frequens conspectus vester
,
the sight of you in full assembly.
hic locus
, the
Rostra. The scanty remains of the
rostra may be seen at the left of the Temple of Concord.
ad agendum
,
for public business, i.e. among the many duties of a magistrate there is none more dignified (
amplissimus) than this of addressing the whole people in a political assembly;
agere cum populo was the technical expression for transacting business in the
comitia or a
contio.
ornatissimus
,
honorable (of private glory as an orator).
Quirites
,
fellow-citizens: the name by which the Romans were addressed when acting in a civil capacity.
hoc aditu
,
this avenue (i.e. addressing the people on political questions).
optimo cuique
, i.e. to such as the presiding magistrate would permit, for only these had a right to speak in a
contio .
rationes
,
plan: the plural indicates the details of the plan, i.e. the particular considerations that determine a general course of conduct.
cum
(temporal),
while: §
546
(323, 2); B. 288, I, b; G. 585; H. 600, ii, I (521, 2); H.-B. 524.
auctoritatem
: the act of speaking in a
contio indicated that the speaker was a proper person to advise the people, and hence it would confer
auctoritas (
weight,
prestige).
attingere
,
aspire to.
perfectum ingenio
,
perfected by force of intellect, i.e. the fruit of fully developed mental power.
elaboratum
,
carefully wrought (such, therefore, as needed more practice than youth could give).
amicorum temporibus
,
exigencies of my friends. A Roman lawyer was not regarded as doing a service for hire, but was expected to defend his friends gratuitously. He was, indeed, prohibited from receiving pay; but, though no bargain was made, the obliged party was expected to give a liberal present, in some form or other, to his
patronus.
neque . . . et
: here the first clause is virtually concessive; we may render
while . . . at the same time.
caste
,
with clean hands.
integre
(next line),
in good faith (toward the client).
judicio
, i.e. their action in electing him.
fructum
, i.e. the several grades of office he had already filled: he was now
praetor.
dilationem
,
adjournment There were many things which could break up an assembly and put off the business, especially unfavorable auguries, the announcement of which was a favorite device of politicians. If an election was thus interrupted by adjournment, the votes already taken were null and void and the whole proceeding had to be gone through with again. The
comitia at which Cicero was chosen
praetor were twice adjourned in this way, so that there were three meetings before the election was complete. At each of these Cicero was the first (
primus) of the eight praetors to secure a majority, and hence he was
thrice declared elected (
ter renuntiatus sum).
primus does not here imply a superiority in rank, for the eight praetors were regarded as colleagues and they determined their functions by lot.
quid aliis
, etc., i.e. this action of the voters showed that they approved his course of life, and was a suggestion to others how to attain similar honors.
nunc
, opposed to the time referred to in sect.
1
.
ad agendum
, for
speaking (cf. note on 1.2, above).
forensi usu
: the courts were held in the Forum.
quoque
, i.e. to forensic as well as to military or political activity.
