Chapter 24
VERGIL, _Aen._ viii. 652-662.
+Context.+ Venus brings Aeneas his new armour: he gazes at the s.h.i.+eld whereon were wrought scenes of the story of Rome to be.
[Linenotes: 652. +in summo+ (sc. +clipeo+), _on the top of the s.h.i.+eld_, as held in position.
654. +Romuleoque... culmo+ = lit. _and the palace was stiff freshly covered_ (+recens+) _with the thatch of Romulus_.
655-656. +auratis... porticibus+ = _the gilded colonnades_ of the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus of Vergil's day, restored 69 B.C.
660. +virgatis sagulis+ = _with striped cloaks_--+virgatus+ = with bands or bars like shoots (_virgae_)--an effect produced by inlaying. C.
661-662. +Alpina gaesa+ = _Alpine_ (i.e. _native_) _javelins_.]
B. _The Fate of Manlius, 384 B.C._
M. Manlius, unde Gallos depulerat, inde ipse praecipitatus est, quia fort.i.ter defensam libertatem nefarie opprimere conatus fuerat. Cuius iustae ultionis nimirum haec praefatio fuit: 'Manlius eras {15} mihi, c.u.m praecipites agebas Senones; postquam imitari coepisti, unus factus es ex Senonibus.' Huius supplicio aeternae memoriae nota inserta est: propter illum enim lege sanciri placuit ne quis patricius in arce aut Capitolio habitaret, quia domum eo loco {20} habuerat, ubi nunc aedem Monetae videmus.
VALERIUS MAXIMUS, vi. _De Severitate_.
[Linenotes: 13-14. +quia... fuerat.+ Manlius in reality fell a victim to his sympathies with the Plebeians. Cf. the fate of Sp. Ca.s.sius 485 B.C.
18. +nota+ = _a mark (brand) of infamy_.
20-21. +quia... habuerat.+ His house on the Capitol was razed to the ground.
21. +aedem Monetae+, a surname of Juno, in whose temple on the Arx money was coined. Cf. our Mint.]
'Thus ended the life of Manlius, the deliverer of Rome, the humane friend of an oppressed people, condemned by this very people to die the death of a traitor.' --Ihne.
D26
THE INVASION OF ROME BY THE GAULS, 390 B.C. (5)
_Camillus, Parens Patriae._
Sed diique et homines prohibuere redemptos vivere Romanos. Nam forte quadam, priusquam infanda merces perficeretur, per altercationem nondum omni auro appenso dictator intervenit auferrique aurum de medio et Gallos submoveri iubet. c.u.m {5} illi renitentes pactos dicerent sese, negat eam pactionem ratam esse, quae, postquam ipse dictator creatus esset, iniussu suo ab inferioris iuris magistratu facta esset, denuntiatque Gallis, ut se ad proelium expediant... Instruit deinde aciem, ut {10} loci natura patiebatur, in semirutae solo urbis et natura inaequali, et omnia, quae arte belli secunda suis eligi praepararive poterant, providit. Galli nova re trepidi arma capiunt, iraque magis quam consilio in Romanos incurrunt. Primo concursu haud {15} maiore momento fusi Galli sunt, quam ad Alliam vicerant. Iustiore altero deinde proelio ad octavum lapidem Gabina via, quo se ex fuga contulerant, eiusdem ductu auspicioque Camilli vinc.u.n.tur. Ibi caedes omnia obtinuit; castra capiuntur, et ne {20} nuntius quidem cladis relictus. Dictator recuperata ex hostibus patria triumphans in urbem redit, interque iocos militares, quos inconditos iaciunt, Romulus ac parens patriae conditorque alter urbis haud vanis laudibus appellabatur. {25}
LIVY, v. 49 (sel.)
+Context.+ The Romans on the Capitol, despairing of outside help, agreed
[Linenotes: 3. +per altercationem+ = _owing to the dispute_. When the Consular Tribune Sulpicius complained that the Gauls used unjust weights, Brennus in derision threw his sword into the scale and said _Vae victis!_ 13-14. +nova re+ = _at the change in their fortunes_. --Whibley.
15-16. +haud maiore momento+ = _with no greater difficulty (effort)_.
17. +Iustiore altero proelio+ = _in a second and more regular engagement_. -- W.
23. +inconditos+ = _rough_, _unpolished_.
'The Gaul shall come against thee From the land of snow and night: Thou shalt give his fair-haired armies To the raven and the kite.' --Macaulay.]
D27
THE INVASION OF THE GAULS, 390 B.C. (6)
A. _The Migration to Veii abandoned._
Movisse eos Camillus c.u.m alia oratione tum ea, quae ad religiones pertinebat, maxime dicitur; sed rem dubiam decrevit vox opportune missa, quod, c.u.m senatus post paulo de his rebus in curia Hostilia haberetur, cohortesque ex praesidiis revertentes forte {5} agmine forum transirent, centurio in comitio exclamavit: 'Signifer, statue signum; hic manebimus optime.' Qua voce audita et senatus accipere se omen ex curia egressus conclamavit, et plebs circ.u.mfusa approbavit. Antiquata deinde lege promiscue {10} urbs aedificari coepta.
LIVY, v. 55.
[Linenotes: 1. +c.u.m alia tum+ = _especially_ +ea+ = _ea parte orationis_.
3. +vox opportune missa+ = _a phrase seasonably let fall_.
10. +Antiquata deinde lege+ (= _rogatione_) = _the proposed law was then rejected_, +antiquare+ = _to leave in its former state_.]
B. _Juno forbids the Rebuilding of Troy._
'Sed bellicosis fata Quiritibus Hac lege dico, ne nimium pii Rebusque fidentes avitae Tecta velint reparare Troiae. 60 'Troiae renascens alite lugubri Fortuna tristi clade iterabitur, Ducente victrices catervas Coniuge me Iovis et sorore.' 64
HORACE, _Odes_, III. iii. 57-64.
[Linenotes: 58. +hac lege+ = _on this condition_, i.e. that Rome should always be the capital.
+nimium pii+ = _too dutiful_ to their mother-city Troy.
58-60. +ne... reparare Troiae.+ There was a rumour, even in Caesar's time (v. Suet. _Iul. Caes._ 79) that he meant to migrate to Alexandria or Ilium. Horace, prob. with the sanction of Augustus, sets himself to discourage it. Cf. the Speech of Camillus, Livy, v.
51-54.
61-62. +Troiae... iterabitur+ = the _fortunes of Troy, if with evil omen it is called to life again_ (+renascens+), _shall be repeated in an overthrow as sad as before_. --Wickham.]
'The Burning of Rome by the Gauls involved the destruction of all the existing records, and great loss of property. Yet in spite of all the damage done, the Romans set to work to establish the state anew, to rebuild the City, and to rea.s.sert their commanding position among their allies and neighbours.' --Ihne.
+The Speech of Camillus.+ Its object was to show the growth of Rome under the guidance of Providence. Cf. the purpose of the _Aeneid_.
D28
THE LICINIAN LAWS, 376-366 B.C. (1)
_First Plebeian Consul, 366 B.C._
Occasio videbatur rerum novandarum propter ingentem vim aeris alieni, cuius levamen mali plebes nisi suis in summo imperio locatis, nullum speraret: accingendum ad eam cogitationem esse; conando agendoque iam eo gradum fecisse plebeios, unde, {5} si porro annitantur, pervenire ad summa et patribus aequari tam honore quam virtute possent. In praesentia tribunes plebis fieri placuit, quo in magistratu sibimet ipsi viam ad ceteros honores aperirent. Creatique tribuni C. Licinius et L. s.e.xtius promulgavere {10} leges omnes adversus opes patriciorum et pro commodis plebis, unam de aere alieno, ut deducto eo de capite, quod usuris pernumeratum esset, id, quod superesset, triennio aequis pensionibus persolveretur; alteram de modo agrorum, ne quis plus quingenta {15} iugera agri possideret; tertiam, ne tribunorum militum comitia fierent, consulumque utique alter ex plebe crearetur; cuncta ingentia et quae sine certamine maximo obtineri non possent.... Ita ab diutina ira tandem in concordiam redacti sunt ordines. {20}
LIVY, vi. 35.
[Linenotes: 1. +Occasio.+ This, so Livy tells us, was the jealousy between the Fabian sisters, the one married to the patrician Sulpicius, the other to the plebeian Licinius Stolo.
1-2. +propter... alieni.+ The old Roman law of debt was very harsh and severe.
3. +in summo imperio+, i.e. the Consulate.
4. +accingendum... esse+ = _they must brace themselves to the execution of that idea_. --R. +accingendum+, reflexive here.
5. +iam eo+, i.e. to the office of Consular Tribune, created 444 B.C.
6. +si porro annitantur+ = _if they +now+ make a further effort_.
This use of Pres. Subj. in Or. Obl. frequent in Livy.
7. +tam honore quam virtute+ = _in official rank as (they were already) in merit_. --Rawlins.
12-14. +ut deducto... persolveretur+ = '_after deducting from the amount of the loan_ (+capite+ = _princ.i.p.al_) _what had been paid in interest, the balance should be paid in three equal instalments_.'
--Cluer and Matheson.
15. +de modo agrorum+ = _relating to the limitation of land-holding_.
16-17. +tribunorum militum+ (sc. _c.u.m consulari potestate_) created 444 B.C., but no plebeian obtained that honour till 400 B.C., and only two after that date.
17. +utique+ = _one at any rate_.]