Pagina:Ad Alpes.djvu/179

nāve ēgressus ad lītus cymbā pervēnisset, pede offēnsō, prōnus in harēnam prōlāpsus^[1] est. Quō cāsū comitēs perterritī sunt, at ille: ‘Aspice ōmen optimum,’ inquit; ‘Āfricam oppressī!’”^[2]

“Apud Suētōnium,” inquit Pūblius, “aliud memoriā dignum nūper animadvertī. Cum enim Līvia Augusta vīllam suam Vēientānam ōlim revīseret,^[3] aquila praetervolāns in eius gremium dīcitur dēmīsisse gallīnam albam,^[4] quae rāmulum laurī rōstrō tenēret.

“Cumque nūtrīrī gallīnam rāmulumque pangī Līviae placuisset,^[5] tanta gallīnārum subolēs^[6] prōvēnit, ut posteā ea vīlla ‘ad Gallīnās’^[7] vocārētur, tāle vērō laurētum,^[8] ut inde rāmulōs Caesarēs triumphātūrī^[9] dēcerperent.

“Quotiēnscumque arbor discerpta erat, altera^[10] eōdem locō pangēbātur. Et observātum est sub mortem cuiusque imperātōris arborem ab ipsō īnstitūtam ēlanguisse.^[11] Novissimō igitur Nerōnis^[12] annō silva tōta rādīcitus^[13] exāruit,^[14] omnēsque gallīnae illae periērunt; nam prōgeniēs^[15] Caesarum in Nerōne dēfēcit.”

Dum hīs et tālibus sē oblectant, Drūsilla cūrās suās paulum remīsit; cumque iam ferē quīndecim^[16] mīlia passuum fēcissent iter, līberī, quī male ēsuriēbant, patrem ōrāvērunt, ut equōs cōnsistere iubēret, sub arboribus ut cibum ederent, quem corbulīs sēcum portāvissent.

Potestāte factā, omnēs libenter ex raedīs dēscendērunt ac mox per herbam ōtiōsī dispositī sunt. Līberī, cibō cōnsūmptō,

1. prōlābor, -lābī, -lāpsus sum, intr., fall (forward).
2. oppressī, punning, I have crushed.
3. revīsō, -ere, tr., go out to.
4. albus, -a, -um, ad. white; a lucky color with the Romans.
5. placuisset: impers.
6. subolēs, -is, f., brood.
7. ad Gallinās: keep the Latin name.
8. laurētum, -ī, n., laurel grove.
9. triumphō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, tr. and intr., celebrate a triumph.
10. altera, a second, i.e., another.
11. ēlanguēscō, -languēscere, -languī, intr., wither away.
12. Nerōnis: i.e., of Nero’s reign.
13. rādīcitus, adv., from the roots.
14. exārēscō, -ārēscere, -āruī, intr., dry up.
15. prōgeniēs, -ēī, f., line (of descent).
16. quīndecim, indecl. num., fifteen.