[275] The Tullian dungeon--_Tullianum_. "Tullianum" is an adjective, with which _robur_ must be understood, as it was originally constructed, wholly or partially, with oak. See Festus, sub voce _Robum_ or _Robur_: his words are _arcis robustis includebatur_, of which the sense is not very clear. The prison at Rome was built by Ancus Marcius, and enlarged by Servius Tullius, from whom this part of it had its name; Varro de L. L., iv. 33. It is now transformed into a subterranean chapel, beneath a small church erected over it, called _San Pietro in Carcere_. De Brosses and Eustace both visited it; See Eustace's Classical Tour, vol. i. p. 260, in the _Family Library_. See also Wasse's note on this passage. [276] A vaulted roof connected with stone arches--_Camera lapideis fornicibus vincta_. "That _camera_ was a roof curved in the form of a _testudo_, is generally admitted; see Vitruv. vii. 3; Varr., R. R. iii. 7, init." _Dietsch_. The roof is now arched in the usual way. [277] Certain men, to whom orders had been given--_Quibus praeceptum erat_. The editions of Havercamp, Gerlach, Kritzius, and Dietsch, have _vindices rerum capitalium, quibus_, etc. Cortius ejected the first three words from his text, as an intruded gloss. If the words be genuine, we must consider these _vindices_ to have been the deputies, or lictors, of the "triumvirs" mentioned above. [278] LVI. As far as his numbers would allow--_Pro numero militum_. He formed his men into two bodies, which he called legions, and divided each legion, as was usual, into ten cohorts, putting into each cohort as many men as he could. The cohort of a full legion consisted of three maniples, or six hundred men; the legion would then be six thousand men. But the legions were seldom so large as this; they varied at different periods, from six thousand to three thousand; in the time of Polybius they were usually four thousand two hundred. See Adam's Rom. Ant., and Lipsius de Mil. Rom Dial. iv. [279] From his confederates--_Ex sociis_. "Understand, not only the leaders in the conspiracy, but those who, in c. 35, are said to have set out to join Catiline, though not at that time exactly implicated in the plot." _Kritzius_. It is necessary to notice this, because Cortius erroneously supposes "sociis" to mean the _allies of Rome_. Dahl, Longius, Müller, Burnouf, Gerlach, and Dietsch, all interpret in the same manner as Kritzius. [280] Hoped himself shortly to find one--_Sperabat propediem sese habiturum_. Other editions, as those of Havercamp, Gerlach, Kritzius, Dietsch, and Burnouf, have the words _magnas copias_ before _sese_. Cortius struck them out, observing that _copiae_ occurred too often in this chapter, and that in one MS. they were wanting. One manuscript, however, was insufficient authority for discarding them; and the phrase suits much better with what follows, _si Romae socii incepta patravissent_, if they are retained.