Cato Maior de Senectute with Introduction and Notes by Marcus Tullius Cicero
page 74 of 168 (44%)
page 74 of 168 (44%)
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considerations will enable us most easily to support the growing burden of
age'. -- FUTURUM EST: = μελλει ειναι this form of the future is used in preference to the simple _erit_ because it is desired to represent the event as _on the very point of fulfilment_, and therefore sure of fulfilment. _Erit_ would have implied much less certainty. Trans. 'I will do so if my action _is going to give_ you pleasure' Cf. 67 _beatus futurus sum_, also 81, 85. See Roby, 1494. -- NISI MOLESTUM EST:3 a common expression of courtesy, like 15 _nisi alienum putas, si placet_, cf. Hor. Sat. 2, 8, 4 _si grave non est_. -- TAMQUAM LONGAM VIAM: Cicero here puts into Laelius' mouth almost the very words addressed by Socrates to the aged Cephalus in the introduction to Plato's Republic, 328 E. Observe the succession of similar sounds in t_am_qu_am_, aliqu_am_, long_am_, vi_am_. -- VIAM CONFECERIS: so pro Quint. 79 _conficere DCC milia passuum, conficere iter_ a common phrase. For mood see A 312, G 604, H 513, II. -- QUAM ... INGREDIUNDUM SIT: this construction, the neuter of the gerundive with _est_ followed by an accusative case, is exceedingly rare excepting in two writers, Lucretius and Varro. See the full list of examples given by Roby, Gram., Pref. to vol. 2, p. LXXII. A 294, _c_, H 371, I. 2, 2, n. The best texts of Cicero now give only one example of a construction at all resembling this, viz. pro Scauro 13 _obliviscendum vobis putatis matrum in liberos, virorum in uxores scelera?_ The supposition of some scholars, that in this passage Cic. used the construction in imitation of the archaic style of Cato, is not likely to be true, seeing that in Cato's extant works the construction does not once occur. For the form _undum_ see n. on 5 _ferundum_. -- ISTUC not adverb, but neuter pronoun, as in 8. The kind of construction, _istuc videre quale sit_ for _videre quale istuc sit_, is especially common in Cicero. 7. FACIAM UT POTERO: 'I will do it as well as I can.' Observe the future _potero_ where English idiom would require a present. So Rep. 1, 38 _hic |
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