tamen vitium propius virtutem[67] erat. Nam gloriam, honorem, imperium
bonus et ignavus aeque sibi exoptant; sed ille vera via nititur, huic
quia bonae artes desunt, dolis atque fallaciis contendit. Avaritia
pecuniae studium habet, quam nemo sapiens concupivit;[68] ea quasi
venenis malis imbuta corpus animumque virilem effeminat, semper infinita,
insatiabilis est, neque copia neque inopia minuitur. Sed postquam
L. Sulla, armis recepta re publica, bonis initiis malos eventus
habuit,[69] rapere omnes, trahere, domum alius, alius agros cupere, neque
modum neque modestiam victores habere, foeda crudeliaque in civibus[70]
facinora facere. Huc accedebat, quod L. Sulla exercitum, quem in Asia
ductaverat, quo sibi fidum faceret,[71] contra morem majorum luxuriose
nimisque liberaliter habuerat; loca amoena, voluptaria[72] facile in otio
feroces militum animos molliverant. Ibi primum insuevit exercitus populi
Romani amare,[73] potare, signa, tabulas pictas, vasa caelata[74] mirari,
ea privatim et publice rapere, delubra[75] spoliare, sacra profanaque
omnia polluere. Igitur hi milites, postquam victoriam adepti sunt, nihil
reliqui victis fecere. Quippe secundae res sapientium animos fatigant;
ne illi corruptis moribus victoriae temperarent.[76]

[67] _Propius virtutem_, also _propius virtuti_. See Zumpt, S 411.
[68] _Concupivit_, 'No man in his senses _has_ ever coveted money for
its own sake;' that is, and even now no one does so, nor will any
one ever do so. But a _homo avarus_ covets money only that he may
_have_ it, and not for any ulterior objects.
[69] _Bonis initiis_ is the ablative absolute, 'though his beginnings
were good.' Although Sulla's government began well, it became
arbitrary and bad, especially by the unlimited partiality with which
he treated the men of his own party.
[70] _In civibus_. It would have been more in accordance with the common
usage to write _in cives_; but the ablative signifies 'in the case of