1 LIX. In the rear] “In subsidio.” Most translators have rendered this, "as a body of reserve;" but such can not well be the signification. It seems only to mean the part behind the front: Catiline places the eight cohorts in front, and the rest of his force in subsidio, to support the front. Subsidia, according to Varro (de L. L., iv. 16) and Festus (v. Subsidium), was a term applied to the Triarii, because they subsidebant, or sunk down on one knee until it was their turn to act. See Sheller's Lex. v. Subsidium. “"Novissimi ordines its dicuntur."” Gerlach. In subsidiis, which occurs a few lines below, seems to signify in lines in the rear; as in Jug. 49, triplicibus subsidiis aciem intruxit, i.e. with three lines behind the front. “"Subsidium ea pars aciei vocabatur quæ reliquis submitti posset; Cæs. B. G., ii. 25."” Dietsch.
2 All the ablest centurions] “Centuriones omnes lectos.” “"Lectos you may consider to be the same as eximios, præstantes, centurionum præstantissimum quemque."” Kritzius. Cortius and others take it for a participle, chosen.
3 Veterans] “Evocatos.” Some would make this also a participle, because, say they, it can not signify evocati, or called-out veterans, since, though there were such soldiers in a regular Roman army, there could be none so called in the tumultuary forces of Catiline. But to this it is answered that Catiline had imitated the regular disposition of a Roman army, and that his veterans might consequently be called evocati, just as if they had been in one; and, also that evocatus as a participle would be useless; for if Catiline removed (subducit) the centurions, it is unnecessary to add that he called them out, “"Evocati erant, qui expletis stipendiis non poterant in delectu scribi, sed precibus imperatoris permoti, aut in gratiam ejus, militiam resumebant, homines longo uso militiæ peritissimi. Dio., xlv. p. 276. ᾿Εκ τούτων δὲ τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τὸ τῶν ῾Ηουοκάτων η̈̀ ᾿Ουοκάτων σύστημα (ὁῦζ ᾿Ανακλήτουζ ὺ̂ν τὶζ ᾿Ελληνίσαζ, ὄτι πεπαυμένοι τῆς στρατέιας, ἐπ̓ αὐτὴν ά̂υθις ἀνεκλήθμσαν, ὀυομάσειεν) ἐνομίσθη. Intelligit itaque ejusmodi homines veteranos, etsi non propriè erant tales evocati, sed sponte castra Catilinæ essent secuti."” Cortius.
4 Into the foremost ranks] “In primam aciem.” Whether Sallust means that he ranged them with the eight cohorts, or only in the first line of the subsidia, is not clear.
5 A certain officer of Fæsulæ] “Fæsulanum quemdam.” “"He is thought to have been that P. Furious, whom Cicero (Cat., iii. 6, 14) mentions as having been one of the colonists that Sylla settled at Fæsulæ, and who was to have been executed, if he had been apprehended, for having been concerned in corrupting the Allobrogian deputies."” Dietsch. Plutarch calls this officer Furius.
6 His freedmen] “Libertis.” “"His own freedmen, whom he probably had about him as a body-guard, deeming them the most attached of his adherents. Among them was, possibly, that Sergius, whom we find from Cic. pro Domo, 5, 6, to have been Catiline's armor-bearer."” Dietsch.
7 The colonists] “Colonis.” “"Veterans of Sylla, who had been settled by him as colonists in Etruria, and who had now been induced to join Catiline."” Gerlach. See c. 28.
8 By the eagle] “Propter aquilam.” See Cic. in Cat., i. 9.
9 Being lame] “Pedibus æger.” It has been common among translators to render pedibus æger afflicted with the gout, though a Roman might surely be lame without having the gout. As the lameness of Antonius, however, according to Dion Cassius (xxxvii. 39), was only pretended, it may be thought more probable that he counterfeited the gout than any other malady. It was with this belief, I suppose, that the writer of a gloss on one of the manuscripts consulted by Cortius, interpreted the words, ultroneam passus est podogram, "he was affected with a voluntary gout." Dion Cassius says that he preferred engaging with Antonius, who had the larger army, rather than with Metellus, who had the smaller, because he hoped that Antonius would designedly act in such a way as to lose the victory.
10 To meet the present insurrection] “Tumulti causâ.” Any sudden war or insurrection in Italy or Gaul was called tumultus. See Cic. Philipp. v. 12.
11 Their temples and their homes] “Aris atque focis suis.” See c. 52.
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