Academica · Marcus Tullius Cicero
ENTITLED _LUCULLUS_.
283, 377). _Extremitatem_: = επιφανειαν. _Libramentum_: so this word is used by Pliny (see Forc.) for the slope of a hill. _Nulla crassitudo_: in Sext. the επιφανεια is usually described not negatively as here, but positively as μηκος μετα πλατους (_P.H._ III. 39), περας (_extremitas_) σοματος δυο εχον διαστασεις, μηκος και πλατος (_A.M._ III. 77). _Liniamentum ... carentem_: a difficult passage. Note (1) that the line is defined in Greek as μηκος απλατες. (Sext. as above), (2) that Cic. has by preference described the point and surface negatively. This latter fact seems to me strong against the introduction of _longitudinem_ which Ursinus, Dav., Orelli, Baiter and others propose by conjecture. If anything is to be introduced, I would rather add _et crassitudine_ before _carentem_, comparing I. 27 _sine ulla specie et carentem omni illa qualitate_. I have merely bracketed _carentem_, though I feel Halm's remark that a verb is wanted in this clause as in the other two, he suggests _quod sit sine_. Hermann takes _esse_ after _punctum_ as strongly predicative ("there _is_ a point," etc.), then adds _similiter_ after _liniamentum_ and ejects _sine ulla_. Observe the awkwardness of having the _line_ treated of after the _superficies_, which has induced some edd. to transpose.
For _liniamentum_ = _lineam_ cf. _De Or._ I. 187. _Si adigam_: the fine em. of Manut. for _si adiiciamus_ of MSS. The construction _adigere aliquem ius iurandum_ will be found in Caes. _Bell. Civ._ I. 76, II. 18, qu. by Dav., cf. also Virg. _Aen._ III. 56 _quid non mortalia pectora cogis auri sacra fames?_ _Sapientem nec prius_: this is the "_egregia lectio_" of three of Halm's MSS. Before Halm _sapientemne_ was read, thus was destroyed the whole point of the sentence, which is _not_ that the _sapiens_ will swear to the size of the sun after he has seen Archimedes go through his calculations, _but_ that the _sapiens_, however true he admits the bases of proof to be which Archimedes uses, will _not_ swear to the truth of the elaborate conclusions which that geometer rears upon them. Cicero is arguing as in 128 against the absurdity of attaching one and the same degree of certainty to the simplest and the most complex truths, and tries to condemn the Stoic _sapiens_ out of his own mouth, cf. esp. _nec ille iurare posset_ in 123. _Multis partibus_: for this expression see Munro on Lucr. I. 734, for the sense cf. 82, 123, 126, 128. _Deum_: see 126.
It seems also to be found in Philolaus, see R. and P. 75. _Theophrastus_: who wrote much on the history of philosophy, see R. and P. 328. _Platonem_: the words of Plato (_Tim._ 40 B) are γην δε τροφον μεν ‛ημετεραν, ειλλομενην δε περι τον δια παντος πολον τεταμενον. _Quid tu, Epicure_: the connection is that Cic., having given the crotchets of other philosophers about φυσικη, proceeds to give the peculiar crotchet of Epic. _Putas solem ... tantum_: a hard passage. _Egone? ne bis_ is the em. of Lamb. for MSS. _egone vobis_, and is approved by Madv., who thus explains it (_Em._ 185) "_cum interrogatum esset num tantulum (quasi pedalem 82) solem esse putaret, Epic. non praecise definit (tantum enim esse censebat quantus videretur vel paulo aut maiorem aut minorem) sed latius circumscribit, ne bis quidem tantum esse, sed inter pedalem magnitudinem et bipedalem_". (_D.F._ I. 20) This explanation though not quite satisfactory is the best yet given. Epicurus' absurdity is by Cic. brought into strong relief by stating the outside limit to which Epic. was prepared to go in estimating the sun's size, i.e. twice the apparent size. _Ne ... quidem_ may possibly appear strange, cf. however _ne maiorem quidem_ in 82. _Aristo Chius_: for this doctrine of his see R. and P. 358.
44. The later Peripatetics were to a great degree Stoicised. _Nunc_: Halm _huc_ after Jo. Scala. _Carneades_: this _finis_ is given in _D.F._ II. 35 (_frui principiis naturalibus_), II. 42 (_Carneadeum illud quod is non tam ut probaret protulit, quam ut Stoicis quibuscum bellum gerebat opponeret_), V. 20 (_fruendi rebus iis, quas primas secundum naturam esse diximus, Carneades non ille quidem auctor sed defensor disserendi causa fuit_), _T.D._ V. 84 (_naturae primus aut omnibus aut maximis frui, ut Carneades contra Stoicos disserebat_). The _finis_ therefore, thus stated, is not different from that of Polemo, but it is clear that Carneades intended it to be different, as he did not include _virtus_ in it (see _D.F._ II. 38, 42, V. 22) while Polemo did (I. 22). See more on 139. _Zeno_: cf. _D.F._ IV. 15 _Inventor et princeps_: same expression in _T.D._ I. 48, _De Or._ I. 91, _De Inv._ II. 6; _inv._ = οικιστης.
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