a school slate. Two of these were generally held together by wire fastenings, so as to open and close like a book. For tracing the letters on the wax, a stilus was used. This was a metal or ivory instrument pointed at one end, looking not unlike a modern pencil when ready for use. The other end of the stilus was rounded so that it might be used to erase the characters on the wax. After the letter had been written, the tabellae were closed and wound with thread, which was passed through two holes bored in the middle of the tablets. Then, as softened wax was dropped upon the knot, the writer's seal was applied, both as a safeguard against the letter being opened and as a proof that it was genuine. Letters were also written on papyrus with pen and ink. exemplum: 'an exact copy'; this is probable from the use of several words and phrases which do not occur elsewhere in Sallust; e.g. in novō cōnsiliō, mē dius Fidius, statum dignitātis, meis nominibus, honōre honestātōs.

6

Page 26. § 35. 1. L. Catilina Q. Catulo : the formula used in beginning a letter varied according to the formality to be observed. The most common form was the one before us, with the addition of the letters S. D. (salutem dicit, sends greeting'). The omission of these letters indicated a closer acquaintance, as also the use of the abbreviation SAL. (salūtem). In exceedingly formal letters, the immediate ancestry on the father's side and the titles of both writer and receiver were given; e.g. M. Tullius M. F. M. N. Cicero Imp. S. D. C. Caelio L. F. C. N. Caldo Quaestōrī = Mārcus Tullius, Mārci filius, Mārci nepōs, Cicero Imperator salutem dicit Gaiō Caeliō, Lūcī filiō, Gai nepoti, Caldo Quaestōrī. fidēs rē cōgnita: 'faithfulness known by experience.' Catulus had helped to secure the acquittal of Catiline in his trial for incest with Fabia; see § 15. 2. commendātiōni: 'appeal' to look after Orestilla (see 26, 17-18).

3. Quam ob rem: i.e. his confidence in Catulus's loyalty. 4. novo consilio: 'sudden change of plan,' viz. his determination to go to the camp of Manlius. satisfactionem: 'explanation,' contrasted with defensiōnem, ‘formal defence,' which should be unnecessary between friends. 8. statum dignitatis: the consulship. publicam miserōrum causam . . . suscepi: 'I undertook to cham

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Page 26. 1. vi et minis: hendiadys; 'threats of violence.' 5. tanti: B. 203, 3; A. 252, a; H. 448, 1; G. 380, 1, R. 7. sānē: concessive.

pion the cause of the poor before the people.' 10. aes aliēnum meīs nominibus: literally, 'debt (recorded) under my own names,' i.e. items of the sums Catiline owed, recorded under his name on the pages of his creditors' ledgers; hence, his 'personal debts.'

11. aliēnīs nōminibus: sc. aes alienum; debts recorded under others' names, for which Catiline declared himself responsible. 12. persolveret: B. 280; A. 311, a; H. 552; G. 258. 13. nōn dignos hominēs: like Cicero and Murena. honōre honestātōs: an archaism. 14. Hōc nōmine = Qua de causā; this use of nōmine for causa is common in letters. 15. satis honestās prō meō cāsū spēs: 'a hope that was quite honorable, considering my misfortune.' 16. vellem: an epistolary past for present. B. 265;

A. 282; H. 539, 1; G. 252. 18. per 'in the name of.' 19. Havētō the future imperative was often used in the everyday speech of the people.

The Senate, learning that Catiline had joined Manlius, declares them both public enemies and orders Antonius to lead an army against them. (Digression: Explanation of the eagerness of the people for a revolution.) Sections 36-39.

Page 27. § 36. 1. C. Flāminium: nothing further is known of him. 2. in agrō Arrētīnō: the harsh treatment of this district by Sulla for siding with Marius had, in all probability, increased their hostility to the aristocracy, and prepared them to favor any movement, however desperate, which aimed to overthrow the hated optimātēs. 3. aliīs imperī īnsīgnibus: such as the curule chair (sella curulis), and the scarlet cloak (palūdāmentum) worn by generals. 6. diem: when is dies feminine? sine fraude: 'without punishment,' an archaic expression which might very likely have been found in the Senate's formal decree. 7. praeter: an adverb. condemnātīs: dative, dependent on liceret. 12. cum: concessive. 16. perditum īrent: B. 340; A. 302, R; H. 633, 2; G. 435, N.1. duobus dēcrētīs: ablative absolute, denoting concession.

18. patefecerat: the subject is quisquam.

19. tanta, etc.: 'so

violent was the disease which like a plague had seized upon the minds of most of the citizens.'

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Page 27. 3. ūnīus: viz. Pompey, who had exterminated the pirates on sea and conquered Mithridates on land.

§ 37. 21. aliēna mēns: 'a diseased mind,' continuing the figure in the preceding sentence. 22. fuerant: i.e. had been accomplices before the plot was disclosed. omnino: 'generally.' 23. Id adeō, etc. And this especially they seemed to do because it was their nature.' 24. quibus: sc. antecedent i as the subject of

invident.

Page 28. 1. turbā, etc.: get their living amid rioting and insurrection without trouble, since beggars subsist easily, and at the same time have nothing to lose.' 2. Sed urbāna plēbēs: ‘But the city plebs,' in distinction from the lower classes throughout Italy, of whom he has been speaking thus far. 3. Primum omnium: compare the five classes mentioned by Sallust in this section with the six enumerated in the Cicero, 28–29. 5. patrimoniīs āmissīs: a substitute for qui patrimōnia āmīserant, for the sake of variety.

8. ex gregāriīs mīlitibus aliōs senātōrēs vidēbant: as fully half the Senate perished or fled into exile because of his proscriptions, Sulla filled many of the vacancies with his veteran soldiers. 9. aliōs ita dīvitēs: L. Luscius, one of Sulla's centurions, is said to have amassed a fortune of more than $400,000 as the fruit of his plunder. 12. quae, etc.: 'who had withstood poverty by the wages of their hands in the fields.' 13. largītiōnibus: although it was against the law, candidates for office, in order to popularize themselves, often provided corn at a nominal rate for the people, besides furnishing feasts, games, and gladiatorial exhibitions, free to all. These were privātae largitiōnēs; while the same, if given by the aedile, were publicae largītiōnēs.

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Page 28. 1. est eōrum: 'consists of those.' māgnō in aere alienō: with concessive idea, 'although in great debt.' 2. possessiōnēs: 'landed property.' dissolvī, etc.: 'they cannot part with it on any account,' i.e. they cannot bear to sell enough of their estates to clear themselves of debt. 4. premuntur: 'are overwhelmed,' i.e. they are too heavily in debt to be able to pay it off by a sale of their property. 5. rērum potiri: 'get control of affairs.' B. 212, 2; A. 223, a; H. 458, 3; G. 407, N.2 (d). 6. perturbātā: sc. rē pūblicā. 8. est aetāte iam adfectum: 'shows the hand of time.' 10. colōniis: see note to Sullae dominatiōne, 20, 12. 11. universās: on the whole.' 18. in spem. . . impulērunt: 'have induced . . . to entertain... hope.' 20. sānē: 'altogether.' 21. premuntur: sc. aere aliēnō. gunt: 'get their heads above water.'

ēmer

Page 29. 2. malum publicum: 'disorders among the people.' 3. māxumā spē: 'of the greatest ambition.' rei publicae, etc.: 'cared as little for the state as for themselves.' 5. ius libertatis imminutum erat: the Lex Cornelia L. Sullae de prōscriptiōne, B.c. 81, ordained that the children of proscribed persons should not be candidates for state offices, and that the sons of proscribed senators should bear the burdens of the senatorial order, and yet should not enjoy its privileges. 6. haud sānē aliō animō: 'with very similar feelings.' 7. quicumque, etc.: 'whoever belonged to a party other than that of the Senate.' 9. Id adeō malum: viz. bitter party struggles resulting from the renewed activity of the popular party, which had been given a new lease of life in B.c. 70, by the restoration to the tribunes of the power taken from them by Sulla eleven years before (see next section).

§ 38. 12. tribūnīcia potestās: Sulla had abolished the right of the tribunes to propose laws, address public meetings, or hold any other office after the tribunate. These rights were restored to them adulescentēs :

in the consulship of Pompey and Crassus, B. c. 70. there was no fixed limit of age for the tribuneship, although ordinarily the quaestorship (to hold which, one had to be at least 28 years of age) preceded it. 13. summam potestātem: not military authority, but unlimited veto power in the interests of the people over the Senate, the comitia, or over any other Roman magistrate. 17. senātūs speciē, etc.: 'under the guise of supporting the Senate, but in reality for their own aggrandizement.'

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Page 29. 2. vadimōniis, iūdiciis, prōscriptiōne bonōrum: the three steps in the legal proceedings against a bankrupt, viz. (1) the security given by the debtor to guarantee his appearance in court on the day of trial; (2) the judgment or sentence; (3) the sale of property in case the debt was not paid within the appointed time. 9. Postrēmum autem genus est: sc. postrēmum. 'But the last class is not only last in order, but lowest,' etc. 12. immō vērō, etc.: 'nay, rather his dearest bosom friends.' 13. imberbēs: a proof of their effeminacy. bene barbātōs: 'full bearded,' from foppishness, since the Romans of that time wore a long beard only as a sign of mourning. manicātīs et tālāribus tunicis: ordinary tunics extended to the knees only, and were either sleeveless, or had short sleeves. 14. vēlis: their togas were so broad and full that they looked like 'sails.' 15. vigilandi

labor: 'the labor of their wakeful hours.'

Page 30. 1. post illa tempora: i.e. B.c. 70. 2. honestis nōminibus: 'with honorable pretexts'; explained by the following clauses, the first alluding to the popular party, the second to the senatorial party.

§ 39. 8. ad bellum maritumum atque Mithridaticum: in B.C. 67, the Mediterranean was infested by pirates. From their strongholds in Cilicia they swarmed out to plunder vessels and terrorize the coast cities of Greece and Asia. They had even become so daring as to venture up the Tiber and carry off the children of Roman officials, in order to secure a large ransom.

Pompey had broken with the aristocratic party altogether in the year of his consulship (70), and now, as a victorious general, was the idol of the common people. When, therefore, Gabinius, a tribune of the plebs, proposed a law (67) giving Pompey command of the war against the pirates, Pompey received the appointment by an overwhelming popular vote, notwithstanding the bitter opposition of the optimātēs. In the war that followed, Pompey exhibited remarkably clever generalship, sweeping the seas of the marauders in the incredibly short period of three months. In the next year, while he was engaged in settling affairs in Cilicia, the Manilian law was passed, transferring to him the command of the war against Mithridates. After quickly conquering this most formidable enemy he reduced Syria to a Roman province, and in the year of the conspiracy was occupied in subduing Phoenicia, Coele-Syria, and Palestine.

9. plēbis opēs imminutae, paucōrum potentia crēvit: of the two prominent men, after Pompey, in the popular party, Crassus possessed the influence that comes of wealth, but lacked political sagacity, while Caesar had not as yet shown any strong leadership. Hence Pompey's departure left the party without any great leader, and to that extent gave the optimātēs a certain advantage. But Sallust goes too far in saying that, after Pompey went, the resources of the plebs diminished, while the power of the oligarchy increased.' As a matter of fact, the plebs gained several signal victories over the optimātēs during Pompey's absence. That, however, does not detract from the main point Sallust is making in this chapter, —viz. that the spoils of office were secured altogether by the nobility, and that this was one reason why a conspiracy to overturn the existing government appealed very strongly to the common people.

12. cēterōs, etc.: while they overawed all who in their magistra