“Sī paucīs verbīs contentī eritis,” inquit Drūsilla, “dē leōne fābulam vōbīs nārrābō.”
“Euax!” inquit Sextus. “Spērō rem fore cruentam, ut Cornēlia arte dormiat.”
“Nōlī timēre, Cornēlia,” inquit māter. “Nihil sanguinis[1] effundētur.”
“Sanguinis iactūram ego doleō,” inquit Sextus; “sed audiāmus.”
Tum Drūsilla: “Ōlim, cum Rōmae spectācula ēderentur magna, et multae bēstiae immānēs in harēnam immitterentur, quīdam hominēs miserī, capitis[2] damnātī, ēlectī erant, quī cum hīs mōnstrīs dēpugnārent;[3] in[4] quibus erat servus, quī Androclēs appellābātur.
“Maximē cōnspicuus[5] in harēnā erat leō eximius, quī aliās bēstiās omnēs vīribus et magnitūdine corporis longē superābat, quīque terrificō[6] fremitū oculōs omnium spectātōrum in sē saepe convertit. Is leō, cum Androclem aspexisset, prīmō quasi admīrāns paulisper stetit, tum lēniter et placidē ad eum accessit; deinde caudam[7] mōre canum clēmenter et blandē movēre coepit, ac postrēmō manūs hominis perterritī linguā suā permulcēbat.
“Hāc rē novā commōtus, imperātor iussit Androclem arcessī; ā quō quaesīvit cūr leō tam mīrābiliter eī pepercisset. Tum Androclēs rem mīrandam nārrāvit.
“Nam, ut dīcēbat, multō ante in Āfricā fuerat, cum dominus eam prōvinciam prōcōnsulārī[8] imperiō obtinēret;[9] cuius crūdēlitāte coāctus in loca dēserta postrēmō refūgit, ubi spēluncam latebrōsam[10] nactus[11] dēfessus quiēvit.
- ↑ sanguinis: partit. gen.
- ↑ capitis, to death; gen. of penalty.
- ↑ dēpugnārent: note mood.
- ↑ in, among.
- ↑ cōnspicuus, -a, -um, adj., conspicuous
- ↑ terrificus, -a, -um, adj., terrible.
- ↑ cauda, -ae, f., tail.
- ↑ prōcōnsulāris, -e, adj., proconsular, indicating that the governor was of the rank of ex-consul.
- ↑ obtineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus, tr., govern.
- ↑ latebrōsus, -a, -um, adj., hidden.
- ↑ nancīscor, nancīscī, nactus or nānctus, tr., light upon, find.
