“Ibi cognōvit fūmum, immēnsae nūbī similem, orīrī ex monte, quī procul in adversō lītore stābat. Quārē statim Liburnicam parārī iussit, ut sinum trānsīre et rem tam mīrābilem propius nōscere posset.
“Sed iam advēnit tabellārius, litterās adferēns cuiusdam mulieris, quae in vīllā Vesuviō subiacente[1] morābātur. Imminente perīculō perterrita, illa Plīnium ōrābat ut sē discrīminī[2] ēriperet; nam nisi nāvibus nūllam fugae esse spem. Ille igitur cōnsilium mūtāvit et quadrirēmēs[3] aliquot dēdūxit, ut auxilium ferret omnibus, quī ex illō locō effugere vellent.
“Tum rēctum cursum in perīculum tenuit, cum interim summā dīligentiā observābat omnia, quae memorātū digna erant. Mox cinis in nāvēs incidere coepit; cum autem monēret gubernātor ut Mīsēnum redīret, ille vērō: “Fortēs,’ inquit, “Fortūna adiuvat,’ ac rēctā in perīculum contendit.”
“Ille certē intrepidus[4] erat,” inquit Sextus. “Quem exitum rēs habuit?”
At Pūblius: “Brevī audiēs,” inquit: “Ubi ad lītus nāvēs appulsae sunt, Plīnius in terram ēgressus hominēsque trepidantīs cōnsōlātus,[5] sē in balneum dēferrī iussit, ut suā sēcūritāte[6] timōrem cēterōrum lēnīret; ac paulō post, cum noctū flammae ex monte relūcērent, dictitābat[7] ab agricolīs ignēs relictōs esse vīllāsque dēsertās ardēre.
“Interim flūctūs magnōs in lītus ventus tam adversus volvēbat,[8] ut inde nūllō modō nāvēs solvī possent. Quārē Plīnius quiētī sē dedit; cumque aliī ānxiā mente vigilārent, ille somnō artissimō quiēscēbat. Postrēmō autem ārea, pūmicibus[9] opplēta, tam altē surrēxerat, ut, sī diūtius intus morārētur, ē cubiculō[10] exīre eī omnīnō nōn licēret.
- ↑ subiaceō, -ēre, -uī, intr., lie near; governs dat.
- ↑ discrīminī: for dat., cf. XVIII, 103.
- ↑ quadrirēmis, -is, f., four-decker.
- ↑ intrepidus, -a, -um, adj., fearless.
- ↑ cōnsōlor, -ārī, -ātus sum, tr., cheer.
- ↑ sēcūritās, -ātis, f., freedom from anxiety.
- ↑ dictitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, tr., keep saying.
- ↑ volvō, volvere, volvī, volūtus, tr., roll.
- ↑ pūmex, -icis, m., pumice stone.
- ↑ cubiculum, -ī, n., bedroom.
