[Footnote 183:  The place is unknown, unless it be the place near the altar of Laverna, the goddess of thieves, which was near the Porta Lavernalis, as Varro says (Ling.  Lat. v. 163).  Horatius (1 Ep. xvi. 60) represents the rogue as putting up a prayer “to the Fair Laverna,” that he may appear to be what he is not, an honest man, and that night and darkness may kindly cover his sins.  The phaenomenon which Sulla describes appears to have been of a volcanic character; and if so, it is the most recent on record within the volcanic region of the Seven Hills.]

[Footnote 184:  Apparently Aulus Postumius Albinus, who was consul with Marcus Antonius B.C. 99.  Valerius Maximus tells the story (ix. 8, 3).]

[Footnote 185:  This was Sulla’a first consulship, B.C. 88.  If he was now fifty, he was born B.C. 138.  His colleague was Quintus Pompeius Rufus, who was killed in this same year at the instigation or at least with the approbation of Cn.  Pompeius Strabo, the father of Pompeius Magnus. (Appian, Civil Wars, i. 63.)]

[Footnote 186:  Caecilia Metella was the fourth wife of Sulla.  The other three are mentioned in this chapter.  Ilia is perhaps a mistake for Julia.  Sulla’s fifth and last wife was Valeria, c. 35.]

[Footnote 187:  Drumann (Geschichte Roms, Caecilii) has shown that Plutarch is mistaken in supposing Caecilia to be the daughter of Metellus Pius, who was consul with Sulla B.C. 80.  She was the daughter of L. Metellus Dalmaticus, who was the brother of Metellus Numidicus and the uncle of Metellus Pius.  Her first husband was M. Scaurus, consul B.C. 115, by whom she had several children, and among them the Scaurus whom Cicero defended.  Metella had children by Sulla also. (See c. 36, notes.)]

[Footnote 188:  The historian of Rome.  These events belonged to the seventy-seventh book of Livius, which is lost.  The Epitome shows what this book contained.]

[Footnote 189:  This word occurs three times in this chapter.  In the first instance, the word is the daemonium; in the second it is the god ([Greek:  ho theos]); in the third, it is the daemonium again.]

[Footnote 190:  The Senate often met in the temple of Duellona or Bellona, the goddess of War.  Duellona and Bellona are the same.  Compare the Bacchanalian Inscription, and Livius (28, c. 9, &c.).

The last sentence of this chapter is corrupt, and the precise meaning is uncertain.]

[Footnote 191:  See Marius, c. 35.]

[Footnote 192:  A man might be manumitted so as either to have the complete citizenship or not.  If Plutarch’s account is true, the citizenship was sold to those libertini who were of the class Dediticii or Latini. (Gaius, i. 12, &c.)]

[Footnote 193:  See the note on the Sumptuary Laws, c. 1.]

[Footnote 194:  Plutarch here uses the same word ([Greek:  apraxiai]) which I have elsewhere translated by the Roman word Justitium.  (Marius, c. 35.)]