# Prīmus et Secundus Annus, Capita 26–30

Puer Romanus

Dionȳsius et Dāmoclēs; Fūnus; Tēstāmentum et līs inde orta; Rūs ītur; Dē gruibus

Source: https://1732studios.com/courses/la/14. Data: https://1732studios.com/courses/la/14.json.

## Dionȳsius et Dāmoclēs (Puer Rōmānus 26)

**1** Neque Dionȳsius, Syrācūsārum tyrannus, quī tantās habēbat dīvitiās, tantamque rērum abundantiam, putābat sē esse beātum.  
Nor did Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, who had such great riches and such an abundance of everything, think that he was happy.

**2** Nam cum quīdam ex assentātōribus ēius, Dāmoclēs, commemorāret in sermōne cōpiās ēius, opēs, māiestātem dominātūs, rērum abundantiam, māgnificentiam aedium rēgiārum; negāretque umquam beātiōrem quemquam fuisse: ‘Vīsne igitur,’ inquit, ‘Dāmoclē, quoniam haec tē vīta dēlectat, ipse eandem dēgustāre, et fortūnam experīrī meam?’  
For when one of his flatterers, Damocles, was speaking in conversation of his forces, his wealth, the majesty of his rule, his abundance of everything and the splendour of his royal palace, and was saying that no one had ever been happier, Dionysius said, 'Would you like, then, Damocles, since this life delights you, to taste it yourself and to try my fortune?'

**3** Cum sē ille cupere dīxisset, collocārī iūssit hominem in aureō lectō, strātō pulcherrimē textilī strāgulō, māgnificīsque operibus pīctō; abacōsque complūrēs ornāvit argentō aurōque caelātō.  
When Damocles had said that he would like to, Dionysius ordered the man to be placed on a golden couch, spread with a most beautiful woven coverlet worked with splendid designs; and he decked out several sideboards with chased silver and gold.

**4** Tum ad mēnsam eximiā fōrmā puerōs dēlēctōs iūssit cōnsistere, eōsque nūtum ēius intuentēs dīligenter ministrāre.  
Then he ordered chosen boys of outstanding beauty to stand by the table, and to watch his nod and serve him carefully.

**5** Aderant unguenta, corōnae; incendēbantur odōrēs; mēnsae conquīsītissimīs epulīs exstruēbantur.  
There were perfumes and garlands; scents were burning; the tables were piled with the choicest dishes.

**6** Fortūnātus sibi Dāmoclēs vidēbātur.  
Damocles thought himself a lucky man.

**7** In hōc mediō apparātū fulgentem gladium, ē lacūnārī saetā equīnā aptum, dēmīttī iūssit, ut impenderet illīus beātī cervīcibus.  
In the middle of all this display Dionysius ordered a gleaming sword, hung from the ceiling by a horsehair, to be let down, so that it hung over that happy man's neck.

**8** Itaque nec pulchrōs illōs ministrātōrēs aspiciēbat, nec plēnum artis argentum; nec manum porrigēbat in mēnsam; iam ipsae dēfluēbant corōnae.  
And so he neither looked at those beautiful servants nor at the silver full of art; nor did he stretch out his hand to the table; by now the very garlands were slipping off.

**9** Dēnique exōrāvit tyrannum ut abīre licēret, quod iam beātus nōllet esse.  
At last he begged the tyrant to let him go, because he no longer wanted to be happy.

**10** Satisne vidētur dēclārāsse Dionȳsius nihil esse eī beātī, cuī semper aliquis terror impendeat?  
Does it not seem that Dionysius made it plain enough that there is no happiness for a man over whom some fear always hangs?

**11** Quis erat Dionȳsius?  
Who was Dionysius?

**12** Quid in sermōne commemorāvit Dāmoclēs?  
What did Damocles speak of in conversation?

**13** Quid eum rogāvit Dionȳsius?  
What did Dionysius ask him?

**14** Quid deinde iūssit servōs suōs facere?  
What did he then order his slaves to do?

**15** Quālēs iūssit ad mēnsam cōnsistere?  
What sort of boys did he order to stand by the table?

**16** Quid oportuit hōs facere?  
What did these have to do?

**17** Dēscribe cēnam tōtumque apparātum.  
Describe the dinner and the whole display.

**18** Mediam inter cēnam quid accidit?  
What happened in the middle of the dinner?

**19** Quae cum Dāmoclēs vidēret quōmodo sē gerēbat?  
When Damocles saw this, how did he behave?

**20** Quid dēnique ōrāvit tyrannum?  
What did he beg the tyrant at last?

**21** Quid interest inter iūrgium et rīxam?  
What is the difference between a quarrel and a brawl?

**22** Quid in pistrīnō facimus?  
What do we do in a mill?

**23** Quālis via est trāmes?  
What sort of road is a path?

**24** Quid sīgnificat harundō? Sīgnificatne alia?  
What does harundo mean? Does it mean anything else?

**25** Quōmodo āleā lūdimus?  
How do we play at dice?

**26** Quid interest inter avunculum et patruum?  
What is the difference between a mother's brother and a father's brother?

**27** Quid faciunt assentātōrēs?  
What do flatterers do?

**28** Quāle est aurum caelātum?  
What is chased gold like?

**29** Quid est lacūnar?  
What is a panelled ceiling?

**30** Quid est strāgulum textile?  
What is a woven coverlet?

| word | gloss |
|---|---|
| Syrācūsārum | Syracuse, from Syracusae |
| tyrannus | tyrant |
| dīvitiās | riches, wealth, from divitiae |
| abundantiam | abundance, plenty, from abundantia |
| assentātōribus | yes-man, flatterer, from assentator |
| Dāmoclēs | fallow |
| opēs | power, might, from ops |
| māiestātem | majesty, dignity, from majestas |
| dominātūs | rule, mastery |
| māgnificentiam | greatness, from magnificentia |
| aedium | temple, shrine, from aedes |
| dēlectat | delight, please, from delecto |
| dēgustāre | taste, from degusto |
| collocārī | place, arrange, from colloco |
| aureō | golden, from aureus |
| strātō | coverlet, from stratum |
| pulcherrimē | fine, beautifully |
| textilī | woven, from textilis |
| strāgulō | covering, from stragulum |
| māgnificīsque | prize, esteem greatly |
| abacōsque | small table for cruets, credence |
| argentō | silver, from argentum |
| caelātō | carve, make raised work, from caelo |
| dēlēctōs | pick, cull, from deligo |
| nūtum | nod, from nutus |
| intuentēs | look at, from intueor |
| ministrāre | attend, serve, from ministro |
| unguenta | oil, ointment, from unguentum |
| incendēbantur | set fire to, burn, from incendo |
| odōrēs | scent, odor, from odor |
| conquīsītissimīs | of, from conquiro |
| epulīs | courses, food, from epulae |
| Fortūnātus | make happy, bless, from fortuno |
| apparātū | prepare, fit out, from apparo |
| lacūnārī | paneled ceiling, from lacunarius |
| equīnā | concerning horses, from equinus |
| aptum | suitable, adapted, from aptus |
| impenderet | expend, spend, from impendo |
| beātī | happy |
| ministrātōrēs | female attendant, from ministrator |
| aspiciēbat | look, see, from aspicio |
| porrigēbat | stretch out, extend, from porrigo |
| dēfluēbant | flow, from defluo |
| exōrāvit | persuade, obtain, from exoro |
| dēclārāsse | declare, from declaro |
| impendeat | expend, spend, from impendeo |
| lacūnar | paneled ceiling |
| textile | woven fabric, cloth |

## Fūnus (Puer Rōmānus 27)

**31** Hodiē pater nōs omnēs iūssit vestēs mūtāre quia avus meus mortuus esset.  
Today my father ordered us all to change our clothes because my grandfather had died.

**32** Erat homo prōvectae aetātis, facilis ergā omnēs cōmisque, puerīs praecipuē benīgnus.  
He was a man of advanced years, easy with everyone and kindly, and particularly good to boys.

**33** Mihi saltem quotiēns eum vīsēbam, crustula, vel alia quaedam puerīs grāta, semper dabat.  
To me at least, whenever I visited him, he always gave cakes or some other things that boys like.

**34** Summō igitur dolōre affectus sum cum audīvissem eum esse mortuum.  
So I was filled with the greatest grief when I heard that he had died.

**35** Mortem obiit nūdius tertius, aviaque mea, quae aderat, oculōs ēius exstantēs rigentēsque clausit; quibus clausīs, cadāver inclāmābat ‘Avē’ vel ‘Valē’ identidem iterāns.  
He died the day before yesterday, and my grandmother, who was there, closed his staring and stiffening eyes; and when they had been closed she called out to the body, repeating over and over 'Hail' or 'Farewell'.

**36** Deinde cadāver humī dēpositum pollīnctōrēs (quasi pellis ūnctōrēs) quōs libitīnāriī mīserant, aquā calidā lavant unguentīsque variīs unguunt.  
Then the body was laid on the ground and the layers-out (as it were the anointers of the skin), whom the undertakers had sent, wash it with warm water and anoint it with various perfumes.

**37** Quae cum gererentur uxor, animī valdē commōta, hūc illūc ambulābat et ‘Utinam’ clāmāvit ‘adhūc vīveret; numquam anteā percēpī quam cārus mihi esset.  
While this was going on my grandmother, deeply stirred in her mind, walked this way and that and cried, 'If only he were still alive; never before did I realize how dear he was to me.

**38** Ō stultōs mortālēs! quī nisi quod Libitīna sacrāvit nihil mīrēminī’.  
Oh foolish mortals, who wonder at nothing but what the goddess of funerals has made holy!'

**39** At pollīnctōrēs, cum mūnera sua rīte cūrāvissent, corpus albā vestītum togā in lectō prope vēstibulum pedibus ad forēs versīs tanquam novissimē exitūrum composuērunt; mortuum sīc positum necessāriī lūgēbant; omnibusque rītū perāctīs et trientī ōrī impositō nē ad portitōrem illum sine viāticō abīret, discessērunt omnēs.  
But the layers-out, when they had duly performed their duties, dressed the body in a white toga and laid it out on a couch near the entrance hall with its feet turned to the door, as though it were about to go out for the last time; the family mourned the dead man laid out in this way; and when all the rites had been performed and a coin had been placed in his mouth, so that he might not go off to that ferryman without his fare, they all went away.

**40** Tum dēmum cupressī rāmus foribus est affīxus.  
Then at last a branch of cypress was fixed to the door.

**41** Posterō diē exsequiae dūcēbantur, multīque necessāriī fūnerī intererant; quattuor vespillōnēs (hōc modō appellantur quia vespertīnō tempore mortuōs efferunt) mortuum feretrō impositum pedibus efferēbant; accēnsīs facibus pompa longa sequēbātur, quam dēsīgnātor, līctoribus adiuvantibus, ōrdinābat; tībīcinēs prīmī incēdēbant; deinde praeficae quae ut mortuī laudēs, immīxtīs lāmentīs, canerent condūctae erant, histriōnēs deinde scurraeque, quī māgnō cum cantantium sonō sequēbāntur, inter quōs et archimīmus erat, quī persōnam avī meī agēbat atque, ut est mōs, facta āc dicta ēius imitābātur.  
The next day the funeral procession was led out, and many of the family were at the funeral; four bearers (they are so called because they carry out the dead in the evening) carried the dead man out feet first on a bier; with torches lit a long procession followed, which the master of ceremonies, helped by the attendants, put in order; the flute players went first; then the hired mourning women, who had been engaged to sing the praises of the dead man with laments mixed in, then the actors and the jesters, who followed with a great noise of singing, and among them was the chief mime, who played the part of my grandfather and, as the custom is, imitated his deeds and his words.

**42** Quod tam bene faciēbat ut frāterculus meus, quippe quī nōn dubitāre posset quīn mortuus iterum vīveret, summō terrōre afficerētur.  
He did this so well that my little brother, who could not doubt that the dead man was alive again, was filled with the greatest terror.

**43** Proximī erant lībertīnī pilleātī; ante ipsum cadāver imāginēs māiōrum ferēbantur, deinde necessāriī vestibus pullātīs amictī.  
Next came the freedmen with caps of liberty on their heads; before the body itself the masks of the ancestors were carried, and then the family wrapped in dark clothes.

**44** Tandem ad būstum perventum est, ubi rogus ārae īnstar exstrūctus iam stabat.  
At last we reached the burning place, where the pyre was already standing, built up like an altar.

**45** Cadāvere impositō necessāriī ardentī face, voltibus āversīs, pyram incendērunt; odōrēs, unguenta, alia mūnera, in īgnem iēcērunt; victimās quoque ut mānēs plācārent apud pyram mactāvērunt; combūstō rogō, exstīnctōque īgnī, vīnōque super cinerēs effūsō, ossa collēcta urnae sunt imposita, ipsaque urna sepulcrō.  
When the body had been placed on it, the family, with their faces turned away, lit the pyre with a burning torch; they threw scents, perfumes and other offerings into the fire; they also killed victims at the pyre to appease the ghosts; and when the pyre had burnt down and the fire had been put out and wine poured over the ashes, the bones were gathered up and put in an urn, and the urn itself in the tomb.

**46** Quibus perāctīs vātes quīdam omnēs, quī aderant, aquā lūstrālī ē laurī rāmō iniectā lūstrāvit et ‘Īlicet’ clāmāvit; omnēs deinde priusquam abiērunt novissima verba dīxērunt mortuumque iūssērunt valēre.  
When this had been done, a priest purified all who were present, sprinkling them with holy water from a branch of bay, and cried, 'It is over'; then, before they went away, they all said their last words and bade the dead man farewell.

**47** Nōn ita multō post hoc ēlogium in sepulcrō est sculptum:—  
Not very long afterwards this epitaph was carved on the tomb:

**48** DĪS MĀNIBUS SACRUM  
SACRED TO THE SPIRITS OF THE DEAD

**49** HĪC IACET  
HERE LIES

**50** M. Cornēlius Polliō  
Marcus Cornelius Pollio

**51** S.T.T.L. [sit tibi terra levis.]  
S.T.T.L. [may the earth lie light upon you.]

**52** Ā sōle exoriente suprā Maeōtis palūdēs  
From the rising sun to the marshes of Maeotis

**53** nēmo est quī factīs aequiperāre queat.  
there is no one who can match my deeds.

**54** sī fās endo plagās caelestum ascendere cuīquam est,  
If it is right for anyone to climb into the regions of the gods,

**55** mī sōlī caelī māxima porta patet.  
for me alone the great gate of heaven stands open.

**56** Cūr pater nōs iūssit vestēs mūtāre?  
Why did my father order us to change our clothes?

**57** Quālis erat avus meus?  
What was my grandfather like?

**58** Quid faciēbat quotiēns eum vīsēbam?  
What did he do whenever I visited him?

**59** Quando mortem obiit?  
When did he die?

**60** Marītō mortuō quid prīmum fēcit avia mea?  
When her husband was dead, what did my grandmother do first?

**61** Quī sunt pollīnctōrēs?  
Who are the layers-out?

**62** Quid fēcērunt hī postquam cadāver humī dēposuērunt?  
What did they do after they had laid the body on the ground?

**63** Quae cum gererentur quid faciēbat uxor?  
While this was going on, what was the wife doing?

**64** Deinde cum mūnera sua cūrāvissent quid fēcērunt pollīnctōrēs?  
Then, when they had performed their duties, what did the layers-out do?

**65** Quibus factīs quid fēcērunt necessāriī?  
When this had been done, what did the family do?

**66** Cūr trientem ōrī cadāveris imposuērunt?  
Why did they put a coin in the mouth of the body?

**67** Quid postrēmō est factum?  
What was done last of all?

**68** Cūr ita nōminantur vespillōnēs?  
Why are the bearers so named?

**69** Quis pompam ōrdinābat?  
Who put the procession in order?

**70** Cūr aderant praeficae?  
Why were the mourning women there?

**71** Quid faciēbat archimīmus?  
What did the chief mime do?

**72** Ut quid putāret frāterculus effēcit archimīmus?  
What did the chief mime make my little brother think?

**73** Quālis erat rogus exstrūctus?  
What was the pyre that had been built up like?

**74** Cadāvere rogō impositō quid fēcērunt necessāriī?  
When the body had been placed on the pyre, what did the family do?

**75** Et quid fēcit vātēs?  
And what did the priest do?

| word | gloss |
|---|---|
| prōvectae | carry, from proveho |
| ergā | towards, opposite |
| crustula | pastry, cake, from crustulum |
| grāta | acceptable, pleasing, from gratus |
| aviaque | grandmother, from avia |
| exstantēs | stand forth, from exsto |
| rigentēsque | stiff |
| clausīs | cell, from clausum |
| inclāmābat | cry out, call upon, from inclamo |
| Avē | hail, from aveo |
| identidem | repeatedly |
| dēpositum | deposit, trust |
| pollīnctōrēs | undertaker, from pollinctor |
| ūnctōrēs | anointer, from unctor |
| libitīnāriī | undertaker, from libitinarius |
| calidā | hot water |
| unguentīsque | oil, ointment |
| unguunt | anoint, from ungo |
| mortālēs | mortal, transient, from mortalis |
| sacrāvit | consecrate, make sacred, from sacro |
| mīrēminī | be amazed, from miro |
| mūnera | service, from munus |
| cūrāvissent | arrange |
| vestītum | clothe, from vestio |
| versīs | sweep clean, from verro |
| novissimē | last, rear, from novissimus |
| necessāriī | necessary, from necessarius |
| trientī | sold-for-a-third, from trientius |
| portitōrem | ferry man, from portitor |
| cupressī | cypress-tree |
| rāmus | branch, bough |
| foribus | door, gate, from foris |
| vespillōnēs | undertaker who buries paupers, from vespillo |
| vespertīnō | evening, from vespertinus |
| efferunt | boil up or over |
| feretrō | bier, from feretrum |
| efferēbant | savage, cruel |
| accēnsīs | attendant, from accensus |
| facibus | torch, firebrand, from fax |
| pompa | procession |
| dēsīgnātor | arranger |
| līctoribus | lictor, an attendant upon a, from lictor |
| ōrdinābat | order, set in order, from ordino |
| tībīcinēs | piper, flute player, from tibicen |
| incēdēbant | advance, march, from incedo |
| praeficae | praetor, from praefica |
| lāmentīs | wailing, weeping, from lamenta |
| condūctae | hired, from conductus |
| histriōnēs | actor, from histrio |
| scurraeque | fashionable idler, man about town |
| sonō | make a noise |
| archimīmus | chief mimic actress |
| mōs | custom, habit |
| dicta | words, from Dicte |
| imitābātur | imitate, from imito |
| frāterculus | little brother |
| lībertīnī | freedman, from libertinium |
| pilleātī | conscientious, from pilleatus |
| pullātīs | clad in dirty or black, from pullatus |
| būstum | tomb, grave-mound |
| āversīs | back, back, from aversum |
| pyram | funeral pile, pyre, from pyra |
| mactāvērunt | magnify, honor, from macto |
| combūstō | burn, injury from burning, from combustum |
| exstīnctōque | put out, extinguish |
| cinerēs | ashes, from cinis |
| urnae | pot, from urna |
| lūstrālī | relating to purification, from lustralis |
| Īlicet | you may go |
| ēlogium | clause added to will |
| sculptum | carve, engrave, from sculpo |
| exoriente | come out, come forth, from exorior |
| aequiperāre | become, rival, from aequiparo |
| queat | be able, from queo |
| fās | divine |
| endo | in |
| caelestum | heavenly, of heavens |
| trientem | third part, third, from triens |

## Tēstāmentum et līs inde orta (Puer Rōmānus 28)

**76** Tēstāmentō apertō atque recitātō haec invēnimus: hērēdēs īnstituerat prīmōs, Līviam (uxōrem suam) ex parte dīmidiā, Sīlium (avunculum meum et patre nātū māiōrem) ex parte tertiā; secundum, Sextum Cornēlium (patrem meum) ex sextante.  
When the will had been opened and read out we found this: he had made as heirs in the first degree Livia (his wife) for a half share, and Silius (my mother's brother, and older than my father) for a third; in the second degree, Sextus Cornelius (my father) for a sixth.

**77** Haec patris hērēditās fundus erat Sabīnus, quī māximae molestiae nōbīs erat initium.  
This inheritance of my father's was the Sabine farm, which was the beginning of the greatest trouble for us.

**78** Namque in tēstāmentō ‘Sextus Cornēlius’ modo erat scrīptum cōgnōmine omīssō; alter tunc Rōmae erat Sextus Cornēlius, quī simul atque dē tēstāmentō audīvit fundum nostrum, ut hērēs, sibi vindicāvit.  
For in the will only 'Sextus Cornelius' had been written, with the family name left out; and there was at that time another Sextus Cornelius at Rome, who, as soon as he heard about the will, claimed our farm for himself as heir.

**79** Amīcōrum operā pater diū cōnābātur lītem compōnere; tandem autem nōn facere potuit quīn adversārium suum (Libanus erat eī cōgnōmen) in iūs vocāret.  
With his friends' help my father tried for a long time to settle the dispute; but at last he could not help summoning his opponent (Libanus was his family name) to law.

**80** Domum igitur profectus ‘In iūs’ inquit, ‘tē vocō; sequere ad tribūnal’.  
So he went to his house and said, 'I summon you to law; follow me to the court.'

**81** Cum negāret ille, pater ad praetereuntem quemdam versus ‘Licetne antestārī?’ rogāvit; hīc auriculam oppōnit et Libanus in iūs rapitur.  
When the man refused, my father turned to a passer-by and asked, 'May I call you to witness?' The man offers his ear, and Libanus is hauled off to law.

**82** Prīmō tamen simulāvit sē aegrōtāre nē in iūs īret; negāvit dēnique sē posse ambulāre.  
At first, though, he pretended to be ill so as not to go to law; at last he said that he could not walk.

**83** Sed pater plaustrum mīsit quō ad praetōrem veherētur.  
But my father sent a cart in which he might be carried to the praetor.

**84** Sed etiam tunc Libanus domō suā, tūtissimō refugiō, ēgredī recūsābat.  
But even then Libanus refused to come out of his house, his safest refuge.

**85** Itaque pater, quippe quī scīret eum fraudis modo causā latēre, epistulā mīssā, iterum eum in iūs ēvocāvit.  
So my father, knowing that he was staying indoors only for the sake of a trick, sent a letter and summoned him to law again.

**86** Libanus igitur quī timēbat nē pater in bona sua mītterētur, sī diūtius latuisset, domō tandem ēgrēssus est, et pater sine morā eum in iūs rapuit.  
So Libanus, who was afraid that my father would be put in possession of his goods if he stayed hidden any longer, at last came out of his house, and my father hauled him off to law without delay.

**87** Fāstus, ut accidit, diēs erat—diēs fāstī ā ‘fandō’ appellantur, quod hīs diēbus praetōrī licet haec tria verba fārī  
It was, as it happened, a lawful day (lawful days are named from 'speaking', because on these days the praetor may speak these three words

**88** DŌ, DĪCŌ, ADDĪCŌ  
I GRANT, I DECLARE, I AWARD

**89** nam praetor āctiōnem dat, iūs dīcit, bona vel damna alterutrī adversāriōrum addīcit.  
for the praetor grants an action, declares the law, and awards the goods or the damages to one or the other of the opponents.

**90** Hoc et Ovidius Nāso poēta expōnit:—  
Ovid Naso the poet sets this out too:

**91** Ille nefāstus erit, per quem tria verba silentur:  
That day will be unlawful on which the three words are unspoken;

**92** fāstus erit, per quem lēge licēbit agī.  
that will be lawful on which one may go to law.

**93** Pater igitur, cum ad forum perventum est, cōram praetōre lītem quam in reum intendēbat, exposuit, āctiōnemque postulāvit.  
So my father, when they had reached the forum, set out before the praetor the suit he was bringing against the defendant, and asked for an action.

**94** Libanus simul ōrāvit ut advocātus sibi darētur quī causam suam ageret.  
At the same time Libanus begged that an advocate be given him to plead his case.

**95** Āctiōne datā, pater lēgulēium arcessīvit quī fōrmulam scrīberet; timēbat enim nē, sī quid in fōrmulā concipiendā errāvisset, causa caderet; deinde fōrmulam hōc modō rēctē scrīptam Libanō recitāvit; vadēs quoque poposcit quī spondērent eum perendiē adfutūrum, cuī Libanus, nē in vincula iacerētur, vadimōnium dedit.  
When the action had been granted, my father called in a lawyer to draw up the formula; for he was afraid that if he made any mistake in framing the formula he would lose the case; then he read the formula, correctly drawn up in this way, to Libanus; he also demanded sureties who would guarantee that he would be there on the day after next, and Libanus, so as not to be thrown into prison, gave bail.

**96** Quibus factīs domum est discessum.  
When this had been done everyone went home.

**97** Apud nōs tōtus diēs summō cum silentiō agēbātur; īmmō vērō pater ita animī commōtus est ut nīl cēnae edere posset.  
At our house the whole day was spent in the deepest silence; indeed my father was so upset that he could eat nothing at dinner.

**98** Omnēs igitur rem compōnere cōnābāmur; pater prōmīsit fore ut reum iūdiciō absolveret sī modo fundum sibi reddidisset.  
So we all tried to settle the matter; my father promised that he would release the defendant from the trial if only he would give him back the farm.

**99** Sed nūllō modō efficere potuimus ut hoc faceret.  
But we could in no way bring it about that he should do this.

**100** Diē cōnstitūtō pater sē ad tribūnal praetōris māne contulit; nōndum aderat Libanus; paululum vidēbātur vadimōnium dēsertūrus esse; tandem autem vēnit obiitque vadimōnium.  
On the appointed day my father took himself to the praetor's court in the morning; Libanus was not yet there; for a little while it seemed that he would forfeit his bail; but at last he came and kept his bail.

**101** Ingrēssus forum, ‘Ubi tū es’ inquit, ‘quī mē vadātus es?  
Entering the forum he said, 'Where are you, you who put me under bail?

**102** Ecce mē tibi sistō, tū contrā et tē mihi siste.’  
See, I present myself to you; do you in turn present yourself to me.'

**103** ‘Adsum’ respondit pater; deinde ille ‘Quid ais?’ rogāvit, cuī pater ‘Āiō fundum, quem possidēs, meum esse; inde ego tē ex iūre manum cōnsertum vocō’; et Libanus respondit ‘Unde tū mē ex iūre manum cōnsertum vocāstī, inde ibi ego tē revocō’.  
'I am here,' answered my father; then the other asked, 'What do you say?' and my father said to him, 'I say that the farm you hold is mine; and on that ground I call you to lay hand on it before the law'; and Libanus answered, 'Where you have called me to lay hand on it before the law, there I call you back.'

**104** Quibus dictīs praetor ‘Utrīsque’ inquit, ‘superstitibus praesentibus, istam viam dīcō.’  
When this had been said, the praetor declared, 'Both parties being present as witnesses, I name you that path.'

**105** Statim ambo proficīscēbantur tamquam glaebam allātūrī; ubi autem praetor sine morā ‘Redīte viam’ inquit, ambo rediērunt, et praetor ‘Utī nunc possidētis, ita possideātis; vīm fierī vetō’, dīxit.  
At once the two of them set off as if they were going to bring back a clod of earth; but when the praetor said without delay, 'Come back by the path,' they both came back, and the praetor said, 'As you now hold, so may you hold; I forbid the use of force.'

**106** Deinde hunc in modum agēbātur āctiō.  
Then the action was conducted in this way.

**107** Pater meus, quippe quī possessiōne dēiectus esset, ad Libanum versus ‘Quando’ inquit ‘ego tē in iūre cōnspiciō, postulō an siēs auctor (id est possessor) unde iūs meum repetere possim’; deinde postulāvit ut satisdaret sē nihil dēterius in possessiōne factūrum vel abscīdendō arborēs vel aedificia dēlendō.  
My father, as the man who had been turned out of possession, turned to Libanus and said, 'Since I see you before the law, I ask whether you are the warrantor (that is, the holder) from whom I may claim back my right'; then he demanded that he give security that he would do nothing to make the property worse, either by cutting down trees or by pulling down buildings.

**108** Tunc praetor utrīque imperāvit ut sacrāmentum solveret.  
Then the praetor ordered each of them to pay the deposit.

**109** Quā pecūniā solūtā, pater rūrsus ‘Quando negās’ inquit, ‘hunc fundum esse meum, sacrāmentō tē quīngēnāriō prōvocō; spondēsne quīngentōs, sī meus est?’  
When this money had been paid, my father said again, 'Since you deny that this farm is mine, I challenge you to a deposit of five hundred; do you promise five hundred, if it is mine?'

**110** ‘Quīngentōs’ respondit Libanus, ‘spondeō, sī tuus sit.  
'Five hundred,' answered Libanus, 'I promise, if it be yours.

**111** Et tū spondēsne quīngentōs, nī tuus sit?’  
And do you promise five hundred, if it be not yours?'

**112** Et ‘Spondeō’ respondit pater, ‘nī meus sit’; deinde ad praetōrem versus hōc modō pergit ‘Praetor, recuperātōrēs postulō ut dēs in diem perendinum’, et praetor recuperātōrēs sīc dedit: ‘C. Aquillī, iūdex estō.  
And my father answered, 'I promise, if it be not mine'; then he turned to the praetor and went on in this way, 'Praetor, I ask you to give us assessors for the day after next,' and the praetor gave the assessors thus: 'Gaius Aquillius, be the judge.

**113** Sī pāret fundum Sabīnum, dē quō Cornēlius Polliō cum Libanō agit, Cornēlī esse ex iūre Quirītium, neque is Cornēliō ā Libanō restituātur, tum Libanum condemnā.’  
If it be proved that the Sabine farm, about which Cornelius Pollio is at law with Libanus, is Cornelius's by the law of the Romans, and it is not restored to Cornelius by Libanus, then condemn Libanus.'

**114** Omnibus recuperātōribus hunc in modum addictīs, pater et Libanus inter sē in perendinum diem, ut ad iūdicium venīrent, dēnūntiāvērunt.  
When all the assessors had been appointed in this way, my father and Libanus gave each other notice to come to the trial on the day after next.

**115** Quibus factīs iterum domum est discessum.  
When this had been done everyone went home again.

**116** Domī inter cēnandum māter cum animadverteret patrem tantā taciturnitāte oppressum ‘Utinam’ inquit, ‘pater tuus numquam esset mortuus, neque fundum istum tibi relīquisset; nam nīl nisi molestiam cūramque nōbīs praebet.  
At home during dinner, when my mother noticed that my father was weighed down by such silence, she said, 'I wish your father had never died and had never left you that farm; for it gives us nothing but trouble and worry.

**117** Horātius scīlicet scrīpsit  
Horace of course wrote

**118** Cūr valle permūtem Sabīnā  
Why should I change my Sabine valley

**119** dīvitiās operōsiōrēs?  
for riches that bring more toil?

**120** Sed nesciō quid nōbīs saltem molestius fierī possit quam fundus ille Sabīnus’.  
But I do not know what could be more of a trouble to us at least than that Sabine farm.'

**121** At pater ‘Nīl muliere loquācius est’ respondit, et omnēs cubitum abiimus.  
But my father answered, 'Nothing is more talkative than a woman,' and we all went off to bed.

**122** Tertiō diē iterum ad tribūnal rediimus.  
On the third day we went back again to the court.

**123** Quisque iūdex sē ex animī sententiā iūdicātūrum esse hōc modō iūrāvit: lapidem dextrā tenēns ‘Sī sciēns fallō’ dīxit, ‘tum mē Diēspiter, urbe salvā et arce, ē bonīs ēiciat, ut ego hunc lapidem’.  
Each judge swore in this way that he would give judgement according to his conscience: holding a stone in his right hand he said, 'If I knowingly deceive, then may Jupiter cast me out from my goods, while the city and the citadel stand safe, as I cast out this stone.'

**124** Quibus dictīs in subselliīs sedēbat, quasi ad pedēs praetōris.  
When this had been said he sat on the benches, as it were at the praetor's feet.

**125** Ipse praetor, togā praetextā amictus, in sellā curūlī sedēbat.  
The praetor himself, wrapped in a bordered toga, sat on the curule chair.

**126** Ut sūdābat!  
How he sweated!

**127** Ō miserum hominem aestīvō tempore tot vestibus vestītum!  
Poor man, dressed in so many clothes in summertime!

**128** Equidem vērō mihi grātulābar quod nōn eram praetor nec togā praetextā, sed tunicā modo, amictus.  
For my part I congratulated myself that I was not a praetor and was dressed in a tunic only, not in a bordered toga.

**129** Advocātī utriusque partis causās agunt, sed ōrātiōnēs omīttam, nē taedium vōbīs moveam.  
The advocates of both sides plead their cases, but I shall leave out the speeches, so as not to bore you.

**130** Causā utriusque perōrātā, iūdicēs paulisper dēlīberant, deinde sententiīs lātīs, praetor assurrēxit et clāmāvit ‘Secundum Sextum Cornēlium Polliōnem lītem dō’.  
When the case of each side had been argued to the end, the judges deliberate for a little while, then, when the votes had been cast, the praetor rose and cried, 'I give judgement for Sextus Cornelius Pollio.'

**131** Quibus audītīs nōs omnēs summō gaudiō affectī sumus et, līte tam bene iūdicātā, domum redīvimus.  
When we heard this we were all filled with the greatest joy, and, the suit having been so well judged, we went home.

**132** Tēstāmentō apertō quid invēnimus?  
When the will had been opened, what did we find?

**133** Quid erat patris hērēditās?  
What was my father's inheritance?

**134** Cūr molestiae initium nōbīs erat?  
Why was it the beginning of trouble for us?

**135** Quid prīmum cōnātus est pater facere?  
What did my father first try to do?

**136** Quid fēcit pater cum Libanus in iūs īre recūsāvisset?  
What did my father do when Libanus had refused to go to law?

**137** Quid deinde fēcit Libanus nē in iūs īret?  
What did Libanus then do so as not to go to law?

**138** Quid igitur fēcit pater?  
What then did my father do?

**139** Cūr dēnique Libanus domō est ēgrēssus?  
Why did Libanus at last come out of his house?

**140** Cum ad forum perventum est quid accidit?  
When they had reached the forum, what happened?

**141** Quid ōrāvit Libanus?  
What did Libanus beg?

**142** Cūr lēgulēium arcessīvit pater?  
Why did my father call in a lawyer?

**143** Cūr vadēs poposcit?  
Why did he demand sureties?

**144** Quid prōmīsit pater sē factūrum esse sī fundus sibi redditus esset?  
What did my father promise to do if the farm were given back to him?

**145** Posterō diē quid putāvit cum nōndum adesset Libanus?  
The next day, what did he think when Libanus was not yet there?

**146** Cūr postulāvit ut Libanus satisdaret?  
Why did he demand that Libanus give security?

**147** Quid spopondit uterque?  
What did each of them promise?

**148** Quid dīxit māter inter cēnam?  
What did my mother say during dinner?

**149** Quōmodo iūrāvērunt iūdicēs?  
How did the judges swear?

**150** Quālī habitū amictus est praetor?  
In what dress was the praetor clothed?

**151** Quibus verbīs fundum patrī addīxit?  
With what words did he award the farm to my father?

| word | gloss |
|---|---|
| īnstituerat | set up, establish, from instituo |
| dīmidiā | half |
| sextante | one-sixth of any unit, from sextans |
| hērēditās | inheritance, possession |
| Sabīnus | Sabine, of the Sabines |
| molestiae | trouble, annoyance, from molestia |
| adversārium | female enemy, adversary, from adversaria |
| Libanus | cake |
| tribūnal | raised platform |
| antestārī | surpass, excel, from antesto |
| auriculam | ear, from auricula |
| oppōnit | oppose, from oppono |
| refugiō | flee back |
| ēvocāvit | call forth, from evoco |
| Fāstus | not forbidden |
| fāstī | calendar, almanac |
| fandō | that may be spoken |
| fārī | speak, from for |
| ADDĪCŌ | be propitious |
| damna | financial, from damnum |
| alterutrī | one, one or the other, from alteruter |
| nefāstus | contrary to divine law |
| cōram | in the presence of |
| reum | party in law suit, from reus |
| advocātus | helper, supporter |
| lēgulēium | pettifogging lawyer |
| arcessīvit | send for, summon, from arcesso |
| fōrmulam | shape, from formula |
| concipiendā | take in, receive, from concipio |
| vadēs | one who guarantees court appearance, from vas |
| spondērent | promise, give pledge, from spondeo |
| perendiē | day after tomorrow |
| vadimōnium | bail, security |
| absolveret | free, release, from absolvo |
| paululum | little bit, trifle |
| dēsertūrus | abandoned |
| vadātus | go, advance, from vador |
| sistō | stop, check |
| possidēs | seize, hold, from possideo |
| cōnsertum | connect, fasten, from consero |
| superstitibus | gods on high, celestial deities, from superstes |
| praesentibus | present time, from praesentia |
| glaebam | clod, from glaeba |
| Utī | in order that |
| possessiōne | possession, property, from possessio |
| possessor | owner, occupier |
| repetere | return to, from repeto |
| satisdaret | enough, adequate |
| dēterius | low, from deterior |
| abscīdendō | hew, from abscido |
| dēlendō | erase, wipe, from deleo |
| sacrāmentum | sum deposited in a civil |
| quīngēnāriō | five hundred |
| prōvocō | call forth |
| spondēsne | spondee |
| quīngentōs | five hundred |
| nī | if ... not |
| recuperātōrēs | assessor dealing w, from reciperator |
| perendinum | after tomorrow, from perendinus |
| Aquillī | silver eagle on pole, standard |
| Sabīnum | Sabines, people living NE of |
| Quirītium | citizens of Rome collectively in, from Quiris |
| condemnā | condemn, doom, from condemno |
| addictīs | person enslaved for debt or, from addictus |
| dēnūntiāvērunt | give notice, warn, from denuntio |
| taciturnitāte | maintaining silence, from taciturnitas |
| valle | valley, from valles |
| permūtem | exchange, from permuto |
| Sabīnā | Sabines, people living NE of |
| operōsiōrēs | painstaking, from operosus |
| loquācius | talkative, loquacious, from loquax |
| iūdicātūrum | judge, give judgment, from judico |
| iūrāvit | swear, take an oath, from juro |
| fallō | deceive |
| Diēspiter | quarter tone |
| salvā | well, unharmed, from salvus |
| subselliīs | bench, from subsellium |
| curūlī | curule magistrate, from curulis |
| sūdābat | sweat, perspire, from sudo |
| aestīvō | spend |
| taedium | weariness |
| perōrātā | deliver the final part of, from peroro |
| paulisper | for a little while |
| assurrēxit | rise, rise to one's feet, from assurgo |
| iūdicātā | judge, from judicatum |
| redīvimus | hangnail |

## Rūs ītur (Puer Rōmānus 29)

**152** Posterō diē pater sē ad hunc Sabīnum fundum abitūrum esse dīxit; et mē sēcum dūxit.  
The next day my father said that he would go off to this Sabine farm; and he took me with him.

**153** Ō quam grātum mihi erat rūs post tot urbis strepitūs forīque negōtia!  
How welcome the country was to me after so much din of the city and business of the forum!

**154** Mihi quidem rūs semper vidētur urbe multō melius esse.  
To me at least the country always seems much better than the city.

**155** Ut dīcit Iuvenālis—  
As Juvenal says:

**156** nam quid tam miserum, tam sōlum vīdimus ut nōn  
For what place have we seen so wretched, so lonely, that you would not

**157** dēterius crēdās horrēre incendia, lāpsūs  
think it worse to dread fires, the unceasing fall

**158** tēctōrum assiduōs āc mīlle perīcula saevae  
of houses and the thousand dangers of the cruel

**159** urbis, et Augustō recitantēs mēnse poētās?  
city, and poets reciting in the month of August?

**160** Diū per vīcōs artissimōs, raedīs, armentīs cōnfertōs, vehimur et  
For a long time we ride through the narrowest streets, crammed with carriages and cattle, and

**161** ‘nōbīs properantibus ōpstat  
'as we hurry the crowd ahead is in our way,

**162** turba prior, māgnō populus premit āgmine lumbōs  
and the people who follow press our loins in a great

**163** quī sequitur; ferit hic cubitō, ferit assere dūrō  
column; one man strikes with his elbow, another with a hard

**164** alter, at hic tīgnum capitī incutit, ille metrētam.  
pole, another knocks a beam against my head, another a wine jar.

**165** Pinguia crūra lutō, plantā mox undique māgnā  
My legs are thick with mud, and soon on every side I am trodden

**166** calcor et in digitō clāvus mihi mīlitis haeret;  
by a great foot, and a soldier's nail sticks in my toe;

**167** scinduntur tunicae sartae modo, longa coruscat  
my tunic, just mended, is torn, a long fir tree sways

**168** serrācō veniente abiēs, atque altera pīnum  
as the waggon comes on, and other carts carry a pine,

**169** plaustra vehunt, nūtant altē populōque minantur;  
they nod on high and threaten the people;

**170** nam sī prōcubuit quī saxa Ligustica portat  
for if the axle that carries Ligurian stone has gone down

**171** axis et ēversum fūdit super āgmina montem,  
and spilt its overturned mountain on the crowds,

**172** quid superest ē corporibus? quis membra, quis ossa  
what is left of the bodies? who finds the limbs, who

**173** invenit? obtrītum volgī perit omne cadāver  
finds the bones? the whole crushed corpse of the common man perishes

**174** mōre animae. Domus intereā sēcūra patellās  
like his breath. Meanwhile the household, knowing nothing, is already

**175** iam lavat et buccā foculum excitat et sonat ūnctis  
washing the dishes, blowing up the brazier with puffed cheeks, rattling

**176** strīglibus et plēnō compōnit lintea gūtō.  
the oiled scrapers and setting out the towels with a full flask.

**177** Haec inter puerōs variē properantur, at ille  
These things the slave boys hurry over in their various ways, while he

**178** iam sedet in rīpā taetrumque novīcius horret  
now sits on the bank, a newcomer shuddering at the grim

**179** porthmea nec spērat caenōsī gurgitis alnum,  
ferryman, and has no hope of the boat on the muddy flood,

**180** īnfēlix nec habet quem porrigat ōre trientem’.  
unlucky man, for he has no coin to hold out in his mouth.'

**181** Tandem ad pōmērium tūtī pervenīmus, et, urbe relictā, agrōs apertōs vidēmus.  
At last we come safely to the city boundary, and, leaving the city behind, we see the open fields.

**182** Quam fēlīcēs omnēs videntur esse rūsticī!  
How happy all the country people seem to be!

**183** Ego vērō nōn facere poteram quīn Horātī versūs in memoriam revocārem  
For my part I could not help calling to mind the lines of Horace

**184** Beātus ille, quī procul negōtiīs,  
Happy the man who, far from business,

**185** ut prīsca gēns mortālium,  
like the early race of mortals,

**186** paterna rūra bōbus exercet suīs,  
works his father's fields with his own oxen,

**187** solūtus omnī faenore,  
free from all money-lending,

**188** neque excitātur classicō mīles trucī,  
and is not roused as a soldier by the harsh trumpet,

**189** neque horret īrātum mare,  
and does not dread the angry sea,

**190** forumque vītat et superba cīvium  
and keeps away from the forum and the proud

**191** potentiōrum līmina.  
doorways of the more powerful citizens.

**192** Circā merīdiem, itinere perfectō, ad fundum nostrum pervēnimus.  
About midday, the journey being over, we reached our farm.

**193** Longē ab aliīs remōtus sōlus in valle reconditā iacēbat; vīlicus nōs excēpit et ubi vīllam intrāvimus prandium parātum nōbīs apposuit.  
Far removed from the others it lay alone in a hidden valley; the bailiff received us, and when we had gone into the farmhouse he set a lunch before us that had been got ready.

**194** Prānsus per tōtum fundum vagābar, summā admīrātiōne affectus.  
After lunch I wandered over the whole farm, filled with the greatest wonder.

**195** Vīlicus mihi omnia dē variīs aedificiīs, dē animālibus expōnēbat.  
The bailiff explained everything to me about the various buildings and the animals.

**196** Tōta locī amoenitās māximē mihi cordī erat; quam bene nōs monet Iuvenālis:—  
The whole pleasantness of the place was very much to my liking; how well Juvenal advises us:

**197** Hortulus hīc puteusque brevis nec reste movendus  
Here a little garden and a shallow well, needing no rope to draw from,

**198** in tenuēs plantās facilī diffunditur haustū.  
is poured out with an easy draught over the tender plants.

**199** vīve bidentis amāns et cultī vīlicus hortī;  
Live loving your hoe, the bailiff of your well-kept garden;

**200** unde epulum possīs centum dare Pȳthagorēīs.  
from which you could give a feast to a hundred Pythagoreans.

**201** est aliquid, quōcumque locō, quōcumque recessū  
It is something, in whatever place, in whatever corner,

**202** ūnīus sēsē dominum fēcisse lacertae.  
to have made yourself the master of a single lizard.

**203** Equidem certē nīl magis cupiēbam quam tōtam nostrō in fundō vītam dēgere.  
For my part I certainly wanted nothing more than to spend my whole life on our farm.

**204** Quam beātus mihi vidēbātur noster ‘cultī vīlicus hortī’ quī numquam ā fundō, nisi ad mortem, discessūrus esset.  
How happy our 'bailiff of the well-kept garden' seemed to me, who would never leave the farm except for death.

**205** Sed in vītā perāctā multum errāverat, multāsque vīserat cīvitātēs.  
But in his past life he had travelled much and had seen many states.

**206** Multa enim mihi dē aliīs terrīs nārrāvit, id tamen quod praecipuē mihi placuit erat fābula dē gruibus quam hunc in modum mihi exposuit.  
For he told me many things about other lands, but what pleased me most was the story about the cranes, which he set out to me in this way.

**207** Posterō diē quid dīxit pater?  
The next day, what did my father say?

**208** Cūr grātum mihi vidēbātur esse rūs?  
Why did the country seem welcome to me?

**209** Quālia incommoda Iuvenālis dīcit urbī inesse?  
What sort of drawbacks does Juvenal say the city has?

**210** Quid nōbīs accidit dum per vīcōs vehimur?  
What happened to us while we ride through the streets?

**211** Cūr dīcit Horātius rūsticōs esse beātōs?  
Why does Horace say that country people are happy?

**212** Quando ad fundum nostrum pervēnimus?  
When did we reach our farm?

**213** Quis nōs excēpit?  
Who received us?

**214** Prānsus quid fēcī?  
After lunch, what did I do?

**215** Cūr beātus mihi vidēbātur esse vīlicus?  
Why did the bailiff seem happy to me?

**216** Quōmodo intellēxī eum multum errāvisse?  
How did I understand that he had travelled much?

**217** Cūr ita nōminātur diēs fāstus?  
Why is a lawful day so named?

**218** Quī erant recuperātōrēs?  
Who were the assessors?

**219** Quid est sella curūlis?  
What is the curule chair?

**220** Quid est metrēta?  
What is a wine jar?

**221** Quid gūtō inest?  
What is in a flask?

**222** Quid faciēbant Rōmānī strigilibus?  
What did the Romans do with scrapers?

**223** Quid est pōmērium?  
What is the city boundary?

**224** Quid est faenus?  
What is money-lending?

**225** Quid edēbant Pȳthagorēī?  
What did the Pythagoreans eat?

**226** Quid propriē sīgnificat lacerta?  
What does lacerta properly mean?

| word | gloss |
|---|---|
| forīque | gangway, row of benches, from forus |
| Iuvenālis | youth, young man, from Juvenalis |
| incendia | fire, conflagration, from incendium |
| lāpsūs | gliding, sliding |
| tēctōrum | plasterer, from tector |
| assiduōs | constant, regular, from assiduus |
| artissimōs | close, firm, from artus |
| armentīs | herd, from armenta |
| cōnfertōs | crowded, from confertus |
| cubitō | recline, lie down |
| assere | pole, post, from asser |
| dūrō | hard, rough, from durus |
| tīgnum | tree trunk, log |
| incutit | strike on or against, from incutio |
| metrētam | Greek liquid measure, from metreta |
| calcor | put shoes on, furnish with, from calceo |
| clāvus | club, cudgel |
| scinduntur | tear, rend, from scindo |
| sartae | make good, from sarcio |
| coruscat | brandish, from corusco |
| serrācō | kind of wagon |
| abiēs | fir tree |
| pīnum | pine, from pinus |
| nūtant | waver, give way, from nuto |
| altē | nourish, bring up, from alo |
| minantur | reduce, make less, from minor |
| prōcubuit | sink down, lie down, from procumbo |
| axis | axle, axis |
| superest | be over, survive, from supersum |
| obtrītum | crush, from obtero |
| volgī | common people, from vulgus |
| patellās | small dish or plate, from patella |
| buccā | jaw, mouth |
| foculum | brazier, from foculus |
| ūnctis | oily, greasy, from unctus |
| strīglibus | evil spirit |
| lintea | linen cloth, from linteum |
| gūtō | flask, from guttus |
| variē | different |
| taetrumque | foul, offensive |
| novīcius | new, fresh |
| porthmea | ferryman |
| caenōsī | muddy, from caenosus |
| gurgitis | whirlpool, from gurges |
| alnum | alder, from alnus |
| īnfēlix | unfortunate, unhappy |
| pōmērium | boundary of town |
| prīsca | ancient, early, from priscus |
| faenore | interest, usury, from faenus |
| trucī | tribune, from trux |
| reconditā | hide, conceal, from recondo |
| vagābar | wander, from vagor |
| amoenitās | pleasantness, attractiveness |
| Hortulus | small |
| puteusque | well |
| reste | rope, cord, from restis |
| diffunditur | diffuse, from diffundo |
| haustū | drink, from haustus |
| vīve | alive, fresh, from vivus |
| bidentis | two-pronged, from bidens |
| epulum | courses, food |
| centum | one hundred |
| quōcumque | wherever, to |
| recessū | retreat, from recessus |
| lacertae | lizard, from lacerta |
| gruibus | crane, from grus |
| incommoda | disadvantage, inconvenience, from incommodum |
| inesse | spend, expend, from insum |
| strigilibus | strigil, an instrument used to, from strigilis |

## Dē gruibus (Puer Rōmānus 30)

**227** ‘Gruēs aestīvō tempore cum calōrem Aegyptī nōn amplius ferre possint abeunt; passīsque vēlōrum in modum ālīs, rēctā viā Scythiam versus per āëra feruntur.  
'Cranes in the summertime, when they can no longer bear the heat of Egypt, go away; and with their wings spread like sails they are carried through the air by a straight road towards Scythia.

**228** Cum vērō parum concinna corpora vix possint lībrāre (in mediō enim graviōra, suprā sunt nimis porrēcta, et quae caudam pars tangit, levior est) necesse est (nōn secus quam nāvis quae ventīs iactātur) in āëre flūctuent.  
But since their ill-balanced bodies can hardly hold themselves level (for they are heavier in the middle, too far stretched out in front, and the part that touches the tail is lighter), they must (just like a ship tossed by the winds) float unsteadily in the air.

**229** Quod cum vel sēnsū vel ipsā compertum habeat experientiā, nōn prius in altum sē tollit grūs, quam lapidem ōre sūmat, quī illī et saburrae īnstar est, commodē ut volet, et salūtī nē pereat.’  
And since the crane has found this out either by instinct or by experience itself, it does not raise itself on high before it takes a stone in its beak, which serves it both for ballast, so that it may fly steadily, and for safety, so that it may not die.'

**230** Cūr abeunt gruēs ex Aegyptō?  
Why do the cranes go away from Egypt?

**231** Quōmodo per āëra vehuntur?  
How are they carried through the air?

**232** Cūr flūctuant in āëre?  
Why do they float unsteadily in the air?

**233** Cūr in ōre tenent lapidem?  
Why do they hold a stone in their beak?

| word | gloss |
|---|---|
| calōrem | heat, from calor |
| Aegyptī | Egyptian, from Aegyptius |
| amplius | great, large, from amplus |
| passīsque | raisin-wine |
| ālīs | wing, from ala |
| āëra | the air, from āēr |
| concinna | ready for use, trimmed, from concinnus |
| lībrāre | balance, swing, from libro |
| porrēcta | leek, from porrectum |
| caudam | tail, from cauda |
| flūctuent | rise in waves, surge |
| compertum | learn, from comperio |
| experientiā | trial, experiment |
| saburrae | gravel, from saburra |
| commodē | conveniently, fitly |
| Aegyptō | Egypt, from Aegyptus |
| flūctuant | rise in waves, surge, from fluctuo |