Page. 116 Numm. vol. 1, p. 995. Probably the same eagle is meant in the text of which Cicero speaks, (1, in Cat. 9,) “ cui domi (Catilinae) sacrarium scelerum constitutum fuit.” 11. Bello Cimbrico. Consult Geographical Index, under the article Cimbri. 12. Pedibus aeger. Dio Cassius informs us that Antonius feigned illness on the day of battle, fearful of encountering the reproaches of Catiline in case the latter should meet him in the fight. Catiline, according to the same authority, preferred coming to an engagement with the forces of Antonius rather than with those of Metellus, although the former commander had the larger army of the two, because he hoped that Antonius would purposely mismanage matters during the fight. Dio. Cass. 37, 39, vol. 1, p. 136, ed. Reimar. 13. Tumulti. A war in Italy, or against the Gauls, was called tumultus, a much stronger term than bellum. 14. Ipse. Some commentators condemn the use of ipse in this, and ille in the preceding clause, with reference to the same person. The explanation, however, is an easy one: Antonius exercitum Petreio permittit. Ille Petreius, &c., (" that officer;") and again, Petreius suum cuique cohorti locum assignat. Ipse equo circumiens, ("riding around in person.") 15. Inermos. Inermus and inermis are indiscriminately used. 16. Cernere. Used here for decernere: the simple verb for the compound.-Homo militaris. Used, xar' ¿oxv, for "homo rei militaris peritissimus," "a man of great military experience." 17. Tribunus. "Tribune." The military tribunes of the Romans nearly corresponded to the colonels of modern times. were six in each legion, who commanded under the consul. There 18. Praefectus. "Prefect." When the term praefectus stands alone, as in the present instance, it denotes a commander of the allies. The praefecti among the allies, were of the same rank with the tribuni among the Roman forces. The officers of the allies were for the most part Romans, chosen by the consul or senate. 19. Tuba. The Romans used only wind-instruments of music in the army. The tuba was straight, like our trumpet; the lituus, or clarion, was bent a little at the end, like the augur's staff, (lituus) whence the name. The tuba was used as a signal for the foot, the lituus for the horse. Compare Lipsius, de Militia Romana, dial. 10. 20. Ferentariis. The light-armed troops, beside other appellations, were styled ferentarii, because they carried what they threw. Page. 21. Pila omittunt. "They throw aside their javelins.”—Vete- 116 rani. Belonging to the Roman army.-Illi. Referring to the followers of Catiline. 22. Interea Catilina, &c. The student will observe the animated air which the succession of infinitives imparts to this sentence, until the mind of the reader is allowed to repose itself on the finite form at its close, exsequebatur. 1. Cohortem praetoriam. Among the Romans, the general 117 was usually attended by a select band, called cohors Praetoria. It was first instituted by Scipio Africanus, according to Festus, but something similar was used long before that time, as appears from Livy, 2, 20. This differs essentially from the praetorian cohort in the history of the empire. 2. In primis. "Among the first," not, as some render it, 66 among the foremost." The expression must be referred to cadunt, not to pugnantes. It would have been very scanty praise to have said of them, that they fell fighting "among the foremost," or "in the foremost ranks ;" for how could they, as coinmanders, have done otherwise? Besides, if such had been the meaning of the historian, he would have preferred to express it by inter primos. 3. Paullo diversius. "In a somewhat more scattered manner." 4. Civis ingenuus. "Free citizen." Ingenuus, among the Romans, denoted a person born of parents who had always been free." 6. Laetitia, moeror, &c. Laetitia properly denotes a transport of joy, or joy expressed strongly by the actions of the individual. Gaudium, on the contrary, indicates the calm and rational emotion of joy. So moeror denotes sorrow accompanied by tears, luctus more of internal grief. We have now reached the close of this eventful narrative, and have traced the progress of a conspiracy which, though arrested in its earlier stages, yet proved one of those violent shocks that hastened the fall of the Roman state. It may not be amiss, before concluding, to mention a few particulars which are passed over in silence by the historian. From Dio Cassius, Lib. 37, c. 40 and 41, we learn, that Antonius, after the battle, sent the head of Catiline to Rome, in order to quiet all apprehension on the part of the inhabitants; and that he himself was honoured with the title of Imperator, although he had taken no active part in the fight, and although the number of slain (3000) was less than 292 NOTES TO THE CONSPIRACY OF CATILINE. that for which this title was usually awarded, (5000.) A public thanksgiving was also decreed, and the garb of mourning, which the citizens had assumed when the conspiracy broke out, was again laid aside. The accomplices of Catiline, who had either not been present in the battle, or had escaped from the field, spread themselves over Italy, but were in part taken and executed. One of the number, Lucius Vettius, turned informer against the rest: but he accused so many as to excite the suspicion of the senate, who ordered him, not to commit to writing the names of those against whom he informed, but to mention them at once by word of mouth. This confused and alarmed him, and but few were subsequently accused. The names of those whom he had implicated having been concealed from the people at large, great confusion and alarm consequently prevailed. To quiet this general feeling of insecurity, the senate resolved to publish the names in question, which was accordingly done. Some of the accused stood trial and were condemned; others abandoned their sureties and fled. |