Notice especially the political purpose of the Georgics—to help the policy of Augustus, which aimed at checking the depopulation of the country districts. Compare the alarming migration from the country to the towns in England at the present day.

III. Relation of Lucretius to the Georgics.

Notice in this connection the opening lines of the passage, Felix qui potuit . . . Acherontis avari, which may be summarised as follows: ‘Happy he who knows the laws of Nature, and has therefore ceased to fear natural phenomena and has learnt to despise the fabled terrors of Hades.’ Munro says: ‘I feel that by his Felix qui Vergil does mean a poet-philosopher, who can only be Lucretius.’

Cf. also Lucretius, iii. 1-30. His address to Epicurus.

For the thought, cf. Wordsworth’s Happy Warrior—

Demonstration VI.

The Tomb of Archimedes.

I (a) Archimedis ego quaestor ignoratum ab Syracusanis, cum esse omnino negarent, saeptum undique et vestitum vepribus et dumetis, indagavi sepulcrum. |II| Tenebam enim quosdam senariolos, quos in eius monumento esse inscriptos acceperam: qui declarabant in summo sepulcro sphaeram esse positam cum cylindro. |III| Ego autem, cum omnia collustrarem oculis—est enim ad portas Agragantinas magna frequentia sepulcrorum—animadverti columellam non multum e dumis eminentem, in qua inerat sphaerae figura et cylindri. |IV| Atque ego statim Syracusanis—erant autem principes mecum—dixi me illud ipsum arbitrari esse quod quaererem. |V, VI| Immissi cum falcibus multi purgarunt locum. || Quo cum patefactus esset aditus, accessimus: |VII| apparebat in sepulcro epigramma, exesis posterioribus partibus versiculorum, dimidiatis fere. ||

Cicero.

The Tomb of Archimedes.

I (b) Archimedis ego quaestor ignoratum ab Syracusanis, [cum esse omnino negarent,] saeptum undique et vestitum vepribus et dumetis, indagavi sepulcrum. II Tenebam enim quosdam senariolos, [quos in eius monumento esse inscriptos acceperam]: [qui declarabant in summo sepulcro sphaeram esse positam cum cylindro.] III Ego autem, [cum omnia collustrarem oculis]—est enim ad portas Agragantinas magna frequentia sepulcrorum—animadverti columellam non multum e dumis eminentem, [in qua inerat sphaerae figura et cylindri]. IV Atque ego statim Syracusanis—erant autem principes mecum—dixi me illud ipsum arbitrari esse [quod quaererem]. V, VI Immissi cum falcibus multi purgarunt locum. [Quo cum patefactus esset aditus], accessimus: VII apparebat in sepulcro epigramma, exesis posterioribus partibus versiculorum, dimidiatis fere.

Cicero.

Demonstration VI.

Cicero, Tusc. v. 23. 64.

Read the Passage through carefully.—As you read you will notice many allusions and key-words, e.g. Archimedes, ego quaestor, Syracusanis, sepulcrum, etc. These, taken in connection with the heading and the author, will suggest to you the main subject of the passage—the finding of the Tomb of Archimedes by Cicero.

I. Archimedis ego quaestor ignoratum ab Syracusanis, cum esse omnino negarent, saeptum undique et vestitum vepribus et dumetis, indagavi sepulcrum.

(i.) Vocabulary.—

Quaestor (contr. from quaesītor—quaero), i.e. investigator, originally two main functions:—

(a) The preparation of evidence in public prosecutions (this about 240 B.C. transferred to the Tribunes).

(b) Treasurers of State. Of these the Quaestores urbani stayed at Rome, while the Quaestores provinciales or militares acted as financial assistants to the Consuls or Praetors for the provinces.

saeptum = hedged in; saepes = a hedge, fence.

vepribus = with bramble-bushes.

dumetis = with brushwood.

indagavi = I traced out. A metaphor from hunting. Cf.

‘Dum trepidant alae, saltusque indagine cingunt.’

Verg. Aen. iv. 121.

‘While the scouts (beaters) are all busy, and are encircling the coverts with nets.’

(ii.) Translation.—The form of the sentence is quite simple. The principal verb is indagavi, with subject ego quaestor, and object sepulcrum. From ignoratum . . . dumetis describes sepulcrum, and the subordinate clause cum . . . negarent emphasises ignoratum a Syracusanis. You may now translate

(a) literally: I, when Quaestor, traced out the tomb of Archimedes, not known of by the Syracusans, for they said it was not there at all, hedged in on all sides and covered with brambles and brushwood.

(b) A better rendering: When I was Quaestor I was able to trace the tomb of Archimedes, overgrown and hedged in with brambles and brushwood. The Syracusans knew nothing of it, and entirely denied its existence.

Notice here the improvement made by breaking up the one long sentence into two.

II. Tenebam enim quosdam senariolos, quos in eius monumento esse inscriptos acceperam: qui declarabant in summo sepulcro sphaeram esse positam cum cylindro.

(i.) Vocabulary.—

senariolos = some lines, i.e. of poetry—dimin. of senarius (seni) = consisting of six each, especially of the iambic senarii.

sphaeram = a sphere, globe—σφαῖρα.

cylindro = a cylinder. κύλινδρος.

(ii.) Translation.—The only principal verb is clearly tenebam (with subject contained in the verb), and the principal object senariolos (sc. versus). From quos . . . cylindro we have two subordinate adjectival clauses enlarging senariolos.

The fact is, I remembered some iambic lines which I had been told were inscribed on his monument, and which set forth that his tomb was surmounted by a sphere and a cylinder.

III. Ego autem, cum omnia collustrarem oculis—est enim ad portas Agragantinas magna frequentia sepulcrorum—animadverti columellam non multum e dumis eminentem, in qua inerat sphaerae figura et cylindri.

(i.) Vocabulary.—

collustrarem = I was surveying on all sides; con (cum) + lustro.

frequentia = a large number; cf. frequens, √φρακ, farc; cf. φράγ-μα = a fence, farc-io = pack close together; so, con-fer-tus = crowded, freq-uens = repeated, frequent.

columellam = a small column, dimin. of columen, √cel; cf. cel-sus = lofty; cf. ex-cello, col-umen (= cul-men) = the summit; cf. culminate.

(ii.) Translation.—This sentence is apparently not quite so simple, but if you carefully bracket the subordinate clauses you will see that the only principal verb is animadverti, with subject ego and object columellam. Notice next that—

(a) cum . . . oculis modifies the principal verb animadverti and is an adverbial clause of time.

(b) The parenthetical clause est enim . . . sepulcrorum explains collustrarem.

(c) in qua . . . cylindri is an adjectival clause enlarging columellam.

You may now translate into your best English, following closely the thought and the order of the Latin:—

Well, as I was surveying the whole place (there is a large number of tombs at18 the Agrigentine gate) I perceived a small column just showing above the undergrowth, on which appeared the figure of a sphere and a cylinder.

IV. Atque ego statim Syracusanis—erant autem principes mecum—dixi me illud ipsum arbitrari esse, quod quaererem.

(i.) Vocabulary.—The words of this sentence present no difficulty.

(ii.) Translation.—With the practice you have now had, you may translate at once; but notice carefully that—

(a) the parenthetical clause erant . . . mecum enlarges Syracusanis; and

(b) quod quaererem describes illud ipsum.

So I immediately said to the Syracusans who were with me (some people of importance) that I thought that was the very thing I was looking for.

V. Immissi cum falcibus multi purgarunt locum.

(i.) Vocabulary.—

falcibus = with bill-hooks; falx perh. akin to flect-o = bend, from its shape. Cf. falcon (from its hooked claws).

purgarunt = cleared; purgo, contr. from pur-igo = purum + ago = purge. Cf. pur-us.

(ii.) Translation.—

Some men sent in with bill-hooks cleared out the space.

VI. Quo cum patefactus esset aditus, accessimus.

(i.) Vocabulary.—

patefactus = laid open: pateo + facio. Cf. patent.

(ii.) Translation.—

As soon as the way was open, we went up to it.

VII. Apparebat in sepulcro epigramma, exesis posterioribus partibus versiculorum, dimidiatis fere.

(i.) Vocabulary.—

epigramma = inscription. Cf. epi-gram.

exesis = lit. ‘eaten out’; ex + edo. Cf. ed-ible.

dimidiatis = halved = dis + medius, i.e. divided into halves.

(ii.) Translation.—There was the inscription on the tomb: the latter part of each line was gone, nearly half the verse.

Note.—Notice here the rendering of the Lat. abl. absol., an idiom foreign to our language except for example in the so-called nom. absol. of Milton. Cf. Introduction, p. 12 (5).

Cicero adds the following reflection:—‘Ita nobilissima Graeciae civitas, quondam vero etiam doctissima, sui civis unius acutissimi monumentum ignorasset, nisi ab hoimine Arpinate didicisset.’

Thus it was that one of the most renowned of Greek cities, and in ancient times one of the most enlightened, would have remained ignorant of the monument of the greatest genius it ever produced, if it had not learnt it from a man born at Arpinum.19

Some Suggestions and Authorities.

Before you leave this passage, try to notice some of the following points, and if possible consult some of these authorities:—

(i.) Read (e.g. in Church and Brodribb’s translation) Livy’s account of the siege of Syracuse by Marcellus, 214-212 B.C., Book xxiv. cap. 34; Book xxv. caps. 23-31.

(ii.) Freeman’s History of Sicily. Notice especially the admirable plan of Syracuse illustrating the siege by Nicias.

Or Sicily—‘Story of the Nations’ Series.

(iii.) Some good Life of Archimedes. The Encyclopaedia Britannica supplies a good short life and refers to Cicero’s finding the Tomb of Archimedes, and to the still extant work of Archimedes on the Sphere and the Cylinder.

(iv.) For Cicero’s Quaestorship in Sicily, 75 B.C., consult some Life of Cicero, e.g. Forsyth’s, pp. 38-58, where reference is made to this incident.

(v.) For the Tusculanae Disputationes (conversations between Cicero and a friend at his Tusculan villa, the subject of which is the chief essentials of happiness) consult the admirable introduction to the edition by T. W. Dougan, Camb. Press.