De Bello Catilinario et Jurgthino | Page 9

in conformity with
Sallust's notion, appears to be a combination of Greek with some early
Italian idiom. [45] Temptare, the historical infinitive, about the
meaning and construction of which see Zumpt, S 599, note. [46]

Auxilia portare is a less common expression than auxilium ferre; for
portare is generally used only to denote the actual physical carrying of
something, while ferre has a wider meaning. The plural auxilia,
however, here alludes to the repeated assistance given to friends. [47]
'Their government was a legitimate one'--that is, the powers of the
government were limited by law; 'and bore the name of a kingly
government'--that is, a king stood at the head of it. [48] Chosen men
had the care of public affairs, and deliberated about the good of the
state; they stood by the side of the kings as a consilium publicum, and
were addressed by the term patres. [49] Respecting the meaning of
these genitives, for which datives also might have been used, see
Zumpt, S 662. [50] Ubi--convertit, 'when it had changed (itself).' For
ubi with the perfect in the sense of a pluperfect, see Zumpt, S 506; and
for the use of vertere in an intransitive or reflective sense, S 145. [51]
In the earliest times they were called praetores or leaders, _qui
praeeunt exercitui; afterwards consules_. As two were elected every
year, Sallust uses bini, and not duo.
7. Sed ea tempestate coepere se quisque magis extollere magisque
ingenium in promptu habere.[52] Nam regibus boni quam mali
suspectiores sunt, semperque his aliena virtus formidolosa est. Sed
civitas incredibile memoratu est adepta[53] libertate quantum brevi[54]
creverit; tanta cupido gloriae incesserat.[55] Jam primum juventus,
simul ac belli patiens erat, in castris per laborem usu militiam discebat,
magisque in decoris armis et militaribus equis quam in scortis atque
conviviis libidinem habebant.[56] Igitur talibus viris non labos[57]
insolitus, non locus ullus asper aut arduus erat, non armatus hostis
formidolosus; virtus omnia domuerat. Sed gloriae maximum certamen
inter ipsos erat: sic se quisque hostem ferire, murum ascendere,
conspici, dum tale facinus faceret, properabat; eas[58] divitias, eam
bonam famam magnamque nobilitatem putabant; laudis avidi, pecuniae
liberales erant; gloriam ingentem, divitias honestas volebant. Memorare
possem, quibus in locis maximas hostium copias populus Romanus
parva manu fuderit, quas urbes natura munitas pugnando ceperit, ni ea
res longius nos ab incepto traheret.
[52] In promptu habere, 'to have in readiness,' and also 'to bring into

action,' or 'to make use of.' Sallust means to say, that in consequence of
the introduction of annual magistrates, every one increased his efforts
to distinguish himself, and to make his talents shine. [53] Adepta is
here used in a passive sense, contrary to the usage of the best authors,
in accordance with which he might have said adepta libertatem. [54]
Brevi, 'in a short time.' [55] Incesserat; supply in eos or iis, referring to
cives, implied in the preceding civitas. [56] Habebant should have been
habebat, since discebat precedes. But see Zumpt, S 366. [57] Labos, a
rarer form for labor, as honos and lepos, which are even more
frequently found than honor and lepor. [58] Eas agrees with divitias,
though in English we say, in such cases, 'This,' or 'these things they
considered as riches.' See Zumpt, S 372.
8. Sed profecto fortuna in omni re dominatur; ea res cunctas ex libidine
magis quam ex vero celebrat obscuratque. Atheniensium res gestae,
sicuti ego aestimo, satis amplae magnificaeque fuere, verum
aliquanto[59] minores tamen quam fama feruntur. Sed quia provenere
ibi scriptorum magna ingenia, per terrarum orbem Atheniensium facta
pro maximis[60] celebrantur. Ita eorum, qui ea fecere, virtus tanta
habetur, quantum ea verbis potuere extollere praeclara ingenia. At
populo Romano nunquam ea copia fuit, quia prudentissimus quisque
maxime negotiosus erat;[61] ingenium nemo sine corpore exercebat;
optimus quisque facere quam dicere, sua ab aliis bene facta laudari
quam ipse aliorum narrare malebat.
[59] Aliquanto, 'by a considerable amount,' or simply 'considerably,' is
the ablative, expressing the amount of difference between two things
compared. Sallust here considers it to be a mere matter of chance that
the wars of the early Romans, as those against the Volscians, Aequians,
Etruscans, and Samnites, do not stand forth in history as glorious as the
wars of the Greek nations among themselves, and against the Persians.
To us it appears that this was not a matter of chance; but it undoubtedly
arose from the fact, that the Greeks even then had already attained a
higher degree of civilisation. The interest which history takes in wars
does not depend upon the vastness of the armies or the extent of
countries, but upon the lower or higher degree of civilisation of those
engaged in the wars. [60] Pro maximis, 'they are celebrated as if they

were the greatest.' Respecting this meaning of pro, see Zumpt, S 394,
note 3. [61] 'The more