Prosa 2

section 1

Papae: see on 1P6.6.
modo: "just, only"; take with ne moreris (negative command).
moreris: here, "put off, delay."

section 2

adesse potentiam, malos: adesse potentiam, malos . . . esse desertos: accusative/infinitive.
esse desertos: adesse potentiam, malos . . . esse desertos: accusative/infinitive.
licebit: sc. tibi, "you may," governs agnoscas.
alterum: alterum . . . ex altero: "the one [proposition: e.g., potentiam semper adesse bonis] . . . from the other."
ex altero: alterum . . . ex altero: "the one [proposition: e.g., potentiam semper adesse bonis] . . . from the other."

section 3

bonum malumque: take throughout this section as abstract substantives (Good and Evil).
esse constiterit: = sit. Literally, "shall be established to be"; this pleonasm probably comes from habitual preference for ending sentences and clauses with particular rhythms.

section 4

alterutro: "by each [in turn]."

section 5

omnis: omnis . . . constat effectus: "every accomplishment consists."
constat effectus: omnis . . . constat effectus: "every accomplishment consists."
explicari: as often in B., "be accomplished, completed" (e.g., 3P7.4).

section 6

Deficiente: Deficiente . . . uoluntate: ablative absolute; the equivalent of a conditional clause (si deficit uoluntas).
uoluntate: Deficiente . . . uoluntate: ablative absolute; the equivalent of a conditional clause (si deficit uoluntas).
aggreditur: "approaches," hence, "begins, undertakes."

section 7

huic: antecedent is quem; dative with defuisse.
obtinendi: gerund, objective genitive with ualentiam.

section 8

Quem: accusative subject of effecisse.

section 9

Quod: Quod . . . potest: see on 4P1.5.
potest: Quod . . . potest: see on 4P1.5.
in eo: in eo . . . in hoc: each pronoun is antecedent for the preceding relative clause.
in hoc: in eo . . . in hoc: each pronoun is antecedent for the preceding relative clause.
censendus: "must be thought."

section 10

superioribus rationibus: cf. 3P2.

section 11

Num recordaris: cf. 3P10.

section 12

indiscreta intentione: "with intentions that are not distinguished [from each other]."

section 13

certum: sc. est.

section 17

duo: sc. homines.
idem: "the same thing."
quam naturae conuenit: "than accords with nature."
implentem: "the one who does fulfill [his intention]."

section 20

Eiusque rei: i.e., ambulandi.
pedum: predicative.
Ne hoc quidem: sc. dubito.

section 21

manibus nitens: "relying on his hands."

section 22

potens: "[the one] in control of," with genitive.
eo: ablative of comparison.

section 23

boni: nominative plural, "good people."
adipiscendi boni: "of attaining the good."
idem ipsum: "one and the same thing."

section 27

praeeuntis naturae: "of Nature going on before."

section 28

in eo: in eo . . . quod solum . . . moliuntur: "in that . . . which alone . . . they strive for."
quod solum: in eo . . . quod solum . . . moliuntur: "in that . . . which alone . . . they strive for."
moliuntur: in eo . . . quod solum . . . moliuntur: "in that . . . which alone . . . they strive for."

section 29

Sicut: begins a simile picked up by ita three lines below.
quo nihil ulterius peruium iaceret incessui: "where nothing further passable should lie open to [one's] approach"; i.e., "where you can go no further."
expetendorum: "of seeking after things."
quo nihil ultra est: "beyond which there is nothing else."
iudices: < iudico, subjunctive after necesse est.

section 30

quod huic obiacet: "what lies over against this," i.e., the converse.

section 31

Inscitiane: = inscitia + ne, ablative of cause; sc. est; correlated with An sectanda nouerunt.
sectanda: "the things to be pursued."
transuersos: "sideways," i.e., off the right path.
intemperantia: sc. praecipitat.

section 32

omnino esse: "to exist at all." Compare the argument from 3P12.24-29, on the non-being of evil.

section 33

cuipiam: < quispiam, "someone, something."

section 34

eos malos esse: "that they are evil"; here esse is merely a copulative.
eosdem esse: "that they [the same people] exist."

section 35

uti: "just as," introducing a simile.
malos: predicative.

section 36

Est enim quod: "For that thing exists which . . ."
ordinem retinet: "preserves the order [innate in things]."
esse: "(its) existence"; accusative verbal noun.

section 38

quae minime ualerent: "which they would be unable [to do] at all."

section 39

possibilitas: abstract quality < posse (but not identical with potentia or potestas); P. is being deliberately ironic.

section 40

idem: i.e., the summum bonum.

section 41

homines: accusative subject of posse.
idem: i.e., homines.

section 42

bonorum tantummodo potens: "capable only of good actions."
queant: takes accusative object (omnia) by analogy with posse.

section 43

Huc accedit quod: "there is added to this the fact that"; in a word: "moreover."
omnem potentiam: omnem potentiam . . . numerandam: sc. esse.
numerandam: omnem potentiam . . . numerandam: sc. esse.

section 44

patrandi: < patro, "accomplish, achieve"; here, of a scelus, it has the sense of "commit."

section 45

minime dubitabilis: "indubitable."
Platonis: Platonis . . . sententiam: Gorgias 466DE. The distinction made between quod desiderent ("what they [really] want") and quod libeat ("what pleases/seems good") reflects a like subtlety in Plato. All men naturally desire the good (cf. 3P11), so a different expression must be found to describe the yearning of wicked men for evil.
sententiam: Platonis . . . sententiam: Gorgias 466DE. The distinction made between quod desiderent ("what they [really] want") and quod libeat ("what pleases/seems good") reflects a like subtlety in Plato. All men naturally desire the good (cf. 3P11), so a different expression must be found to describe the yearning of wicked men for evil.

section 46

probra: "disgraceful acts."