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84. Opiniosissimi: so the MSS. I cannot think that the word is wrong, though all edd. condemn it.
Halm is certainly mistaken in saying that a laudatory epithet such as ingeniosissimi is necessary. I
believe that the word opiniosissimi (an adj. not elsewhere used by Cic.) was manufactured on the
spur of the moment, in order to ridicule these two philosophers, who are playfully described as
men full of opinio or d??a—just the imputation which, as Stoics, they would most repel.
Hermann's spinosissimi is ingenious, and if an em. were needed, would not be so utterly
improbable as Halm thinks.
§144. In contionem vocas: a retort, having reference to 14, cf. also 63, 72. For these contiones see
Lange, Romische Alterthumer II. 663, ed 2. They were called by and held under the presidency of
magistrates, all of whom had the right to summon them, the right of the tribune being under
fewer restrictions than the right of the others. Occludi tabernas in order of course that the artisans
might all be at the meeting, for this see Liv. III. 27, IV. 31, IX. 7, and compare the cry "to your
tents, O Israel" in the Bible. Artificia: n. on 30. Tolli: n. on 26. Ut opifices concitentur: cf. Pro
Flacc. 18 opifices et tabernarios quid neqoti est concitare? Expromam: Cic. was probably
thinking of the use to which he himself had put these Stoic paradoxes in Pro Murena 61, a use of
which he half confesses himself ashamed in D.F. IV. 74. Exsules etc.: 136.
§145. Scire negatis: cf. Sext. A.M. VII. 153, who says that even ?ata????? when it arises in the
mind of a fa???? is mere d??a and not ep?st?µ?; also P.H. II. 83, where it is said that the fa????
is capable of t? a???e? but not of a???e?a, which the s?f?? alone has. Visum ... adsensus: the
Stoics as we saw (II. 38, etc.) analysed sensations into two parts; with the Academic and other
schools each sensation was an ultimate unanalysable unit, a ????? pa???. For this symbolic
action of Zeno cf. D.F. II. 18, Orat. 113, Sextus A.M. II. 7, Quint. II. 20, 7, Zeller 84. Contraxerat:
so Halm who qu. Plin. Nat. Hist. XI. 26, 94 digitum contrahens aut remittens; Orelli construxerat;
MSS. mostly contexerat. Quod ante non fuerat: ?ata?aµßa?e?? however is frequent in Plato in
the sense "to seize firmly with the mind." Adverterat: the best MSS. give merely adverat, but on
the margin admoverat which Halm takes, and after him Bait.; one good MS. has adverterat. Ne
ipsi quidem: even Socrates, Antisthenes and Diogenes were not s?f?? according to the Stoics,
but merely were e? p????p??; see Diog. VII. 91, Zeller 257, and cf. Plut. Sto. Rep. 1056 (qu. by
P. Valentia p. 295, ed Orelli) est? de ??t?? (i.e. ?? s?f??) ??daµ?? ??? ??de ?e???e. Nec tu: sc.
scis; Goer. has a strange note here.
§146. Illa: cf. illa invidiosa above (144). Dicebas: in 22. Refero: "retort," as in Ovid. Metam. I.
758 pudet haec opprobria nobis Et dici potuisse et non potuisse referri; cf. also par pari referre
dicto. Ne nobis quidem: "nor would they be angry;" cf. n. on. I. 5. Arbitrari: the original meaning
of this was "to be a bystander," or "to be an eye-witness," see Corssen I. 238. Ea non ut: MSS.
have ut ea non aut. Halm reads ut ea non merely, but I prefer the reading I have given because of
Cicero's fondness for making the ut follow closely on the negative: for this see Madv. Gram. 465
b, obs.
§147. Obscuritate: cf. I. 44, n. on I. 15. Plus uno: 115. Iacere: cf. 79. Plagas: cf. n. on 112.
§148. Ad patris revolvor sententiam: for this see Introd. 50, and for the expression 18.
Opinaturum: see 59, 67, 78, 112. Intellegat se: MSS. intellegentes, cf. n. on 132. Qua re: so
Manut. for per of MSS. ?p???? illam omnium rerum: an odd expression; cf. actio rerum in 62.
Non probans: so Madv. Em. 204 for MSS. comprobans. Dav. conj. improbans and is followed by
Bait. I am not sure that the MSS. reading is wrong. The difficulty is essentially the same as that
involved in 104, which should be closely compared. A contrast is drawn between a theoretical
dogma and a practical belief. The dogma is that assent (meaning absolute assent) is not to be
given to phenomena. This dogma Catulus might well describe himself as formally approving
(comprobans). The practice is to give assent (meaning modified assent). There is the same
contrast in 104 between placere and tenere. I may note that the word alteri (cf. altero in 104)
need not imply that the dogma and the practice are irreconcilable; a misconception on this point
has considerably confirmed edd. in their introduction of the negative. Nec eam admodum: cf. non
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