Commentary Cons. Phil. Book 3 Prosa 8
The last five sections (3P3-7) are summarized briefly.
- section 1
-
Nihil: Nihil . . . dubium est quin: "It is not at all doubtful that," with subjunctive.
dubium est quin: Nihil . . . dubium est quin: "It is not at all doubtful that," with subjunctive.
hae: hae . . . uiae: riches, high office, thrones, glory, pleasure.
uiae: hae . . . uiae: riches, high office, thrones, glory, pleasure.
eo: eo . . . ad quod: "to that point . . . to which."
ad quod: eo . . . ad quod: "to that point . . . to which."
- section 3
-
habenti: dative of separation (with verb of taking away).
Danti: < do, dare; present participle; dative with supplicabis, "you will entreat, pray to."
uilesces: "will grow cheap," i.e., "will cheapen yourself."
- section 4
-
insidiis: dative governed by obnoxius ("exposed, vulnerable").
periculis: dative with subiacebis.
- section 6
-
corporis: in apposition with rei.
- section 7
-
prae se: prae se . . . ferunt: "esteem . . . more than themselves."
ferunt: prae se . . . ferunt: "esteem . . . more than themselves."
nituntur: "rely."
- section 8
-
desinite: < desino, "cease."
his: i.e., spatium, firmitudo, celeritas; ablative of cause.
qua regitur: cf. 2M8.30.
- section 9
-
nitor: "elegance, beauty."
ut: "How . . . !" (exclamatory).
- section 10
-
ut Aristoteles ait: in his (now lost) Protreptic (fragment B 105 D). Lynceus was one of the Argonauts, famed for his keen sight.
obstantia: < obsto, "obstruct."
introspectis uisceribus: ablative absolute.
Alcibiadis: brilliant younger Athenian contemporary of Socrates (see Plato's Symposium), proverbially handsome and corrupt.
superficie: ablative of respect.
reddit: "renders, makes," with accusative/infinitive (te pulchrum uideri).
- section 11
-
quam uultis nimio: "as excessively as you wish."
dum: "provided that," with subjunctive.
triduanae: "lasting three days."
igniculo: diminutive < ignis, "fire."
- section 12
-
illud: anticipates the quod (= "that") clause.
redigere in summam: "to sum up, to gather together in a whole."
haec: i.e., wealth, office, power, glory, pleasure.
quae: antecedent is bona.
ea: echoes the demonstrative pronoun (haec) for emphasis.
quasi quidam: "as, so to speak . . . "
calles: "paths"; cf. deuia (3P8.1).