NOTES

TO THE

JUGURTHINE WAR.

1. Falso queritur, &c. "Mankind complain without reason of their nature." Falso, literally, "falsely," "erroneously."Sallust has been justly blamed for the introductions to his histories. They have little if any relation to the subject which they are intended to usher in, and are too discursive and long.

2. Quod imbecilla, &c. " That, being weak and of short duration it is influenced more by chance, than by the exertion of intellect."Imbecilla agrees with natura. The less usual form of this adjective is imbecillis.-Virtute is here equivalent to virtute animi.

3. Nam contra. "For, on the contrary."

4. Invenias. "You will find, I think."-The subjunctive is here employed to convey a softened assertion, indicative of modesty on the part of the writer, and not of any doubt in his mind on the subject which he is discussing. So crediderim is frequently used, in the sense of "I am inclined to believe."

5. Magisque naturae, &c. "And that active exertion is more wanting to the nature of men, than ability or duration," i. e. than additional power or an enlarged period of existence.-Naturae hominum is equivalent to homini, "And that man stands more in need of," &c.

6. Sed dux atque imperator, &c. A refutation of those who maintain, that human nature is influenced more by chance than by any exertion of the mental powers.-Sed may be rendered "Now." -Dux atque imperator. "The director and ruler." Imperator rises in force of meaning above dux. The former means literally, "commander in chief;" whereas dux means the highest of the inferior officers, having himself an important command. These are here applied to one and the same objects, for the purpose of showing the all-controlling power of the mind.

7. Grassatur, "Aspires." Literally, "moves boldly on."

8. Pollens potensque. "Powerful and vigorous." Pollens refers here to innate strength, potens to its exercise.

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1 9 Quippe probitatem, &c. "Since it (i. e. fortune) can neither give, nor take away, integrity, activity, nor other praiseworthy quali ties." Industria here means an active exercise of our abilities.— The student will notice the use of artis for artes. Sallust is very much attached to this form of the accusative, omnis for omnes, po→ pularis for populares, &c. It is called an archaism, (a term generally applied to the use of antiquated or obsolete forms of expression,) though not very correctly, since the termination in is would seem to have been most commonly employed in the best ages of Latinity. The common grammatical rule is, that nouns, whose genitive plural ends in ium, have es, is, or eis, in the accusative plural.

10. Ad inertiam et voluptatis corporis, &c. "It has been consigned to the destructive bondage of sloth and corporeal gratifica tions." The literal meaning of pessum appears to be "down," "to the bottom," "under foot." Hence pessumdo literally means, "to send or throw to the bottom," and then figuratively, "to ruin or destroy."-Voluptatis is put for voluptates. See previous

note.

11. Perniciosa lubidine, &c. In rendering, begin with ubi, "when, after it has enjoyed for a season this destructive indulgence," &c.

12. Suam quisque culpam, &c. "The authors of these evils transfer each to affairs the blame that is their own." They allege in extenuation of their mental inactivity, that the affairs to which they had directed their attention proved too difficult of accomplishment.

13. Quod si hominibus, &c. "But if mankind were inspired with as great a regard for things conducive to their welfare, as is the zeal with which they seek after," &c.-Aliena, "things foreign to their nature."

14. Neque regerentur, &c. "They would not be more controlled by, than they would themselves control, the chances of fortune." 15. Ubi, pro mortalibus. "In which, as far as is consistent with mortal lot." Pro mortalibus, literally, "for mortals." Equivalent to quatenus mortalibus fas est.

16. Genus humanum. "Man."

17. Sequuntur. "Partake of."

18. Praeclara facies. "Personal beauty."-Literally "a fine face," or "exterior."

19. Dilabuntur. "Insensibly leave us."-Literally, "steal away," "drop off."

20. Ingenii egregia facinora. "The splendid exertions of intellect."-Facinus denotes a bold or daring action, and unless it be joined with a favourable epithet, or the action be previously described as commendable, the term is always to be understood in a

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vituperative sense. In the present passage, the epithet egregius 1 marks the character of the action as praiseworthy.

21. Corporis et fortunae bonorum. "Of the advantages of person and fortune."

"Controls and sways all 2

1. Agit atque habet cuncta, &c. things, and is itself controlled by none." After habetur understand ab ullo (scil. negotio.)

2. Quo magis pravitas, &c. "On which account the depravity of those is the more to be wondered at," &c.

3. Incultu. 66

'Through want of culture."

4. Artes animi. "Mental employments."

5. Ex his.

artibus animi.

"Of these employments of mind." Understand

6. Omnis cura, &c. "All change of public affairs," or "every office of administration." Of these offices, magistratus are of a civil, imperia of a military nature.

7. Quoniam neque virtuti, &c. "Since, neither, on the one hand, is the honour, that is its due, rendered to merit, nor are they, on the other, who have obtained authority by unfair means," &c.The allusion in fraudem is to bribery and other unworthy and degrading practices.

8. Parentes. "Subjected states." From pareo, "to obey," and having the first syllable long. In parentes, "parents," it is short. The word occurs again in the first chapter of this history.

9. Delicta corrigas, "may rectify abuses."-Importunum, “a perilous task." Literally, "without a harbour," or place of safety

from the storm.

10. Fatigando. "After all one's exertions." Understand se, which in some editions is expressed.

11. Quem. For aliquem.-Lubido, an archaism for libido.

12. Gratificari. "Of sacrificing." i. e. Tanquam rem gratam devovere. More usual Latinity would require gratificandi; but Sallust is fond of unusual forms of expression.

13. Quae ingenio exercentur. "Which form the exercise of the mind." Literally, "which are exercised upon by the mind."

14. Memoria rerum gestarum. "The recording of past events." i. e. historical composition.-Virtute. "Excellence."-Praetereundum. Understand esse mihi.

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15. Per insolentiam. "From a feeling of vanity." Insolentia, strictly, is unusual or altered conduct, as when the head is turned with vanity and self-conceit.-Studium laudando. By praising my own profession," i. e. of an historian. Before extollere understand me. 16 A republica. "From all participation in public affairs."

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17. Certe, &c. Supply the ellipsis as follows: "Ii certe hoc facient, quibus," &c.

18. Salutare plebem. "To court the favour of the populace." Referring to the acts of candidates in electioneering for office, going around, addressing in a friendly manner, shaking hands with voters, &c.

19. Quibus temporibus. Sallust obtained the office of quæstor, which entitled him to a seat in the senate, at the age of twentyseven, a few years after the conspiracy of Catiline, and while the state was thrown into the greatest confusion by the acts of Clodius and his followers. He was made tribune of the commons six years after, on which occasion, according to some authorities, Cato was his competitor, but, according to others, when he was made prætor. To his success over Cato the historian alludes in the words quales viri, &c. If this competition occurred for the office of prætor, he had no great reason to be proud of his success, since he obtained that magistracy entirely through the interest of Cæsar.

20. Merito. "On good grounds."-Judicium animi mutavisse. "Have altered my determination."-Aliorum negotiis. "The active employment of others."

21. Q. Maximum. Quintus Fabius Maximus, the well-known opponent of Hannibal.-P. Scipionem. The elder Africanus, who conquered Hannibal in the battle of Zama.-Solitos. Understand esse.

1. Imagines. Among the Romans, those whose ancestors, or who themselves had borne any curule office, that is, had been consul, prætor, censor, or curule ædile, were called nobiles, and had the right of making images of themselves, which were kept with great care by their posterity, and exhibited only at funerals or on solemn occasions. These images were nothing more than the busts or effigies of the individuals, down to the shoulders, made of wax, and painted. They were placed in the atrium, or hall, of the Roman house, enclosed in wooden cases.

2. Scilicet non ceram illam, &c. We must here resolve scilicet into its component members (scire licet,) and construe as follows: Scire licet non ceram illam, &c. habere. "We may well suppose that neither the mere wax of which they were made, nor the form it had assumed, possessed such power in themselves."

3. Eorum. "Of the former." Referring to their ancestors, and depending in construction on famam and gloriam. With virtus supply sua ipsorum, "their own merit." Sallust here argues in favour of history, as a means of exciting to noble and praiseworthy actions, by its recounting the deeds of former days.

4. His moribus. "Amid the corruption of the day." i. e. Amid