PASSAGES
FOR
TRANSLATION AT SIGHT
REGAL PERIOD, 753-509 B.C.
D1
_The Vision of Anchises.--The Kings that are to be._
Quin et avo comitem sese Mavortius addet Romulus, Assaraci quem sanguinis Ilia mater Educet. Viden' ut geminae stant vertice cristae, Et pater ipse suo superum iam signat honore? 780 En huius, nate, auspiciis illa incluta Roma Imperium terris, animos aequabit Olympo, Septemque una sibi muro circumdabit arces, Felix prole virum.
Quis procul ille autem ramis insignis olivae Sacra ferens? Nosco crines incanaque menta Regis Romani; primam qui legibus urbem 810 Fundabit, Curibus parvis et paupere terra Missus in imperium magnum. Cui deinde subibit, Otia qui rumpet patriae residesque movebit Tullus in arma viros et iam desueta triumphis Agmina. Quem iuxta sequitur iactantior Ancus, 815 Nunc quoque iam nimium gaudens popularibus auris.
Vis et Tarquinios reges animamque superbam Ultoris Bruti fascesque videre receptos?
VERGIL, _Aen._ vi. 777-784, 808-818.
[Linenotes: 777. +Avo+ = _grandsire_, i.e. Numitor, the father of the Vestal Rhea or Ilia. +Mavortius+ = child of Mavors, old and poetic name for Mars.
778. +Assaraci+: King of Phrygia and grandfather of Anchises.
779. +geminae cristae.+ The double-crested helm, a distinction of Mars.
780. +superum+ = _for the world above_, i.e. as a god. Acc. Sing.
808. +ille+ = Numa Pompilius (716-673 B.C.), a native of Cures (811) in Sabine country, whom the Romans regarded as the founder (+fundabit+, 811) of their religious and legal institutions.
813. +qui+ = Tullus Hostilius (673-640 B.C.), a man of war, destroyed Alba.
+resides+ = _sluggish_, _lazy_ (_re + sedeo_).
815. +Ancus Martius+ (640-616 B.C.), conqueror of the Latins.
817. +Tarquinios reges+ = (i.) Tarquinius Priscus (616-578 B.C.) of Tarquinii in Etruria; (ii.) Tarquinius Superbus (534-509 B.C.), expelled by Brutus. Vergil omits Servius Tullius (578-534 B.C.).
817-818. +animamque ... receptos.+ Brutus, nephew of T. Superbus, roused Rome to expel the Tarquins and found the Republic: and thus the +fasces+ (the sign of power) were _recovered_ (+receptos+) by the people. --Sidgwick.]
D2
ROMULUS, 753-716 B.C.
A. _The Passing of Romulus._
His immortalibus editis operibus cum ad exercitum recensendum contionem in campo ad Caprae paludem haberet, subito coorta tempestas cum magno fragore tonitribusque tam denso regem operuit nimbo, ut conspectum eius contioni abstulerit; nec {5} deinde in terris Romulus fuit. Romana pubes, sedato tandem pavore, postquam ex tam turbido die serena et tranquilla lux rediit, ubi vacuam sedem regiam vidit, etsi satis credebat patribus, qui proxumi steterant, sublimem raptum procella, tamen velut {10} orbitatis metu icta maestum aliquamdiu silentium obtinuit. Deinde a paucis initio facto deum deo natum, regem parentemque urbis Romanae salvere universi Romulum iubent; pacem precibus exposcunt, uti volens propitius suam semper sospitet progeniem. {15}
LIVY, i. 16.
[Linenotes: 2-3. +ad Caprae paludem+ = _near the Goat's pool_.
4. +operuit+ = _enveloped_ (+ob + pario+ = _get for_, _put upon_, _cover_), cf. opposite +a-per-io+ = _get from_, _uncover_.
5. +abstulerit+ = _auferret_. The event is regarded simply as past, without reference to other past events.
5-6. +nec deinde ... fuit+, cf. 'Quirinus Martis equis Acheronta fugit.' Hor. _Od._ iii. 3. 15.
7. +sedato+ = _settled_, _calmed_. +Sed-o+ = _cause to sit_, cf.
+sed-es+, and our _seat_, _settle_.
11. +orbitatis+ = _of orphanhood_; cf. +orb-us+ = _bereaved_, and our _orphan_.
15. +volens propitius+, an ellipse of _et_, cf. _optimus maximus_.
+sospitet+ = _he may keep safe_, _preserve_, cf. +sospes+ = _safe_.]
B. _The Mystery explained._
Pulcher et humano maior trabeaque decorus Romulus in media visus adesse via, Et dixisse simul: 'Prohibe lugere Quirites, Nec violent lacrimis numina nostra suis. 4 Tura ferant placentque novum pia turba Quirinum, Et patrias artes militiamque colant.'
OVID, _Fasti_, ii. 379-384. H. [II. 503-508]
[Linenotes: 1-6. Romulus appears as a god to Proculus Julius, an honourable man, bidding him tell his people not to mourn for him, but to worship him as Quirinus, and practise valour and all warlike virtues.
1. +trabea+ = _in the (striped) robe of state_.
3-5. +Quirites+ (cf. +Quirinus+ = the deified Romulus) = lit.
_spearmen_. Connected with _Cures_ and _curis_ (Sabine word for a _spear_), used of Roman _citizens_ as opposed to Roman _soldiers_.]
D3
NUMA POMPILIUS, 716-673 B.C.
_The Gate of Janus, open in war but shut in peace._
A. Qui regno ita potitus urbem novam, conditam vi et armis, iure eam legibusque ac moribus de integro condere parat. Quibus cum inter bella adsuescere videret non posse, quippe efferari militia animos, mitigandum ferocem populum armorum {5} desuetudine ratus Ianum ad infimum Argiletum indicem pacis bellique fecit, apertus ut in armis esse civitatem, clausus pacatos circa omnes populos significaret.
LIVY, i. 19.
[Linenotes: 1. +Qui+ = Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome.
4-5. +quippe ... animos+ = _since_ (he thought that) _men's tempers were made savage_ (brutalised) _by warfare_. +efferari+ = orat. obl.
part of Numa's thoughts.
6. +desuetudine+ = _by disuse_, i.e. by a cessation from the use of.
Cf. _de-docere_ = _unteach_.
+Ianum ... Argiletum+ = (a temple of) Janus at the foot of the Argiletum, a slope to the N.E. of the Forum. (Prob. = the clayey ground, from _argilla_ = white clay.) 8. +clausus.+ It was closed for a short time, circ. 238 B.C., and again by Augustus 29-25 B.C.]
B.
Sunt geminae Belli portae, sic nomine dicunt, Religione sacrae et saevi formidine Martis: Centum aerei claudunt vectes aeternaque ferri Robora, nec custos absistit limine Ianus. 610 Has, ubi certa sedet patribus sententia pugnae, Ipse Quirinali trabea cinctuque Gabino Insignis reserat stridentia limina Consul; Ipse vocat pugnas; sequitur tum cetera pubes, Aereaque adsensu conspirant cornua rauco.
VERGIL, _Aen._ vii. 607-615.
[Linenotes: 609. +vectes+ = _bolts or bars_, prob. from vveh = carry. Cf.
_vect-igal_.
612. +Quir. trabea+ = _in the state robe of Romulus_, i.e. the striped robe of state, purple, with white stripes across.
+cinctu Gabino+ = _with the Gabine girdle_, formed by girding the toga tight round the body by one of its loose ends.