ns have
held high offices (_honores_); cf. 61 _senectus honorata praesertim_. Here
translate 'statesmen'. -- IN VITA ... QUIETA: 'in an unofficial and retired
life'. There is chiasmus here, since _privata_ is contrasted with
_honoratis_ and _quieta_ with _claris_. -- SUMMAM SENECTUTEM: Sophocles
died at the age of 90 in 405 B.C. -- QUOD PROPTER STUDIUM: 'from his
devotion to this occupation'. -- FILIIS: except Plutarch, who probably
follows Cicero's words, all the authorities tell the story of the poet's
eldest son Iophon only. The tale is full of improbabilities. -- REM: = _rem
familiarem_ as in 1. -- PATRIBUS BONIS INTERDICI SOLET: 'fathers are often
prevented from managing their property'. For the construction cf. the
expression _interdicere alicui aqua et igni: interdici_ is here used
impersonally with _patribus_ in the dat.; A. 230; H. 384, 5; _bonis_ is
abl. of separation (deprivation). The fragment of the XII tables here
referred to is thus given in Dirksen's edition: _sei fouriosos aut prodicos
(prodigus) escit (erit) adenatorum centiliomque (gentiliumque) eius
potestas estod, i.e._ the agnates (male relatives whose kinship with the
_furiosus_ is derived through males) and members of his _gens_ are to
administer his property. We have preserved the form in which the judgment
was made by the _praetor urbanus_ (Paulus, Sent. 3, 4a, 7): '_quando tibi
tua bona paterna avitaque nequitia tua disperdis liberosque tuos ad
egestatem perducis, ob eam rem tibi ea re commercioque interdico_'. --
QUASI DESIPIENTEM: '[Greek: hos paraphronounta]' says the author of the
anonymous life of Sophocles. Cf. Xenophon, Mem. 1, 2, 49. -- IN MANIBUS
HABEBAT: 'had on hand' _i.e._ in preparation. _Est in manibus_ in 12 has a
different meaning. -- SCRIPSERAT: he had written it but not finally
corrected it. -- RECITASSE: the common version of the story states that not
the whole play was read but only the fine chorus beginning [Greek: euippou,
xene, tasde choras]. -- VIDERETUR: _sc. esse_; the infinitive is often
omitted thus after verbs of desiring, thinking etc., also verbs of speaking
and hearing; cf. Lael. 18 _eam sapientiam interpretantur_; ib. 29 _quam
natam volunt_; ib. 64 _homines ex maxime raro genere iudicare;_ Acad. 2, 12
_viderenturne ea Philonis._

23. HESIODUM: see n. on 54. -- Simoniden: Simonides of Ceos (not S. of
Amorgos), one of the greatest Greek lyric poets, lived from 556 to about
469 B.C. -- STESICHORUM: of Himera in Sic