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nes postulent; auxilium petas ab omnibus, etiam ab infimis." Ad hoc, mandata verbis dat: " cam ab senatu hostis judicatus sit, quo consilio servitia repudiet? in urbe parata esse, quae jusserit: ne cunctetur ipse propius accedere."

XLV. His rebus ita actis, constituta nocte, qua proficiscerentur, Cicero, per legatos cuncta edoctus, L. Valerio Flacco et C. Pomtino, praetoribus, imperat, uti in ponte 'Mulvio per insidias Allobrogum 'comitatus deprehendant: rem omnem aperit, cujus gratia mittebantur: 'cetera, uti facto opus sit, ita agant, "permittit. Homines militares, sine tumultu praesidiis collocatis, sicuti praeceptum erat, occulte pontem obsidunt. Postquam ad id loci legati cum Volturcio venere, et simul utrimque clamor exortus est; Galli, cito cognito consilio, sine mora praetoribus se tradunt. Volturcius primo, cohortatus ceteros, gladio se a multitudine defendit; dein, ubi a legatis desertus est, multa prius de salute sua Pomtinum obtestatus, quod ei notus erat, postremo timidus, ac vitae diffidens, veluti hostibus, sese praetoribus dedit.

XLVI. QUIBUS rebus confectis, omnia propere per nuncios consuli declarantur. At illum ingens cura atque laetitia simul occupavere. Nam laetabatur, conjuratione patefacta, civitatem periculis ereptam esse: porro autem anxius erat, in maxumo

Postulent. Governed by quid, and more elegant than pos

tulant, which is the reading in some editions.

Mulvio. Now called Pontemolle, about two miles from Rome.

s Comitatus The retinue.

Cetera, &c. He directs them to take such other measures as appeared necessary.

Permittit. This verb is omitted in some editions; and it seems more elegantly understood.

Letabatur. In some editions intelligens is inserted after le

tabatur, which appears superfluous.

scelere tantis civibus deprehensis, quid facto opus; poenam illorum sibi oneri, impunitatem "perdundae reipublicae *credebat. Igitur, confirmato animo, vocari ad sese jubet Lentulum, Cethegum, Statilium, Gabinium, item Q. Coeparium quemdam, Terracinensem, qui in Apuliam ad concitanda servitia proficisci parabat. Ceteri sine mora veniunt: Coeparius, paullo ante domo egressus, cognito indicio, [ex urbe] profugerat. Consul Lentulum, quod praetor erat, ipse manu tenens perducit; reliquos cum custodibus in aedem Concordiae venire jubet. Eo senatum advocat, magnaque frequentia ejus ordinis, Volturcium cum legatis introducit: Flaccum praetorem scrinium cum litteris, quas a legatis acceperat, eodem adferre jubet.

XLVII. VOLTurcius interrogatus "de itinere, de litteris, postremo quid, aut qua de caussa consilii habuisset?" primo fingere alia, dissimulare de conjuratione; post, ubi fide publica dicere jussus est, omnia, uti gesta erant, aperit: "paucis ante diebus a Gabinio et Coepario socium adscitum, nihil amplius scire, quam legatos: tantummodo audire solitum ex Gabinio, P. Autronium, Servium Sullam, L. Vargunteium, multos praeterea in ea conjuratione esse." Eadem Galli fatentur; ac Lentulum dissimulantem coarguunt, praeter litteras, sermonibus, quos habere solitus : "ex libris Sibyllinis, regnum Romae tribus Corneliis portendi: Cinnam atque Sullam antea; se tertium, cui fatum foret urbis potiri: praeterea ab fincenso Capitolio illum esse vigesimum annum, quem saepe ex prodigiis haruspices respondissent bello civili cruentum fore." Igitur, perlectis litteris, cum prius omnes signa sua cognovissent, senatus decernit, "uti abdicatus magistratu Lentulus, item ceteri in liberis custodiis haberentur." Itaque Lentulus P. Lentulo Spintheri, qui tum aedilis, Cethegus Q. Cornificio, Statilius C. Caesari, Gabinius M. Crasso, Coeparius (nam is paullo ante ex fuga retractus) Cn. Terentio, senatori, traduntur.

wx Perdunde reipublice. Cause, or causam may be understood. In some editions we find fore, and credebat is omitted; but neither fore nor credebat seems absolutely necessary: they will be readily supplied by the intelligent reader. Perdunda reipublice, if the dative, may be governed by fore, whether expressed or understood, if the genitive, must be governed by cause, or causam understood.

y Terracinensem. Terracina, still so called, was a maritime city of the Volsci, on the frontiers of Naples, formerly called Anxur. z Perducit. Before this word, in some editions, we read, in senatum, which may be thought tautological; since the idea is fully expressed afterwards by the words in ædem concordiæ.

* Magnaque frequentia, &c. In a very full house, in a very full senate.

b Fide publica. On the public faith; on a promise of impunity from government.

Tar

c Sibyllinis. A certain woman, named Amalthea, from a foreign country, offered for sale to Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, nine books of the Sibylline, or prophetic oracles, but at an exorbitant price; which Tarquin refusing, she burnt three of them, still demanding the same price for the remaining six. Being ridiculed by the king, she burnt three more, without abating her price for the remaining three. remain quin, surprized at her strange conduct, consulted the augurs, who, regretting the loss of the books which had been burnt, advised the king to pay her demand, on delivery of the three remaining books. Two persons at first, then ten, afterwards fifteen were appointed to take charge of these books, hence called Quindecimviri. These books were supposed to contain the fate of the republic, and in time of public danger or calamity were consulted by order of the senate. They of course became a very useful engine of state; but were burnt in the Marsic war, A. U. 690. Ambassadors were sent every where to collect the oracles of the Sibyls, of whom there were several; the chief of them was the Sibyl of Cumæ. From the verses collected in this search, the Quindecimviri compiled new books, which, by order of Augustus, were deposited in two gilt cases under the base of Appollo's statue, in his temple on the Palatine hill.

d Corneliis. Of the Cornelian family.

• Potiri. This verb governs the ablative, the genitive, and sometimes the accusative. Potiri rebus, to enjoy the world, as we sometimes speak; i. e. pleasure, wealth, &c. potiri rerum, to possess supreme power.

f Incenso. The first burning of the capitol is intended; for it was thrice destroyed by fire.

g Haruspices. From ara, anciently bara, and specio; the priests who derived omens of futurity from examining the victims and their entrails after sacrifice.

h Abdicatus. Some editions have abdicato. No person among the Romans could be brought to trial, unless he was in a private station; therefore, Lentulus, who was Prætor, was obliged to abdicate his magistracy.

XLVIII. INTEREA plebes, conjuratione patefacta, quae primo, cupida rerum novarum, nimis bello favebat, mutata mente, Catilinae consilia exsecrari, Ciceronem ad coelum tollere; veluti ex servitute erepta, gaudium atque laetitiam agitabant. Namque alia belli facinora praedae magis, quam detrimento; incendium vero crudele, immoderatum, ac sibi maxume calamitosum putabat; quippe cui momnes copiae in usu quotidiano et cultu corpo ris erant. Post eum diem, quidam L. Tarquinius ad senatum adductus erat, quem ad Catilinam proficiscentem ex itinere retractum aiebant. Is cum se diceret indicaturum de conjuratione, si fides publica data esset; jussus a consule, quae sciret, edicere, eadem fere, quae Volturcius, de paratis incendiis, de caede bonorum, de itinere hostium, senatum edocet: praeterea, "se missum a M. Crasso, "qui Catilinae nunciaret, ne Lentulus, Cethegus, alii ex conjuratione deprehensi terrerent; eoque magis properaret ad urbem accedere, quo et ceterorum animos reficeret, et illi facilius e periculo eriperentur." Sed ubi Tarquinius Crassum nominavit, hominem nobilem, maxumis divitiis, summa potentia; alii, rem incredibilem rati; pars, tamen etsi verum existumabant, tamen, quia in tali tempore tanta vis hominis leniunda, quam exagitanda videbatur, plerique Crasso ex negotiis privatis obnoxii, conclamant, " indicem falsum," deque ea re postulant Puti referatur. Itaque, consulente Cicerone, frequens senatus decernit: Tarquinii indicium falsum videri; eumque in vinculis retinendum, neque amplius 'potestatem faciundam, nisi de eo indicaret, cujus consilio tantam rem mentitus esset." Erant eo tempore, qui aestumarent, illud a P. Autronio machinatum, quo facilius, adpellato Crasso, per societatem periculi reliquos illius potentia tegeret. Alii Tarquinium a Cicerone 'immissum aiebant, ne Crassus, more suo, suscepto malorum patrocinio, rempublicam conturbaret. Ipsum

i Liberis custodiis. In prison at large. They were not committed to close prison, but to the care of magistrates, or private persons of respectability.

k Aedilis. Four magistrates were called by this name; two from the commons, called ædiles plebis, who decided less important causes under the inspection of the tribunes; and two from the nobility, called ediles curules, because permitted to use the sella curulis, or chair of state. They had the charge of repairing the public edifices and roads; examined and rectified weights and measures, &c.

1 Detrimento. Fore is understood not only in this, but in many other instances in Cortius's edition, though expressed in other editions.

mOmnes copiæ. All whose property consisted in utensils, or furniture in daily use, or in clothing for their bodies.

66

n Qui. Here elegantly used for ut.

• Leniunda, quam exagitanda. Magis being understood after leniunda; in some editions it is expressed. To be soothed rather than irritated.

P. Uti referatur. That they should be consulted; that they should be allowed to deliberate on that subject.

. 9 In vinculis. In prison. Vinculum, in the singular a chain; in the plural a prison, chains.

Potestatem faciundam. And that he should not be permitted to enjoy freedom hereafter, should not be released. Some understand the words to import, that he should not be permitted to proceed in his testimony; but this appears to be too slight a punishment, for what they conceived to be perjury.

s Illyd. Indicium understood; in some editions it is expressed.

t Immissum. Instigated.

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