“Ille igitur nōn modo crūdēlis sed etiam mendāx fuit,” inquit Cornēlia.
“Crūdēlissimus profectō erat,” inquit frāter; “nam nē lūdificāre quidem sine alicuius damnō aut perīculō voluit. Prīmā nocte, galērō capitī adaptātō,[1] per viās tabernāsque vagābātur; cumque tabernās effrāctās[2] expīlāvisset, cīvēs ē cēnā domum redeuntēs verberāre solēbat, ac, sī repugnāverant, vulnerāre aut in cloācīs mergere.”
“Vāh!” inquit Sextus. “Facinus imperātōre Rōmānō quam indignum! Cum autem propter galērum ignōtus[3] esset, vix intellegō ex istīs rīxīs quō modō incolumis ēvāserit.”
At frāter: “Oculōrum[4] vērō atque etiam vītae perīculum interdum adiit. Velut ōlim ā quōdam senātōre paene ad mortem verberātus est, quod eius uxōrem in viā appellāverat.”
“Euge!” inquit Cornēlia. “Spērō eum sīc admonitum esse cīvēs Rōmānōs haud impūne lacessī posse.”
“Nūllō modō,” inquit Pūblius. “Sed posteā vesperī numquam prōdiit sine tribūnīs, quī occultē subsequēbantur, ut praestō essent, sī quod[5] in perīculum incidisset.”
“Imperātōrem tam impudīcum ōdī,” inquit Cornēlia. “Dē eō satis audīvimus. An aliī, obsecrō, sē tam turpiter[6] gessērunt?”
“Dē quibusdam,” inquit frāter, “similia nārrantur. Sīc dīcitur imperātor Othō, cum iuvenis esset, per viās noctū vagārī solitus esse; ac sī quis imbēcillus aut ēbrius eī obviam vēnerat, hominem in sagō[7] impositum altē iactābat.”
“Hahahae!” inquit Sextus. “Illud quidem aliquō modō excūsārī[8] potest; nam crēdō hominēs sīc rārō laesōs esse.”
At frāter: “Domitiānus vērō crūdēlitāte ipsā[9] gaudēbat. Quīn etiam trāditum est eum cotīdiē tōtās hōrās in sēcrētō
- ↑ adaptātus, -a, -um, adj., fitted.
- ↑ effringō, -fringere, -frēgī, -frāctus, tr., break open.
- ↑ ignōtus, -a, -um, adj., unrecognized.
- ↑ Oculōrum: eyes were often gouged out in street fights.
- ↑ quod: modifier of perīculum.
- ↑ turpiter: adv., disgracefully.
- ↑ in sagō, etc.: cf. ‘tossing in a blanket.’
- ↑ excūsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, tr., excuse.
- ↑ ipsā, unadulterated.
