61. Social Changes at Rome
Haud mīrum vidēbitur, tot tantīsque rēbus prōsperē gestīs, victōrum mōrēs mūtātōs esse. Neque enim id temporis imperātōrēs, ut anteā, pauperēs virī erant, quī nōnnisi imminentibus reīpūblicae perīculīs sūmēbant arma, et dēbellātō hoste pōnēbant, sed prīmōrēs cīvitātis, sprētā agrōrum cultūrā, in bellum gerendum aut officia pūblica exsequenda tōtī incumbēbant. Simul multae rēs peregrē exquīsītae vulgārī, et artēs disciplīnaque Graecōrum ad effēminandōs hominum animōs tendere coepērunt, cum suum quisque commodum ōtiumque petēns, ad dētrectandam mīlitiam prōnior in diēs fieret. Inde luxūs pervulgārī, neglēctāque deōrum cūrā, prīscī mōrēs in peius ruere coepērunt.
toti incumbebant—‘devoted themselves.‘
in dies--‘from day to day.‘
in peius ruere—‘to deteriorate.‘
in dies--‘from day to day.‘
in peius ruere—‘to deteriorate.‘
62. Scipio and Cato
Inter prīmōrēs id temporis praecipuē ēminēbat Pūblius Scīpiō, cui agnōmen Āfricānō post vīctum Hannibalem inditum est, et Mārcus Catō. Hīs gravēs intercēdēbant simultātēs, cum alter Graecīs mōribus et disciplīnae favēret, alter prīscōs mōrēs et antīquās cōnsuētūdinēs probāret. Cum vērō inimīcī Scīpiōnis occāsiōnem nocendī diū quaesīvissent neque ūllam reperīre potuissent, frātrī eius Lūciō Scīpiōnī, cui Asiāticō agnōmen erat propter victōriam dē Antiochō Syriae rēge reportātam, diem dīxērunt. Is accūsātus quod pecūniās pūblicās fūrātus esset, frātris ope crīminis absolūtus est. Posteā Āfricānus exsulātum abiit immemorem beneficiī gentem exprobrāns. Neque Catōnis monitīs obtemperābant Rōmānī, cum molestē ferrent sibi luxum mūtātōsque mōrēs obiicī.
agnomen—‘an honorary title.’ praenomen was the name of the individual, nomen the name of the gens. A man might also have a cognomen to distinguish his particular family from other families of the same gens.
His—simultates--‘these men had serious grounds for differing.‘
inimici--‘personal enemies,’ as opposed to hostis, a public foe.
Syria--an important province of Asia, between Asia Minor and Egypt.
sibi obiici—‘that they were reproached with.‘
His—simultates--‘these men had serious grounds for differing.‘
inimici--‘personal enemies,’ as opposed to hostis, a public foe.
Syria--an important province of Asia, between Asia Minor and Egypt.
sibi obiici—‘that they were reproached with.‘
63. Rome Governed by the Rich
Iam plūrīs habērī dīvitiae coeptae sunt, adeō ut omnēs ferē magistrātūs obīrent locuplētēs virī, neque iī multī, ē dītissimīs gentibus ortī. Hīs nōmen optimātibus datum est. Penes quōs cum summa potestās esset, senātus ex eiusdem generis hominibus cōnstābat, quī populō imperitābant; neque multum potestātis cōnsulibus concessum est, quibus reīpūblicae cūra ā patribus dēmandābātur. Dum adhūc bellum adversus Poenum gerēbātur, rēs bene administrābantur, sed post vīctam Asiam, neglēctā reīpūblicae cūrā, patrēs prō sē quisque dīvitiās coacervāre cupiēbant. Inde in dēterius adeō vertī mōrēs ut optimus quisque verērētur nē qua clādēs aliquandō orīrētur, cum cōnstāret patrēs suō quemque commodō studēre, neque cīvitātis ūllam habēre ratiōnem.
pluris—descriptive genitive (genitive of quality), understand pretii.
obirent--‘filled.‘
constabat--‘consisted.’
optimus quisque--‘all the best men.‘
rationem—‘care.‘
obirent--‘filled.‘
constabat--‘consisted.’
optimus quisque--‘all the best men.‘
rationem—‘care.‘
64. Growing Corruption at Rome
Tot populīs victīs, cum nusquam esset cīvitās pār Rōmānīs, ūna urbs tōtī orbī terrārum imperitābat. Cīvēs autem in trēs partēs dīvīsī sunt, optimātēs equitēs vulgus. Optimātēs, ut suprā dēmōnstrāvimus, reīpūblicae praeerant, sed cum lēgēs in comitiīs ferrī oportēret, patribus cūrae erat vulgō placēre, nē, nōlentibus cīvibus, quod facere vellent, id nūllō modō exsequī possent. Itaque frūmentum cīvibus dīvidēbant magistrātūs, quī etiam lūdōs in circō magnā impēnsā exhibēbant. Itaque cīvēs dēteriōrēs in diēs fīēbant cum appārēret cibum lūdōsque circēnsēs grātīs datum īrī. Equitēs autem, quī ōlim stīpendia faciēbant, rārō merērī, in opēs comparandās tōtī incumbere. Itaque omnia in peius ruēre, patribus summam potestātem penes sē habēre cōnantibus, equitibus dīvitiās coacervantibus, sēgnī plēbe neque quicquam agente.
nolentibus civibus--‘if the citizens disapproved of it.’
stipendia faciebant--‘used to serve in the army.‘
mereri--historic infinitive. The meaning is the same as that of stipendia faciebant.
segni— ‘remaining inactive’ (sine, ignis).
neque quicquam—preferable to et nihil.
stipendia faciebant--‘used to serve in the army.‘
mereri--historic infinitive. The meaning is the same as that of stipendia faciebant.
segni— ‘remaining inactive’ (sine, ignis).
neque quicquam—preferable to et nihil.
65. The State of Italy
Ītaliā vērō tamdiū ab Hannibale vastātā, relictīs agrīs hominēs in oppidīs habitābant. Cum enim dīvitēs agrōs magnī emere vellent neque colōnī satis pecūniae ad emendum habērent, penes paucōs praedia fuērunt, quae colēbant servī, cum facilius esset servōrum opera utī quam līberōs condūcere. Quae rēs effēcit ut colōnī in oppidīs sēgnēs habitārent, aut mercēde conductī stīpendia facerent. Itaque, quamvīs dīvitiōrēs essent Rōmānī, minus aptī ad bella gerenda fīēbant, cum agrestium genus, quōrum victōria totiēs penes Rōmānōs steterat, nusquam compārēret. Neque grātō in Latīnōs animō fuērunt Rōmānī, quamvīs in officiō permānsissent, sed etiam iīs spem cīvitātis adēmērunt.
penes—steterat—‘had remained with the Romans.‘
66. The Provinces
Mōs erat ut cōnsulārēs post cōnsulātum prōvinciās administrārent. Cōnsulēs autem cum ā plēbe dēsignārentur, lūdīs faciendīs, mūneribus distribuendīs plēbī grātī esse cōnābantur. Quās propter largītiōnēs vulgō fīēbat ut prōcōnsulēs, id nōmen prōvinciārum administrātōribus fuit, priusquam in prōvinciās abīre possent, magnō essent in aere aliēnō. Itaque ut aes persolvī posset, pecūniae ā prōvinciīs extorquendae erant. Prōcōnsulēs autem, sī quandō admissō quō facinore reī fierent, iūdicibus, quī senātōrēs erant, pecūniā corruptīs, plērumque crīminis absolvēbantur, cum eō mūnere aliquandō et ipsī fungī cuperent patrēs.
mos—administrarent--The ut clause explains mos; a kind of consecutive clause.
admisso quo facinore--‘having committed some crime or other.’ quo = aliquo.
eo munere— ‘this post,’ namely, being governor of a province.
admisso quo facinore--‘having committed some crime or other.’ quo = aliquo.
eo munere— ‘this post,’ namely, being governor of a province.
67. Tiberius Gracchus
Tiberius quīdam Gracchus corruptōs cīvium mōrēs aegrē ferēns, Italōrum simul Latīnōrumque miseritus, cum tribūnus plēbis esset, ab optimātibus dēscīvit, lēgem agrāriam tulit. Agrō enim pūblicō ūtēbantur optimātēs, neque pauperēs rūrī habitāre poterant. Cīvitātem etiam Italīs omnibus dare volēbat, veritus nē iī propter superbiam Rōmānōrum īrātī coniūrātiōnem aliquam inīrent. Lēgem populus iussit auctōre Tiberiō. Itaque odiō īnfēnsī patrēs dēlīberāvērunt quidnam faciendum esset. Cum Tiberius in īnsequentem annum tribūnātum ambīret, coortā rixā interfectus est; mortuī corpus in Tiberim prōiectum.
tulit—‘proposed;’
auctore Tiberio—‘on the motion of Tiberius.’ Notice how the Latins prefer the concrete auctor to any abstract word meaning ‘motion.’
auctore Tiberio—‘on the motion of Tiberius.’ Notice how the Latins prefer the concrete auctor to any abstract word meaning ‘motion.’
68. Caius Gracchus
Decem post annīs Gāius Gracchus, frāter Tiberiī, eadem cōnsilia exsequī cōnātus est. Itaque plēbem conciliāvit lātā lēge ut frūmentum minimī ā cīvibus ēmerētur. Equitibus idem persuāsit ut suīs cōnsiliīs favērent, auctā eōrum potestāte. Inde cum cīvitātem equitēsque sibi conciliāsset, lēgem agrāriam tulit, agrumque pūblicum cīvibus distribuit. Posteā cīvitātem Latīnīs dare cōnātus, cīvibus valdē displicuit, quī lēgem antīquārunt, cum pānem et circēnsēs commūnī Ītaliae commodō antepōnerent. Posterō annō Gāius tribūnus esse dēsiit, et eōdem modō quō frāter, coortā rixā ab inimīcīs trucīdātus est.
minimi—understand pretii.
civitatem--‘the franchise,’ or rights of citizenship.
circenses—understand ludos.
civitatem--‘the franchise,’ or rights of citizenship.
circenses—understand ludos.
69. A Statesman on the Corn Law
Pīsō ille Frūgī semper contrā lēgem frūmentāriam dīxerat. Is, lēge lātā, cōnsulāris ad frūmentum accipiendum vēnerat. Animadvertit Gracchus in conciōne Pīsōnem stantem. Quaerit audiente populō Rōmānō, cūr frūmentum petat quī lēgem frūmentāriam dissuāserit. "Ōlim," inquit, "mea bona, Gracche, tibi virītim dīvidere libeat, sed sī faciās, partem petam. Parumne dēclārāvit vir gravis et sapiēns lēge Semprōniā patrimōnium pūblicum dissipārī?"
Piso ille—‘the well-known Piso.‘
Frugi--called the Frugal. Frugi, originally a dative= ‘for food, fit for food.’
consularis--‘though of consular rank.’
libeat--understand ut.
lege Sempronia—the law proposed by C. Sempronius Gracchus.
Frugi--called the Frugal. Frugi, originally a dative= ‘for food, fit for food.’
consularis--‘though of consular rank.’
libeat--understand ut.
lege Sempronia—the law proposed by C. Sempronius Gracchus.
70. War Against Jugurtha
Post Carthāginem dēlētam summa potestās in Āfricā penes Numidās fuit. Hōrum rēx, cui nōmen Micipsae erat, moriēns fīliīs duōbus et prīncipī cuidam quem adoptāverat rēgnum trādidit. Is frātrēs trucīdāvit ut sōlus Numidiae imperiō potīrētur. Cognitō Rōmae scelere bellum Iugurthae indictum est. Missus adversus eum cōnsul, corruptus rēgis pecūniā, pācem flāgitiōsissimam fēcit. Iugurtha tandem ā Quīntō Metellō, quī pecūniam accipere nōlēbat, fūsus fugātusque est; quae victōria Metellō nōmen Numidicō dedit.
Numidici—thus Scipio got the title of Africanus. Nomen is used loosely for agnomen; see 62, note.