| AD ALPĒS A TALE OF ROMAN LIFE |
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| CAPUT I | CHAPTER 1 |
| Nāvis iam per undās celeriter prōgrediēbātur, omnēsque ē puppī lītus lēniter ē cōnspectū recēdēns cōnspiciēbant. Ac postrēmō Drūsilla: “Quīnque iam sunt annī,” inquit, “cum in hanc terram barbaram iter fēcimus. Quam gaudeō nōbīs dēnique licēre domum revertī, ut tandem patriam et parentēs meōs vīsāmus!” | The ship now sets out quickly through the waves, and everyone looks out from the stern watching the shore slowly recede from sight. And finally Drusilla says: "There are already five years since we made the journey into this barbaric land. How happy I am for us to finally be allowed to return home to finally see my parents and country!" |
| Tum Cornēlius: “Rēctē dīcis,” inquit. “Sed dum hīc morābāmur, multa mīranda et iūcunda vīdimus, nec mē paenitet hīs in locīs longinquīs quīnquennium trānsēgisse. Sed nunc domī esse maximē cupiō, ut Pūblius noster et Sextus omnia discant, quae cīvibus Rōmānīs nōta esse dēbent. Et ego ipse forum templaque deōrum libentissimē iterum aspiciam.” | Then Cornelius said: "You speak correctly. But while we remained here, we saw many amazing and pleasing things, nor do I regret having spent these long five years in this place. But now I am very eager to be home so that our Publius and Sextus may learn everything that should be known for Roman citizens. And I myself am very happy to see the forum and temples of the gods again." |
| “Urbem vix reminiscī possum,” inquit Cornēlia; “tam eram parvula, cum hūc profectī sumus.” Tum subitō conversa ad Lūcium, quem in gremiō Anna sagō contēctum tenēbat: “Et Lūcius noster eam omnīnō numquam aspexit.” Quae cum dīxisset, frātrem parvum artē amplexa est. | "I can barely remember the city," said Cornelia; "I was so little when we set out here." Then immediately turned to Lucius, whom Anna was holding in a blanket in her lap: "And our Lucius saw none of it altogether." When she had said this, she hugged her little brother tightly. |
| “Suādeō, uxor,” inquit Cornēlius, “ut cum cēterīs tū nunc in cameram redeās; nam ventus incrēbrēscit. Sed ego et fīliī paulō diūtius in puppī ambulābimus.” | "I urge you wife," said Cornelius, "to return with the others now into the cabin; for the wind is increasing. But I and our little sons will walk for a while on the deck." |
| Cum Drūsilla in cameram cum līberīs servīsque sē recēpisset, tum Pūblius, dum ultrō citrōque ambulant, patrī: “Videor mihi recordārī,” inquit, “quondam perīculōsum fuisse in marī Aegaeō nāvigāre propter pīrātās, quī ubique castella habērent, unde in nāvēs mercātōrum impetūs facerent subitōs.” | When Drusilla had withdrawn herself into the cabin with the children and slaves, then Publius, while they walked to and fro, said to his father: "I seem to remember," he said, "once it had been dangerous to sail in the Aegean sea because of pirates who had forts everywhere from where they made sudden attacks on merchant ships." |
| “Per multōs annōs rēs ita sē habēbat,” inquit Cornēlius; “et mercātōrēs hōc modō saepe periērunt, nāvēsque eōrum aut incēnsae sunt aut in marī submersae. Quīn etiam pīrātae istī postrēmō impūnitāte tam audācēs factī sunt, ut nāvīs quoque adorīrentur, quibus vehēbantur magistrātūs nostrī.” | "Through many years things were thus," said Cornelius; "and merchants often perished in this way, and their ships were either burned or sunk in the sea. Indeed also those pirates through impunity were made so bold that they also attacked ships which carried out magistrates." |
| “Papae!” inquit Sextus. “Nōnne nōmen magnum populī Rōmānī veritī sunt? Cūr nōn nāvēs longae istōs scelestōs statim ē marī fugāvērunt?” | "Whew!" said Sextus. "Surely they fearedthe great name of the Roman people didn't they? Why didn't our long ships immediately put those criminals to flight from the sea?" |
| “Saepe id temptātum est,” inquit pater; “sed, ut est in vetere prōverbiō, ‘Incipere multō est quam impetrāre facilius.’ Quō modō factum est ut, cum aliōs navēs cōnsectārentur, aliī procul praedēs agerent; nec fīnis fuit, priusquam custōdia tōtius ōrae maritimae Gnaeō Pompeiō Magnō commissa est. Is tam ācriter pīrātās lacessīvit, ut omnēs sexāgintā diēbus aut fugerent aut lēgātōs pācis petendae causā ad eum mittere cōgerentur.” | "That was often attempted," father said, "as it is in the old proverb, 'To begin is much easier than to accomplush.' In such a way it was done that when other ships pursued, others drove their loot far awat; nor was it ended before Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus was commissioned with control of the whole sea coast. He so fiercely challenged the pirates that within sixty days all were put to flight or were forced by him to send envoys seeking peace." |
| Tum Pūblius: “Nōnne Caesar dictātor in potestātem istōrum pīrātārum ōlim ipse pervēnit?” | Then Publius: "Surely the dictator Caesar was once sent into the power of the pirates wasn't he?" |
| “Rēctē quaeris,” inquit Cornēlius. ‘Nam ille adhūc iuvenis īnsulam Rhodum adīre volēbat, ut Apollōnium Molōnem clārissimum dīcendī magistrum ibi audīret. Hūc cum hībernīs mēnsibus trānsīret, ā pīrātīs captus, apud eōs mānsit diēs ferē quadrāgintā. | "You ask correctly," said Cornelius. "For he still a young man wanted to go to the island of Rhodes so that he may hear the speaking of the very famous teacher Apollonius Molo. When he was crossing to here in the winter months, he was captured by pirates and remained with them around forty days." |
| “Interim comitēs Rōmam dīmissī sunt pecūniam quaesītum,quā redimerētur. Ipse, inter hostēs relictus, cum pīrātīs cōmiter iocātus saepe adfirmāvit sē reversum dē eīs supplicium summum sūmptūrum. | "Meanwhile, the companions were sent away to Rome seeking money with which they could be redeemed. Himself, having been left among the enemies, often boasted to the pirates that he would return and take the utmost vengeance on them. |
| “Illī scīlicet tum adrīsērunt. Sed Caesar, cum, pecūniā dēmum adlātā, in lītore dēsertō expositus esset, Mīlētum statim perrēxit; ubi classe dēductā pīrātās abeuntēs secūtus est, eōsque omnēs suppliciō eō adfēcit, quod anteā quasi per iocum minātus erat.” | "They of course then laughed. But Caesar, when finally brought the money, had been placed on the deserted shore, immediately continued to Miletus; where having led out the fleet, followed the departing pirates, and inflicted them with all punishments that he threatened before as if in jest." |
| “Quam vellem,” inquit Sextus, “pīrātae hodiē quoque in hōc marī nāvigārent! Sī nostram nāvem adoriantur, ego eīs capita prius abscīdam, quam in puppim ēscendere possint.” | "How I wish," says Sextus, "pirates were also sailing today in this sea! If they attacked our ship, I would cut off their heads before they could come up onto the deck." |
| “Heia!” inquit Pūblius, cum sē horrēscere simulāret; “quam bene pīrātīs accidit Sextum nostrum illīs temporibus maria nōn nāvigāsse!” | "Heia!" says Publius, when he pretended to be afraid; "how fortunate for the pirates that our Sextus did not sail the seas in those times!" |
| Tum Sextus īrā incēnsus: ‘Nōlī tē iactāre, Pūblī; nam etsī maior nātū es, ego tamen sum fortior.” | Then Sextus burning with anger: "Do not hurl yourself Publius, for even if you are larger by birth, nevertheless I am braver." |
| “Agite, fīliī meī,” inquit Cornēlius. “Inter vōs dēsinite altercārī. Tālēs dissēnsiōnēs indecōrae sunt; et exīstimō iam Onēsimum cūrāsse ut esset quod ederēmus. Eāmus intrō.” Quae cum dīxisset, ad cameram pedem convertit; ac Pūblius et Sextus, qui male ēsuriēbant, libenter subsecūtī sunt. | "Come on my sons," says Cornelius. "Stop fighting among yourselves. Such conflicts are unbecoming; and I think now has prepared in order that we may eat. Let us go inside." Which when he had said this, he turned his step to the cabin; and Publius and Sextus, who were badly hungry, gladly followed. |
| CAPUT II | |
| Illā nāve vehēbantur hominēs plūrimī; sed diēs complūrēs tam asperum erat mare, ut plērīque graviter nauseā adficerentur, paucīque in puppī ambulāre possent. Mīrus et molestissimus est hic morbus; quī enim eō adficitur, primō timet nē moriatur, tum metuit nē in vitā retineātur. | Many people were being carried by the ship; but several days the sea was so rough that many were affected with serious nausea, and few were able to walk on deck. This illness was strange and very troublesome; for he who was afflicted with it, first fears that the would die, then fears that he would be held in life. |
| Postrēmō autem omnibus melius est factum, rārīque in puppim prōdiērunt. In eīs erat senex quīdam, quī linguā barbarā ūtēbātur, nec quisquam plānē intellegere poterat quid ille dīcere vellet. | But finally all were made better, and a few proceeded onto the deck. Among them was a certain old man who used a barbarian language, and no one could understand clearly what he wanted to say to them. |
| Dēnique mercātor dīves, quī frūstrā cum sene loquī cōnātus erat: “Nōnne hīc adest quisquam,” inquit, “cui lingua huius peregrīnī nota sit?” | |
| Forte Stasimus haud procul stābat. Quī cum haec audīvisset, ut erat vafer, “Mihi,” inquit, “omnēs linguae nōtae sunt. Sī exposueris quid rogāre velīs, ego libenter cum sene loquar.” | |
Quō dictō, ad senem accessit, et sermō huius modī īnstitūtus est: |
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Stasimus. Dīcit buccam[8] dolēre. |
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Senex. Murphonnium sucorhim. |
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| Cum hic sermō habērētur, Pūblius et Sextus prope stābant, vix sē continentēs quōminus in cachinnōs ērumperent. Sed iam ē camerā prōcessit Cornēlius; et Stasimus celeriter in puppim extrēmam sē recēpit. Quō factō, Cornēliō mercātor: “Estne,” inquit, “ille Stasimus servus tuus?” | |
| “Ita,” inquit Cornēlius; “nec usquam est puer scelestior.” | |
| “Haud ita mihi vidētur,” inquit mercātor; “nam modo mihi operam benignē dedit, cum hunc peregrīnum quaedam rogāre vellem.” | |
“Quō modō, obsecrō, ille tē adiuvāre potuit?” inquit Cornēlius. ‘‘Multīs linguīs ego ūtor; sed nē ego quidem paulō ante intellegere poteram quid hic ignōtus dīcere vellet, cum mē appellāret. Stasimus autem nihil nisi Latinē scit.” “Suspicor igitur eum mē lūdificāsse,” inquit mercātor ridēns. “Sed sine dubiō omnia per iocum fēcit; ac spērō dē eō supplicium tē nōn sūmptūrum.” |
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Tum Cornēlius: “Dolīs eius interdum īrā tantopere incendor, ut vix mē continēre possim quōminus eum in crucem statim agam. Cum autem tū tam clēmenter suādeās, poenās nōn dabit——dōnec aliam noxiam commeruerit.” |
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| Dum illī ita inter sē loquuntur, peregrīnus, ā spē omnī dēstitūtus, caput quassāns trīstis discessit; atque interim Pūblius et Sextus ad prōram prōcesserant, ubi flūctūs magnōs admīrantēs diū stābant. | |
| Tum Sextus: “Hīsne in regiōnibus,” inquit, “pugna nāvālis umquam commissa est?” | |
| “Ōlim,” inquit Pūblius, ‘in marī Pamphȳliō Hannibal cum Rhodiōrum classe cōnflīxit. Sed multō est mīrābilior pugna, quā Eumenem, rēgem Pergamēnum, Poenus īdem fugāvit.” | |
| “Dē hāc numquam audīvī,” inquit Sextus. ‘Quid factum est, obsecrō?” | |
| Tum Pūblius: ‘Modo librum Cornēli Nepōtis legēbam, quī rem gestam ita trādit: Hannibal nāvium numerō superābātur; itaque dolō eī pugnandum erat. Quārē suōs iussit venēnātās serpentēs vīvās quam plūrimās colligere, eāsque in vāsa fictilia conicere. Cum diēs pugnae vēnisset, imperāvit ut omnēs in Eumenis ipsīus concurrerent nāvem, cēterās autem neglegerent. | |
| “Quod ubi factum est, nāvis Eumenis fugā salūtem petere coācta est, sed cēterae undique classem Hannibalis vehementer premēbant. Tum in eās repente vāsa fictilia, dē quibus suprā mentionem fēcī, coniecta sunt. Quibus in puppēs frāctīs, nāvēs hostium brevī serpentium plēnae erant; atque illī, novā rē territī, terga vertērunt rēgemque Eumenem intrā praesidia, quae in proximō lītore collocāta erant, celeriter subsecūtī sunt.” | |
| “Hahahae!” inquit Sextus. “Hannibal certē dux callidus erat. Vix turpe fuit ā tantō imperātōre vincī.” | |
| Tum Pūblius, post sē respiciēns: “Putō,” inquit, “nōs nunc redīre posse. Stasimus poenās effūgisse vidētur, neque usquam hospes in cōnspectū est.” | |
| Itaque ā prōrā cum recessissent, sē patrī cēterīsque reddidērunt, quī iam passim in puppī sedēbant. | |