 87. An Army of Two |
89. A Favor Repaid  |
Quae rēs memorābilis mē admonet dē facinore similī sed maiōre, quod Rōmae[1] antīquitus ab Horātiō quōdam factum esse trāditur. Cum enim bellum ā rēge Porsinnā esset Rōmānīs indictum, Iāniculum[2] impetū repentinō captum est Rōmānīque perterritī trāns Tiberim in urbem quam celerrimē[3] fugere coepērunt. Tum Horātius, quī sentiēbat hostēs, nisi pōns[4] esset perruptus[5], urbe quoque statim potītūrōs, cīvīs suōs hortātus est ut pontem ignī ferrōque[6] perrumperent, cum[7] ipse impetum hostium sōlus sustinēret.
Itaque cum duōbus amīcīs fidēlibus, quōs pudor[8] eum dēserere nōn patiēbātur[9], ad prīmum adītum[10] pontis fortiter progressus, audācissimē ibi cōnstitit. Quā audāciā obstupefactī[11], hostēs prīmō paulum morātī sunt, deinde impetum ācriōrem fēcērunt; Horātius vērō, minās[12] contumēliāsque vōciferāns[13], summā virtūte dīmicābat, nec locō[14] cessit priusquam post tergum pōns perruptus est. Tum in Tiberim armātus dēsiluit[15], et ad rīpam alteram incolumis pervēnit, quō[16] paulō ante, exiguā parte pontis adhūc relictā, amīcōs duōs sē recipere coēgerat.
Sīc memoriae trāditum est; Livius autem (ā quō haec nārrantur) facinus hoc apud posterōs[17] plūs[18] glōriae[19] quam fideī habuisse palam cōnfitētur[20].
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Imago hoc loco in textu apparere debet, vide Normas imaginum. Si eam praebere potes, vide Auxilium:Imagines addendae pro instructionibus onerandis. |
Until the second century B.C., the only bridge across the Tiber at Rome was of wood. Afterward several stone bridges were built, one of which is shown above.
- ↑ Rōmae: f, note that this is a town name.
- ↑ Iāniculum: n, a hill on the west bank of the Tiber, opposite Rome.
- ↑ quam celerrimē: translate freely.
- ↑ pōns (pontis): m, bridge.
- ↑ esset perruptus: cf. exspectāssent, p. 104, l. 18; for mood, cf. admoveantur, p. 61, l. 14.
- ↑ ferrō: ferrum, -ī: n, iron, freely, the ax.
- ↑ cum: while.
- ↑ pudor (-ōris): m, shame.
- ↑ patiēbātur: we would say “would not allow”; cf. vidēbant, p. 36, l. 7.
- ↑ adītum: adītus, -ūs: m, approach.
- ↑ obstupefactī: obstupefactus, -a, -um: part., amazed.
- ↑ minās: minae, -ārum: f, threats.
- ↑ vōciferāns: vōciferor, 1: shout out, dīmicābat: fought on.
- ↑ locō: cf. the note on p. 7, l. 4.
- ↑ dēsiluit: dēsiliō, 4, -siluī: leap down.
- ↑ quō: adv., the adv.; cf. p. 47, l. 2.
- ↑ apud posterōs: i.e. in the following generations; lit. what?.
- ↑ plūs: see multus.
- ↑ glōriae: f, partitive gen..
- ↑ cōnfitētur: cōnfiteor, 2, -fessus sum: admit.