Helps to Latin Translation at Sight Part 49

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS, ii. 23.

[Linenote: 16-22. +The terms of peace+ were (i) Restoration of all conquests, (ii) Surrender of 80 s.h.i.+ps and of all prisoners, (iii) Indemnity of 3000 talents. Florus says 'Non fregit ea res Ponticos, sed incendit.' Sulla was anxious to secure peace, because his presence was needed at Rome.]

+Sulla's Conduct of the War+. 'No previous general had shown so great a mastery of the art of war and such care and interest for the welfare of the State, as distinguished from the success of a party.' --Ihne.

B15

SECOND CIVIL WAR, 83-82 B.C. (1)

_Battles of Sacriportus and the Colline Gate._

A.

Iam quot apud Sacri cecidere cadavera Portum Aut Collina tulit stratas quot porta catervas, 135 Tum c.u.m, paene caput mundi rerumque potestas Mutavit translata loc.u.m, Romanaque Samnis Ultra Caudinas speravit volnera Furcas.

LUCAN, _Pharsalia_, ii. 134-138.

[Linenotes: 134. +apud Sacriportum+, near Praeneste, where Sulla totally defeated the Marians, under the younger Marius, 82 B.C.

135. +Collina Porta+, i.e. N.E. gate of Rome near the _Collis_ Quirinalis.

136. +paene+, with _mutavit_, l. 137.]

B. At Pontius Telesinus, dux Samnitium, vir animi bellique fortissimus penitusque Romano nomini infestissimus, contractis circiter XL milibus fortissimae pertinacissimaeque in retinendis armis iuventutis Kal.

Novembribus ita ad portam Collinam c.u.m Sulla {10} dimicavit, ut ad summum discrimen et eum et rempublicam perduceret, quae non maius periculum adiit Hannibalis intra tertium miliarium conspicata castra, quam eo die, quo circ.u.mvolans ordines exercitus sui Telesinus dict.i.tansque adesse Romanis ultimum {15} diem vociferabatur eruendam delendamque urbem, adiciens numquam deluturos raptores Italicae libertatis lupos, nisi silva, in quam refugere solerent, esset excisa.

Post primam demum horam noctis et Romana acies respiravit et hostium cessit. Telesinus {20} postera die semianimis repertus est, victoris magis quam morientis vultum praeferens, cuius abscisum caput ferro figi gestarique circa Praeneste Sulla iussit.

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS, ii. 27.

[Linenotes: 6. +Pontius Telesinus+, 'a kinsman in name and temper of the hero of 321 B.C.'

12-14. +quae ... castra.+ 'As Hannibal had tried to relieve the closely pressed Capua by a direct attack on Rome, Pontius Telesinus thought to draw off the besieging army from Praeneste by threatening the Capital.' --Ihne.

20. +Romana acies respiravit.+ Sulla, with the left wing, was driven back by the Samnites to the walls of Rome, but Cra.s.sus with the right wing was completely victorious, and to him the final victory was due.

'The issue of the whole war, at least on Italian ground, was decided by the battle of the Colline Gate.' --Ihne.]

B16

SECOND CIVIL WAR, 83-82 B.C. (2)

A. _Death of the Younger Marius. Sulla Felix._

Tum demum desperatis rebus suis C. Marius adulescens per cuniculos, qui miro opere fabricati in diversas agrorum partes fuerunt, conatus erumpere, c.u.m foramine e terra emersisset, a dispositis in id ipsum interemptus est. . . . De quo iuvene quid {5} existimaverit Sulla, in promptu est; occiso enim demum eo Felicis nomen adsumpsit, quod quidem usurpa.s.set iustissime, si eundem et vincendi et vivendi finem habuisset.

VELL. PAT. ii. 27.

[Linenotes: 1. +Tum+, i.e. after Sulla's victory at the Colline Gate, 82 B.C.

+C. Marius.+ 'He possessed his father's martial spirit, courage and unyielding perseverance.' --Ihne.

2. +per cuniculos+ = _through subterranean pa.s.sages_.]

B. _The Sullan Proscriptions._

'Sulla quoque immensis accessit cladibus ultor. 139 Ille quod exiguum restabat sanguinis urbi Hausit: dumque nimis iam putria membra recidit, Excessit medicina modum, nimiumque secuta est, Qua morbi duxere, ma.n.u.s. . . . 143 Tum data libertas odiis, resolutaque legum 145 Frenis ira ruit. Non uni cuncta dabantur, Sed fecit sibi quisque nefas: semel omnia victor Iusserat . . .

Hisne Salus rerum, Felix his Sulla vocari, 221 His meruit tumulum medio sibi tollere Campo?

Haec rursus patienda manent: hoc ordine belli Ibitur: hic stabit civilibus exitus armis.'

. . . . Sic maesta senectus 232 Praeteritique memor flebat metuensque futuri. 233

LUCAN, _Pharsalia_, ii. 139-148, 221-224.

[Linenotes: 139. +Sulla ... ultor+ = _Sulla too in his vengeance came to crown these fearful disasters_. --Haskins.

141-143. +dumque ... ma.n.u.s.+ Sulla is compared to a surgeon who in too great haste to remove the mortified flesh cuts away the sound flesh also.

146. +non uni ...+ = _all crimes were not committed for one man's sake_, i.e. to please Sulla.

223-224. +hoc ordine belli ibitur+ = _in this course of war events will move_. --H. i.e. History will repeat itself.

232. +sic maesta senectus.+ An old man, who had lived through the Marian and Sullan times, predicts similar horrors of the Civil War between Caesar and Pompey.]

+The Proscriptions.+ 'They were the product not of pa.s.sion or thirst of blood, but of a cool political calculation, and the conviction of its inevitable necessity.' --Ihne.

B17

A. _Sulla appointed Dictator, 81 B.C._

Dictator creatus (cuius honoris usurpatio per annos centum et viginti intermissa; nam proximus post annum quam Hannibal Italia excesserat, uti appareat populum Romanum usum dictatoris haud metu desidera.s.se tali quo timuisset potestatem) imperio, {5} quo priores ad vindicandum maximis periculis patriam usi erant, eo in immodicae crudelitatis licentiam usus est.

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS, ii. 28.

[Linenotes: 1-2. +cuius honoris ... intermissa.+ The last real Dictator (M. Junius Pera) was appointed after Cannae 216 B.C.

5-8. +imperio quo ... usus est.+ 'The Dictator of the first age of the Republic down to the Punic Wars had always a _well-defined special duty to discharge in a given time_. Sulla's task was of _a general nature and all-comprehensive range_, and he had the most essential of all monarchical attributes, which is _the unlimited duration of office_.' --Ihne.]

B. _Sulla lays down his Dictators.h.i.+p, 79 B.C._

Nec minoris impotentiae voces propalam edebat, ut t.i.tus Ampius scribit, 'Nihil esse rempublicam, {10} appellationem modo sine corpore ac specie.

Sullam nescisse litteras, qui dictaturam deposuerit.'

SUETONIUS, _Divus Iulius_, 77.

[Linenotes: 9. +impotentiae+ = _arrogance_ (lack of self-restraint).

10. +Ampius.+ t.i.tus Ampius Balbus, a Pompeian general.

11-12. +Sullam nescisse litteras+ = (i) S. had not profited by the teachings of History, or (ii) S. was without a liberal education.]

C. _Death of Sulla, 78 B.C._

Puteolis enim ardens indignatione, quod Granius, princeps eius coloniae pecuniam a decurionibus ad refectionem Capitolii promissam cunctantius daret, {15} animi concitatione nimia atque immoderato vocis impetu convulso pectore, spiritum cruore ac minis mixtum evomuit, nec senio iam prolapsus, utpote s.e.xagesimum ingrediens annum, sed alita miseriis reipublicae inpotentia furens. Igitur in dubio est {20} Sullane prior an iracundia Sullae sit extincta.

VALERIUS MAXIMUS, ix. 3. 8.