Note 6 — URBIS RŌMAE VIRĪ INLŪSTRĒS Complete text as printed

3.6 When two persons of the same name are mentioned together, the cognomen is usually put in the plural.

63.7 Africanus Maior.

63.8 Her brother was the adoptive father of the younger Scipio Africanus. The Gracchi were thus connected with two of the most distinguished of the Roman clans, the Cornelian and the Aemilian.

64.1 ā puerīs: we say, ‘from childhood.’

64.2 ‘literature’; abl. of means.

64.3 ‘guest.’

64.4 illō saeculō: temporal abl. We say: ‘for that age.’ The writer of these words was familiar with the extraordinary luxury and extravagance that marked the later history of Rome.

64.5 ‘with womanish pride.’ A tone of contempt often attaches to mulier and its derivatives.

64.6 construed here like dōnec, p. 39, n. 9.

64.7 Cf. p. 28, n. 3.

64.8 sed . . . māluērunt: this whole account of the Gracchi was manifestly written by one who sympathized with the senatorial or aristocratic party. Modern scholars are divided in their interpretations of the motives of the Gracchi.

64.9 The reference is to the ager pūblicus, or land gained in conquest. It belonged in theory to the state, but the greater part of it had fallen into the hands of wealthy capitalists, who, though possessing no legal title to the land, yet regarded it as their own, and resented any attempt to interfere with their occupancy. Meanwhile, the number of small landholders was constantly decreasing. These circumstances tended to drive numbers of poor people to the cities, especially Rome. The universal employment of slave labor aggravated the trouble by shutting the poor out from honest labor. Tiberius attempted to remedy these evils by limiting the number of acres of the public land which might be held by any individual and by distributing the lands thus redeemed among the poorer classes.

64.10 These colonies were intended to aid in relieving the distress at Rome by removing part of the population and supplying such persons with lands.

64.11 It was a general rule that no magistrate should hold the same office for two successive terms. Thus no man could be reëlected consul until ten years after the expiration of the first term. When Tiberius, at the end of his year as tribune, presented himself for reëlection, the aristocrats appealed to this rule. Gracchus might have replied that the rule had often been set aside under special circumstances. Still, on the whole, his conduct seems to have been unconstitutional.

65.1 This statement is probably wholly false. As the champions of the poor against the rich, the Gracchi were hated by the aristocrats, and received no favors at the hands of Roman historians.

65.2 Hōc . . . pōsceret: ‘The nobles interpreted this to mean that he was demanding a kingly crown.’ pōsceret is subjunctive as giving in indirect discourse the thought of the nobles; cf. p. 3, n. 6.

65.3 ‘although.’

65.4 See Vocab., equestris and eques.

65.5 dēgere potuerat: ‘he might have spent.’ Cf. tuērī poterant, l. 12.

65.6 adipīscor.

65.7 aerārium effūdit: ‘he wasted (the money in) the treasury.’ The reference is to the corn law mentioned in the next sentence. This entitled all citizens residing in Rome to a certain measure of corn monthly for less than the market price. The distribution was thus a constant drain upon the treasury.

65.8 ‘citizenship.’

65.9 ‘tried to give.’ The imperfect tense, like the present, often denotes attempted action; cf. dīvidēbat, l. 16, and commendābat, l. 22. He was unable to carry the law, as the citizens of Rome itself were jealous of any extension of the franchise. The Italians did not obtain citizenship till 89 B.C.

65.10 quantā . . . contentiōne: ‘with the greatest possible energy.’ Cf. quantō potuit apparātū, IX, 39, and note.

66.1 omnēs bonī: ‘all loyal citizens.’ bonī, like optimātēs, often has this political meaning. Cf. the derivation of aristocracy.

66.2 Sc. obsistēbat.

66.3 Quī . . . cōnstās: ‘How do you explain your conduct?’ How literally? See (4) quī in vocabulary.

66.4 Nōlim: ‘I should hardly desire’; lit. ‘I should be unwilling.’ The subjunctive is often thus used in a modest assertion: H 556 (486, N. 1): M 719: A 311, b: G 257, 2: B 280, 1. Cf. possit, l. 72. Often, as here, the modesty is assumed ironically.

66.5 Join with liceat.

66.6 ut . . . caperet: this was the formula by which the senate conferred unlimited power upon the consuls. Explain the subjunctives vidēret and caperet, and give the words of the decree as passed by the senate.

66.7 here ‘household.’

66.8 iam comprehenderētur: ‘was on the point of being arrested.’

66.9 aurō . . . fertur: ‘is said to have been paid for with gold.’

66.10 Sunt quī trādunt: ‘there are (those) who relate,’ i.e. ‘some say.’

66.11 infūsō plumbō: ‘by pouring in lead.’ Cf. p. xxiii, K 8. It is said that Opimius had promised to pay its weight in gold for the head of Gaius.

66.12 = explēvisse.

67.1 in eōs . . . animadverterētur: ‘punishment should be visited upon those.’

67.2 Cf. p. xviii, E 6.

67.3 ut . . . īgnōscerētur: a result clause, dependent on causam: ‘a reason as a result of which he ought to be pardoned.’ The subjunctive at times expresses necessity or obligation and propriety.

67.4 tantī . . . fēcisset: ‘he had so highly esteemed Gracchus.’ tantī is a so-called gen. of price or value: H 448, 1 (405): M 576: A 252, a: G 380: B 203, 3. For fēcisset, cf. p. 14, n. 1.

67.5 Cf. p. 47, n. 12.

67.6 quidem emphasizes id. This emphasis in English would be indicated by the stress of the voice, thus: ‘he never would have dreamed of that.’ Cf. Nōlim quidem above, l. 42.

67.7 cum . . . tum: ‘not only . . . but also.’

67.8 ex ūsū vestrō: ‘to your interests.’

67.9 ‘a red cent,’ ‘a farthing,’ as we say.

67.10 sūmptum facere = ‘to be put to expense.’

67.11 Verbs and adjectives denoting fulness and want are construed with either the gen. or the abl., the abl. in reality expressing means.