Selections from Viri Romae Part 17

Marcus Regulus c.u.m Poenos magna clade[7] adfecisset, Hanno Carthaginiensis ad eum venit, quasi de pace acturus,[8] re vera ut[8] tempus extraheret,[8] donec[9] novae copiae ex Africa advenirent.[9] Is ubi ad consulem accessit, exortus[10] est militum clamor auditaque vox, idem[11] huic faciendum esse, quod paucis {5} ante annis[12] Cornelio consuli a Poenis factum esset. Cornelius enim, velut in conloquium per fraudem evocatus, a Poenis comprehensus erat et in vincula coniectus. Iam Hanno timere incipiebat, sed periculum astuto responso avert.i.t: "Hoc vero" inquit [[40]]

"si feceritis,[1] nihilo[2] eritis Afris[3] meliores." Consul tacere iussit eos, qui par[4] pari referri volebant, et conveniens[5]

gravitati {11} Romanae responsum dedit: "Isto te metu, Hanno, fides Romana liberat." De pace, quia neque Poenus serio agebat et consul victoriam quam pacem malebat, non convenit.

Regulus deinde in Africam primus[6] Romanorum duc.u.m traiecit. {15} Clypeam urbem et trecenta[7] castella expugnavit, neque[8]

c.u.m hominibus tantum, sed etiam c.u.m monstris dimicavit. Nam c.u.m ad flumen Bagradam castra haberet, anguis mira magnitudine exercitum Romanorum vexabat; multos milites ingenti ore corripuit; plures caudae verbere elisit[9]; nonnullos ipso pestilentis {20} halitus adflatu exanimavit. Neque is telorum ictu perforari poterat, durissima[10] squamarum lorica omnia tela facile repellente.

Confugiendum[11] fuit ad machinas advectisque ballistis[12] {23} et catapultis, velut[13] arx quaedam munita, deiciendus hostis fuit.

Tandem saxorum pondere oppressus[14] iacuit, sed cruore suo flumen corporisque pestifero adflatu vicina loca infecit Romanosque castra inde submovere coegit.[15] Corium beluae, centum et viginti pedes[16]

longum, Romam misit Regulus.

Huic ob res[17] bene gestas imperium in annum proximum prorogatum [[41]]

est. Quod ubi cognovit Regulus, scripsit senatui vilic.u.m {30} suum in agello, quem septem iugerum[1] habebat, mortuum esse et servum, occasionem nactum,[2] aufugisse ablato instrumento[3]

rustico ideoque petere se ut sibi[4] successor in Africam mitteretur, ne, deserto agro, non esset unde[5] uxor et liberi alerentur.[6] {34} Senatus, acceptis litteris, res quas Regulus amiserat publica pecunia redimi iussit, agellum colendum[7] locavit, alimenta[8] coniugi ac liberis praebuit. Regulus deinde multis proeliis Carthaginiensium opes contudit[9] eosque pacem petere coegit. Quam c.u.m Regulus nollet nisi durissimis condicionibus[10] dare, a Lacedaemoniis illi auxilium petierunt. {40}

[Sidenote: B.C. 255]

[Sidenote: B.C. 251]

Lacedaemonii Xanthippum, virum belli peritissimum, Carthaginiensibus miserunt, a quo Regulus victus est ultima pernicie[10]: nam duo tantum milia hominum ex omni Romano exercitu refugerunt et Regulus ipse captus et in carcerem coniectus est. Inde Romam de permutandis captivis missus {45} est dato iureiurando. ut,[11] si non impetra.s.set,[12] rediret ipse Carthaginem. Qui c.u.m Romam venisset, inductus in senatum mandata exposuit; sententiam[13] ne diceret recusavit; quamdiu[14]

iureiurando hostium teneretur, se non esse senatorem. Iussus tamen sententiam dicere, negavit[15] esse utile captivos Poenos {50} [[42]]

reddi, illos enim adulescentes esse et bonos duces, se iam confectum[1] senectute. Cuius c.u.m[2] valuisset auctoritas, captivi retenti sunt, ipse, c.u.m retineretur a propinquis et amicis, tamen Carthaginem rediit: neque vero tunc ignorabat se ad crudelissimum hostem et ad exquisita supplicia proficisci, sed iusiurandum {55} conservandum[3] putavit. Reversum[4] Carthaginienses omni cruciatu necaverunt: palpebris enim resectis aliquamdiu in loco tenebricoso tenuerunt: deinde c.u.m sol esset ardentissimus, repente eductum intueri caelum coegerunt; postremo in arcam ligneam, undique clavis praeacutis horrentem et tam angustam, ut erectus {60} perpetuo manere cogeretur, incluserunt. Ita dum fessum corpus, quoc.u.mque inclinabat, stimulis ferreis confoditur, vigiliis et dolore continuo interemptus est. Hic fuit Atilii Reguli exitus, ipsa vita clarior et inl.u.s.trior.

[Footnotes: XVII (pages 39-42)

39.7: #clade adfecisset# = 'had inflicted defeat upon.' Cf. _eo genere . . . adficiebatur_, XVI, 31. The reference is to the naval victory off Ecnomus, in Sicily.

39.8: Note carefully the two ways of expressing purpose, the future participle being exactly equivalent to _ut_ with the subjunctive. See p. xviii, E 5; #quasi# = 'as if,' and is contrasted with #re vera#, 'in reality.'

39.9: The subjunctive in reality expresses purpose. See also p.

xx, G 3.

39.10: _exorior_.

39.11: #idem . . . esse#: 'the same thing _ought to be done_ to him.' The gerundive with _esse_ denotes either physical necessity ('must'), or moral obligation ('ought').

39.12: abl. of the measure of difference: H 479 (423): M 655: A 250: G 403: B 223. #paucis annis# is a sort of temporal adverb with _ante_.

40.1: Latin is extremely exact in the use of the tenses. Of two _past_ actions the prior is expressed by the _pluperfect_ tense; of two _future_ actions the prior is expressed by the _future perfect_ tense. Apply this principle here. We say simply, 'if you do.'

40.2: Join with #meliores#, and cf. p. 39, n. 12.

40.3: i.e. the Carthaginians. To the Roman mind _Punica fides_ was a synonym for the vilest treachery. So Livy says of the great Hannibal that his character was marred by 'worse than Punic treachery.' For #Afris#, see p. 10, n. 18.

40.4: #par . . . referri# = 'retaliation.' How literally?

40.5: 'consistent with.'

40.6: #primus . . . traiecit#: cf. p. 38, n. 1.

40.7: indefinite, like our 'hundreds of.' _Sescenti_ and _mille_ are often used in the same way.

40.8: = _et non_ (cf. l. 13).

40.9: _elido_.

40.10: #durissima . . . repellente#: what does the abl. abs.

express?

40.11: #Confugiendum . . . ad#: impersonal pa.s.sive: 'they had to resort to.' Cf. p. 39, n. 11.

40.12: The _ballistae_ and _catapultae_ were the artillery of antiquity. It is said that from the _ballistae_ stones weighing one hundred pounds could be sent half a mile.

40.13: #velut . . . munita#: to be taken with what follows.

40.14: _opprimo_.

40.15: _cogo_.

40.16: acc. of extent (cf. p. 12, n. 1) with #longum#.

40.17: #res bene gestas#: 'successes,' 'exploits.' Contrast _re male gesta_, XVI, 31, and note.

41.1: Cf. p. 18, n. 17.

41.2: #occasionem nactum# (_nanciscor_): 'seizing the opportunity.'

41.3: #instrumento rustico#: 'his farming implements.'

41.4: Join with #successor#, and cf. p. 26, n. 5.

41.5: #unde . . . alerentur#: 'the wherewithal to support,' etc.

41.6: subjunctive partly of purpose, partly by attraction, for which see p. 13, n. 10.

41.7: #colendum#: 'to be tilled' (cf. p. 2, n. 18), for Regulus'

benefit. In such cases the produce of the farm was divided equally between owner and tenant.

41.8: #alimenta . . . praebuit#: i.e. they were supported at public expense till the harvest of that year was gathered. No salary was given to Roman officials.

41.9: _contundo_.

41.10: abl. of manner: H 473, 3 (419, III): M 635: A 248: G 399: B 220, 1.

41.11: #ut . . . rediret# gives the purpose of the Carthaginians in exacting the oath.

41.12: subjunctive in indirect discourse. Regulus said: _Si non impetravero, . . . redibo._ 41.13: #sententiam . . . recusavit#: 'he refused to express his opinion.' _recusare_ is construed (1) with the simple infinitive; (2) with _ne_ and a subjunctive of purpose; (3) with _quin_ or _quominus_ and a subjunctive of result.

41.14: #quamdiu . . . senatorem#: indirect discourse = '(saying that) as long as,' etc.

41.15: #negavit esse utile#: 'he _said_ that it was _not_ expedient.' In such sentences _negare_ rather than _non dicere_ is used. The subject of #esse# is the clause #captivos . . . reddi#.

42.1: 'exhausted.'

42.2: Here temporal, but in the next line adversative, as is shown by #tamen#: see p. xxii, J.

42.3: Sc. _esse_, and cf. p. 39, n. 11.

42.4: Sc. _eum_: 'on his return.' The story is given by no writer earlier than Cicero, and modern historians are inclined to view the whole narrative as fict.i.tious.]

#XVIII. Appius Claudius Pulcher# [[stripped text]]

Appius Claudius, vir stultae temeritatis, consul adversus Poenos profectus priorum duc.u.m consilia palam reprehendebat seque, quo die hostem vidisset, bellum confecturum esse iact.i.tabat. Qui c.u.m, antequam navale proelium committeret, auspicia haberet pullariusque ei nuntia.s.set, pullos non exire e cavea neque vesci, inridens iussit eos in aquam mergi, ut saltem biberent, quoniam esse nollent. Ea res c.u.m, quasi iratis diis, milites ad omnia segniores timidioresque fecisset, commisso proelio magna clades a Romanis accepta est: octo eorum milia caesa sunt, viginti milia capta. Qua re Claudius postea a populo condemnatus est d.a.m.nationisque ignominiam voluntaria morte praevenit. Ea res calamitati fuit etiam Claudiae, consulis sorori: quae a ludis publicis revertens, in conferta mult.i.tudine aegre procedente carpento, palam optavit ut frater suus Pulcher revivisceret atque iterum cla.s.sem amitteret, quo minor turba Romae foret. Ob vocem illam impiam Claudia quoque d.a.m.nata gravisque ei dicta est multa.

#XVIII. Appius Claudius Pulcher# [[as printed]]

[Ill.u.s.tration: SACRED CHICKENS / _From the tomb of a Pullarius_]

[Sidenote: B.C. 249.]

Appius Claudius, vir stultae temeritatis, consul adversus Poenos profectus priorum duc.u.m consilia palam reprehendebat seque, quo[5] die hostem vidisset, bellum confecturum esse iact.i.tabat. Qui c.u.m, antequam navale proelium committeret, {4} auspicia[6] haberet pullariusque[7] ei nuntia.s.set, pullos non exire e [[43]]

cavea neque vesci, inridens iussit eos in aquam mergi, ut saltem biberent, quoniam esse[1] nollent. Ea res c.u.m, quasi[2] iratis diis, milites ad omnia segniores timidioresque fecisset, commisso proelio[3]

magna clades a Romanis accepta est: {10} octo eorum milia caesa sunt, viginti milia capta. Qua re Claudius postea a populo condemnatus est d.a.m.nationisque[4]

ignominiam voluntaria morte praevenit. Ea res calamitati[5] fuit {15} etiam Claudiae,[5] consulis sorori: quae a ludis publicis revertens, in[6] conferta mult.i.tudine aegre procedente carpento, palam optavit ut frater suus Pulcher revivisceret atque iterum cla.s.sem amitteret, {20} quo[7] minor turba Romae foret.[7] Ob vocem illam impiam Claudia quoque d.a.m.nata gravisque[8] ei[9] dicta est multa.

[Footnotes: XVIII (pages 42-43)

42.5: #quo die#: we should expect _die quo_, or _eodem die quo_, but the antecedent, as often, is incorporated into the relative clause and made to agree with the p.r.o.noun: H 399, 3 (445, 9): A 200, _b_: G 616: B 251, 4.

42.6: #auspicia haberet#: cf. _auspicia adhibere_, I, 42.

42.7: #pullarius . . . vesci#: on setting out for the seat of war, the commanding general often took with him a cage of sacred chickens, in charge of a special keeper (#pullarius#). If, when food was thrown before them, the chickens ate so greedily that portions of the food fell from their mouths to the ground, it was considered a very favorable omen. The circ.u.mstance described in the text would be regarded by the superst.i.tious soldiery as of very dire significance.

43.1: infinitive of _edo_.

43.2: #quasi . . . diis#: 'because (as they supposed), the G.o.ds were angry.' Cf. p. 3, n. 6. #iratis diis# is an abl. abs.

43.3: The battle was fought off Drepanum, in Sicily. Appius lost 93 out of 123 ships.

43.4: #que# here = 'but,' a meaning which it bears more frequently after negative sentences (p. 13, n. 12).

43.5: Cf. p. 25, n. 6.

43.6: #in . . . carpento#: an abl. abs., giving the cause of #optavit#.

43.7: Cf. p. 14, n. 13.

43.8: #gravis . . . multa#: 'a heavy fine was imposed upon her.'