74. Cato the Censor.

M. Porcius Cato, born B.C. 234, died in 149. He was variously surnamed 'Sapiens,' 'Maior,' or 'Censorius.' He was a type of the antiHellenic Roman of the Republic. With all his narrowness he was patriotic and honest according to his standards. Cato wrote a book

on farming ('de re rustica '), and a work ('origines') covering the history of the city from the foundation to his own age. His colleague in the censorship (184) was L. Valerius Flaccus.

At Cato, censor cum eodem Flacco factus, severe praefuit ei potestati. Nam et in complures nobiles animadvertit et multas res novas in edictum addidit, qua re luxuria reprimeretur, quae iam tum incipiebat pullulare. Circiter annos 5 octoginta, usque ad extremam aetatem ab adulescentia, rei publicae causa suscipere inimicitias non destitit. A multis tentatus non modo nullum detrimentum existimationis fecit, sed, quoad vixit, virtutum laude crevit.

In omnibus rebus singulari fuit industria : nam et agricola Io sollers et peritus iuris consultus et magnus imperator et probabilis orator et cupidissimus litterarum fuit. Quarum studium etsi senior adripuerat, tamen tantum progressum fecit, ut non facile reperiri possit neque de Graecis neque de Italicis rebus, quod ei fuerit incognitum. Ab adule15 scentia confecit orationes. Senex historias scribere instituit. Earum sunt libri septem. Primus continet res gestas regum populi Romani, secundus et tertius unde quaeque civitas

orta sit Italica, ob quam rem omnes Origines videtur appellasse.

75. A Traitor's Fate.

On the Nones of Dec. B.C. 63 the senate met to pass judgment on such of the Catilinarian conspirators as had been arrested in Rome. Cato argued for death (which Cicero, one of the consuls of the year, favored), while Julius Caesar opposed the motion on the ground that the punishment was illegal. The motion for death prevailed. Cethegus and Statilius, along with the "traitor" of our selection, perished at the hand of the common executioner. Lentulus was not only of high birth (of the Cornelian gens), but had been consul in B.C. 71.

Postquam, ut dixi, senatus in Catonis sententiam discessit, consul, optimum factu ratus noctem quae instabat antecapere, ne quid eo spatio novaretur, tresviros, quae supplicium 5 postulabat, parare iubet; ipse, praesidiis dispositis, Lentulum in carcerem deducit; idem fit ceteris per praetores. Est in carcere locus, quod Tullianum appellatur, ubi paululum descenderis ad laevam, circiter duodecim pedes humi

3. in sententiam (alicuius) discedere, to vote (“divide ”) in favor of a person's (alicuius) motion.

4. optimum factu, trans. to be best, lit. best to be done, or best in respect to the doing. Latter supine used with adj. (optimum) like abl. of specif. or dat. (archaic form) of purpose. (A. and G. 302 head-note, and 303 note; G. 435, 437; H. 545, 547.) Sc. esse (after ratus). — antecapere, to anticipate.

capitales: three men, having charge of prisons, executions, etc. 6. dispositis: note the force of the prefix dis-.

8. carcere: the famous jail, now called the "Mamertine Prison," of which the Tullianum was the lower dungeon. To this lower dungeon in olden times access was had only by a round hole in the top of the vaulted roof. Cf. demissus Lentulus in line 4, p. 98.

9. ad laevam (sc. partem), on the left. Also written in laevam, in laevum, a laeva. -humi: i.e., below the surface of the earth, lit. a locative, in the ground.

depressus. Eum muniunt undique parietes atque insuper camera lapideis fornicibus iuncta, sed incultu, tenebris, odore foeda atque terribilis eius facies est. In eum locum postquam demissus est Lentulus, vindices rerum capitalium, 5 quibus praeceptum erat, laqueo gulam fregere. Ita ille patricius ex gente clarissima Corneliorum, qui consulare imperium Romae habuerat, dignum moribus factisque suis exitium vitae invenit.

76 A Green Old Age.

Appius Claudius Caecus was, as his surname implies, blind, at least in his old age. When Censor (B.C. 312), he began the construction of the first military road (via Appia) and finished the first Roman aqueduct (aqua Appia). He served as consul in 307 and 296. When the senate was about to yield to the persuasive eloquence of Cineas, the ambassador of King Pyrrhus, old Appius Claudius had himself led into the senatehouse to make the speech which turned the scale against the invader.

Ad Appii Claudii senectutem accedebat etiam ut caecus Io esset; tamen is, cum sententia senatus inclinaret ad pacem cum Pyrrho foedusque faciendum, non dubitavit dicere illa, quae versibus persecutus est Ennius :

ceteraque gravissime ipsius Appii exstat oratio. Atque haec ille egit septem et decem annos post alterum consulatum, cum inter duos consulatus anni decem interfuissent, censorque ante superiorem consulatum fuisset, ex quo intellegitur Pyrrhi bello 5 grandem sane fuisse. Quattuor robustos filios, quinque filias, tantam domum, tantas clientelas Appius regebat et caecus et senex. Intentum enim animum, tanquam arcum, habebat, nec languescens succumbebat senectuti. Tenebat non modo auctoritatem sed etiam imperium in suos metu- 10 ebant servi, verebantur liberi, carum omnes habebant ; vigebat in illa domo mos patrius et disciplina. Ita enim senectus honesta est, si se ipsa defendit, si ius suum retinet, si nemini emancipata est, si usque ad ultimum spiritum dominatur in suos. Ut enim adulescentem, in quo senile 15 aliquid, sic senem, in quo est aliquid adulescentis, probo; quod qui sequitur corpore senex esse poterit, animo nunquam erit.

notum enim carmen est et tamen

77. A High-spirited Indian King.

The passage of Alexander the Great over the Hydaspes, one of the great rivers of India, was disputed by Porus, an Indian king. His courage and spirit won the admiration of Alexander, who continued him as ruler of his people and extended his sway.

Rex spoliari corpus Pori, interemptum esse credens, iubet et, qui detraherent loricam vestemque, concurrere : cum 20

belua dominum tueri et spoliantes coepit adpetere levatumque corpus eius rursus dorso suo inponere. Ergo telis undique obruitur confossoque eo in vehiculum Porus inponitur. Quem rex ut vidit adlevantem oculos, non odio, sed 5 miseratione commotus, 'Quae,' inquit, amentia te coegit, rerum mearum cognita fama, belli fortunam experiri, cum Taxilis esset in deditos clementiae meae tam propinquum tibi exemplum ? ' At ille, Quoniam,' inquit, 'percontaris, respondebo ea libertate, quam interrogando fecisti. Nemi10 nem me fortiorem esse censebam. Meas enim noveram vires, nondum expertus tuas fortiorem esse te belli docuit eventus. Sed ne sic quidem parum felix sum, secundus tibi.' Rursus interrogatus, quid ipse victorem statuere debere censeret, 'Quod hic,' inquit, 'dies tibi suadet, quo 15 expertus es, quam caduca felicitas esset.'

78. A Bold Barbarian.

Ariovistus, the head of a powerful German confederacy, crossed the Rhine to aid the Sequani in their struggle with the Aedui. The Aedui appealed to Caesar for help. He came to the rescue. Ariovistus was defeated (B.C. 58) and driven across the Rhine. Thus was the dangerous German migration arrested.

Et prima contra Germanos illius pugna iustissimis quidem ex causis. Aedui de incursionibus eorum querebantur. Quae erat Ariovisti regis superbia! Cui cum legati dicerent, 'Veni ad Caesarem,' et 'Quis est Caesar?' et 'Si vult,