general faithlessness to his wives, for he had several; as if Sallust had used the singular for the plural, _uxore_ for _uxoribus_, or _reuxoriâ_; but if Sallust meant to allude to more than one wife, why should he have restricted himself to the singular? [284] Lived on the easiest terms with his friends--_Facilis amicitiâ_ The critics are in doubt about the sense of this phrase. I have given that which Dietsch prefers, who says that a man _facilis amicitiâ_ is "one who easily grants his friends all that they desire, exacts little from them, and is no severe censor of their morals." Cortius explains it _facilis ad amicitiam_, and Facciolati, in his Lexicon, _facilè sibi amicos parans_, but these interpretations, as Kritzius observes, are hardly suitable to the ablative case. [285] Most fortunate--_Felicissumo_. Alluding, perhaps, to the title of Felix, which he assumed after his great victory over Marius. [286] His desert--_Industriam_. That is, the efforts which he made to attain distinction. [287] XCVII. When scarcely a tenth part of the day remained--_Vix decimâ parte die reliquâ._ A remarkably exact specification of the time. [288] From various quarters--_Ex multis._ From his scouts, who came in from all sides. [289] The Roman veterans, who were necessarily well experienced in war,--The reading of Cortius is, _Romani veteres, novique, et ob ea scientes belli;_ which he explains by supposing that the new recruits _were joined with_ the veterans, and that both united were consequently well skilled in war, citing, in support of his supposition, a passage in c. 87: _Sic brevi spatio_ novi veteresqua _coaluere, et virtus omnium aequalis facta._ And Ascensius had previously given a similar explanation, _quod etiam veterani adessent._ But many later critics have not been induced to believe that Cortius's reading will bear any such interpretation; and accordingly Kritzius, Dietsch, and Orelli, have ejected _novique_; as indeed Ciaeconius and Ursinus had long before recommended. Muller, Burnouf, and Allen, retain it, adopting Cortius's interpretation. Gerlach also retains it, but not without hesitation. But it is very remarkable that it occurs in all the manuscripts but one, which has _Romani veteres boni scientes erant ut quos locus,_ etc. [290] _Neque minus hostibus conturbatis_. If the enemy had not been in as much disorder as himself, Marius would hardly have been able to effect his retreat. [291] _Pleno gradu_.--"By the _militaris gradus_ twenty miles were completed in five hours of a summer day; by the _plénusus_, which is quicker, twenty-four miles were traversed in the same time." Veget. i.9.