Note 1 — URBIS RŌMAE VIRĪ INLŪSTRĒS Complete text as printed
Reading edition
77.1 efficiet nē . . . dēpōnat: ‘will prevent any one from resigning.’ For the subjunctive dēpōnat, see p. 9, n. 6.
77.2 The indefinite pronoun quis occurs chiefly after sī, nisi, nē, and num. Elsewhere aliquis is used.
77.11 Cf. p. 76, n. 1.
77.12 ‘ability.’
77.13 Sc. est.
77.14 The offices mentioned here formed the cursus honōrum, or official career, through which all desirous of political distinction were required to pass. The aedileship, however, might be omitted.
78.1 Cf. p. 72, n. 2. Lucullus assumed command against Mithridates in 74 B.C.
78.2 ‘surpassed,’ ‘outstripped.’
78.3 causal abl., explained by quod . . . exspectābātur.
78.4 ‘ability.’
78.5 forēnsī operā: ‘legal business,’ i.e. the practice of law. In or near the Forum were the law courts, as well as business places in general.
78.6 in Asiae pāce: ‘in Asia, which was then at peace.’
78.7 quīdam is often used, as here, to soften a phrase which the writer fears may seem exaggerated.
78.8 ūsūs dīsciplīnam: ‘the training of experience.’
78.9 iter et nāvigātiōnem: ‘voyage.’
78.10 ‘experts.’ Sc. reī mīlitāris.
78.11 rēbus gestīs: ‘history’; here, of course, military history especially.
78.12 Cf. our use of the word ‘finished.’
78.13 The statements in lines 9-15 are untrue, since Lucullus had served with distinction under Sulla in the first Mithridatic War.
78.14 King of Armenia, and son-in-law of Mithridates, with whom he had formed alliance.
78.15 ultimam . . . potuit: ‘his failure to put the finishing touches (ultimam manum) to the war was due more to unwillingness than to inability.’ How literally? Here too the biographer shows his prejudice. Lucullus’ failure to end the war was due to the mutiny of his soldiers, who were weary of their incessant exertions, and angry because L. did not permit them to gratify their greed for plunder.
78.16 ‘(though) praiseworthy.’ invictus must be similarly translated.
78.17 Cf. p. 18, n. 7.
78.18 ‘convenience.’
79.1 mōlēs . . . iniēcit: ‘he built huge structures out into the sea.’
79.2 Cf. p. 73, n. 10. Xerxes, king of Persia, made an expedition against Greece in 480 B.C., in the course of which he executed certain important engineering works.
79.3 adsuēscō.
79.4 prōspectū . . . pulcherrimam: ‘with a very beautiful view and promenade.’ prōspectū and ambulātiōne are abl. of specification.
79.5 Why subjunctive?
79.6 utpote sōlī = quod sōlus erat. In phrases like this Latin suffers from the lack of a present part. to sum.
80.1 dedit ūtendōs: i.e. loaned them. For ūtendōs, see p. 2, n. 18.
80.2 The Muses were patrons of literature in its various forms.