Prosa 5

section 1

regumque familiaritas: B. was no king, but he had hobnobbed with a king; the phrase points the moral.

section 2

qui reges: qui reges . . . mutauerint: reges has been attracted into the relative clause; translate, "[examples of] kings who . . ."
mutauerint: qui reges . . . mutauerint: reges has been attracted into the relative clause; translate, "[examples of] kings who . . ."

section 3

qua parte: "in some part," i.e., "somewhere."

section 4

quibus: dative with imperet.

section 5

Qua: Qua . . . parte: "where."
parte: Qua . . . parte: "where."
beatos faciens: almost the equivalent of a relative clause modifying potestas.
hac: "there," correlated with qua . . . parte above.
subintrat: "enters secretly."

section 6

Expertus: "having experienced, known"; governs genitive (periculorum).
metus: accusative plural.
gladii: The "sword of Damocles" (hung by the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse [405-367 B.C.]) was already proverbial.

section 7

aculeos: "stings, barbs."
uellent: uellent . . . uixisse:"they would have liked to have lived . . ." Subject must be supplied from the exempla of sec. 2, hence the past potential subjunctive and perfect infinitive.
uixisse: uellent . . . uixisse:"they would have liked to have lived . . ." Subject must be supplied from the exempla of sec. 2, hence the past potential subjunctive and perfect infinitive.

section 8

qui satellite latus ambit: "who surrounds [his] flank (latus) with a bodyguard."

section 9

imbecillitatis: "weakness, helplessness."
incolumis: "unharmed"; nominative.

section 10

ad eligendae mortis: ad eligendae mortis . . . arbitrium: "to the choice of opting for death," i.e., to suicide.
arbitrium: ad eligendae mortis . . . arbitrium: "to the choice of opting for death," i.e., to suicide.
Papinianum: a famous Roman jurist, executed in 212 A.D. by the emperor Antoninus Caracalla.
aulicos: "courtiers."
gladiis: dative with obiecit ("handed over to the sword").

section 11

uterque: "both"; often, as here, with plural verb.
potentiae: dative with renuntiare, "renounce."
otium: here, "retirement."
dum: "since"; see on 2P3.9.
ruituros: < ruo, "fall headlong."
moles ipsa: sc. regnorum magnorum.

section 13

praesidio: dative of purpose.
infortunium faciet inimicum: cf. 2P8.6.