XIII
[13arg] On what principle the ancients said cum. partim hominum.PARTIM homninum venerunt is a common expression, meaning “a part of the men came,” that is, “some men.” For partim is here an adverb and is not declined by cases. Hence we may say cum partim hominum, that is, “with some men” or “with a certain [p. 247] part of the men.” Marcus Cato, in his speech On the> property of Florius has written as follows: 1 “There she acted like a harlot, she went from the banquet straight to the couch and with a part of them (cum partim illorum) she often conducted herself in the same manner.” The less educated, however, read cum parti, as if partim were declined as a noun, not used as an adverb.
But Quintus Claudius, in the twenty-first book of his Annals, has used this figure in a somewhat less usual manner; he says: “For with the part of the forces (cum partim copiis) of young men that was pleasing to him.” 2 Also in the twenty-third book of the Annals of Claudius are these words: 3 “But that I therefore acted thus, but whether to say that it happened from the negligence of a part of the magistrates (neglegentia partim magistratum), from avarice, or from the calamity of the Roman people, I know not.”
