Chapter 20
[Linenotes: 1. +c.u.m summa caritate+ = _involving_ (+c.u.m+) _a very high price_.
2. +sedendo+ = _by sitting down before_, of a besieging army.
3. +Mucius.+ From this incident surnamed Scaevola = _the left-handed_. After his time, a frequent surname in the Gens Mucia.
7-8. +fortuna... affirmante+ = (_a charge which_) _the present condition of the city would confirm_ (_substantiate_).
10-11. +non praedo... ultor+ = _not to plunder nor to retaliate on_ (lit. 'an avenger in turn on') _our plunderers_.]
B.
c.u.m peteret regem decepta satellite dextra Ingessit sacris se peritura focis.
Sed tam saeva pius miracula non tulit hostis Et raptum flammis iussit abire virum.
Urere quam potuit contempto Mucius igne, 5 Hanc spectare manum Porsena non potuit.
Maior deceptae fama est et gloria dextrae: Si non erra.s.set, fecerat illa minus.
MARTIAL, _Ep._ I. xxi.
[Linenotes: 1. +satellite+ = _the attendant_, i.e. the scribe or secretary of Porsena.
2. +ingessit+ = _thrust into_ (_in_ + _gero_).
3. +tam saeva miracula+ = _such a miracle of stern fort.i.tude_. --S.
+pius+ = _feeling_, as opposed to _unnatural_.
7-8. i.e. to have killed Porsena would have been less glorious than to display such heroism. --Stephenson.]
+Porsena.+ Livy tells us that Mucius, in grat.i.tude for the magnanimity of Porsena, revealed to him that 300 Roman youths had sworn to attempt the same deed that he had undertaken. Whereupon Porsena feared to distress the Romans any longer, and made peace with them.
D11
LATIN WAR. BATTLE OF LAKE REGILLUS, 498 B.C.
_The Dictator and his Master of the Horse._
Ibi alia inter proceres coorta pugna. Imperator Latinus, ubi cohortem exulum a dictatore Romano prope circ.u.mventam vidit, ex subsidiariis manipulos aliquot in primam aciem sec.u.m rapit. Hos agmine venientes T.
Herminius legatus conspicatus, interque {5} eos insignem veste armisque Mamilium noscitans, tanto vi maiore, quam paulo ante magister equitum, c.u.m hostium duce proelium iniit, ut et uno ictu transfixum per latus occiderit Mamilium, et ipse inter spoliandum corpus hostis veruto percussus, {10} c.u.m victor in castra esset relatus, inter primam curationem exspiraverit. Tum ad equites dictator advolat obtestans, ut fesso iam pedite descendant ex equis et pugnam capessant. Dicto paruere; desiliunt ex equis, provolant in primum, et pro antesignanis {15} parmas obiciunt. Recipit extemplo animum pedestris acies, postquam iuventutis proceres aequato genere pugnae sec.u.m partem periculi sustinentes vidit.
Tum demum impulsi Latini, perculsaque inclinavit acies. {20}
LIVY, ii. 20.
[Linenotes: 1. +inter proceres.+ The Battle of Lake Regillus was, in the main, a Homeric battle of single combats between the opposing chiefs.
1-2. +Imperator Latinus+, i.e. Mamilius of Tusculum, son-in-law of Tarquin.
5. +T. Herminius+, one of 'the dauntless Three,' who kept the bridge.
7. +magister equitum+, i.e. T. Aebutius. The Master of the Horse, the second in command, was nominated by the Dictator.
10. +veruto+ = _with a javelin_, cf. _veru_ = _a spit_.
11-12. +inter primam curationem+ = _at the first attempt to dress his wound_. --Rawlins.
13. +dictator+, i.e. Aulus Postumius. The Dictator (_magister populi_ = _master of the army_) was appointed by
15. +in primum = in primam aciem.+ +antesignanis+, i.e. the first line fighting _in front of the standards_.
17. +iuventutis proceres+ = _the young n.o.blemen_, i.e. the cavalry are not only the younger men (in Livy often = +iuvenes+) but also patricians.]
+Reference.+ Macaulay, _The Battle of Lake Regillus_.
D12
FIRST SECESSION OF THE PLEBS, 494 B.C.
_The Fable of the Belly and the Members. Tribunes of the People._
Pavor ingens in urbe, metuque mutuo suspensa erant omnia.... Placuit igitur oratorem ad plebem mitti Menenium Agrippam, facundum virum et, quod inde oriundus erat, plebi carum. Is intromissus in castra prisco illo dicendi et horrido modo nihil {5} aliud quam hoc narra.s.se fertur: Tempore, quo in homine non, ut nunc, omnia in unum consentientia, sed singulis membris suum cuique consilium, suus sermo fuerit, indignatas reliquas partes sua cura, suo labore ac ministerio ventri omnia quaeri, ventrem in {10} medio quietum nihil aliud quam datis voluptatibus frui; conspira.s.se inde, ne ma.n.u.s ad os cib.u.m ferrent, nec os acciperet datum, nec dentes conficerent. Hac ira dum ventrem fame domare vellent, ipsa una membra totumque corpus ad extremam tabem {15} venisse. Inde apparuisse ventris quoque haud segne ministerium esse, nec magis ali quam alere eum, reddentem in omnes corporis partes hunc, quo vivimus vigemusque, divisum pariter in venas, maturum confecto cibo sanguinem.
Comparando hinc, quam {20} intestina corporis seditio similis esset irae plebis in patres, flexisse mentes hominum. Agi deinde de concordia coeptum concessumque in condiciones, ut plebi sui magistratus essent sacrosancti, quibus auxili latio adversus consules esset, neve cui patrum capere {25} eum magistratum liceret. Ita tribuni plebei creati duo, C. Licinius et L. Albinus.
LIVY, ii. 32, 33.
[Linenotes: 1-2. +Pavor ingens... omnia.+ One of the Roman armies (mainly recruited from Plebeians) refused to obey orders, entrenched itself on Mons Sacer, and threatened to secede from Rome altogether.
2. +oratorem+ (i.e. _legatum_) = _spokesman_, charged with a _verbal_ message.
4. +inde+, i.e. from the Plebs.
10-11. +ventrem... quietum+ = _whereas the belly resting calmly in their midst_. --Rawlins.
13. +conficerent+ = _grind_, and so aid digestion. Cf. +confecto+ l. 20.
19-20. +maturum confecto cibo+ = _brought to perfection only when the food is digested_. --R.
24. +sacrosancti+ = _consecrated and inviolable_.
24-25. +quibus... esset+, i.e. as official protectors of the Plebs, by their right of veto on the official actions of all other magistrates.]
+For the Fable+, cf. Seneca _de Ira_ ii. 31, and 1 Corinthians, xii.
12-27.
D13
WAR WITH THE VOLSCIANS, 493 B.C.
_Veturia and her son Coriola.n.u.s._
Coriola.n.u.s prope ut amens consternatus ab sede sua c.u.m ferret matri obviae complexum, mulier in iram ex precibus versa 'Sine, priusquam complexum accipio, sciam' inquit, 'ad hostem an ad filium venerim, captiva mater-ne in castris tuis sim. In {5} hoc me longa vita et infelix senecta traxit, ut exulem te, deinde hostem viderem? Potuisti populari hanc terram, quae te genuit atque aluit? Non tibi, quamvis infesto animo et minaci perveneras, ingredienti fines ira cecidit? Non, c.u.m in conspectu {10} Roma fuit, succurrit: Intra illa moenia domus ac penates mei sunt, mater, coniunx liberique? Ergo ego nisi peperissem, Roma non oppugnaretur; nisi filium haberem, libera in libera patria mortua essem.'... Uxor deinde ac liberi amplexi, fletusque ab {15} omni turba mulierum ortus et conploratio sui patriaeque fregere tandem virum.
Complexus inde suos dimitt.i.t; ipse retro ab urbe castra movit. Abductis deinde legionibus ex agro Romano invidia rei oppressum perisse tradunt alii alio leto. {20}
LIVY, ii. 40.
[Linenotes: 1. +Coriola.n.u.s.+ Gaius Marcius received the cognomen of Coriola.n.u.s for his bravery at the capture of the Volscian town of Corioli (S.E.
of Rome). After this, in a time of famine at Rome, C. advised that the corn obtained elsewhere should not be distributed, unless the Plebeians would give up their Tribunes. For this he was impeached and went into voluntary exile among the Volsci.
+consternatus+ = _in strong emotion_--lit. 'stretched on the ground.'
7. +potuisti+ = _had you the heart to_--question indicated by _tone_ of the voice.
10-11. +non... succurrit+ = _did it not occur to you_?
19-20. +invidia rei oppressum+ = _overwhelmed by the unpopularity of his action_.
20. +alii alio leto+, e.g. i. by a voluntary death; ii. put to death by the Volscians; iii. lived to old age in exile.]
+References.+ Cic. _Brutus_ x. (compared to Themistocles). Plutarch, _Coriola.n.u.s_.
'The germ from which the whole legend sprang is the story of the filial love of Coriola.n.u.s, and of the great authority exercised in olden times by Roman matrons over their sons and husbands.' Ihne.
Shakespeare, _Coriola.n.u.s_, V. iii.