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convicio, neque temere consulem populi Romani saltatorem vocare, sed circumspicere, quibus praeterea vitiis adfectum esse necesse sit eum, cui vere istud obici possit. nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit, neque in solitudine neque in convivio moderato atque honesto: tempestivi convivii, amoeni loci, multarum deliciarum comes est extrema saltatio. tu mihi arripis hoc, quod necesse est omnium vitiorum esse postremum, relinquis illa, quibus remotis hac vitium omnino esse non potest. nullum turpe convivium, non amor, non comissatio, non libido, non sumptus ostenditur; et cum ea non reperiantur, quae voluptatis nomen habent quamquam vitiosa sunt, in quo ipsam luxuriam reperire non potes, in eo 14 te umbram luxuriae reperturum putas? nihil igitur in vitam L. Murenae dici potest, nihil, inquam, omnino. iudicio sic a me consul designatus defenditur, ut eius nulla fraus, nulla avaritia, nulla perfidia, nulla crudelitas, nullum petulans dictum in vita proferatur. bene habet, iacta sunt fundamenta defensionis nondum enim nostris laudibus, quibus utar postea, sed prope inimicorum confessione virum bonum atque integrum

convicio] squabble. 'set-to.' Of an exchange of abuse. cf. pro Archia § 12, aures convicio defessae. Hor. Sat. I. 5. 52 foll. will illustrate the vulgar jesting of the scurrae, or 'diners-out.'

tempestivi] i. e. begun before the ninth hour, the usual time of the cena (Mart. IV. 8. 6, imperat instructos frangere nona toros) like Marius in Juven. I. 49, who ab octava bibit, and Nero in Suet. Ner. 27, Tac. Ann. XIV. 2.

mihi] dat. ethicus, as in §§ 21, 74. H. arripis. cf. on § 62.

comissatio] feeding after dinner, almost dessert,' implying that the Sueton. guests then 'take wine.'

Dom. 21, says convivabatur frequenter ac large, sed paene raptim; certe non ultra solis occasum, nec ut postea comissaretur.

voluptatis nomen habent] are called pleasure,' not implying that it is the right name. Z. cf. pro

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iudicio] on his trial, at the bar,'

=

opp. to in vita in reprehensione vitae § 11. I follow here the reading of Z. after the MSS.

sic....ut] in such circumstances that......dictum = 'jest.' See Prof. Mayor on Phil. II. § 42.

bene habet] This simulatio is quoted with approval, Quintil. IX. ii. 26.

confessione] he has shewn their statements to be groundless; and they have no more charges of this kind to bring. Hence H. well remarks that Cicero's words are strongly exaggerated.

hominem defendimus. ad contentionem dignitatis, quae pars altera fuit accusationis. VII. summam video esse in te, Ser. Sulpici, dignitatem 15 generis, integritatis, industriae ceterorumque ornamentorum omnium, quibus fretum ad consulatus petitionem adgredi par est. paria cognosco esse ista in L. Murena atque ita paria, ut neque ipse dignitate a te vinci potuerit neque te dignitate superarit. contempsisti L. Murenae genus, extulisti tuum. quo loco si tibi hoc sumis, nisi qui patricius sit, neminem bono esse genere natum, facis ut rursus plebes in Aventinum sevocanda esse videatur. sin autem sunt amplae et honestae familiae plebeiae, et proavus L. Murenae et avus praetor fuit et pater, cum amplissime atque honestissime ex praetura triumphasset, hoc faciliorem huic gradum consulatus adipiscendi reliquit, quod is iam patri debitus a filio petebatur. tua 16 vero nobilitas, Servi Sulpici, tametsi summa est, tamen hominibus litteratis et historicis est notior, populo vero et suffraga

quo constituto facilior est mihi aditus

virum......hominem] sc. Murena as a public person and in his private life. So in § 16.

I believe that the ablatives laudibus and confessione are to be compared with such as mea sententia, omnium testimonio, etc., Madv. § 255, obs. 3.

'not to forestall the praises which I shall presently bestow upon Murena, I may almost say that the unwilling admissions of his adversaries lead us to think my client a worthy citizen and a man of unsullied character.'

contentionem] see on § II.

vii. 15. loco] that head of your speech under which you brought in your disparagement of Murena's family.

in Aventinum] incorrect, according to Liv. 11. 32, unless the reference be to the same thing as the coetus nocturni of Liv. IN 28.

sin autem......et] 'but if it be true that'. 6 then I say that both ' H. cf. § 20, tamen testata sunt omnia =dico testata esse.

proavus, avus] are not known except from this notice of Cicero.

fuit] for the singular, cf. Madv. § 213 a, obs.

honestissime] Z. remarks that he is sparing in his praise; for Murena had not had very good success.

ex praetura] The rule was, that only consuls, proconsuls, praetors, and pro-praetors had any claim to the honour of a Triumph. Gn. Pompeius was the first in whose favour an exception was made.

16. tametsi......tamen] so de Orat. II. § 120, pro Rosc. Amer. §§ 55, 56, 73, 117, etc. M.

summa] The gens Sulpicia was one of the oldest patrician gentes. cf. Brutus, § 62, Tac. Ann. III. 48, Hist. 1. 15, Liv. II. 19.

litteratis] The word bears a good sense (раμμатIKós). The opposite is litterator (ypаμμатiσтns). cf. Catull. XIV. 9, Suetonius de Grammaticis 4 sunt qui litteratum a litteratore distinguant, ut Graeci grammaticum a grammatista, et illum quidem absolute hunc mediocriter doctum existiment: quorum opinionem Orbilius etiam exemplis confirmat. Gellius II. 10. I.

historicis] 'antiquarians,' H.;

toribus obscurior; pater enim fuit equestri loco, avus nulla inlustri laude celebratus. itaque non ex sermone hominum recenti, sed ex annalium vetustate eruenda memoria est nobilitatis tuae. quare ego te semper in nostrum numerum adgregare soleo, quod virtute industriaque perfecisti, ut cum equitis Romani esses filius, summa tamen amplitudine dignus putarere. nec mihi umquam minus in Q. Pompeio, novo homine et fortissimo viro, virtutis esse visum est quam in homine nobilissimo M. Aemilio. etenim eiusdem animi atque ingenii est posteris suis, quod Pompeius fecit, amplitudinem nominis, quam non acceperit, tradere, et, ut Scaurus, memoriam prope intermortuam generis sui virtute renovare. VIII. 17 quamquam ego iam putabam, iudices, multis viris fortibus `ne ignobilitas generis obiceretur, meo labore esse perfectum, qui non modo Curiis, Catonibus, Pompeiis, antiquis illis fortissimis viris, sed his recentibus, Mariis et Didiis et Caeliis, commemorandis iacebant. cum vero ego tanto intervallo claustra

rightly, I think. So Pliny called his
great work of research Naturalis
Historia. Another word used in the
same sense by Tacitus is periti.
suffragatoribus] 'canvassers.'
8 44- See note on § 71.

So

equestri loco] i. e. he had filled no office, and so had not attained to a seat in the Senate.

nulla....celebratus] probably he was a senator, but had not won curule honours.

ex annalium vetustate] 'from the musty tomes of our records.' H. well compares § 10, pro amici periculo, 'for a friend in danger.' Add § 30, simulatio prudentiae.

nostrum] sc. of novi homines. H. summa] sc. the consulship, which he was thought to deserve, though he failed to get it.

Q. Pompeius Rufus, consul 141 B. C., censor 131 B. C., first brought the consulship into the gens Pompeia. See II in Verr. V. § 181, Brutus § 96, Liv. Epit. 59, Velleius II. 21. 4.

M. Aemilius Scaurus] consul 115 B. C., censor 109 B. C., and chosen princeps senatus 115 B.C. Asconius

tells us that for three generations preceding him the family had been under a cloud, so that he was no better off than a novus homo, cf. pro Scauro 4 a.

quam non acceperit] the subject to be supplied is 'he' or 'one,' as in de Fin. III. § 70, detrahere quid de aliquo, quod sibi assumat. T.

viii. 17. Curiis] M'. Curius Dentatus, conqueror of the Samnites and of Pyrrhus, was consul B. C. 290, 275, 274.

Catonibus] not Porciis, as it was the Cato family that had founded the nobilitas of the gens Porcia. M. Porcius Cato, afterwards called the Censor, was consul B.C. 195.

Pompeiis] see on § 16.

Mariis] G. Marius, conqueror of the Teutones, &c., was consul B.C. 107, 104, 103, 102, 101, 100, 86. Didiis] T. Didius was consul B.C.

98.

Caeliis] G. Caelius Caldus, con. sul B.C. 94.

commemorandis]=quamvis Curios etc. commemorarent. cf. de Off. I. § 5, quis est enim, qui nullis officii

ista nobilitatis refregissem, ut aditus ad consulatum posthac, sicut apud maiores nostros fuit, non magis nobilitati quam virtuti pateret, non arbitrabar, cum ex familia vetere et inlustri consul designatus ab equitis Romani filio, consule, defenderetur, de generis novitate accusatores esse dicturos. etenim mihi ipsi accidit, ut cum duobus patriciis, altero improbissimo atque audacissimo, altero modestissimo atque optimo viro, peterem; superavi tamen dignitate Catilinam, gratia Galbam. quodsi id crimen homini novo esse deberet, profecto mihi neque inimici neque invidi defuissent. omittamus igitur de 18 genere dicere, cuius est magna in utroque dignitas: videamus

cetera.

'quaesturam una petiit et sum ego factus prior.' non est respondendum ad omnia. neque enim vestrum quemquam fugit, cum multi pares dignitate fiant, unus autem primum locum solus possit obtinere, non eundem esse ordinem dignitatis et renuntiationis, propterea quod renuntiatio gradus habet, dignitas autem est persaepe eadem omnium. sed quaestura utriusque propemodum pari momento sortis fuit. habuit hic

praeceptis tradendis philosophum se audeat dicere? Madv. § 416 obs. 1. iacebant. were yet ignobiles, cf. de Off. III. § 79, cum iam septimum annum post praeturam iaceret. 'Men whom not even the mention of the ......could rescue from obscurity.'

tanto...refregissem] de leg. agrar. II. § 3 is compared with this.

claustra] for metaphor cf. Plin. Ep. II. 14. 4, nunc refractis pudoris et reverentiae claustris omnia patent omnibus.

apud maiores] since 366 B.C., cf.

Liv. VII. I. T.

equitis Romani] cf. Juv. VIII. 237 foll., hic novus Arpinas ignobilis et modo Romae municipalis eques.

novitate] generis not hominis (for Murena was no homo novus, cf. $15). Sulpicius might speak of this in contrast to the antiquity of his own family. H. Z. prefers to read with MS. Lag. 9 nobilitate.

duobus] viz., L. Sergius Catilina, P. Sulpicius Galba. For the latter's

canvass cf. ad Atticum I. 1, § I.

id] the defeat of a patrician. T. 18. cetera] these are, (1) quaestorship, 18; (2) presence and absence, peace and war, $$ 19-34; (3) praetorship, §§ 35—42; (4) candidature for the consulship $$ 43-53.

factus prior] i. e. I got the required number of votes (18 out of 35 tribes) before Murena, and hence according to custom was returned elected before him. So fiant, ‘are elected,' cf. § 50, factus, § 45, faciam.

locum] Mommsen's conjecture. Z with MSS. primum only, or (see Gellius x. 1, 6) primo.

pari momento sortis] 'was about as lucky for one as the other.' momentum = what turns the scale, cf. Lucan, IV. 819, momentumque fuit mutatus Curio rerum. Z. gives another instance of the ablative (? locative), de Invent. II. § 77; but the gen. magni momenti est, is commoner. cf. on § 3.

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lege Titia provinciam tacitam et quietam, tu illam, cui, cum quaestores sortiuntur, etiam adclamari solet, Ostiensem, non tam gratiosam et inlustrem quam negotiosam et molestam. consedit utriusque nomen in quaestura; nullum enim vobis sors campum dedit, in quo excurrere virtus cognoscique posset. 19 IX. reliqui temporis spatium in contentionem vocatur, ab utroque dissimillima ratione tractatum. Servius hic nobiscum hanc urbanam militiam respondendi, scribendi, cavendi, plenam sollicitudinis ac stomachi, secutus est: ius civile didicit; multum vigilavit laboravit, praesto multis fuit, multorum stultitiam perpessus est, arrogantiam pertulit, difficultatem exsorbuit: vixit ad aliorum arbitrium, non ad suum. magna laus et grata omnibus, unum hominem elaborare in ea scientia,

lege Titia] is supposed to have dealt with the duties assigned to the various quaestors and the distribution of these charges (provinciae) among the quaestors of the year. But nothing is known concerning it.

nam.

tacitam et quietam] probably CaleBoth Murena and Sulpicius had a provincia Italica; there were 4 of these, viz., (1) Ostiensis, cf. pro Sest. 39, Suet. Claud. 24. (2) Gallica, cf. Plut. Sertor. 4, Suet. Claud. 24. (3) Calena, cf. Tac. Ann. IV. 27. (4) aquaria or Puteolana, cf. in Vatin. § 12. Z. [but in Tac. Ann. IV. 27 Halm keeps the MS. reading calles.]

adclamari] seems to be always used in unfavourable sense by Cicero.

negotiosam] the charge of the public corn-supply.

consedit] opposed to excurrere. cf. Orator, $ 96, in ea mediocritate consedit. Passed out of the public view in the routine duties of the office.' campum, cf. ad Att. v. 15. I, non habet satis magnum campum ille tibi non ignotus cursus animi.

ix. 19. reliqui temporis] this is treated in SS 19-53. See on § 18. tractatum] possibly a stage-metaphor, cf. pro Rosc. Com. § 20, personam tractare. Z., who with

MS. Lag. 9 omits est after tractatum. [H. adds auct. ad Herenn. IV. § 33, vitam honeste tractatam.] Better 'employed,'' applied.' Nägelsb. Lat. Stil. 10, 3.

urbanam militiam] a playful hit at the sedentary life of Sulpicius, as compared with the campaigns of Murena. cf. § 38.

respondendi] giving legal opinions, as in § 9.

scribendi] drawing up legal instruments (such as wills, contracts, pleadings), cf. § 28, de Or. II. § 24.

cavendi] taking care that a client is not led unwarily into a ruinous contract, or an informal mode of pleading, cf. § 22.

didicit] i. e. he devoted himself now wholly to jurisprudence and gave up oratory. Z. cf. on § 29.

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praesto fuit] 'served many clients. difficultatem] cf. difficiles, Cat. mai. 7. Wilful obstinacy,' or better cantankerousness.' exsorbuit] 'swallowed,' i.e. put up with. So sorbere, ad Q. fr. III. 9 $ 5, and often devorare.

arbitrium] cf. Propert. V. I. 143, illius arbitrio noctem lucemque videbis. laus] 'merit.'

elaborare in] so de Off. 1. § 3, and often in Cic.

unum] purely rhetorical antithesis to multis. Z.

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