus (T.D. III. 57) Might we not read philosophis, in the dative, which only requires the alteration of a single letter from the MSS. reading? The meaning would then be "to write for philosophers," which would agree with my emendation cum for quo above. Philosophice would be a tempting alteration, but that the word φιλοσοφικος is not Greek, nor do philosophicus, philosophice occur till very late Latin times. Si modo id consecuti sumus: cf. Brut. 316.

[§9]. Sunt ista: = εστι ταυτα, so often, e.g. Lael. 6. Some edd. have sint, which is unlikely to be right. Nos in nostra: Augustine (De Civ. Dei VI. 2) quotes this with the reading reduxerunt for deduxerunt, which is taken by Baiter and by Halm; who quotes with approval Durand's remark, "deducimus honoris causa sed errantes reducimus humanitatis." The words, however, are almost convertible; see Cat. Mai. 63. In Lael. 12, Brut. 86, we have reducere, where Durand's rule requires deducere, on the other hand cf. Ad Herennium IV. 64, hospites domum deducere. Aetatem patriae etc., August. (De Civ. Dei VI. 3) describes Varro's "Libri Antiquitatum" (referred to in [8]), in which most of the subjects here mentioned were treated of. Descriptiones temporum: lists of dates, so χρονοι is technically used for dates, Thuc. V. 20, etc. Tu sacerdotum: after this Lamb. inserts munera to keep the balance of the clauses. Cic. however is quite as fond of variety as of formal accuracy. Domesticam—bellicam: opposed like domi bellique, cf. Brut. 49, De Off. I. 74. Augustine's reading publicam shows him to have been quoting from memory. Sedem: so the best MSS. of Aug., some edd. here give sedium. The argument for sedem is the awkwardness of making the three genitives, sedium, regionum, locorum, dependent on the accusatives, nomina, genera, officia, causas. Cic. is fond of using sedes, locus, regio together, see Pro Murena, 85, Pro Cluentio, 171, quoted by Goer. Omnium divinarum humanarumque rerum: from the frequent references of Aug. it appears that the "Libri Antiquitatum" were divided into two parts, one treating of res humanae, the other of res divinae (De Civ. Dei, IV. 1, 27, VI. 3). Et litteris luminis: for luminis, cf. T.D. I. 5. Et verbis: Manut. reads rebus from [26]. Varro's researches into the Latin tongue are meant. Multis locis incohasti: Varro's book "De Philosophia" had apparently not yet been written.

[§10]. Causa: = προφασις. Probabilem: = specious. Nesciunt: Halm with his one MS. G, which is the work of a clever emendator, gives nescient to suit malent above, and is followed by Baiter. It is not necessary to force on Cic. this formally accurate sequence of tenses, which Halm himself allows to be broken in two similar passages, II. [20], [105]. Sed da mihi nunc, satisne probas?: So all MSS. except G, which has the evident conj. sed ea (eam) mihi non sane probas. This last Baiter gives, while Halm after Durand reads sed eam mihi non satis probas, which is too far from the MSS. to please me. The text as it stands is not intolerable, though da mihi for dic mihi is certainly poetic. Da te mihi (Manut., Goer., Orelli) is far too strong for the passage, and cannot be supported by [12], Brut. 306, Ad Fam. II. 8, or such like passages. Attius: the old spelling Accius is wrong. Si qui ... imitati: note the collocation, and cf. [17]. Halm needlessly writes sint for MSS. sunt. For this section throughout cf. the prologues to D.F. I., T.D. I. and II.

[§11]. Procuratio: for the proper meaning of procurator and procuratio see Jordan on Pro Caecina 55. Implacatum et constrictum: the conjunction introduces the intenser word, as usual; cf. [17] plenam ac refertam, II. [127] exigua et minima, so και in Greek. Inclusa habebam: cf. T.D. I. 1. Obsolescerent, used of individual memory, is noteworthy. Percussus volnere: many edd. give the frequent variant perculsus. The volnus, which Goer. finds so mysterious, is the death of Tullia, cf. N.D. I. 9, De Consolatione, fragment 7, ed. Nobbe, and Introd. p. [32]. Aut ... aut ... aut ... aut: This casting about for an excuse shows how low philosophy stood in public estimation at Rome. See Introd. p. [29]. The same elaborate apologies often recur, cf. esp the exordium of N.D. I.