REMAINS OF FRONTO
Inimicitia Q. Ennius has, in fact, used in that constantly-quoted book of his:
With such a character did Nature me endow,
Friendship and enmity I bear upon my brow.[1]
But indeed, I beseech you, who else has either written or said that arenae is bad Latin? And therefore I beg that, if Caesar's book be in your possession, you should bid it be brought, that you may jadge how positively he says this."
4. On the first book On Analogy being produced, I committed to memory these few words from it. For after remarking that neither caelum nor triticum nor arena admits of a plural meaning, he[2] goes on, Do you think that it results from the nature of these things, that we speak of one land and many lands, and of a city and cities, and of an empire and empires, but cannot reduce "quadrigae" to a noun of singular number nor convert "arena" into a term signifying plurality?
5. After reading these words Fronto said to the poet:
"Are you satisfied that C. Caesar has decided against you clearly and firmly enough as to the status of the word?"
Then the poet, impressed by the authoritative nature of the book, said: "If there were the right of appeal from Caesar, I would now appeal from this book of Caesar's. But since he has himself omitted to give any reason for his verdict, I ask you now to tell us what fault you think there is in saying either quadriga or arenae."
