FLORUS, III. xxii. 2-6. A.
[Linenotes: 1. +feralis illius tabulae+ = _from that fatal list_, i.e. Sulla"s list of proscribed Marians 82 B.C.
9-10. +ad Mithridatem ... iuvit.+ In 75 B.C. he concluded a formal treaty of alliance with Mithridates, and sent him the propraetor M. Marius to lead his troops. Cf. alliance between Hannibal and Philip.
14-15. +Diu et ancipiti semper acie pugnatum est+, e.g. the defeat of Pompey near Lauro. (For a graphic account of the strategy by which the battle was won see Frontinus, _Strat._ ii. 5.)]
B. _The Death of Sertorius._
M. Perpenna praetorius e proscriptis, gentis clarioris quam animi, Sertorium inter cenam Oscae interemit Romanisque certam victoriam, partibus suis excidium, sibi turp.i.s.simam mortem pessimo {20} auctoravit facinore. Metellus et Pompeius ex Hispaniis triumphaverunt.
VELL. PATERC. ii. 30.
[Linenotes: 17. +M. Perpenna praetorius+ (= _ex-praetor_), with the remnant of the army of Lepidus (defeated by Pompey in 77 B.C.) joined Sertorius in Spain. After serving under Sertorius for some years, through jealousy, he brought about his leader"s a.s.sa.s.sination.
21. +auctoravit+ = _he brought about_. More usu. as +auctorari+ = _to hire oneself out for some service_, e.g. of gladiators.]
+The Death of Sertorius.+ "So ended one of the greatest men that Rome had hitherto produced--a man who under more fortunate circ.u.mstances would perhaps have become the regenerator of his country." --M.
B22
_Character and Early Career of Lucullus._
Magnum ingenium L. Luculli, magnumque optimarum artium studium, tum omnis liberalis et digna homine n.o.bili ab eo percepta doctrina, quibus temporibus florere in foro maxime potuit, caruit omnino rebus urbanis.
Ut enim admodum adolescens, {5} c.u.m fratre pari pietate et industria praedito, paternas inimicitias magna c.u.m gloria est persecutus, in Asiam quaestor profectus, ibi permultos annos admirabili quadam laude provinciae praefuit: deinde absens factus aedilis, continuo praetor: licebat {10} enim celerius legis praemio: post in Africam: inde ad consulatum: quem ita gessit ut diligentiam admirarentur omnes, ingenium cognoscerent. Post ad Mithridatic.u.m bellum missus a senatu non modo opinionem vicit omnium quae de virtute eius erat, sed {15} etiam gloriam superiorum. Idque eo fuit mirabilius, quod ab eo laus imperatoria non admodum exspectabatur, qui adolescentiam in forensi opera, quaesturae diuturnum tempus, Murena bellum in Ponto gerente, in Asiae pace consumpserat. . . . {20} In eodem tanta prudentia fuit in const.i.tuendis temperandisque civitatibus, tanta aequitas, ut hodie stet Asia Luculli inst.i.tutis servandis et quasi vestigiis persequendis.
CICERO, _Academica_, ii. 1.
[Linenotes: 1-3. +ingenium+, +studium+, +doctrina+, subjects of +caruit+.
3-5. +quibus temporibus ... urbanis+ = _all this was divorced_ (+caruit+, lit. _was cut off from_) _from the business of the capital, at the season when he might have had a specially brilliant career in the forum_. --J. S. Reid.
6. +paternas inimicitias+ = _his father"s quarrel_. The first appearance of Lucullus in public life was as the accuser of the Augur Servilius who had procured the banishment of his father.
7-9. +in Asiam ... praefuit+, i.e. as Sulla"s quaestor in the first Mithridatic War, 88-84 B.C. and then till 80 B.C. in charge of the province of Asia (= orig. Kingdom of Pergamus, N.W. part of Asia Minor).
11. +legis praemio+ = _owing to a privilege conveyed by statute_.
J. S. R.
13-14. +ad Mithridatic.u.m bellum+, i.e. the 3rd M. War, which he carried on for eight years (74-66 B.C.) with great success, until superseded by Pompeius in 66 B.C.
19-20. +Murena ... gerente.+ Lic. Murena, anxious for distinction, provoked the disastrous 2nd Mithridatic War, 83-81 B.C., when by the peremptory orders of Sulla the peace was renewed.
23. +stet ... servandis+ = _persists in maintaining_ (lit. _stands by_) _the ordinances of L._--J. S. R.]
+Reference.+ For _Character of Lucullus_, see Mommsen, vol. iv.
pp. 337-8. Cf. also Vell. Paterc. ii. 32.
B23
A. _A Soldier of Lucullus._
Luculli miles collecta viatica multis Aerumnis, la.s.sus dum noctu stert.i.t, ad a.s.sem Perdiderat; post hoc vehemens lupus, et sibi et hosti Iratus pariter, ieiunis dentibus acer, Praesidium regale loco deiecit, ut aiunt, 30 Summe munito et multarum divite rerum.
Clarus ob id factum donis ornatur honestis, Accipit et bis dena super sestertia nummum.
Forte sub hoc tempus castellum evertere praetor Nescio quod cupiens hortari coepit eundem 35 Verbis, quae timido quoque possent addere mentem: "I, bone, quo virtus tua te vocat, i pede fausto, Grandia laturus meritorum praemia. Quid stas?"
Post haec ille catus, quantumvis rusticus, "Ibit, Ibit eo quo vis qui zonam perdidit," inquit. 40
HORACE, _Ep._ II. ii. 26-40.
[Linenotes: 26. +viatica+ = _savings_ (cf. _prize-money_). +viatic.u.m+ = originally _travelling-money_.
28. +vehemens lupus+ = _a very wolf in his fury_. Cf. Vergil"s simile for a forlorn hope--"lupi ceu | Raptores." --Wickham.
32. +donis honestis+ = _gifts of honour_--i.e. the _corona muralis_, the _mural crown_, such as is worn by the G.o.ddess Cybele.
33. +nummum+ (= _nummorum_) = _in hard cash_.
39. +catus+ = _shrewd_, _witty_, a Sabine word, = _acutus_.
39-40. +Ibit ... quo vis+, the original of Juvenal"s _ad caelum, iusseris, ibit_.
40. +zonam+ = _purse_. The +zona+ here was a broad belt made double or hollow to carry money in.]
B. _The Wealth of Lucullus._
Chlamydes Lucullus, ut aiunt, 40 Si posset centum scaenae praebere rogatus, "Qui possum tot?" ait; "tamen et quaeram, et quot habebo Mittam": post paulo scribit sibi milia quinque Esse domi chlamydum; partem vel tolleret omnes. 44
HORACE, _Ep._ I. vi. 40-44.
+Subject.+ Horace says "I am like Lucullus" soldier--when his pocket was empty he would volunteer for forlorn hopes; when it was full again he would do so no more. It was poverty that made me write verses." --W.
[Linenotes: 40. +Chlamydes.+ The Chlamys was the light short mantle of the Greeks, here wanted for a pageant on the stage.
44. +tolleret.+ The subj. is the praetor or person giving the show.
--W.]
+Reference.+ For _the magnificence of his Villas_ at Tusculum and near Neapolis, see Cicero _De Fin._ ii. -- 107, _De Leg._ iii. -- 30, Pliny, _N. H._ ix. 170.
B24
WAR WITH SPARTACUS, 73-71 B.C.
_Spartacus and his Gladiators._
Spartacus, Crixus, Oenomaus effracto Lentuli ludo c.u.m triginta aut amplius eiusdem fortunae viris erupere Capua; servisque ad vexillum vocatis c.u.m statim decem amplius milia coissent, homines modo effugisse contenti iam et vindicari volebant. {5} Prima sedes velut rabidis beluis mons Vesuvius placuit. Ibi c.u.m obsiderentur a Clodio Glabro, per fauces cavi montis vitineis delapsi vinculis ad imas eius descendere radices et exitu inviso nihil tale opinantis ducis subito impetu castra rapuerunt.
Adfluentibus {10} in diem copiis c.u.m iam esset iustus exercitus, e viminibus pecudumque tegumentis inconditos sibi clipeos et ferro ergastulorum recocto gladios ac tela fecerunt, Indo iam consulares quoque aggressus in Appennino Lentuli exercitum percecidit, apud {15} Mutinam Gai Ca.s.si castra delevit. Tandem enim totis imperii viribus contra mirmillonem consurgunt, pudoremque Romanum Marcus Cra.s.sus a.s.seruit: a quo pulsi fugatique hostes in extrema Italiae refugerunt.
Ibi circa Bruttium angulum clusi c.u.m {20} fugam in Siciliam pararent neque navigia suppeterent ratesque ex trabibus et dolia connexa virgultis rapidissimo freto frustra experirentur, tandem eruptione facta dignam viris obiere mortem, et quod sub gladiatore duce oportuit, sine missione {25} pugnatum est. Spartacus ipse in primo agmine fortissime dimicans quasi imperator occisus est.
FLORUS, III. xx. 3-14 (sel.).
[Linenotes: 1. +Spartacus+, by birth a Thracian, who had served among the Thracian auxiliaries in the Roman army, had deserted and become a chief of banditti. He was taken prisoner and sold to a trainer of gladiators.
+Crixus+, +Oenomaus+, the slave-names of two Celts.
1-2. +effracto ludo+ = _broke out of the gladiators" school_.
8. +vitineis vinculis+ = _by means of ropes made of vine-branches_.
9. +inviso+ = _unknown_, lit. _unseen_.
13. +ergastulorum+ = _from the slaves" work-houses_.
17. +mirmillonem.+ The Mirmillones were a cla.s.s of gladiators usually matched with the Thraces or the _retiarii_ (_net-fighters_).
18. +Marcus Cra.s.sus+, the Triumvir of 60 B.C.
+a.s.seruit+ = _maintained_. Cf. our _a.s.sert_.
21. +in Siciliam+, where the slaves had risen in 133 and 104 B.C., and only waited an impulse to break out a third time.