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these dialogues had no such knowledge show that they can make their envy reach
beyond the grave. Some critics do not approve the particular philosophy which I
follow—the Academic. This is natural, but they must know that Academicism puts
no stop to inquiry (7). My school is free from the fetters of dogma; other schools are
enslaved to authority (8). The dogmatists say they bow to the authority of the wise
man. How can they find out the wise man without hearing all opinions? This subject
was discussed by myself, Catulus, Lucullus, and Hortensius, the day after the
discussion reported in the Catulus (9). Catulus called on Lucullus to defend the
doctrines of Antiochus. This Lucullus believed himself able to do, although the
doctrines had suffered in the discussion of the day before (10). He spoke thus: At
Alexandria I heard discussions between Heraclitus Tyrius the pupil of Clitomachus
and Philo, and Antiochus. At that very time the books mentioned by Catulus
yesterday came into the hands of Antiochus, who was so angry that he wrote a book
against his old teacher (11 and 12). I will now give the substance of the disputes
between Heraclitus and Antiochus, omitting the remarks made by the latter against
Philo (12).
§1. Luculli: see Introd. p. 58, and Dict. Biog. Digna homini nobili: a good deal of learning would
have been considered unworthy of a man like Lucullus, see Introd. p. 30. Percepta: "gained,"
"won;" cf. percipere fruges, "to reap," Cat. Mai. 24. Caruit: "was cut off from;" carere comes
from a root skar meaning to divide, see Corss. I. 403. For the three nouns with a singular verb
see Madv. Gram. 213 A, who confines the usage to nouns denoting things and impersonal ideas.
If the common reading dissensit in De Or. III. 68 is right, the restriction does not hold. Admodum:
"to a degree." Fratre: this brother was adopted by a M. Terentius Varro, and was a man of
distinction also; see Dict. Biog. Magna cum gloria: a ref. to Dict. Biog. will show that the whole
affair was discreditable to the father; to our notions, the sons would have gained greater glory by
letting it drop. Quaestor: to Sulla, who employed him chiefly in the civil administration of Asia.
Continuo: without any interval. Legis praemio: this seems to mean "by the favour of a special
law," passed of course by Sulla, who had restored the old lex annalis in all its rigour, and yet
excepted his own officers from its operation. Prooemio, which has been proposed, would not be
Latin, see De Leg. II. 16. Consulatum: he seems to have been absent during the years 84—74, in
the East. Superiorum: scarcely that of Sulla.
§2. Laus: "merit," as often, so praemium, Virg. Aen. XII. 437, means a deed worthy of reward.
Non admodum exspectabatur: Cic. forgets that Luc. had served with distinction in the Social War
and the first Mithridatic war. In Asia pace: three good MSS. have Asiae; Baiter ejects Asia;
Guilelmus read in Asia in pace (which Davies conjectures, though he prints Asiae). Consumere
followed by an ablative without in is excessively rare in Cic. Madv. D.F. V. 53 denies the use
altogether. In addition, however, to our passage, I note hoc loco consumitur in T.D. IV. 23, where
Baiter's two texts (1861 and 1863) give no variants. Pace here perhaps ought to be taken
adverbially, like tranqullo. Indocilem: this is simply passive, = "untaught," as in Prop. I. 2, 12,
Ov. Fast. III. 119 (the last qu. by Dav.). Forc. s.v. is wrong in making it active. Factus: =
perfectus; cf. Hor. Sat. I. 5, 33 homo factus ad unguem, Cic. De Or. III. 184, In Verr. IV. 126. So
effectus in silver Latin. Rebus gestis: military history, so often. Divinam quandam memoriam: the
same phrase in De Or. II. 360. Rerum, verborum: same distinction in De Or. II. 359. Oblivisci se
malle: the same story is told D.F. II. 104, De Or. II. 299. The ancient art of memory was begun by
Simonides (who is the person denoted here by cuidam) and completed by Metrodorus of Scepsis,
for whom see De Or. II. 360. Consignamus: cf. consignatae in animis notiones in T.D. I. 57.
litteris must be an ablative of the instrument. Mandare monum.: cf. I. 3. Insculptas: rare in the
metaphorical use, cf. N.D. I. 45.
§3. Genere: "department" cf. I. 3. Navalibus pugnis: ?a?µa??a??. Instrumento et adparatu: ?
atas?e?? ?a? pa?as?e??. Rex: Mithridates. Quos legisset: = de quibus l.; cf. the use of the
passive verb so common in Ovid, e.g. Trist. IV. 4, 14. I take of course rex to be nom. to legisset,
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