fraude mala gentibus intulit, the word is used to signify the κaký Téxη or guilty wiles of Prometheus. Latin scholars have always found a great difficulty in distinguishing between noxa and noxia. Gesner, in his Thesaurus, and Drakenborch, ad Liv. II. 54. 10, maintain the identity of the two words. The memorial line gives Fronto's distinction: " noxa pœna est, noxia culpa.' And the obvious relationship of the two words, as substantive and adjective, shows that this distinction is correct, namely, that noxia, like ob-noxius, in-noxius, is an adjective or secondary word derived from noxa. While therefore noxa is the thing that hurts or harms, noxia is the condition under which a person is ob-noxius. Hence while we have both noxae tibi erit, it will bring punishment upon you,' and noxiae tibi erit, 'you will incur blame,' we have always in noxia esse or teneri, not in noxa, 'to be accounted guilty' (e. g. Ter. Phorm. II. 1. 36), and noxae dare or dedere, 'to consign to punishment,' not noxiae (e.g. Ovid, Fast. 1. 359). That Cicero regarded noxia as the guilt distinguished from the punishment is clear from his phrase, noxiae poena par esto (Leges, III. 4 fin.), explained by in so vitio quisque plectatur (ibid. 1. 20, § 46). The adjective obnoxius is used by good writers to signify 'detected or conscious of a crime;' thus Sallust, Jug. 31: obnoxiis inimicis, 'when your enemies' guilt is detected;' Cat. 48: Crasso ex negotiis privatis obnoxii, 'under obligation to Crassus, at his mercy;' Liv. XXIII. 12: si reticeam aut superbus aut obnoxius videar, 'conscious of guilt.' Innoxius is predicated of habitual conduct, innocens of single acts (Serv. ad En. x. 301: innocens re, innoxius animo dicitur). Hence the former is the stronger word, and we have a climax in Plaut. Capt. III. 5. 7 decet innocentem servum atque innoxium confidentem esse. The word justus implies a continual observance of the laws of men (jura), distinguished from the divine law (fas). Although aequus, 'brought to a level,' and justus, 'strictly in accordance with law,' are often used as synonyms, aequitas is occasionally employed, like our 'equity,' to denote that fair and liberal construction of the strict law, which stands between jus summum and indulgentia, and we have even the phrase pro aequitate contra jus dicere (Cic. de Orat. 1. 56). Verus, which is most commonly found in the sense 'true' of statements or professions, is used by the best writers as a synonym for aequus, as in the passage imitated above, i. e. Hor. 1 Epist. XII. 23: nil Grosphus praeter verum orabit et aequum. So also Hor. 1 Epist. 1. 11: quod verum atque decens curo et rogo et omnis in hoc sum. Virgil, En. XII. 693: me verius unum pro vobis foedus luere et decernere ferro, 'it is more equitable that I should expiate the treaty in your stead, and decide the strife with my sword.' Cæsar, B. G. IV. 8: neque verum esse, qui suos fines tueri non potuerint, alienos occupare, nor was it right that those, who could not protect their own territory, should occupy that of others.' Cic. Tusc. III. 299, § 93: rectum et verum est ut amemus, ‘it is right and proper that we should love.' Liv. XXXII. 33: sociorum audiri postulata verum esse, it was right that the demands of the allies should be heard.' Cf. Liv. II. 48; III. 40; XL. 16; Hor. 2 Serm. III. 312; 1 Epist. VII. 98. It seems that verus and severus ultimately agree with jus in origin as well as signification. Vitium, which is connected with věto and vito, as pretium is with interpretor, primarily denotes that which is to be shunned and avoided. It involves the vetitum in human, and the nefas in divine laws, and Horace combines vetitum nefas in one expression (1 Carm. III. 26). Practically vitium is used much in the same way as culpa; vitupero is nearly synonymous with culpo; and we find vitio et culpae dare in the same passage (Cic. S. Rosc. 16 fin.). Crimen (from cerno) means a distinct and definite accusation, a thing determined by law as wrong, an act charged as wrongful. Thus we have in Ovid, Trist. II. 306: Quacumque irrumpit quo non sinit ire sacerdos, Peccatum, from pecco = pecuo, 'to act like a brute,' conveys the idea of a stupid fault or blunder (cf. Cic. Paradox. III. 2. Plaut. Bacch. III. 29). Practically it is used as nearly synonymous with culpa and delictum; thus Plaut. Epid. v. 2. 64: 'mihi ignoscas si quid imprudens culpa peccavi mea.' Cic. Mur. 30: 'fatetur aliquis se *peccasse et ejus delicti veniam petit.' Facinus (for the form cf. itiner, jecinur) is a great or bold deed, perpetrated in defiance of the laws. Thus Ter. Heaut. II. 2. 73: 'non fit sine periculo facinus magnum et commemorabile.' Scelus, literally, 'a thing driven out and excommunicated,' means 'a horrible and atrocious act, such as cannot be tolerated within the limits of a respectable community.' Hence we have such phrases as scelere contaminare nomen populi Romani; scelere se devincire, obstringere, alligare; sceleribus nefariis coopertus; scelus infestum et immane; scelus detestabile; scelere violare deos immortales, &c. It is a stronger word even than facinus; for Cicero says (Verr. VII. 66): 'facinus est vincire civem Romanum; scelus verberari; prope parricidium necari.' A sort of relligio or curse (above 102) was attached to the scelestus and sceleratus; hence both words are used to signify unlucky,' the latter especially in funeral inscriptions; as 'parentes sceleratissimi D. L. G. 32 posuerunt Mammio suo;' the former in the comic poets, as Plaut. Cas. III. 5. 34: 'scelestissimum me esse video.' Sceleratus is also an epithet of places blasted with ill fame in consequence of some horrible, nefarious, or unlucky act; thus we have sceleratus vicus, campus, scelerata porta, and the like. In flagitium, literally 'cause of outcry, shameful proceeding,' the leading idea is that of the disgrace occasioned by the act; thus we have (Cic. Att. XVI. 7): 'factum flagitii plenum et dedecoris.' The word is very often combined with facinus, as the open audacity of a disgraceful act increases the infamy which ensues; thus we have Sall. Cat. 14: 'omnium flagitiorum atque facinorum.' 23: flagitiis atque facinoribus coopertus.' Cic. Cat. 1. 6: 'quod facinus a manibus unquam tuis, quod flagitium a toto corpus abfuit?' 1. 7: 'nullum aliquot jam annis facinus exstitit, nisi pro te; nullum flagitium sine te.' APPENDIX V. ANTIBARBARUS. THE Latin scholar should not only be able to distinguish those Latin expressions, which, though equally correct, slightly differ in meaning. He should also discriminate between the correct and idiomatic words and phrases, and those which are unusual or inadmissible. Most of the classical and correct idioms of the Latin language have been noticed in the course of the Grammar, and attention has been directed to many faulty and objectional phrases or constructions. As, however, this work is especially intended for the use of those who wish to write Latin, it will be desirable to append a list of the solocisms into which English students are most likely to fall. More than one elaborate treatise, bearing the title of Antibarbarus, has been written on this subject. It is to be doubted whether the perusal of one of these works would be likely to remedy the defects which it exemplifies. And it is much better that the young Latinist should be cautioned only against the most usual and probable barbarisms. It is to be observed that the cautions given below with regard to a selection of phrases do not apply to those who use the Latin language as a medium of literary communication. For these persons modern Latin is not a dead language, but admits of new developments within certain limits like any other form of human speech; and to confine the mature scholar to a Ciceronian style is an exploded pedantry. But those, who are still acquiring the habit of writing Latin, cannot be too particular or exact, for it is only from those who have passed the necessary apprenticeship in an imitation of the best models, that we can expect a good and pleasing form of modern Latinity. A. Abbreviare, to abbreviate,' is not classical; use per notas scribere for short-hand writing, verborum compendia facere for abbreviations of single words (as Ictus for juris consultus), and contrahere, in breve cogere, in angustum deducere or breviare (Quintil.) for the abridgment of a discourse. Abdicare magistratum is unclassical; we should say abdicare se magistratu. The metaphorical abdicare se humanitate, though used by Ruhnken (Opusc. I. p. 86), has no classical authority; it should be humanitatem (omnem) exuere. Cic. Att. XIII. 2; Ligar. v. § 14. Abhine, which properly refers to past time only (from this time, counting backwards), is sometimes wrongly used with reference to future time or distance in space; in its proper use we must not add ante; thus ante decem annos abhinc is unclassical. Abscondere se is not classical; write abdere se, occultare se. Absque, though commonly used for sine by modern Latinists in such phrases as absque vitiis, absque omni dubitatione, is barbarous, except in the phrase absque eo esset (above, p. 331). Accuratus is an unclassical substitute for diligens in the sense of our 'accurate' or 'exact.' So also the adverb accurate. Acquisitio is very late Latin for comparatio, adeptio. Activus does not occur as a substitute for gnavus, industrius, strenuus, promptus. Ad diem is false Latin for ante diem. So also ad summum, 'in the highest degree,' for summum, ad minimum for minimum, ad instar for instar, &c. Adaptare for accommodare has no authority. Adducere scriptorem, 'to quote an author,' is unclassical; of persons we say producere, citare, laudare, proferre; of things, afferre. Adhibere vocabulum, 'to use a word,' is not good Latin for uti. Adhuc is frequently confused with etiam tunc, and hactenus (above, p. 168). Its use with comparatives, as adhuc fortior, 'still stronger,' for etiam fortior, is not Ciceronian. Adoptare, e.g. lectionem, for recipere, is not supported by any good authority. Advocatus in classical Latin is not the patronus or patronus causae, i. e. 'the advocate' in our sense, but a friend and abettor. Edes in the plur. does not signify 'a temple' without the addition of deorum, sacrae, or divinae. Egritudo means 'trouble of mind,' aegrotatio, or morbus, 'bodily ailment.' Equator is bad Latin for circulus aequinoctialis, or meridianus. Era, a period of time,' is very low Latin for temporum, annorum computatio. Estimabilis is new Latin for dignus qui magni aestimetur; aestimare must not be used in the sense of our 'to esteem' without magni, nor must we substitute aestimatio for existimatio or observantia. |