C. CRISPI SALLUSTII

BELLUM CATILINARIUM.

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I. 'OMNIS homines, qui ' sese student praestare ceteris animalibus, summa ope niti decet vitam

1 Omnis. The accusative plural for omnes. The common grammatical rule is, that nouns whose genitive plural ends in ium, have es, is, or eis, in the accusative plural. In the best ages of Latinity, however. the termination in is would seem to have been most commonly employed. In the manuscript from which the Abbé Maio lately printed Cicero's work De Republica, the termination in is, with the exception of six places, uniformly prevails. (Vide Cic. de Rep. p. 623, ed. Moser.) Still the termination in es was also used by the best writers; and it is even doubtful if all the words which have ium in the genitive plural, had is in the accusative. Clases, and Classeis, and Cartacinienses, are all found on the Duilian column.-Zumpt. L. G. p. 30. Kenrick's transl. 2d ed. Compare Dunbar on the Greek and Latin Languages, p. 89, seqq.

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2 Homines. In strictness, homo denotes "one of the human race,' as opposed to a being of another species, to one of a superior, or one of an inferior order. Vir, on the contrary, being employed to denote "a man," not a woman or a boy, and implying those properties or qualities which constitute the man, is used as a term of respect; and hence it often signifies, emphatically, a hero." Homo, being applicable to any of the human species indiscriminately, implies no peculiar merit or excellence in the individual to whom it is applied; and is used indifferently for men of any class or character. likewise be remarked, that when homo signifies a 66 female," it is never joined with a feminine adjective, but put in apposition with a feminine noun.n.—Crombie's Gymnasium, vol. i. p. 326, 3d ed.

It may

3 Sese student praestare. The insertion of the pronoun is not, as some maintain, a pleonasm, but, in reality, the fuller form of expression; and sese praestare may be regarded as equivalent to ut ipst praestent. Compare Cort. ad loc.

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silentio ne transeant, veluti pecora, quae natura 'prona, atque ventri obedientia, finxit. Sed nostra omnis vis in animo et corpore 'sita: animi imperio, corporis servitio magis utimur: alterum nobis cum dis, alterum cum belluis commune est. Quo mihi rectius videtur ingenii quam virium opibus gloriam quaerere; et, quoniam vita ipsa, qua fruimur, brevis est, 'memoriam nostri quam maxume longam efficere. Nam divitiarum et formae

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1 Silentio, "in obscurity." Silentium here denotes the silence which the rest of mankind preserve respecting us when we have done nothing to render our names illustrious. Thus Silius Italicus, (iii. 145,) "Quantum etenim distant a morte silentia vitae ?" Compare Tacitus, Agric. 3. 2 Prona, stooping downward to the earth."3 sita. Est understood. The student will observe, that in the best editions of Sallust the substantive verb is very frequently omitted.

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Animi imperio, &c. This passage is commonly, though incorrectly, rendered as follows :-"We make more use of the empire of the mind than of the obedience of the body." It should be "We use more the empire of the mind, the obedience of the body." Sallust wishes to convey the idea, that it is the province of the mind to command, of the body to obey. Compare Seneca, (Ep. 114,) "Rex noster est animus." Sallust is supposed to have borrowed the idea in the text from Aristotle, (Polit. i. 5,) Tò dè Šŵov πрŵτоv σvvéστηκεν ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος· ὧν τὸ μὲν ἄρχον ἐστὶ φύσει, τὸ δὲ ἀρχόμενον.

Alterum. Alter means one of two, but alius, when followed by alius, one of many. The plural, alteri, is used when two bodies or classes of men are opposed to each other. As denoting the other of two, alter was also used for the second: thus, primus, alter, tertius; unus et vicesimus, alter et vicesimus. The propriety of this latter meaning is ably discussed by Crombie. (Gymnasium, vol. i. p. 201,

seqq. 3d ed.)

6 Quo mihi rectius videtur, &c. "Wherefore it appears to me more consistent with reason, to seek for a distinguished name by the resources of intellect rather than of bodily strength."

"Memoriam nostri, "the remembrance of ourselves." Memoriam nostram would mean, 66 our faculty of memory."

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gloria fluxa atque fragilis; virtus clara aeternaque 'habetur. Sed diu magnum inter mortalis certamen fuit, vine corporis an virtute animi, res militaris magis procederet. Nam et prius, quam 'incipias, consulto; et, ubi consulueris, mature facto opus est. Ita utrumque, per se indigens, alterum alterius auxilio veget.

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II. IGITUR initio reges (nam in terris nomen 'imperii id primum fuit) divorsi, pars ingenium, alii corpus exercebant: etiam tum vita hominum sine cupiditate " agitabatur; sua cuique satis placebant.

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Habetur. The verb here retains all its proper force, and the passage may be rendered, "The endowments of mind form the only illustrious and lasting possession."

Sed. This particle is here elegantly used in the sense of continuation, like dé in Greek, and may be rendered, "Now."- 3 virtute animi," 4 energy of mind.". res militaris, "the success of a military enterprise."

Incipias. The second person is here elegantly employed to impart animation to the style: "before you begin," instead of "before one begins." Equally elegant is the use of the participles consulto and facto in the place of nouns. As regards the idea conveyed in the text, compare Isocrates, (ad Demonicum,) Βουλεύου μὲν βραδέως, ἐπιTéλel dè Taxéws тà dó§avтα, “Consult leisurely, but execute speedily, your determinations; and also Demosthenes, (Προοίμια Δημηγορικά, 1432. 11. ed. Reiske,) Δεῖ δὲ βουλεύεσθαι μὲν ἐφ' ἡσυχίας, ποιεῖν δὲ τὰ δόξαντα μετὰ σπουδῆς.

• Veget. An archaism for viget. Hence vegetus and the verb *vegeto. Cortius and many other editors read eget; but, as Dahl well remarks, indigens eget is a frigid expression.

↑ Imperii," of authority." Compare Cic. de Leg. iii. 2, "Omnes antiquae gentes regibus quondam paruerunt.". 8 divorsi, "differing in their views." Dureau de Lamalle renders it, "suivant différents systèmes;" and Beanzée, "selon la diversité de leurs goûts."9 etiam tum. This is the Bipont reading; Cortius has et jam tum.

10 Agitabatur. Used for agebatur, the frequentative for the simple vero. Many of the older writers, such as Plautus, Terence, Lucretius, &c. are. like Sallust, fend of this peculiar usage, on account, evidently, of the fuller sound of the frequentative form.

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Postea vero quam in Asia 'Cyrus, in Graecia Lacedaemonii et Athenienses coepere urbes atque nationes subigere, ❜lubidinem dominandi caussam belli habere, maxumam gloriam in maxumo imperio putare; tum demum periculo atque negotiis compertum est, in bello plurimum ingenium posse. Quod si regum atque imperatorum animi virtus in pace ita, uti in bello, valeret, 'aequabilius atque constantius sese res humanae haberent; neque aliud alio ferri, neque mutari ac misceri omnia cerneres. Nam imperium facile his artibus retinetur, quibus initio partum est. Verum, ubi pro labore desidia, 'pro conti

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1 Cyrus. The elder Cyrus, son of Cambyses and Mandane, who transferred the empire from the Medes to the Persians, dethroning his grandfather Astyages. The true Persian form of the name is thought to have had a close resemblance to the Hebrew Khoresh, (Cyrus,) which the Greeks uniformly and correctly interpret, "the sun.' Compare the Persian Khor and Khorshid, (the sun,) of which last the Hebrew form is thought to be a contraction. (Gesenius, s. v.— Baehr ad Ctes. p. 194.) Sallust begins with the reign of Cyrus, because all before that period was regarded by many of the ancients (we need not add with what little reason) as purely fabulous. 2 Lubidinem dominandi, "a thirst for dominion.". atque negotiis, "from experience and affairs themselves."

-3 periculo

4 Quod si regum, &c. "But if the mental qualities of kings and of those who command were exercised to the same degree in peace that they are in war." ·.”’'-——ɓ aequabilius atque constantius, &c. “human affairs would proceed with more regularity and steadiness." This usage of the verb habeo with the pronoun is analogous to the Greek idiom: Eû exe," he is well," i. e. eû ěxel éαvtóv, "he has himself well." Compare Viger's Greek Idioms, p. 84. Seager's transl.

6 Aliud alio, &c. Alius is frequently used by Sallust, and also by the best writers, with one of its own cases, or an adverb derived from it, to denote what, in English, requires two separate expressions. Thus we may render the passage in the text, "Neither would you behold one thing carried in one direction, another in another," &c. - artibus," means."

• Pro labore, "in the stead of active exertion." Labor has here a special reference to military operations.

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· pro continentia et

nentia et aequitate lubido atque superbia invasere, 'fortuna simul cum moribus immutatur. Ita imperium semper ad 'optumum quemque a minus bono transfertur. Quae homines 'arant, navigant, aedificant, virtuti omnia parent. Sed multi mortales, dediti ventri atque somno, indocti incultique vitam, sicuti 'peregrinantes, transegere; 'quibus, profecto contra naturam, corpus voluptati, anima oneri fuit. Eorum ego vitam mortemque 'juxta aestumo, *quoniam de utraque siletur. Verum enim vero is demum mihi vivere atque frui anima videtur, 'qui, aliquo negotio intentus, praeclari facinoris,

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aequitate, &c. "in the stead of moderation and a regard for natural equality, cupidity and a tyrannical spirit," &c. As Sallust here contrasts virtues and vices, continentia will be opposed to lubido, and aequitas to superbia; which removes, we conceive, all difficulty as to the meaning of the individual terms. Burnouf makes lubido in this passage signify" caprice," an opinion in which we cannot concur. -1 fortuna. Understand principum.

2 Optumum quemque, "the most deserving;" literally," each most deserving person." 3 arant, &c. equivalent to arando, navigando, aedificando efficiunt: hence quae homines arant, &c. may be rendered by nouns, 66 'agriculture, navigation, architecture.". virtuti omnia parent, "depend all upon the energies of mind for their successful employment."

5 Peregrinantes. A beautiful expression, by which the sensualist and the sluggard are compared to "travellers in a foreign land." Cortius cites, in explanation, a passage from Zeno of Verona, (Serm. "Sed qui sunt praetereuntes, nisi qui peregrinantes corporalis vitae saeculum transeunt."

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Quibus, profecto, &c. the views of nature," &c.

"Unto whom, certainly in opposition to -7 juxta,“ alike," i. e. as equally unimportant. quoniam de utraque siletur, "since silence is preserved respecting each," i. e. since they leave no memorial of their having ever existed.

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9 Frui anima," to enjoy his rational nature," i. e. to answer the end of his existence. 10 qui, aliquo negotio intentus, &c. "who in whatever employment he may be engaged, seeks for the reputation attendant on some praiseworthy deed, or the exercise of some useful talent."