5.
mea: § 355,a (222,a); B. 211, i,a; G.381; H. 449, I (408, t 2); H.-B. 345. popularis, not popular but devoted to the people, democratic: Caesar was now the recognized leader of this party. auctore (abl. abs.), proposer; cognitore, sponsor (a legal term). majorum: none of Caesar 5 ancestors were men of any distinction, although some distant relatives were prominent in public affairs in the time of Sulla; see note on p. 137, l. 23. He belonged, however, to one of the oldest patrician families. obsidom, i.e. he is pledged at all events to defend the state as against the conspirators. interesset: for tense, see § 485, d (287, d); H.-B. 482, I. levitatem, want of principle, i.e. of the steady purpose, or stability of character, implied in gravitas. saluti, i.e. not voluntati: their interests, not their capricious wishes. >
non neminem: it is said that the person referred to was Q. Metellus Nepos, brother of Celer (see Cat. 1, sect. 19), a partisan of Pompey and an enemy of Cicero. dedit, decrevit, adfecit: i.e. gave his vote for these acts. With this, of course, his present action is inconsistent. qui has for antecedent the subject of judicarit. re, the matter (in general); causa, the issue to be decided. C. Caesar: the full name gives emphasis, contrasting him with the non nemo (p. 145, l. 29). Caesar votes for a judgment against the conspirators which seems contrary to the Sempronian Law, but he, a true friend of the people (vere popularis), recognizes that this law applies to Roman citizens only, and that it therefore cannot protect these traitors. Semproniam: see note on "Crucifixion," etc., p. 61, l. 10. latorem, i.e. C. Gracchus. jussu populi: not strictly true, for C. Gracchus was put to death, not by order of the people, but by virtue of the dictatorial authority conferred upon the consuls by the Senate. rei publicae: dative. dependisse: punishment with the Romans was regarded as a penalty paid by the offender to the injured party (hence dare, solvere, pendere of the guilty; capere, petere, repetere, postulare, etc., of the person wronged). Lentulum: by discussing this conspirator as an example of the would-be popularis, Cicero skillfully throws discredit on the non nemo (p. 145, l.29) and others like him. largitorem, etc., i.e. however lavish, — a symptom of courting the popular favor. se jactare, i.e. as a pretended friend of liberty, like the non nemo above. omnis cruciattis: accusative plural.
