47. AT: so in 21, where see n. -- QUASI TITILLATIO: the _quasi_, as often in Cicero's writings, marks a translation from the Greek. Here the Epicurean word γαργαλισμος is referred to; it is often in Cic. represented by _titillatio_; cf. N.D. 1, 113; Fin. 1, 39; Tusc. 3, 47. -- BENE: _sc. dixit_. -- AFFECTO AETATE: 'wrought on by age'. Cf. De Or. 1, 200 _in eius infirmissima valetudine affectaque iam aetate_. -- UTERETURNE etc.: 'whether he still took pleasure in love'; _uti = frui_. Cf. Ovid, Met. 4, 259 _dementer amoribus uti_ with Cic. Tusc. 4, 68 _venereis voluptatibus frui_. -- DI MELIORA: _sc. duint_; this archaic form usually occurs when the phrase is given in full. The story of Sophocles is taken by Cicero from Plato (Rep. 329 B) who has ευφημει. -- ISTINC etc.: cf. the passage in Plato, Rep. 1, 329 C. For _istinc_ used otherwise than of place cf. _unde_ in 12 with n. -- AGRESTI: 'boorish'; _rusticus_ denotes simply an ordinary countryman. -- QUAMQUAM ... ERGO: these words may be scanned as a hexameter line, but the pause before _ergo_ would prevent them from being taken as a verse. -- HOC NON DESIDERARE: 'this absence of regret'; the words form the subject of _est_. So _hoc non dolere_ in Fin. 2, 18. For the pronoun in agreement with the infinitive treated as noun cf. Persius 1, 9 _istud vivere_; 1, 122 _hoc ridere meum_. H. 538, 3. 48. SI: 'even if', 'granting that'. -- BONA AETAS: 'the good time of life', _i.e._ youth. Tischer qu. Varro de Re Rustica 2, 6, 2 _mares feminaeque bona aetate_ = 'young'. For _bona aetas = homines bona aetate_ cf. n. on 26 _senectus_. -- UT DIXIMUS: not expressly, but the opinion is implied in 44, 45. -- TURPIONE AMBIVIO: L. Ambivius Turpio was the most famous actor of Cato's time, and appeared especially in Terence's plays. In old Latin commonly, occasionally in the Latin of the best period, and often in Tacitus, the _cognomen_ is placed before the _nomen_ when the _praenomen_ is not mentioned. Cf. Att. 11, 12, 1 _Balbo Cornelio_. The usage is more common in Cicero's writings than in those of his contemporaries. -- PRIMA CAVEA: 'the lower tier'. The later Roman theatres consisted of semicircular or elliptic galleries, with rising tiers of seats; the level space partially enclosed by the curve was the _orchestra_, which was bounded by the stage in front. There can be little doubt that Cicero is guilty of an anachronism here; his words do not suit the circumstances of Cato's time. Till nearly the end of the Republic the theatres were rude structures of wood, put up temporarily; it is even doubtful whether they contained seats for the audience. Cato himself frustrated an attempt to establish a permanent theatre. -- PROPTER: 'close by'. The adverbial use of _propter_ (rarely, if ever, met with outside of Cicero) is denied by some scholars, but is well attested by MSS. here and elsewhere. -- TANTUM ... EST: these words qualify _delectatur_.