6. senatum consului: deliberative assemblies in ancient times were under the control of the presiding officer, and members could not speak or introduce business except when called upon by him. He laid a subject before them (consulere senatum, referre ad senatum), and asked their opinions individually, in a definite order, usually according to their rank or dignity. In the case of a general question he was said referre (consulere) de summa re publica. The form would be, dic, C. Juli, sententiam. (See Introd., p. lvii.) a principibus, the leading men. sententiae: the views of the individual Senators (see note on l.23, above). perscriptum: the opinions (sententiae) of the Senators (given as just described) merely determined the substance of the ordinance, which was afterwards written out in regular form by the secretaries in the presence of some of its advocates and under the direction of the presiding officer.
Action of the Senate: the chief conspirators are given into custody and a thanksgiving is voted.
L Flaccas: see note on p. 128, l. 7. conlegae: C. Antonius; see Introd. to Cat. 1, p.99. rei pablicae consilus, the public counsels, i.e. his own (officially) as consul. cam se abdicasset, after abdicating. Lentulus could not properly be called to account during his magistracy; but he might be forced to resign, and could then be proceeded against. erant: notice that this and similar clauses in this section, since they are explanations made by Cicero and not parts of the decree, take the indicative. L. Cassiam, etc.: these last mentioned had not yet been arrested, but Ceparius was caught in his flight and brought back. pastores: Apulia was, as now, used chiefly for pasturage. In the summer, when these broad plains were dried up, the flocks were driven to the mountain pastures of Samnium and Lucania. These pastoral regions have always been the home of a lawless and restless population, prone to brigandage. colonis, etc.: Cf. sect. 20, above (pp.121, 122).
sapplicatio: a day of prayer, proclaimed by the Senate, either in thanksgiving (gratulatio) as in the present case, or in entreating favor of the gods. eoram, i.e. the gods. togato, as a civilian: cf. Cat. 1, p. 125, l. 17 and note. See Fig. 33. liberassem: in the decree, liberavit, hoc interest, there is this difference. bene gesta, as well as conservata, agrees with re publica (abl. abs.). faciendam . . . fuit: observe that this form has not here its usual cont. to fact implication. jas, rights. tamen: he was allowed to resign instead of being put to death without resigning (as in the case below). qaae . . . faerat, what had not been a scruple to Afarius a scruple which had not prevented M. from (quo minus, etc.). qao minas . . occideret, to prevent his killing, following religio: ยง 558, b (319, c); Cf. B. 295, 3; G. 549; H. 568, 8 (499, 3, N.1); H-B. 502, 31 b. C. Glauciam: see note on Cat. 1, p. 101, l. 1. nominatim, i.e. Marius acted merely under the general authority conferred on him by the Senate in the formula, Videatit consules, etc. (see note on Cat. 1, p. 100, l. 12).
The conspiracy is now crashed. Character of Catiline.
