13.01.27: Level 1-2 (review): Julia (a Latin Reader) [9] (3)

 HORĀTIUS COCLES (3)

Hostēs ante urbis mūrōs castra posuērunt. Castra vāllō et fossā firmāvērunt. Tum ē castrīs excessērunt et moenia Rōmāna oppugnāvērunt. Fortiter et ferōciter pugnābant Rōmānī, sed Etrūscī validī Rōmānōs paene vīcērunt. Iam ē parte urbis Rōmānōs fugāverant; iam omnia trāns flūmen vīcerant. Terrōris plēnī cōnsulēs, "Ecce!" inquiunt, "prope pontem sunt! Sī pontem tenēbunt, tōtam urbem vincent."

Tum Horātius, vir fortis, "Ō cōnsulēs," inquit, "in extrēmō ponte angustus est locus; multī sunt hostēs, sed paucī sōlum ibi intrābunt. Vōs pontem cito excidētis, ego cum duōbus amīcīs contrā hostēs in angustō locō pugnābō. Ita omnēs prō ārīs templīsque Rōmānīs, prō uxōribus līberīsque, prō sacrīs virginibus pugnābimus. Ita urbem Rōmam cōnservābimus. Quis mēcum in extrēmō ponte stābit et contrā Etrūscōs pugnābit?"

Tum Lartius, "Ego," inquit, "ā dextrā stābō, et pontem tēcum cōnservābō"; et magnā vōce Herminius, "Ego," inquit, "ā sinistrā stābō et pontem tēcum cōnservābō."

[i]

castra, -ōrum [2/n/pl]: camp

flūmen, flūminis [3/n]: river

fossa, -ae [1/f]: ditch

Herminius, -ī [2/m]: Herminius

Lartius, -ī [2/m]: Lartius

Both referred to at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Herminius_Aquilinus

mūrus, -ī [2/m]: wall

pars, partis [3/f]: part

pons, pontis [3/m]: bridge

vallum, -ī [2/n]: rampart

[ii]

excedō, -ere [3]: go out

intrō, -āre [1]: enter

oppugnō, -āre [1]: attack

pōnō, -ere [3]: put, place

vincō, -ere [3]: conquer

[iii]

angustus, -a, -um: narrow

fortis, -e: brave

[iv]

ferōciter: fiercely

paene: almost

contrā + acc: against

quī, quae, quod: who? what?

____________________

The enemy set up camp in front of the city walls. They strengthened the camp with a rampart and ditch. Then they went out from the camp and attacked the Roman walls. The Romans were fighting bravely and fiercely, but the strong Etruscans nearly defeated the Romans. Already they had driven the Romans from part of the city; already they had conquered everything beyond the river. The consuls, full of terror, say: “Look! They are near the bridge! If they hold the bridge, they will conquer the whole city.”

Then Horatius, a brave man, said: “O consuls, at the end of the bridge there is a narrow place; there are many enemies, but only a few will enter there. You will quickly cut down the bridge; I with two friends will fight against the enemy in the narrow place. Thus we shall fight for the Roman altars and temples, for our wives and children, for the sacred Vestal virgins. Thus we shall preserve the city of Rome. Who will stand with me at the end of the bridge and fight against the Etruscans?”

Then Lartius said, “I will stand on the right side and preserve the bridge with you”; and with a loud voice Herminius said, “I will stand on the left side and preserve the bridge with you.”