others, thought Rome much more ancient, or because, having to do
only with the description of manners, he was unconcerned about
historical developments.
[43] _Una_ is the plural. See Zumpt, S 115, note.
[44] It is indeed wonderful how quickly the Roman people, although
consisting of a mixture of different tribes--whether, as Sallust
briefly intimates, they were Trojans and Aborigines, or, as the more
minute historians relate, Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans--united into
one nationality. The language spoken by the Roman people, however,
was not a mixture of those of the last-mentioned tribes, but Latin,
which, in conformity with Sallust's notion, appears to be a
combination of Greek with some early Italian idiom.
[45] _Temptare_, the historical infinitive, about the meaning and
construction of which see Zumpt, S 599, note.
[46] _Auxilia portare_ is a less common expression than _auxilium ferre_;
for _portare_ is generally used only to denote the actual physical
carrying of something, while _ferre_ has a wider meaning. The plural
_auxilia_, however, here alludes to the repeated assistance given to
friends.
[47] 'Their government was a legitimate one'--that is, the powers of the
government were limited by law; 'and bore the name of a kingly
government'--that is, a king stood at the head of it.
[48] Chosen men had the care of public affairs, and deliberated about the
good of the state; they stood by the side of the kings as a
_consilium publicum_, and were addressed by the term _patres_.
[49] Respecting the meaning of these genitives, for which datives also
might have been used, see Zumpt, S 662.
[50] _Ubi--convertit_, 'when it had changed (itself).' For _ubi_ with the
perfect in the sense of a pluperfect, see Zumpt, S 506; and for the
use of _vertere_ in an intransitive or reflective sense, S 145.