![]() |
43. The Surrender of Cornwallis ![]() |
Quibus rēbus admoneor ut pauca[1] dīcam dē Coriolānō, clārō duce Rōmānō; quī[2] imperātor fortissimus, ā cīvibus iniūriā[3] damnātus, ab urbe[4] discessit sēque coniūnxit cum hostibus, quī anteā bellum Rōmānīs[5] saepe intulerant.
Dēnuō[6] mox bellō indictō, hostibus prīmō rēs undique fēlīciter ēvēnērunt, Rōmānīque lēgātōs pācis petendae causā[7] ad Coriolānum mittere coāctī sunt. Quī autem, propter iniūriam ā cīvibus inlātam adhūc irātus, asperius[8] respondit lēgātōsque[9] maestissimōs[10] domum dīmīsit; quīn etiam īdem[11] nūntiī ā senātū iterum missī nē in castra receptī quidem sunt.
Quibus rēbus cōgnitīs, Rōmānī graviter permōtī etiam sacerdōtēs mittere cōnstituērunt, sī ab eīs saltem Coriolānī animus ferōx[12] flectī[13] posset; cum vērōvērō: and. nē hī quidem quicquam[14] impetrāre potuissent, tum māter ipsa uxorque Coriolānī ūnā cum aliīs mātrōnīs complūribus ad hostium castra maestae[15] profectae sunt.
Quō ubi perventum est, mātris verbis vehementer commōtus Coriolānus pollicitus est sē sine morā cum exercitū ē fīnibus Rōmānōrum discessūrum. Posteā apud hostīs multōs annōs vīxit[16], nec libenter[17]; nam trāditum est eum esse solitum dīcere senī[18] miserrimum esse exsilium.
- ↑ pauca: a few (words).
- ↑ quī: this (adj.).
- ↑ iniūriā: abl. used adverbially.
- ↑ urbe: the city, i.e. Rome, often thus designated as being the city par excellence.
- ↑ Rōmānīs: dat. case.
- ↑ dēnuō: i.e. iterum.
- ↑ pācis petendae causā: i.e. ad pācem petendam. Literally causā means “for the sake of.”
- ↑ asperius: rather harshly (asperē: adv., harshly); for the rendering of the comparative, cf. the note on maximum, p. 13, l. 11.
- ↑ legātōs: envoys or ambassadors.
- ↑ maestissimōs: pred. adj.
- ↑ īdem: pl.
- ↑ ferōx (-ōcis, adj.): fierce.
- ↑ flectī: flectō, 3, flexī, flexus, influence.
- ↑ quicquam: any concession, lit. anything.
- ↑ maestae: in (the garb of) mourning.
- ↑ vixit: from vivō.
- ↑ nec lībenter: cf. the note on p. 17, l. 8.
- ↑ senī: for an old man; senī is from senex.