A First Latin Reader/122

by Herbertus Chester Nutting

Herbert Chester Nutting

A First Latin Reader

Lesson 122
Narrow Escape of their Commander

1912

fons: librum vide

121. The Pompeians suffer a Second Reverse	123. King Juba marches to the Relief of Varus

LESSON 122

Narrow Escape of their Commander

Quā in^[1] fugā Fabius Paelignus, mīles quīdam ex Cūriōnis exercitū, agmen fugientium^[2] cōnsecūtus, magnā vōce Vārum ita nōmine appellāvit, ut ūnus esse ex eius mīlitibus et velle aliquid dicere vidērētur. Ubi autem Vārus saepius^[3] appellātus cōnstitit, et quis esset aut^[4] quid vellet quaesīvit, tum Fabius eius umerum apertum^[5] gladiō appetiit. Quod ille perīculum sublātō scūtō^[6] vītāvit; Fabius autem ā proximīs mīlitibus circumventus interficitur.

Interim fugientium multitūdine portae castrōrum complētae sunt, atque iter^[7] erat ita impeditum, ut plūrēs in eō locō sine vulnere^[8] quam in proeliō aut fugā interīrent; nōnnūllī vērō erant adeō^[9] perterritī, ut prōtinus eōdem cursū per castra^[10] in oppidum ipsum contenderent. At Cūriōnis mīlitēs, ad proelium^[11] ēgressī^[12], sēcum nūllam cōpiam portāverant eārum rērum, quae ad oppugnātiōnem castrōrum erant ūsuī. Itaque Cūriō exercitum tum^[13] in castra redūcit.

Cuius discessū^[14] vulnerātī ē castrīs hostium in oppidum redūcuntur; quō quidem^[15] tempore multī praetereā per simulātiōnem vulnerum propter metum eōdem^[16] sēsē recipiunt. Quā rē animadversā exercitūsque timōre cōgnitō, Vārus, būcinātōre tabernāculīsque paucīs in castrīs ad speciem^[17] relictīs, tertiā vigiliā reliquum quoque exercitum silentiō in oppidum redūcit.

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Scūta

This illustration, taken from the carvings on the column of Trajan (see page 40), shows how Roman soldiers, by locking their shields (scuta), formed a solid roof over their heads as they came up under a wall from which the enemy were sending down a shower of missiles.

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1. in: during.
2. fugientium: sc. hostium.
3. saepius: absol. compar..
4. aut: cf. the note on p. 128, l. 7.
5. apertum: i.e. the right, unprotected, ille: Varus.
6. scūtō: scūtum, -ī: n, shield.
7. iter: n, roadway.
8. sine vulnere: i.e. wound inflicted by the enemy.
9. adeō: adv., the adv., eōdem cursū: i.e. without stopping.
10. castra: n, see again the note on p. 149, l. 3, ipsum: proper.
11. proelium: n, a battle (in the open).
12. ēgressī: sc. ex castrīs; translate the part. by a relative clause.
13. tum: for the time being.
14. discessū: m, abl. of time when; translate “on.”.
15. quidem: omit in translating, per: freely, under.
16. eōdem: adv., to the same shelter.
17. būcinātōre . . . ad speciem: būcinātor, -ōris, M., trumpeter, ad speciem: i.e. to keep up the appearance of occupancy.