Plutarch's Lives Volume III. eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 810 pages of information about Plutarch's Lives Volume III..

Plutarch's Lives Volume III. eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 810 pages of information about Plutarch's Lives Volume III..

[Footnote 37:  This was Marcus Lucullus, the brother of Lucius.]

[Footnote 38:  ‘To the Peteline mountains’ in the original.  Strabo speaks of a Petelia in Lucania (p. 254), which some critics suppose that he has confounded with the Petilia in the country of the Bruttii.  The reasons for this opinion are stated by Cramer (Ancient Italy, ii. 367, 390).]

[Footnote 39:  ‘Quintus’ in the text of Plutarch, which is a common error.  ‘L.  Quintius’ in Frontinus (ii. 5, 34).]

[Footnote 40:  The same thing is told in the Life of Pompeius, c. 21.]

[Footnote 41:  In the Life of Marcellus, c. 22, Plutarch describes the minor triumph, called the Ovatio, which name is from the word ‘ovis’ a sheep; for a sheep only was sacrificed by the general who had the minor triumph; he who had the greater triumph, sacrificed an ox.  In an ovatio the general walked in the procession, instead of riding in a chariot drawn by four horses, as in the Triumphus Curulis; and he wore a crown of myrtle, instead of a crown of bay which was worn on the occasion of the greater triumph.  But Plinius (Hist.  Nat. xv. 29) says that Crassus wore a crown of bay on the occasion of this ovation.]

[Footnote 42:  The first consulship of M. Licinius Crassus and Cn.  Pompeius Magnus belongs to B.C. 70.]

[Footnote 43:  The story is told again in the Life of Pompeius, c. 23, where Aurelius is called Caius Aurelius, which is probably the true name.]

[Footnote 44:  Crassus was censor with Lutatius Catulus in B.C. 65.  The duties of the censors are here briefly alluded to by Plutarch.  One of the most important was the numbering of the people and the registration of property for the purposes of taxation.  This quarrel of the censors is mentioned by Dion Cassius (37. c. 9).]

[Footnote 45:  The conspiracy of Catiline was in B.C. 63, the year when Cicero was consul.  See the Life of Cicero.

There seems to be no evidence that Crassus was implicated in the affair of Catiline.  Dion Cassius (37. c. 31) speaks of anonymous letters about the conspiracy being brought to Crassus and other nobles; and Plutarch states on the authority of Cicero that Crassus communicated the letters to Cicero.  Dion Cassius in another passage (37. c. 35) mentions the suspicion against Crassus, and that one of the prisoners informed against him, “but there were not many to believe it.”  If Dion did not believe it, we need not; for he generally believes anything that is to a man’s discredit.  Sallustius (Bellum Catilin. c. 48) has given us a statement of the affair, but his own opinion can scarcely be collected from it.  He says, however, that he had heard Crassus declare that Cicero was the instigator of this charge.  The orations of Cicero which Plutarch refers to are not extant.]

[Footnote 46:  The text is corrupt, though the general meaning is plain.  See the note of Sintonis.]

[Footnote 47:  The son of Crassus, who is introduced abruptly in Plutarch’s fashion.]

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