Nonius: ‘Portisculus’ is, in its proper sense, the term for the time-beater of a ship’s oarsmen; that is to say, the man who holds the staff for which the term ‘portisculus’ is used; by means of this he times the rhythm and ‘lay to’... —
that, holding the oar forward, they should obey and watch when the boatswain proceeded to give them the signal.
BOOK IX. Scipio’s campaigns in Africa; Peace, 201 BC
300–5
Cicero, Brut., 15, 58: Est.. . sic apud illum (Ennium) in nono ut opinor Annali —
Additur orator Cornelius suaviloquenti ore, Cethegus Marcus, Tuditano collega, Marci filius.
Et oratorem appellat et suaviloquentiam tribuit.. . sed est ea laus eloquentiae certe maxima —
... Is dictust ollis popularibus olim qui tum vivebant homines atque aevum agitabant, ‘Flos delibatus populi
Probe vero. Ut enim hominis decus ingenium sic ingeni ipsius lumen est eloquentia, qua virum excellentem praeclare tum illi homines florem populi esse dixerunt —
Suadaeque medulla.’
... hic Cethegus consul cum P. Tuditano fuit bello Punico secundo quaestorque is consulibus M. Cato modo plane annis CXL ante me consulem, et ipsum nisi unius esset Ennii testimonio cognitum, hunc vetustas, ut alios fortasse multos, oblivione obruisset.
Cp. Cic, de Senect., 14; Gell., XII, 2, 3 ff.; Quintil., II, 15, 4; XI, 3, 31; Serv. auct., ad Aen., VIII, 500; et fortasse Hor., Ep., II, 2, 115 ff.
300–5
M. Cornelius and P. Sempronius consuls, 204 BC
Cicero: The following is a passage in Ennius’ work, in the ninth book, I think, of the Annals —
Then Marcus Cornelius Cethegus, son of Marcus, a spokesman whose mouth spoke winsome speech, is put in as a colleague to Tuditanus.
He calls him an orator and also grants him winsomeness of speech... but the greatest stroke in praise of eloquence is surely this —
... By those fellow-countrymen who were then alive and had their being he was once upon a time called the ‘choice flower’ of the people,
Well said indeed. For, as the glory of a man is his natural talents, so the lustre of those very talents is eloquence; and a man surpassing in eloquence was admirably called by the men of that time ‘flower of the people — and the marrow of Persuasion.’
... This Cethegus was consul with Publius Tuditanus in the Second Punic War, and Marcus Cato was a quaestor in their consulship, in round numbers only one hundred and fifty years before my own consulship; and were this fact not known through the testimony of Ennius alone, antiquity would have buried this very Cethegus, as maybe it has buried many others, in oblivion.
306
Festus, 140, 21: ‘Metonymia’.. . quae continet quod continetur, ut Ennius ait —
Africa terribili tremit horrida terra tumultu.
306
Scipio’s campaigns in Africa?:
Festus: ‘Metonymia’... when the meaning of a word contains exactly the contents of its equivalent; for example, Ennius when he says —
Trembled Africa, land rough and rude, with a terrible tumult.
307
Nonius, 472, 5: ‘Luctant’ pro luctantur.. . —
Viri validis cum viribus luctant.
307
Battle of Zama? 202 BC:
Nonius: ‘Luctant’ for ‘luctantur’... —
The soldiers struggled with sturdy strength.
308
Nonius, 217, 8: ‘Pulvis’.. . Feminini.. . —
Pulvis fulva volat
308
Nonius: ‘Pulvis’... of the feminine gender... Brown dust flies aloft
309
Noniua, 95, 30: ‘Debil,’ debilis.. . —
debil homo
309
Nonius: ‘Debil,’ the same as ‘debilis’... — a feeble fellow
310–11
Priscianus, ap. G.L., II, 485, 17 K: In geo desinentia.. (486) —
Cyclopis venter velut olim turserat alte carnibus humanis distentus
310–11
Priscianus: Verbs ending in geo... —
Just as the Cyclops’ belly once swelled high, stretched tight with human flesh
312
Servius (?) ad Georg., II, 437: ‘Undantem,’ abundantem.. . E. lib. IX —
praeda exercitus undat.
312
The spoils won after the battle of Zama:
Servius(?): ‘Undantem,’ the same as ‘abundantem.’... Ennius in the ninth book of the Annals — the army billowed in booty.
313–14
Nonius, 110, 8: ‘Famul,’ famulus.. . —
... Mortalem summum Fortuna repente reddidit e summo regno ut famul oltimus esset.
Lucret., III, 1034–5:
Scipiadas belli fulmen Carthaginis horror, Ossa dedit terrae proinde ac famul infimus esset.
313–14
Hannibal’s defeat?:
Nonius: ‘Famul,’ the same as ‘famulus’... —
Fortune on a sudden casts down the highest mortal from the height of his sway, to become the lowliest thrall.
315
Priscianus, ap. G.L., II, 278, 12 K: Ennius.. . in IX pro frugi homo frux ponit quod est adiectivum —
‘Sed quid ego haec memoro? Dictum factumque facit frux.
315
Scipio to Hannibal?:
Priscianus: Ennius... in the ninth book puts ‘frux,’ which is an adjective, for ‘frugi homo’ —
‘But to what end do I speak so? “No sooner said than done” — so acts your man of worth.
316
Varro, L.L., V, 182: ‘Militis stipendia’ ideo quod eam stipem pendebant; ab eo etiam Ennius scribit —
Poeni stipendia pendunt.
316
Terms of peace imposed on Carthage, 201 BC:
Varro says: ‘Militis stipendia’ (soldier’s pay) is a term used because they weighed it as a ‘stips’ (small coins in piles). This is the derivation of ‘stipendia’ as used by Ennius among others —
The Poeni paid payments of money.
317
Macrobius, S., VI, 4, 17: (Vergilius) inseruit operi suo et Graeca verba,.. . auctorum.. . veterum audaciam secutus.. . Ennius in IX —
lychnorum lumina bis sex
317
Funeral of the slain?:
Macrobius: Virgil inserted into his work even Greek words... following the daring of ancient authors.... Ennius in the ninth book — twice six lighted lamps
318–19
Nonius, 66, 18: Politiones agrorum cultus diligentes.. . —
‘Rastros dentiferos capsit causa poliendi.... agri
318–19
Italy after the war? the soldiers must return to the soil:
Nonius: ‘Politiones,’ diligent cultivations of fields...
‘He will take toothed rakes for to dress the fields.
320–21
Nonius, 150, 37: ‘Perpetuassit’ sit perpetua, aeterna... —
‘libertatemque, ut perpetuassit quaeque axim
320–21
Let Rome’s liberty be maintained:
Nonius: ‘Perpetuassit,’ may be perpetual, eternal... —
... ‘and liberty, that it may last for ever and all that I may have done
Liber X
BOOK X. Wars with Macedon to the settlement with Philip, 196 BC, after the Battle of Cynoscephalae
322–3
Gellius, XVIII, 9: ‘Inseque’ quasi ‘perge dicere’.. . itaque ab Ennio scriptum in his versibus —
Insece, Musa, manu Romanorum induperator quod quisque in bello gessit cum rege Philippo.
Alter autem.. . perseverabat Velio Longo.. . fidem esse habendam, qui.. . scripserit non ‘inseque’ apud Ennium legendum sed ‘insece’.. . Cp. Paul., ex F., 79, 29. Hom., Od., I, 1.. . ἔννεπε Μοῦσα.. .
322–3
Prologue:
Gellius: ‘Inseque’ has the sense of ‘go on to tell,’ and this therefore is the form used by Ennius in these verses —
&nbs
p; Go on, O Muse, to tell what each commander of the Romans wrought with his troops in war with King Philip.
But the other... insisted that we must trust Velius Longus,... who wrote that in Ennius we should read not ‘inseque’ but ‘insece.’...
324
Priscianus, ap. G.L., II, 541, 13 K: ‘Campso, campsas’ solebant vetustissimi dicere. Ennius in X —
Leucatan campsant.
324
First Macedonian War (214–205 BC); expedition of Valerius Laevinus (214):
Priscianus: The oldest writers used to say also ‘campso, campsas,’ bend. Ennius in the tenth book —
They doubled Leucate.
325
Isidorua, Orig., I, 35, 3: ‘Zeugma’ est clausula dum plures sensus uno verbo clauduntur.. . ut —
Graecia Sulpicio sorti data, Gallia Cottae.
325
Second Macedonian War, 200–196 BC Consuls of 200:
Isidore: ‘Zeugma’ is a period when more than one idea is completed by one verb... for example... —
Greece was given by lot to Sulpicius, Gaul to Cotta.
326
Cicero, de Re Publ., I, 18, 30: —
Egregie cordatus homo catus Aelius Sextus
qui egregie cordatus et catus fuit et ab Ennio dictus est non quod ea quaerebat quae numquam inveniret, sed quod ea respondebat quae eos qui quaesissent et cura et negotio solverent.
Cp. Cic, Tusc. Disp., I, 9, 18; de Orat., I, 45, 198; Varro, L.L., VII, 46; Pomponius, in Dig., I, 2, 2, 38.
326
Sextus Aelius Paetus, consul with Flamininus, 198:
Cicero: —
A man uncommonly well-witted, shrewd Sextus Aelius
who was a man of more than common wit and shrewd, and called such by Ennius not because he used to search for things which he could never discover, but because he used to give such answers as freed from anxiety and trouble those who had asked him questions.
327–9
Cicero, de Senect., 1, 1: —
‘O Tite si quid ego adiuvero, curamve levasso quae nunc te coquit et versat in pectore fixa, ecquid erit praemi?
Cp. Donat., ad Ter., Phorm., prol. 34 ‘Adiutans’.. . Ennius.
327–9
Activities of T. Quinctius Flamininus in 198. A shepherd sent by the Epirote King Charopus to guide the Romans, asks:
Cicero: —
Titus, if it is I can help you in anything and lighten you of the worry which, stubborn in your breast, now sears and haunts you, will there be any reward?
330–1
Cicero, loc. cit.: Licet enim mihi versibus eisdem affari te, Attice, quibus affatur Flamininum —
‘Ille vir haud magna cum re sed plenus fidei,
quamquam certo scio non ut Flamininum —
‘sollicitari te Tite sic noctesque diesque.
330–1
Flamininus sent to Charopus to ask if the shepherd were trustworthy; the reply:
Cicero continues: for I may be allowed to address to you, Atticus, the same verses as those in which Flamininus is addressed by —
‘That man not blessed with wealth but full of loyalty, although I know for certain it is not, like Flamininus— ‘that you are care-worn, Titus, thus day and night.
332
Macrobius, S., VI, 1, 9: ‘Axem humero torquet stellis ardentibus aptum’ (Aen., IV, 482). Ennius.. . in X —
Hinc nox processit stellis ardentibus apta.
332
The night-march of Flamininus, guided by the shepherd:
Macrobius, quoting Virgil: ‘Atlas on his shoulder turns the heaven dotted with blazing stars’... Ennius in the tenth book —
And then the night went on, dotted with blazing stars.
333–5
Servius (auctus), ad Georg., IV, 188: ‘Mussant’ autem murmurant.. . —
Aspectabat virtutem legionis suai exspectans si mussaret, ‘quae denique pausa pugnandi fieret aut duri finis laboris?’
333–5
The Battle of Cynoscephalae, 197 BC; anxiety of Flamininus:
Servius (supplemented): ‘Mussant’ also means ‘they murmur’... —
He was watching the mettle of his army, waiting to see if they would grumble, saying ‘what rest will there be at last from our fighting, or end to our hard toil?’
336
Diomedes, ap. G.L., I, 382, 24 K: Veteres nonnulli ‘horitatur’ dixerunt.. . —
... horitatur.. . induperator
quasi specie iterativa.
336
Speech of Flamininus before the battle:
Diomedes says: Some old writers used the form ‘horitatur’... —
The commander... cheers and cheers them on ‘horitatur’ being as it were in iterative form.
337–8
Priscianus, ap. G.L., II, 30, 4 K: Vetustissimi non semper eam (sc. m) subtrahebant.. . —
Insignita fere tum milia militum octo duxit delectos, bellum tolerare potentes.
337–8
The battle: special troop of Philip?:
Priscianus: The oldest writers did not always elide m;... —
Then he led some eight thousand warriors, wearing badges, chosen men, strong to bear war well.
339–41
Festus, 188, 16: ‘Nictit’ canis in odorandis ferarum vestigiis leviter ganniens.. . —
Veluti si quando vinclis venatica velox apta solet si forte feras ex nare sagaci sensit, voce sua nictit ululatque ibi acute.
Cp. Paul., ex F., 189, 2.
339–41
Impatience of Flamininus’ army?:
Festus: ‘Nictit’ is a term used of a dog gently whimpering as he scents the tracks of wild animals... —
And just as sometimes a fleet hunting-dog, tied up by a chain, is wont to do if by chance her keen-scented nostril has caught scent of wild quarry — she lifts her voice in a whimper and straightway loudly gives tongue.
342
Diomedes, ap. G.L., I, 373, 5 K: ‘Pinsit’ secundum tertium ordinem.. . —
pinsunt terram genibus.
342
Fighting on rough ground:
Diomedes: ‘Pinsit,’ according to the third conjugation... —
They bruise the ground with their knees.
343–4
Nonius, 370, 19: ‘Passum,’ extensum, patens; unde et ‘passus’ dicimus: quod gressibus mutuis pedes patescunt.. . —
Aegro corde † comis † passis late palmis pater
passis ait palmis patentibus et extensis.
343–4
Demetrius, younger son of Philip, taken by Rome as a hostage; the parting with Philip?:
Nonius: ‘Passum,’ stretched out, spread open: whence Ave also say ‘passus,’ step; because the feet spread open, as they step apart, each from the other... —
Sick at heart and with hands flung wide, the father...
By ‘passis’ as applied to ‘palmis’ he means open wide and outstretched.
345
Donatus, ad Ter., Phorm., II, 1, 57: ‘Columen vero familiae.’ Columen culmen an columen columna?.. . —
Regni versatam iam summovere columnam.
345
Lament of Philip on the exile of Demetrius?:
Donatus, on ‘Indeed the “columen” of his household’ in Terence: ‘Columen’ in the sense of summit or ‘columen’ in the sense of pillar?... —
‘They have now overturned and moved away the pillar of the realm.
BOOK XI. From the Peace made in 196 to the Opening of the War with Antiochus III (192 — 1); Cato in Rome and in Spain
346
Festus, 340, 22: ‘Quippe’ significare ‘quidni’ testimonio est Ennius lib. XI —
Quippe solent reges omnes in rebus secundis
sic cdd. aegro corde comis passis et alter. fr. passis late p. p. V. alii alia cf. St., p. 188, quae aegro | corde pater passis late palmis
346
> Greece after Philip’s defeat:
Festus: That, ‘quippe’ means ‘quidni’ Ennius is a witness in the eleventh book —
Surely are all kings wont in times of good fortune...
347–8
Festus, 428, 11: ‘Sos’ pro eos.. . —
‘Contendunt Graecos, Graios memorare solent sos
Cp. Fest., 400, 19.. . † s appellat Enn †.. . † os Grai memo †.. . —
347–8
Flamininus proclaims ‘The Freedom of Hellas’; he points to the relation of the Romans to the Greeks:
Festus: ‘Sos’ for ‘eos’... —
‘They maintain that the Greeks — men are wont to speak of them as Grai — ... language through long...
349–50
Macrobius, S., VI, 1, 60: ‘Num capti potuere capi? Num incensa cremavit | Troia viros? (Aen., VII, 295) Ennius in undecimo cum de Pergamis loqueretur —
‘quae neque Dardaniis campis potuere perire nec cum capta capi nec cum combusta cremari.’
349–50
Brachyllas (?) warns the Greeks against the power of Rome:
Macrobius, quoting Virgil: ‘When captured, could they be in truth captured? No. And did Troy burning burn her warriors? No.’ Ennius, when he was speaking about Pergama in the eleventh book, wrote —
‘Troy’s citadel, which on the plains of Dardanus could not perish or be captive when captured or when burnt become ashes.’
351
Festus, 250, 12: ‘Petrarum’ genera sunt duo, quorum alterum naturale saxum prominens in mare.. . —
alte delata petrisque ingentibus tecta.
351
a place in Greece:
Festus: ‘Rocks’; of these there are two kinds, of which one is natural stone jutting out into the sea... —
a cliff deep-falling, covered by mighty crags.
352
Nonius, 483, 1: ‘Lacte’ nominativo casu.. . —
‘et simul erubuit ceu. lacte et purpura mixta.
Non. 483 lib. X Par. 7666 Bamb. Lu. XI rell. essi (et si Par.) mulier crubuit cdd. et simul erubuit Gulielmus
352
Cato on the one-lime modesty of women:
Nonius: ‘Lacte’ in the nominative case... —
‘and she blushed withal like milk and crimson mingled.
353
Nonius, 149, 27: ‘Peniculamentum’ a veteribus pars vestis dicitur.. . —
‘pendent peniculamenta unum ad quemque pediclum.
353
He contrasts the luxury of his own day.
Collected Fragments of Ennius Page 35