īrā incēnsus, ad līberōs conversus eōs exsecrātus[1] est; et statim ē silvā vēnērunt ursae ingentēs, quae eōs līberōs procācēs dīlaniāvērunt.”
“Anna certē rēs mīrandās nārrat,” inquit Pūblius. “Sed tū rēctē dīcis Rōmānōs paene omnēs calvitiem ōdisse. Quīn etiam trādunt[2] dīvum[3] Iūlium libentissimē recēpisse dēcrētum,[4] quō eī licēret semper lauream[5] corōnam gestāre,[6] quod ita nēmō rāritātem capillī animadverteret.”[7]
“Imperātōrēsne omnēs aequē calvitiem ōderant?” inquit Sextus.
“Domitiānus vērō, dē quō modo dīxī,” inquit frāter, “librum dē cūrā capillī scrīpsit; et Caligula imperātor etiam morte multāvit[8] omnēs, quī ex superiōre parte aedium[9] in viam dēspexerant, cum ipse trānsīret.”
Quō dictō, ad tēcta reversī cognōvērunt modo redīsse Onēsimum, omniaque ad iter faciendum iam paene parāta esse.
Mox viātōrēs in raedās ēscendērunt, brevīque viā strātā rapidē prōgrediēbantur. Sub noctem in vīcum parvum pervēnērunt, ubi cēnātī sine morā cubitum iērunt; nam iter longissimum adhūc erat faciendum.
Māne, cum celeriter gustāvissent, raedīs per loca prātīs rīvīsque amoena vectī sunt. Ac Pūblius patrī: “Nōnne haec est regiō Ītaliae,” inquit, “ubi Horātius Flaccus nātus est?”
“Rēctē dīcis,” inquit Cornēlius; “nam eius patria erat oppidum Venusia, quō spērō nōs crās perventūrōs.”
“Rūra, ut opīnor,” inquit Pūblius, “ille semper amābat. Ego quidem libenter mēcum saepe meditor[10] quōsdam eius versūs, quī mihi iūcundissimī videntur:
- ↑ exsecror, -ārī, -ātus sum, tr., curse.
- ↑ trādunt: i.e., dīcunt.
- ↑ dīvus, -a, -um, adj., deifed (by action of the senate). Julius Caesar was the first to be so honored.
- ↑ dēcrētum, -ī, n., decree.
- ↑ laureus, -a, -um, adj., of laurel.
- ↑ gestō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, tr. wear.
- ↑ animadverteret, would notice.
- ↑ multō, -āre, -āvī, -itus, tr., punish; morte multō, put to death.
- ↑ aedium, houses.
- ↑ meditor, -ārī, -ātus sum, tr., con over.
