[8.]
[59] Aliquanto, ‘by a considerable amount,’ or simply ‘considerably,’ is the ablative, expressing the amount of difference between two things compared. Sallust here considers it to be a mere matter of chance that the wars of the early Romans, as those against the Volscians, Aequians, Etruscans, and Samnites, do not stand forth in history as glorious as the wars of the Greek nations among themselves, and against the Persians. To us it appears that this was not a matter of chance; but it undoubtedly arose from the fact, that the Greeks even then had already attained a higher degree of civilisation. The interest which history takes in wars does not depend upon the vastness of the armies or the extent of countries, but upon the lower or higher degree of civilisation of those engaged in the wars.
[60] Pro maximis, ‘they are celebrated as if they were the greatest.’ Respecting this meaning of pro, see Zumpt, § 394, note 3.
[61] ‘The more intelligent any one was, the more business was intrusted to him,’ so that he had no leisure (otium) to devote to literary composition. This at least is Sallust’s opinion; but when a man feels it to be his vocation to write history, he can find time for it, however much he may be otherwise engaged — witness J. Caesar and Frederick II. of Prussia. For the construction, see Zumpt, § 710. C.
[9.]
[62] ‘Not more by law than by nature;’ that is, ‘by nature as well as by law.’
[63] In suppliciis, ‘in the worship of the gods;’ for as it was customary, in worshipping, to fall down, the word supplicium has this religious meaning, which also appears in supplicatio. The other and more common meaning of ‘execution,’ ‘capital punishment,’ or ‘severe chastisement,’ likewise originates in the prostration of the person so punished.
[64] Seque remque is an unusual expression for et se et rem.
[65] Quam; before this word we must supply magis, ‘they carried on the government more with acts of kindness than with fear.’ This ellipsis before quam is not uncommon.
[66] When they had suffered a wrong, they would rather pardon it than take revenge.’ To persequi we must supply eam from the preceding ablative.
[11.]
[67] Propius virtutem, also propius virtuti. See Zumpt, § 411.
[68] Concupivit, ‘No man in his senses has ever coveted money for its own sake;’ that is, and even now no one does so, nor will any one ever do so. But a homo avarus covets money only that he may have it, and not for any ulterior objects.
[69] Bonis initiis is the ablative absolute, ‘though his beginnings were good.’ Although Sulla’s government began well, it became arbitrary and bad, especially by the unlimited partiality with which he treated the men of his own party.
[70] In civibus. It would have been more in accordance with the common usage to write in cives; but the ablative signifies ‘in the case of citizens.’
[71] ‘In order thereby to render him faithful or attached to himself,’ quo being equivalent to ut eo or ut ea re.
[72] Namely, the charming and delightful places in Asia Minor, near the sea-coast, under a mild climate, abounding in all the means calculated to afford pleasure and delight.
[73] Amare, ‘to indulge in illicit intercourse with the other sex:’ amare is often used to denote an immoral intercourse between the sexes.
[74] Vasa caelata, vessels adorned with figures, and wrought with the caelum, the chisel. Caelare and caelatura denote the art of making raised figures in metal, alto relievo.
[75] Delubra, ‘temples of the gods.’ Sallust has chosen this word in preference to the common templa or aedes, because it conveys the idea of antiquity, sanctity, and mysterious seclusion, which is also contained in the word fanum.
[76] Ne illi — temperament ‘not to speak of their using their victory with moderation;’ that is, they were far from using their victory with moderation. Ne is here used in the sense of nedum.
[12.]
[77] ‘Honest conduct was regarded as malevolence or envy,’ inasmuch as an honest and incorruptible man was not praised for these virtues, but rather drew upon himself the suspicion of envying others for their increasing their possessions, and of wishing to prevent them from becoming rich by the base means which in their greediness they considered to be fair.
[78] Operae pretium est, ‘it is worth while (properly “the labour has its reward”) to compare the extensive country-houses of our present aristocracy with the small temples of the gods erected by our ancestors, notwithstanding their intense piety.’
[79] This is the same precept as that advanced by Cicero, that in punishing an enemy, we should be satisfied if we have placed him in a position in which he can no longer injure us.
[13.]
[80] ‘Mountains are levelled, and seas are produced artificially.’ In the latter expression, Sallust, as in [chap. 20] (maria extruuntur), alludes to the formation of immense basins in the interior of the country, into which the water was conducted from the sea, for the purpose of keeping in them sea-fish and oysters. In this kind of luxury and extravagance all the earlier Roman grandees were eclipsed by L. Lucullus, who had amassed immense wealth in the war against Mithridates. He possessed a very extensive piscina of this kind near the coast of Campania, in the neighbourhood of Baiae.
[81] Cultus comprises the whole domestic arrangement, and especially includes costly furniture and dresses.
[82] ‘To the acquisition and to the squandering of money;’ for, as we stated before, it was peculiar to the corruption prevalent among the Romans that they squandered their own property, and appropriated to themselves, by violent means, that which belonged to others.