academica of cicero. - 912 Freedom Library
academica of cicero. - 912 Freedom Library
academica of cicero. - 912 Freedom Library
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I. 39, and for describere ab aliquo cf. a te in Ad Att. XIII. 22, 3.<br />
§12. Dicta Philoni: for this see Introd. p. 50. It cannot mean what Goer. makes it mean, "coram<br />
Philone." I think it probable that Philoni is a marginal explanation foisted on the text. As to the<br />
statements <strong>of</strong> Catulus the elder, they are made clear by 18. Academicos: i.e. novos, who are here<br />
treated as the true Academics, though Antiochus himself claimed the title. Aristo: see Introd. p.<br />
11. Aristone: Diog. VII. 164 mentions an Aristo <strong>of</strong> Alexandria, a Peripatetic, who may be the<br />
same. Dio seems unknown. Negat: see n. on 18. Lenior: some MSS. levior, as is usual with these<br />
two words. In 11 one <strong>of</strong> the earliest editions has leviter for leniter.<br />
§§13—18. Summary. Cicero seems to me to have acted like a seditious tribune, in<br />
appealing to famous old philosophers as supporters <strong>of</strong> scepticism (13), Those very<br />
philosophers, with the exception <strong>of</strong> Empedocles, seem to me, if anything, too<br />
dogmatic (14). Even if they were <strong>of</strong>ten in doubt, do you suppose that no advance has<br />
been made during so many centuries by the investigations <strong>of</strong> so many men <strong>of</strong><br />
ability? Arcesilas was a rebel against a good philosophy, just as Ti. Gracchus was a<br />
rebel against a good government (15). Has nothing really been learned since the time<br />
<strong>of</strong> Arcesilas? His opinions have had scanty, though brilliant support (16). Now many<br />
dogmatists think that no argument ought to be held with a sceptic, since argument<br />
can add nothing to the innate clearness <strong>of</strong> true sensations (17). Most however do<br />
allow <strong>of</strong> discussion with sceptics. Philo in his innovations was induced to state<br />
falsehoods, and incurred all the evils he wished to avoid, his rejection <strong>of</strong> Zeno's<br />
definition <strong>of</strong> the ?ata??pt??? fa?tas?a really led him back to that utter scepticism<br />
from which he was fleeing. We then must either maintain Zeno's definition or give<br />
in to the sceptics (18).<br />
§13. Rursus exorsus est: cf. exorsus in 10. Popularis: d?µ?t?????. Ii a: so Dav. for MSS. iam.<br />
Tum ad hos: so MSS., Dav. aut hos. The omission <strong>of</strong> the verb venire is very common in Cic.'s<br />
letters. C. Flaminium: the general at lake Trasimene. Aliquot annis: one good MS. has annos, cf.<br />
T.D. I. 4, where all the best MSS. have annos. The ablative is always used to express point <strong>of</strong><br />
time, and indeed it may be doubted whether the best writers ever use any accusative in that sense,<br />
though they do occasionally use the ablative to express duration (cf. Prop. I. 6, 7 and Madv.<br />
Gram. 235, 2). L. Cassium: this is L. Cassius Longinus Ravilla, a man <strong>of</strong> good family, who<br />
carried a ballot bill (De Leg. III. 35), he was the author <strong>of</strong> the cui bono principle and so severe a<br />
judge as to be called scopulus reorum. Pompeium: apparently the man who made the disgraceful<br />
treaty with Numantia repudiated by home in 139 B.C. P. Africanum: i.e. the younger, who<br />
supported the ballot bill <strong>of</strong> Cassius, but seems to have done nothing else for the democrats.<br />
Fratres: Lamb. viros, but cf. Brut. 98. P. Scaevolam: the pontifex, consul in the year Tib.<br />
Gracchus was killed, when he refused to use violence against the tribunes. The only connection<br />
these brothers had with the schemes <strong>of</strong> Gracchus seems to be that they were consulted by him as<br />
lawyers, about the legal effect the bills would have. Ut videmus ... ut suspicantur: Halm with<br />
Gruter brackets these words on the ground that the statement about Marius implies that the<br />
demagogues lie about all but him. Those words need not imply so much, and if they did, Cic.<br />
may be allowed the inconsistency.<br />
§14. Similiter: it is noticeable that five MSS. <strong>of</strong> Halm have simile. Xenophanem: so Victorius for<br />
the MSS. Xenoplatonem. Ed. Rom. (1471) has Cenonem, which would point to Zenonem, but Cic.<br />
does not <strong>of</strong>ten name Zeno <strong>of</strong> Elea. Saturninus: <strong>of</strong> the question why he was an enemy <strong>of</strong> Lucullus,<br />
Goer. says frustra quaeritur. Saturninus was the persistent enemy <strong>of</strong> Metellus Numidicus, who<br />
was the uncle <strong>of</strong> Lucullus by marriage. Arcesilae calumnia: this was a common charge, cf.<br />
Academicorum calumnia in N.D. II. 20 and calumnia in 18 and 65 <strong>of</strong> this book. So August.<br />
Contra Acad. II. 1 speaks <strong>of</strong> Academicorum vel calumnia vel pertinacia vel pericacia. Democriti<br />
verecundia: Cic. always has a kind <strong>of</strong> tenderness for Democritus, as Madv. on D.F. I. 20<br />
remarks, cf. De Div. II. 30 where Democr. is made an exception to the general arrogantia <strong>of</strong> the<br />
physici. Empedocles quidem ... videatur: cf. 74. The exordium <strong>of</strong> his poem is meant, though there<br />
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