27.11.26: Level 1-2 (review): Julia (a Latin Reader) [5] (2)

RŌMULUS ET SABĪNAE (2)

Sabīnī lūdōs Rōmānōrum spectāvērunt. In mediīs lūdīs Rōmānī magnā vōce subitō clāmāvērunt, et ecce! virginēs Sabīnās raptāverant et ad casās portāvērunt.

Frūstrā mātrēs lacrimāvērunt, frūstrā virōs in arma incitāvērunt. Rōmānī scūta et gladiōs et hastās habēbant; Sabīnīs nec scūta nec gladiī nec hastae fuērunt.

Maestī igitur et īrātī Sabīnī ad terram Sabīnam properāvērunt. Per tōtam hiemem ibi manēbant et arma dīligenter parābant. Via est longa inter Rōmam et terram Sabīnam. Sed tandem Sabīnī, iam armātī, ante portās urbis Rōmae stābant. "Ō Rōmānī," inquiunt, "prō fīliābus nostrīs, prō sorōribus nostrīs fortiter pugnābimus."

Deinde Sabīnae ē cāsīs Rōmānōrum passīs capillīs ēvolāvērunt; parvulōs portāvērunt et patribus frātribusque mōnstrāvērunt. Patrēs frātrēsque suōs multīs lacrimīs ōrāvērunt. "Nunc," inquiunt, "in casīs Rōmānīs laetae et placidae habitāmus; līberōs cārōs habēmus et vehementer amāmus; et Sabīnōs et Rōmānōs amāmus."

"Sī Rōmānī cum Sabīnīs pugnābunt, Rōmānī Sabīnōs, Sabīnī Rōmānōs necābunt. Tum Sabīnae nec virōs nec patrēs nec frātrēs habēbunt. Ō patrēs, valēte! Nōn iam Sabīnae sed Rōmānae semper erimus fīliae vestrae."

scūtum, -ī [2/n]: shield

māter, mātris [3/f]: mother

vox, vocis [3/f]: voice

medius, -a, -um: middle

clāmō, clāmāre [1]: shout

____________________

The Sabines watched the games of the Romans. In the middle of the games the Romans suddenly shouted with a loud voice, and look! they had seized the Sabine maidens and carried them off to their homes.

In vain the mothers wept, in vain they urged the men to arms. The Romans had shields and swords and spears; the Sabines had neither shields nor swords nor spears.

And so the Sabines, sorrowful and angry, hurried to the land of the Sabines. Throughout the whole winter they stayed there and carefully prepared arms. The road is long between Rome and the land of the Sabines. But at last the Sabines, now armed, stood before the gates of the city of Rome. “O Romans,” they say, “for our daughters, for our sisters, we shall fight bravely.”

Then the Sabine women rushed out of the houses of the Romans with hair unbound; they carried their little children and showed them to their fathers and brothers. They begged their fathers and brothers with many tears. “Now,” they say, “we live happily and peacefully in the homes of the Romans; we have dear children and love them deeply; and we love both the Sabines and the Romans.

If the Romans fight with the Sabines, the Romans will kill the Sabines, and the Sabines will kill the Romans. Then the Sabine women will have neither husbands nor fathers nor brothers. O fathers, farewell! We shall now no longer be Sabine women but Roman women, always your daughters.”