‛αιρετον as applied to the _finis_ or τελος, the supreme aim of moral
action. _Pulchrum_ above is a translation of the Greek καλον, a term
constantly applied to the τελος, particularly by the Stoics. -- SPRETA ET
CONTEMPTA: the first word is much the stronger of the two; _spernere_ is
καταφρονειν, 'to scorn'; _contemnere_ ολιγωρεισθαι, 'to make light of',
'hold of no account'. _Contemnere_ is often no stronger in sense than
_omittere_, 'to pass by, neglect'. Cf. 65 _contemni_, _despici_. -- OPTIMUS
QUISQUE: see A. 93, _c_; G. 305; H. 458, 1.

P. 19. -- 44. CRUDITATE: 'indigestion'. -- INSOMNIIS: 'sleeplessness'; the
singular _insomnium_ occurs only once in prose (Tac. Ann. 11, 4).
_Insomnia, ae_ is found only in poetry and late prose. -- DIVINE: this word
in Cic. often means nothing more than 'splendidly', 'extraordinarily'. --
ESCAM MALORUM: 'an enticement to evil' (_esca_ = _ed-ca_, from the root of
_edo_). Plato in the Timaeus 69 D (a dialogue translated into Latin by
Cicero, a fragment of whose translation is still preserved) has ‛ηδονην
μεγιστον κακου δελεαρ. Cf. also Cic. Hortensius fr. 76 (ed. Halm)
_voluptates corporis quae vere et graviter a Platone dictae sunt illecebrae
esse atque escae malorum_. -- MODICIS: for the sake of variety Cic. chooses
this, not _moderatis_, as the opposite of _immoderatis_. Trans. 'a moderate
amount of goodfellowship'. -- M.F. = _Marci filium_. -- DEVICERAT:
pluperfect where a modern would incline to use a perfect. The battle
referred to is that of Mylae, fought in 260; its memory was perpetuated by
the decking of the _forum_ with the _rostra_ of the captured ships; the
_columna rostrata_ bore a long inscription, a restored version of which
still exists. -- CENA: so best spelt; some good texts still print _caena_,
but _coena_ is decidedly wrong, being based on the fiction that the Latin
borrowed the Greek word κοινη and turned it into _coena_. -- CEREO FUNALI:
'the torch-light'; _cereo_, the em. of Mommsen for _crebro_; the _funale_
was a torch composed of withs or twigs twisted into a rope (_funis_) and