Saturday, July 17, 2010

Romulus and Clodius

Last lot of work for my year 12 class.


Jupiter declares that, despite Juno’s hostility, the Romans will become a great nation.

Romulus excipiet gentem, et Mavortia condet
moenia, Romanosque suo de nomine dicet.
His ego nec metas rerum nec tempora pono;
imperium sine fine dedi. Quin aspera Iuno,
quae mare nunc terrasque metu caelumque fatigat,
consilia in melius referet, mecumque fovebit
Romanos rerum dominos gentemque togatam.

Romulus will take control (excipiet) of your race (gentem) and will establish (condet) the walls of Mars (Mavortia... moenia) and will call (dicet) them ‘Romans’ after his own name (suo de nomine). To these men (his) I set (ego... pono) no limit of space (nec metas rerum) nor time (tempora); I grant (dedi) them power (imperium) without end (sine fine). Indeed (quin) bitter Juno (aspera Iuno), who now (nunc) wears out (fatigat) the sea, the land and heaven (mare... terras... caelum) with her fear (metu), will come (referet) to better counsel (consilia in melius), and alongside me (mecumque) she will support (fovebit) the Romans, rulers of the world (rerum dominos), and the toga-wearing people race (gentemque togatam)

Aeneid I.276-282

Cicero describes how Clodius sent a slave to murder Pompey, and how Clodius often attacked Cicero himself.

comprensus est in templo Castoris servus P. Clodi, quem ille ad Cn. Pompeium interficiendum ibi collocaverat; rapta est sica de manibus; caruit foro postea Pompeius , caruit senatu, caruit publico; ianua se ac parietibus, non iure legum texit. insidiator erat in foro collocatus atque in vestibulo ipse senatus: ei viro mors parabatur, cuius in vita nitebatur salus civitatis; eo porro rei publicae tempore, quo si unus ille cecidisset, non haec solum civitas, sed gentes omnes concidissent. quotiens ego ipse ex P. Clodi telis et ex cruentis eius manibus effugi!

A slave of Publius Clodius (servus P. Clodi) was arrested (comprensus est) in the temple of Castor (in templo Castoris), whom (quem) he had set up there (ille... ibi collocaverat) in order to kill Gnaeus Pompey (ad Cn. Pompeium interficiendum); a dagger (sica) was snatched (rapta est) from his hands (de manibus); afterwards (postea) Pompey kept away from (caruit) the forum (foro), he kept away from (caruit) the senate (senatu), he kept away from (caruit) the public (publico); he defended himself (se... texit) with his door and with his walls (ianua... ac parietibus), not with the justice of the laws (non iure legum). An assassin (insidiator) was set up in the forum (erat in foro collocatus) and he himself (ipse) was in the foyer of the senate (in vestibulo... senatus); death (mors) was prepared (parabatur) for that very man (ei viro), on whose life (cuius in vita) depended (nitebatur) the safety of our state (salus civitatis); moreover (porro) [it was] at that time (eo... tempore) of the republic, in which (quo) if that one man (unus ille) had fallen (cecidisset), not only (non... solum) this state (haec... civitas), but (sed) all races (gentes omnes) would have fallen (cecidissent). How many times (quotiens) I myself (ego ipse) have fled (effugi) from the weapons of Publius Clodius (ex P. Clodi telis) and from his bloody hands (ex cruentis eius manibus)!

Cicero Pro Milone 18

No comments: