[149] XXIX. This is the greatest power which--is granted, etc.
--_Ea potestas per senatum, more Romano, magistratui maxima
permittitur_. Cortius, _mira judicii peversitate_, as Kritzius
observes, makes _ea_ the ablative case, understanding "decretione,"
"formula," or some such word; but, happily, no one has followed him.

[150] XXX. By the 27th of October--_Ante diem VI. Kalendas
Novembres_. He means that they were in arms on or before that day.

[151] Quintus Marcius Rex--He had been proconsul in Cilicia, and
was expecting a triumph for his successes.

[152] Quintus Metellus Creticus--He had obtained the surname of
Creticus from having reduced the island of Crete.

[153] Both which officers, with the title of commanders, etc.
--_hi utrique ad urbem imperatores erant; impediti ne triumpharent
calumnia paucorum quibus omnia honesta atque inhonesta vendere mos
erat_. "Imperator" was a title given by the army, and confirmed by the
senate, to a victorious general, who had slain a certain number of the
enemy. What the number was is not known. The general bore this title
as an addition to his name, until he obtained (if it were granted him)
a triumph, for which he was obliged to wait _ad urbem_, near the city,
since he was not allowed to enter the gates as long as he held any
military command. These _imperatores_ had been debarred from their
expected honor by a party who would sell _any thing honorable_, as a
triumph, or _any thing dishonorable_, as a license to violate the laws.

[154] A hundred sestertia--two hundred sestertia--A hundred sestertia
were about 807L. 5s. 10d. of our money.