Cato's study of Greek in his old age. -- SIC: this word does not qualify
_avide_, but refers on to _quasi_, so that _sic ... quasi cupiens_ = 'thus,
_viz._ like one desiring'. Cf. n. on 12 _ita cupide fruebar quasi_; also 35
_tamquam ... sic_. _Quasi_ serves to soften the metaphor in _sitim_; cf. n.
on Lael. 3. -- CUPIENS: after _quasi_ a finite verb _(cuperem)_ would have
been more usual, as in 12 _ita ... quasi divinarem_. Cf. however 22 _quasi
desipientem_. -- EA IPSA MIHI: for the juxtaposition of pronouns, which is
rather sought after in Latin, cf. 72 _ipsa suum eadem quae_. -- EXEMPLIS: =
_pro exemplis_, or _exemplorum loco_ (cf. n. on 21 _Lysimachum_), so that
those editors are wrong who say that we have here an example of the
antecedent thrust into the relative clause, as though _ea ipsa quibus
exemplis_ were put for _ea ipsa exempla quibus_. -- QUOD: = _ut cum iam
senex esset disceret_. -- SOCRATEN: Cic. probably learned this fact from
Plato's Menexenus 235 E and Euthydemus 272 C where Connus is named as the
teacher of Socrates in music. In the Euthydemus Socrates says that the boys
attending Connus' lessons laughed at him and called Connus
γεροντοδιδασκαλον. Cf. also Fam. 9, 22, 3 _Socraten fidibus docuit
nobilissimus fidicen; is Connus vocitatus est_; Val. Max. 8, 7, 8. -- IN
FIDIBUS: 'in the case of the lyre'. Tücking quotes Quintilian 9, 2, 5 _quod
in fidibus fieri vidimus_. The Greek word _cithara_ is not used by Cicero
and does not become common in Latin prose till long after Cicero's time,
though he several times uses the words _citharoedus, citharista_, when
referring to Greek professional players. The word _lyra_ too is rare in
early prose; it occurs in Tusc. 1, 4 in connection with a Greek, where in
the same sentence _fides_ is used as an equivalent. -- AUDIREM: for _audire
= legendo cognoscere_ see n. on 20. -- VELLEM: _sc. si possem_. --
DISCEBANT ... ANTIQUI: doubts have been felt as to the genuineness of the
clause. In Tusc. 4, 3 a passage of Cato is quoted which refers to the use
of the _tibia_ among the ancient Romans; immediately afterwards the
antiquity of practice on the _fides_ at Rome is mentioned, though not