Helps to Latin Translation at Sight Part 47

+Parallel Pa.s.sages.+ Horace, _Epodes_ vii. and xvi. 1-14.

+The Sullanian Proscriptions.+ Sulla was not like Marius swayed by feelings of revenge alone. His main object was the public good, which in his conviction was to be realised by a return to the older inst.i.tutions of the republic. This he believed could be accomplished only by the utter annihilation of his opponents. The Proscriptions were not however intended to be an encouragement to indiscriminate murder, but rather a barrier against the rage of over-zealous partisans.

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_Tribunate of M. Livius Drusus, 91 B.C._

Deinde interiectis paucis annis tribunatum iniit M. Livius Drusus, vir n.o.bilissimus, eloquentissimus, sanetissimus, meliore in omnia ingenio animoque quam fortuna usus. Qui c.u.m senatui prisc.u.m rest.i.tuere cuperet decus et indicia ab equitibus ad {5} eum transferre ordinem ... in eis ipsis, quae pro senatu moliebatur, senatum habuit adversarium non intellegentem, si qua de plebis commodis ab eo agerentur, veluti illiciendae mult.i.tudinis causa fieri, ut minoribus perceptis maiora permitteret. Denique {10} ea fortuna Drusi fuit, ut malefacta collegarum quamvis optime ab ipso cogitatis senatus probaret magis. . . . Tum conversus Drusi animus, quando bene incepta male cedebant, ad dandam civitatem Italiae: quod c.u.m moliens revertisset e foro, immensa {15} illa et incondita, quae eum semper comitabatur, cinctus mult.i.tudine in area domus suae cultello percussus, qui affixus lateri eius relictus est, intra paucas horas decessit. Sed c.u.m ultimum redderet spiritum, intuens circ.u.mstantium macrentiumque {20} frequentiam, effudit vocem convenientissimam conscientiae suae: ecquandone, inquit, propinqui amicique, similem mei civem habebit res publica? Hunc finem clarissimus iuvenis vitae habuit.

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS, ii. 13-14.

[Linenotes: 3-4. +Drusus.+ 'Generous and free from all selfishness and meanness, but without political experience, adroitness and knowledge of men, he aspired to a task which surpa.s.sed his strength.' --Ihne.

4-6. By the Semp.r.o.nian Laws of C. Gracchus 123 B.C. _exclusive judicial rights had been given to the Equites_, as a counterpoise to the power of the Senate. The corruption of the Equites (as Judices) was flagrant, and Drusus proposed to transfer the judicial functions to a mixed body of 300 Senators and 300 Knights, the selected Knights to be included in the now attenuated ranks of the Senate.

14. +ad dandam civitatem Italiae.+ The claims of the Italians to the franchise were just and pressing, but the overbearing pride and self-sufficiency of the Roman citizens proved too strong.]

+Parallel Pa.s.sages.+ Cic. _de Oratore_ iii. 1, and _pro Cluent._ 56, 153. Florus, iii. 18.

+Reference.+ Ihne, _Hist._ vol. v. pp. 176-189.

'Drusus was the Mirabeau of the social revolution of Rome, and had his measures been carried Rome might have been spared the most terrible of her civil wars.'

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THE SOCIAL OR MARSIC WAR, 91-88 B.C. (1)

A. _Cause and Outbreak of the War at Asculum._

c.u.m ius civitatis, quam viribus auxerant, socii iustissime postularent, quam in spem eos cupidine dominationis Drusus erexerat, postquam ille domestico scelere oppressus est, eadem fax, quae illum cremavit, socios in arma et in expugnationem urbis {5} accendit. . . . Primum fuit belli consilium ut in Albano monte festo die Latinarum Iulius Caesar et Marcius Philippus consules inter sacra et aras immolarentur. Postquam id nefas proditione discussum est, Asculo furor omnis erupit, in ipsa quidem ludorum {10} frequentia trucidatis qui tum aderant ab urbe legatis. Hoc fuit impii belli sacramentum. Inde iam pa.s.sim ab omni parte Italiae duce et auctore belli discursante Poppaedio diversa per populos et urbes signa cecinere. {15}

FLORUS, III. xviii. 3-10 (sel.).

[Linenotes: 2. +iustissime.+ 'The final issue of the war confirmed the justice and the wisdom of the reforms planned by the Gracchi and by Livius Drusus.' --Ihne.

7. +Latinarum+, sc. _Feriarum_, the solemn festival conducted by the Consuls on the Alban Mount.

10. +Asculo.+ Asculum (Ascoli), chief town of Picenum. The opening and closing scene of the war.]

B. _Advice of the Sabellian father to his sons._

'Vivite contenti casulis et collibus istis, O pueri,' Marsus dicebat et Hernicus olim 180 Vestinusque senex, 'panem quaeramus aratro, Qui satis est mensis: laudant hoc numina ruris, Quorum ope et auxilio gratae post munus aristae Contingunt homini veteris fastidia quercus.

Nil vet.i.tum fecisse volet, quem non pudet alto 185 Per glaciem perone tegi, qui summovet Euros Pellibus inversis; peregrina ignotaque n.o.bis Ad scelus atque nefas, quaec.u.mque est, purpura ducit.'

JUVENAL, _Sat._ xiv. 179-188.

[Linenotes: 179. +collibus istis+, i.e. in the central mountain range of Italy.

The Federals chose Corfinium (E. of Lake Fucinus) to be the Italian rallying-point, and the seat of a new State.

180-181. +Marsus ... Hernicus ... Vestinus+, Sabellian peoples noted for their bravery and simplicity; the backbone of Rome's army.

182. +numina ruris+, e.g. Ceres, Liber and Priapus.

185-196. +alto perone+ = a high rustic boot of raw hide.

187. +pellibus inversis+ = skins with the hair turned inwards.

--Duff.]

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THE SOCIAL OR MARSIC WAR, 91-88 B.C. (2)

A. _Defeat and Death of Rutilius._

Hanc tibi, 'Quo properas', memorant dixisse 'Rutili?

Luce mea Marso consul ab hoste cades.'

Exitus accessit verbis, flumenque Toleni Purpureum mixtis sanguine fluxit aquis. 566

OVID, _Fasti_, vi. 563-566. [Hallam VI. 487-490]

[Linenote: 563. +Hanc+, sc. _Leucothea_, G.o.ddess of the sea and of harbours.

+Rutili+. Rutilius, consul 90 B.C., defeated and slain at the R. Tolenus (Turano) by the Marsian Vettius Scato.]

B. _The Lex Plautia Papiria of 89 B.C._

Data est civitas Silvani lege et Carbonis: si qui {5} foederatis civitatibus ascripti fuissent, si tum, c.u.m lex ferebatur, in Italia domicilium habuissent et si s.e.xaginta diebus apud praetorem essent professi.

CICERO, _pro Archia_, 4, 7.

[Linenotes: 5. +lege+, i.e. the Lex Plautia Papiria of the tribines M. Plautius Silva.n.u.s and C. Papirius Carbo. The Lex Julia of L. Julius Caesar 90 B.C., granting the _civitas_ to the Latins and to all the other Italian States not in rebellion, had weakened the resistance. The Lex Plautia Papiria 'scattered among the Italian ranks the seeds of discord and dissolution.']

C. _Cicero's first and only Campaign._

Memini colloquia et c.u.m acerrimis hostibus et c.u.m gravissime dissidentibus civibus. Cn. Pompeius, {10} consul me praesente, c.u.m essem tiro in eius exercitu, c.u.m P. Vettio Scatone, duce Marsorum, inter bina castra collocutus est. . . . Quem c.u.m Scato saluta.s.set, 'quem te appellem?' inquit: 'voluntate hospitem, necessitate hostem.' Erat in colloquio aequitas: {15} nullus timor, nulla suberat suspicio; mediocre etiam odium. Non enim, ut eriperent n.o.bis socii civitatem, sed ut in eam reciperentur petebant.

CICERO, _Phil._ xii. 11, 27.

D. _The battle near Asculum, and capture of the city._

Strabo vero Pompeius omnia flammis ferroque populatus non prius finem caedium fecit quam Asculi {20} eversione manibus tot exercituum consulum direptarumque urbium dis litaretur.

FLORUS, III. xviii. 14.

[Linenote: 20. +Asculi eversione.+ The siege was memorable for the desperate patriotism of the besieged under their leader Judacilius, cf. siege of Saguntum.]

+Reference.+ Ihne, _Hist._ vol. v. pp. 190-220.

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