Selections from Viri Romae Part 14

t.i.tus Manlius ob ingenii et linguae tarditatem a patre rus[8]

relegatus erat. Qui c.u.m audivisset patri[9] diem dictam esse a Pomponio, tribuno plebis, cepit consilium rudis quidem et agrestis animi,[10] sed pietate laudabile. Cultro succinctus mane in urbem atque a porta confestim ad[11] Pomponium pergit: {5} introductus[12] cultrum stringit et super lectum Pomponii stans se eum transfixurum minatur, nisi ab incepta accusatione desistat.[13]

Pavidus [[31]]

tribunus, quippe[1] qui cerneret ferrum ante oculos micans, accusationem dimisit. Ea res adulescenti[2] eo[3] maiori[4] fuit honori quod animum eius acerbitas paterna a pietate non avertisset, {10} ideoque eodem anno tribunus militum factus est.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MILIARIUM]

[Sidenote: B.C. 361.]

c.u.m postea Galli[5] ad tertium[6] lapidem trans Anienem fluvium castra posuissent, exercitus Roma.n.u.s ab urbe profectus in citeriore ripa fluvii const.i.tit. Pons in medio[7] erat: tunc Gallus eximia corporis magnitudine in vacuum pontem {15} processit et quam[8] maxima voce potuit "Quem nunc" inquit "Roma fortissimum habet, is procedat[9]

agedum ad pugnam, ut eventus certaminis nostri ostendat utra gens bello sit melior." Diu inter primores iuvenum Romanorum silentium fuit. Tum {20} t.i.tus Manlius ex statione ad imperatorem pergit: "Iniussu[10] tuo," inquit, "imperator, extra ordinem numquam pugnaverim,[11] non si certam victoriam {23} videam[11]; si tu permittis, volo ego illi beluae ostendere me ex ea familia ortum esse, quae Gallorum agmen ex rupe Tarpeia deiecit."[12]

[[32]]

Cui imperator "Macte[1] virtute," inquit "t.i.te Manli, esto: perge et nomen Romanum invictum praesta." {27}

Armant deinde iuvenem aequales: scutum capit, Hispano[2]

cingitur[3] gladio, ad propiorem[4] pugnam habili. Exspectabat eum Gallus stolide laetus et linguam ab inrisu exserens. {30} Ubi const.i.tere[5] inter duas acies, Gallus ensem c.u.m ingenti sonitu in arma Manlii deiecit. Manlius vero inter corpus et arma Galli sese insinuans uno[6] alteroque ictu ventrem transfodit et in spatium ingens ruentem porrexit hostem; iacenti[7] torquem detraxit, {35} quem cruore respersum[8] collo[9] circ.u.mdedit[10] suo.

Defixerat pavor[11] c.u.m admiratione Gallos; Romani alacres obviam militi suo progrediuntur et gratulantes laudantesque ad imperatorem perduc.u.n.t. Manlius inde Torquati cognomen accepit. {40}

[Ill.u.s.tration: GLADIUS]

[Sidenote: B.C. 340.]

Idem Manlius, postea consul factus bello Latino, ut disciplinam militarem rest.i.tueret, edixit ne[12] quis extra ordinem in hostes pugnaret. T. Manlius,[13]

consulis filius, c.u.m propius forte ad stationem hostium {44} accessisset, is, qui Latino equitatui praeerat, ubi consulis filium agnovit,[14] "Visne" inquit "congredi mec.u.m, ut singularis certaminis eventu cernatur, quantum eques Latinus Romano praestet?"

Movit ferocem animum iuvenis seu ira seu detrectandi[15]

[[33]]

certaminis pudor. Itaque oblitus[1] imperii[2] paterni in certamen ruit et Latinum[3] ex equo excussum transfixit spoliisque lectis {50} in castra ad patrem venit. Extemplo filium aversatus consul milites cla.s.sico advocat. Qui postquam frequentes convenere, "Quandoquidem" inquit "tu, fili, contra imperium consulis pugnasti, oportet[4]

disciplinam, quam solvisti, poena[5] tua rest.i.tuas. {55} Triste exemplum, sed in[6] posterum salubre iuventuti eris. I,[7] lictor, deliga[8] ad palum." Metu omnes obstupuere; sed postquam cervice caesa fusus est cruor, in questus et lamenta erupere.[9] Manlio Romam redeunti seniores tantum obviam exierunt: iuventus et tunc eum et omni[10] deinde vita {60} exsecrata est.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LICTOR]

Operae pretium erit aliud severitatis disciplinae Romanae exemplum proferre, simul ut appareat quam facile severitas in[11]

crudelitatem et furorem abeat. Cn. Piso fuit[12] vir a multis vitiis integer, sed pravus et cui[13] placebat pro constantia rigor. Is {65} c.u.m iratus ad mortem duci iussisset militem, quasi[14] interfecisset commilitonem, c.u.m quo egressus erat e castris et sine quo redierat, roganti[15] tempus aliquod ad conquirendum[16] non dedit.

d.a.m.natus miles extra castrorum vallum ductus est et iam cervicem porrigebat, c.u.m subito apparuit ille commilito, qui occisus[17] {70} [[34]]

dicebatur. Tunc centurio supplicio praepositus condere gladium carnificem iubet. Ambo commilitones alter alterum complexi ingenti concursu et magno gaudio exercitus deduc.u.n.tur ad Pisonem.

Ille conscendit tribunal furens et utrumque ad mortem {74} duci iubet, adicit et centurionem, qui d.a.m.natum militem reduxerat, haec praefatus[1]: "Te morte plecti iubeo, quia iam d.a.m.natus es; te, quia causa d.a.m.nationis commilitoni fuisti; te, quia iussus occidere militem imperatori[2] non paruisti."

Ceterum Manlianae gentis[3] propriam fere fuisse[4] illam in filios acerbitatem alius Manlius, illius de quo supra diximus {80} nepos, ostendit. c.u.m Macedonum legati Romam venissent conquestum[5] de Silano, Manlii Torquati filio, quod praetor[6]

provinciam expila.s.set,[7] pater, avitae severitatis heres, petiit a patribus[8]

conscriptis ne quid de ea re statuerent, antequam ipse inspexisset Macedonum et filii sui causam. Id a senatu libenter concessum {85} est viro summae[9] dignitatis, consulari iurisque civilis peritissimo.

Itaque, inst.i.tuta domi cognitione causae, solus per totum biduum utramque partem audiebat ac tertio die p.r.o.nuntiavit filium suum videri non talem fuisse in provincia, quales eius maiores fuissent, et in conspectum suum deinceps venire vetuit. Tam tristi patris {90} iudicio perculsus[10] lucem[11] ulterius intueri non sustinuit et proxima[12] nocte vitam suspendio finivit. Peregerat[13] Torquatus severi et religiosi iudicis partes,[14] satisfactum erat rei publicae, habebat ultionem Macedonia, at nondum erat inflexus patris rigor. Igitur {94} ne[15] exsequiis quidem filii interfuit, ut patribus mos erat apud [[35]]

Romanos, et eo ipso die, quo funus eius ducebatur, aures, ut solebat, volentibus consulere se de iure praebuit.

[Footnotes: XIII (pages 30-34)

30.8: Cf. p. 3, n. 4.

30.9: #patri . . . esse#: 'that a day had been set against his father (for trial),' i.e. 'that his father had been summoned to appear for trial.' Among the charges against the elder Manlius was that of cruelty to his son. #patri# is a dat. of disadvantage.

30.10: #cepit . . . laudabile#: 'he formed a plan (which, though it gave token) of a rough and uncouth temper (was) nevertheless commendable by reason of the filial devotion (which it showed).'

For #quidem . . . sed#, cf. p. 10, n. 10. #animi# is a genitive of quality or description with #consilium#.

30.11: #ad Pomponium# = 'to (the house of) Pomponius.'

30.12: = a temporal clause: 'when he had been ushered in.'

30.13: For the mood, cf. p. 29, n. 16.

31.1: #quippe qui#: 'since indeed he,' etc. #qui# = _c.u.m is_ (cf. p. 4, n. 3), and the relative clause has its verb in the subjunctive because it expresses a reason: H 592, 1 (517, 3, 1)): M 840: A 320, _e_, N. 1: G 633: B 283, 3, _a_.

31.2: dat. of advantage.

31.3: #eo# = 'for this reason,' explained by #quod . . .

avertisset#.

31.4: #maiori fuit honori#: 'was all the more credit'; cf. p. 25, n. 6.

31.5: In the fifth century B.C. the Gauls left their homes in northwestern Europe, and, crossing the Alps, gained control of the fertile valley of the Po. Hence that part of the Italian peninsula was called Gallia Cisalpina. Thence they made raids into the lands to the south.

31.6: With #tertium# sc. _ab urbe Roma_. On all the roads leading from Rome milestones were set up to mark the distance from the gate in the Servian Wall (see map, p. xxviii), by which the road issued from the capital.

31.7: Sc. _duorum exercituum_, i.e. 'between the two armies.'

31.8: #quam . . . potuit#: cf. p. 26, n. 10.

31.9: subjunctive of exhortation or command: H 559, 1 (484, II): M 713: A 266: G 263, 3: B 274.

31.10: #Iniussu tuo#: 'without your consent.'

31.11: subjunctive in an ideal condition: H 576 (509): M 936: A 307, _b_: G 596: B 303.

31.12: In 388 B.C. the Gauls had captured and destroyed all of Rome save the Capitol, which was commanded by M. Manlius, the father of t.i.tus. He was aroused one night by the cackling of the sacred geese, to find that the Gauls had climbed by a secret path, and had almost effected an entrance. He awoke the garrison, hurled the foremost Gauls back upon their companions, and thus saved the Capitol.

32.1: #macte virtute . . . esto#: lit., 'be glorified in (respect of) your valor.' The phrase is in part an expression of commendation, like our 'bravo!' in part a prayer, like 'success attend thee!'

32.2: A straight, two-edged sword, not more than two feet long, used for thrusting rather than for striking. The Gallic sword was long and without point.

32.3: = _cingit se_, i.e. 'girds himself,' not 'is girded.'

32.4: 'nearer,' i.e. hand to hand.

32.5: _consisto_. What tense?

32.6: #uno alteroque ictu#: 'with one stroke after the other'; i.e. he killed him with two quick blows.

32.7: Sc. _ei_, and render 'from him as he lay (dead).' See p. 17, n. 4.

32.8: _respergo_.

32.9: What case?

32.10: In its compounds, _dare_ more often = 'to put' than 'to give.'

32.11: #pavor c.u.m admiratione# = _pavor et admiratio_; cf. _mentes c.u.m oculis_, II, 12.

32.12: #ne quis . . . pugnaret#: 'that no one should fight.' For the subjunctive, see p. 9, n. 6.

32.13: Subject of #accessisset#. For its position, see p. 19, n. 7.

32.14: _agnosco_.

32.15: #detrectandi . . . pudor#: 'his unwillingness to decline the fight.' A literal translation would be impossible. _Pudor_ implies that he was ashamed to decline lest his refusal should be attributed to cowardice.

33.1: _obliviscor_.

33.2: dependent on #oblitus#: H 454 (406, II): M 588: A 219, 1: G 376: B 206, 1.

33.3: #excussum transfixit#: cf. p. 2, n. 8.

33.4: #oportet rest.i.tuas#: 'it is fitting that you restore.'

_Oportet_ is construed either with the infinitive or with the subjunctive of result with _ut_ omitted.

33.5: Why abl.?

33.6: #in posterum# (cf. p. 4, n. 9) = 'for the future.'

33.7: Imperative of _eo_.

33.8: Cf. _Stabant ad palum deligati_, IX, 21.

33.9: _erumpo_.

33.10: #omni . . . vita#: 'throughout his whole subsequent life.'

In this sense the simple acc., or the acc. with _per_ is far more common. #deinde#, standing between an adj. and a noun, may be rendered by an adj.: cf. p. 10, n. 14.

33.11: #in . . . abeat#: 'pa.s.ses over into,' 'degenerates into.'

33.12: #fuit . . . sed#: we would say, 'was, to be sure, . . .

but, after all,' i.e. 'although he was . . . yet.' In this sense _quidem . . . sed_ is commonly used: cf. p. 10, n. 10.

33.13: H 426 (385, I): M 531: A 227: G 346: B 187, II.

33.14: Cf. p. 3, n. 6.

33.15: Sc. _militi_, and join with _dedit_.

33.16: Sc. _commilitonem_.

33.17: Sc. _esse_.