It stands in the Comitium,
Plain for all
folk to see ;
Horatius in his
harness.
Halting upon
one knee :
And underneath
is written.
In letters all
of gold.
How valiantly
he kept the bridge
In the brave
days of old.
(Macaulay)
HORĀTIUS COCLES
(1)
Rōmānī alterum
Horātium memoriā tenēbant et in summō honōre habēbant. Post Rōmulum sex rēgēs
deinceps in urbe rēgnābant. Sed Tarquinius, ultimus rēgum, superbus et crūdēlis
erat. Nec iūra bona populō dabat, nec cīvitātem bene gubernābat. Itaque Rōmānī
Tarquinium et Sextum, Tarquiniī fīlium, crūdēlem ferōcemque adolēscentem, ex
urbe expulērunt. "Nōn iam," inquiunt, "Rōmānīs rēgēs erunt.
Cīvēs Rōmānī, nōn rēgēs, urbem cīvitātemque regent."
Intereā Tarquinius
ad Porsennam, omnis Etrūriae rēgem, contendit, et omnia nārrāvit. Porsenna,
"Ō amīce," inquit, "nōn ferendae sunt iniūriae tuae, nōn
ferendae sunt fīliī tuī iniūriae. Multī equitēs, multī peditēs mihi sunt.
Equitēs peditēsque meōs omnēs convocābō, et cum multīs mīlitibus tē tuumque
fīlium ad urbem scelerātam dūcēmus. Iterum in urbe rēgnābis."
Itaque per tōtam
Etrūriam, per clīvōs et agrōs nūntiī contendērunt, et ex omnibus vīcīs Etrūscōs
ad arma convocāvērunt. Splendida erant arma Etrūscōrum; cristae rubrae in
galeīs horrēbant; scūta lūce coruscā fulgēbant. Porsenna cum mīlitibus Rōmam
contendit. Per omnēs vīcōs agricolae vehementer timēbant. Etrūscī frūmentum
casāsque incendērunt, arborēs excidērunt, mulierēs līberōsque necāvērunt,
multam praedam raptāvērunt.
[i]
amīcus, -ī [2/m]:
friend
crista, -ae [1/f]:
crest
eques, equitis
[3/m]: horseman, knight
Etrūria, -ae
[1/f]: Etruria (district of Italy)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruria
Etruscus, -ī
[2/m]: an Etruscan
Horātius Cocles
[3/m]: Horatius Cocles (Roman hero)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatius_Cocles
iniūria, -ae
[1/f]: injury, wrong
mulier, mulieris
[3/f]: woman
nūntius, -ī [2/m]:
messenger
pēs, pedis [3/m]:
foot soldier
Porsenna, -ae
[1/m]: Porsenna (king of Clusium in Etruria)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Porsena
Tarquinius, -ī
[2/m]: Tarquin (last king of Rome)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Tarquinius_Superbus
vīcus, -ī [2/m]:
village
[ii]
alter, -a, -um:
the other
coruscus, -a, -um:
flashing
crūdēlis, -e:
cruel
ferendus, -a, -um:
bearable, to be borne
ferōx, ferōcis:
fierce
omnis, -e: all,
every
superbus, -a, -um:
proud
ultimus, -a, -um:
last
[iii]
dūcō, -ere [3]:
lead
excīdō, -ere [3]:
cut down, destroy
expellō, -ere [3]:
drive out
incendō, -ere [3]:
burn
regō, -ere [3]:
rule
[iv]
deinceps: in turn
____________________
The Romans kept
the other Horatius in memory and held him in the highest honour. After Romulus,
six kings ruled in succession in the city. But Tarquin, the last of the kings,
was proud and cruel. He gave the people no good laws, nor did he govern the state
well. Therefore the Romans drove out Tarquin and Sextus, the son of Tarquin, a
cruel and fierce young man, from the city. “No longer,” they say, “will there
be kings for the Romans. Roman citizens, not kings, will rule the city and the
state.”
Meanwhile Tarquin
went to Porsenna, king of all Etruria, and told him everything. Porsenna said,
“O friend, your wrongs are not to be borne, your son’s wrongs are not to be
borne. I have many horsemen, many foot-soldiers. I will gather all my horsemen
and foot-soldiers, and with many soldiers we will lead you and your son to the
wicked city. You will rule again in the city.”
And so through all Etruria, through the hills and fields, messengers hurried, and from all the villages they summoned the Etruscans to arms. The weapons of the Etruscans were splendid; red crests bristled on their helmets; their shields shone with flashing light. Porsenna marched to Rome with his soldiers. Through all the villages the farmers were greatly afraid. The Etruscans burned grain and houses, cut down trees, killed women and children, and carried off much plunder.
No comments:
Post a Comment