[428] ‘According to his advantage;’ that is, if a favourable opportunity should offer.
[429] ‘More than is just and fair.’
[430] According to the language of Cicero, the dative linguae would have been used in this sense. See Zumpt, § 414.
[431] Alii; supply from what precedes interpretabantur, ‘they accounted for his sensibility by,’ &c.
[432] Injuria sua has a passive sense; ‘by the injustice done to him.’
[83.]
[433] Stultitiae might have been stultilia for the genitive. See Zumpt, § 448, note 1.
[434] Tum. See page 137, note 3 [[note 425]].
[435] Incerta mutare, ‘to obtain uncertain things in exchange for others, or for certain things;’ but it might also mean, ‘to give uncertain things for certain ones.’ See Zumpt, § 456, note.
[436] Desinere is used here for the sake of variety, instead of finire, deponi.
[437] ‘If the same power were granted to him’ (Jugurtha), namely, to conclude peace, ‘an agreement might easily be come to.’ Res convenit inter nos is the same as convenimus de re, ‘we agree upon the matter.’
[84.]
[438] ‘The plebs being most desirous.’ The participle cupiens, with its degrees of comparison like an adjective, is rare, but not contrary to grammar.
[439] Multus instare is rather a poetical phrase for multum, ‘greatly,’ or ‘repeatedly.’
[440] Ambiundo cogere, ‘to oblige a person by flattering words;’ a very expressive phrase, signifying that kind of compulsion which is effected by flattery and intreaties.
[441] For the expression aliquid mihi volenti est, ‘a thing accords with my wishes,’ see Zumpt, § 420, note. Neque corresponds with et: on the one hand, it was not believed that the service in the army was agreeable to the plebs; and on the other hand, it was believed that Marius, owing to the aversion of the people to military service, would either do without a numerous army, or that he would lose the popular favour if he should compel the common people.
[442] Traho animo, or cum animo meo, ‘I am incessantly occupied in my mind with something.’
[85.]
[443] From what precedes, supply mihi videtur.
[444] Marius, according to the ordinary usage of the Latin language, calls his appointment to the consulship a beneficium, ‘a favour,’ of the Roman people.
[445] ‘Is more difficult;’ namely, than is commonly believed, quam opinio est.
[446] Procedunt, ‘benefit the state,’ ‘promote the general good.’
[447] Vertit, intransitively, ‘has become changed;’ the same as vertit se, or versum est. See Zumpt, § 145.
[448] Prosapia for familia, an ancient and obsolete word, and intentionally put into the mouth of Marius to ridicule the pretensions of the nobility.
[449] Marius calls those nobles who do not make themselves acquainted with the duties of public offices, until they have obtained them, praeposteri homines; that is, ‘men who do afterwards that which they ought to do before;’ for, he adds, it is true one must first be appointed to an office, in order to do anything in it, but an active preparation ought to precede.
[450] ‘I consider, indeed, all men to be equal by nature, but I make this distinction, that the bravest is the most noble.’ By quamquam, Marius breaks off the question about noble or ignoble birth (Zumpt, § 341); sed introduces a new distinction between men; namely that of merit.
[451] Faciant idem, ‘let them despise their own ancestors likewise.’
[452] Hujusce rei; that is, commemorationis majorum meorum, ‘I cannot speak of my ancestors.’
[453] Meamet, commonly with the addition of ipse. Zumpt, § 139, note.
[454] ‘That no one may interpret my modesty as if I were conscious of my own weakness and want of ability.’ Modesty often shows itself mainly in silence. Conscientia is the consciousness of a person both of his valuable qualities and of his deficiencies. Ducere in aliquid, ‘to consider a thing as;’ ‘to interpret a thing as:’ compare [chap. 82]: vertere in superbiam.
[455] Militaria dona are presents which a general gives publicly to brave soldiers, and which they either wear as honourable distinctions, or which they kept and preserved in their houses. Such presents were with the ancients what orders are in modern times. Among them are frequently mentioned lances, bridles, chains worn round the neck (torques), bracelets (armillae), pins or brooches (fibulae) to fasten the cloak, and crowns (coronae). It was less common, but very honourable, to receive a flag (vexillum) attached to a pole.
[456] ‘I consider this as something too unimportant.’ Parum is used substantively.
[457] ‘Greek literature has not benefited its professors (that is, the Greek nation) in regard to political virtue:’ inasmuch as the Greek states had been unable to protect their political liberty either against kings and tyrants, or against foreigners. Virtus signifies especially ‘bravery,’ ‘valour;’ but it has also a more general meaning, comprising justice, abstinence, and the sacrificing of one’s own advantages.
[458] Praesidia agitare, ‘to keep watch,’ to maintain the posts intrusted to us for the protection of friends against the attacks of enemies.
[459] Arte colere, ‘to keep close;’ opulenter colere, ‘to treat liberally.’
[460] ‘To compel by bodily punishment.’
[461] Celebravere; that is, extulerunt, auxerunt. Celebrare properly signifies ‘to make or render frequent;’ that is, to bring into repute, and therefore to fill with men, buildings or other objects.
[462] ‘I have no cook worth more than a steward.’ Marius here assails the luxury of others, who considered a clever cook worth more than a clever steward. Both kinds of people were slaves; the villicus was the principal and overseer of all the servants engaged in agriculture on the estate (villa) of a Roman noble. Coquus is also spelled cocus. See Zumpt, § 5.
[463] Quin ergo — faciant, ‘why, then, will they not do?’ This form of expression contains an exhortation to do something. The subjunctive, therefore, does not depend upon quin, but upon the optative meaning of the sentence. See Zumpt, § 542.
[464] Ereptum eunt, ‘they endeavour to snatch away,’ or ‘they snatch away.’
[465] Cladi sunt, ‘they are a destruction;’ the same as calamitosae, perniciosae sunt.
[466] That is, ‘you have removed (deposed) the greedy, inexperienced, and haughty commanders.’ Marius alluding to his predecessors, Bestia, Albinus, and Metellus.
[467] Attrito, ‘worn away,’ ‘annihilated,’ ‘sacrificed.’
[468] ‘Serve the republic,’ ‘devote yourselves to the public good.’
[469] ‘Both as an adviser and sharer in the danger.’ Idem indicates the union of two predicates belonging to one subject. See Zumpt, § 697.
[470] ‘I shall treat myself and you in the same manner.’
[471] Decebat, a peculiarity of the Latin language for deceret. See Zumpt, § 518.
[86.]
[472] In this way Marius introduced a great change in the military affairs of Rome. Previous to his time, only the citizens of the first five property classes were enlisted to serve in the legions. Those persons whose property did not come up to the lowest estimate of the fifth class, were excluded from the honourable service in the legions. They were capite censi, because, when the censors made out their lists, those persons had only to give in their personal existence or name for registration. Their being called ‘the sixth class’ is an improper application of the term, as, strictly speaking, classis signifies only ‘a property class.’ As the number of persons of this kind was at that time (B.C. 107) already very considerable, and as there were among them many both able and willing to serve in the army, and lastly, as Marius was opposed to all exclusive privileges, he enlisted those poor people who voluntarily offered themselves in the legions, and thus created an army of able men, and accustomed to endure hardships. The higher orders did not object to this measure, because it lightened their burdens connected with the service in the army. But however useful this arrangement was at the time, it contained the elements of a body of soldiers distinct from the citizens; for when the time of their military service was over, those men did not feel inclined to return to a quiet citizen’s life, and thus became a very powerful and ready instrument in the hands of ambitious generals, such as Sulla and Caesar.
[473] Sua curae; another reading is cura sunt, the sense of which is nearly the same. Sua, ‘a person’s own property,’ or ‘all that belongs to him,’ including the state itself.
[474] ‘With a considerably larger army.’ About this meaning of aliquanto with a comparative, see Zumpt, §§ 108, 488.
[475] Utica, the most important city in the province of Africa: it was a more ancient Phoenician colony than even Carthage. In the second Punic war, after it had revolted from Carthage, it was rewarded by the Romans with freedom and independence. Its present name is Biserta, north-west of Tunis.