Note 12 — URBIS RŌMAE VIRĪ INLŪSTRĒS Complete text as printed

48.12 Since the battle at Lake Trasumenus (XIX, 17), there had been no general engagement between the Romans and Hannibal. The latter, closely watched and followed by Fabius, had marched into southern Italy, hoping to induce the peoples there to desert Rome and join him. When Fabius resigned the dictatorship at the end of the legal period, C. Terentius Varro and L. Aemilius Paulus were elected consuls. Their army numbered 80,000 men, and their instructions were to fight as speedily as possible.

49.1 A further cause of trouble between the consuls was the fact that Paulus was a patrician, Varro a plebeian.

49.2 invītō conlēgā: abl. abs.: ‘though opposed by his colleague.’ How literally? The consuls held supreme command on alternate days.

49.3 Construe with adversī.

49.4 H 83, 5 (51, 5): M 152: A 40, c: G 33, 2: B 25, 1.

49.5 sc. inquit.

49.6 Tū . . . estō: ‘God bless you!’ Cf. p. 32, n. 1.

49.7 cavē . . . perdās = cavē nē . . . perdās: ‘Take care lest,’ etc. For this form see H 561, 2 (489, 2): M 715: A 269, a, 3: G 271, 2: B 276, c. We really have two commands here side by side, thus: ‘Take care’; ‘Don’t waste,’ etc.

49.8 imperative of patior.

49.9 in . . . suae: ‘to prove his victory.’

49.10 The custom of wearing rings was universal among the Romans, having arisen out of their use as signets. Originally they were of iron. When gold rings were first used they served to distinguish the higher classes.

50.1 minimē . . . ratus: ‘thinking that there ought to be no delay.’ With cessandum sc. esse, and see p. 16, n. 8.

50.2 victor . . . epulātūrus: ‘for he would surely dine as victor on the Capitol.’ The fut. part. is often thus used to denote the certain occurrence of a future event. Further, the clause expresses the reason why Maharbal urged H. to proceed to Rome. What were Maharbal’s exact words?

50.3 dat. sing.

50.4 Cf. p. 25, n. 6. Contrast the words of a modern historian: “Hannibal knew Rome better than the simpletons who, in ancient and modern times, have fancied that he might have terminated the struggle by a march on the enemy’s capital.”

50.5 cūius . . . fuisse: a gross exaggeration. Hannibal successfully maintained himself in Italy till recalled in 203.

50.6 Capua, at this time the most powerful city in Italy next to Rome, had formed an alliance with Hannibal after the battle of Cannae.

50.7 Sc. fuit.

50.8 quīn etiam: ‘on the contrary.’

50.9 For the construction, see p. 47, n. 12. For the fact, cf. XVI, 19 ff.

50.10 superfuisse . . . approbāvit: ‘he showed that he had effected his escape (lit., had survived).’

50.11 ‘let grow.’ This manner of showing grief is often mentioned.

50.12 The Romans reclined on the left side at meals. Varro’s act was a kind of penance, since it indicated that he denied himself the pleasures of the table.

51.1 magistrātibus . . . esse: cf. p. 37, notes 3 and 4.

51.2 ‘to repair their losses’; lit., ‘to get their breath again.’

51.3 dat.; cf. p. 2, n. 7. After a victory, captured arms, as well as a portion of the captured treasure, were hung up in some temple as a thank-offering to the gods.

51.4 singulīs . . . ānulīs: ‘a ring apiece.’

51.5 vix . . . manūs: i.e. they hardly had clerks and tablets sufficient to keep the record of contributions.

51.6 redimendī suī: ‘of ransoming themselves.’ H 626, 3 (542, I, N. 1): M 1000: A 298, a: G 428, R. 1: B 339, 5.

51.7 velutī . . . oblītus: ‘pretending to have forgotten something.’ How literally?

51.8 A neuter pronoun or adjective is often used with verbs of remembering or forgetting. Contrast oblīta frātrum, IV, 37, and note.

51.9 ‘maintained, held.’

52.1 abl. abs.: ‘though their affairs were at the lowest ebb.’