Galba ille, quī posteā imperātor factus est, novum spectāculī genus, elephantōs fūnambulōs,[1] ēdidit.[2] Et ōlim nōtissimus eques Rōmānus, elephantō vectus per fūnem[3] dēcurrit.”[4]
“Vellem tum adfuissem,” inquit Cornēlia. “Tālia saltem perlibenter vīdissem. Erantne alia eōrum[5] similia?”
At pater: “Nōmen Daedalī, crēdō, saepe audīvistī. Meministīne quid eius fīliō factum sit?”
“Meminī vērō,”[6] inquit Cornēlia. “Daedalus ālās fēcit, quibus fīlius per āera[7] magnum volāret. Īcarus autem ad sōlem propius[8] accessit; cuius ārdōre, cērā[9] mollītā,[10] ālae solūtae sunt, ac puer īnfēlīx in mare praecipitātus est.”
Tum pater: “Imperātor Nerō ōlim in amphitheātrō idem temptārī voluit,” inquit. “Sed ‘Īcarus’ prīmō statim cōnātū[11] dēcidit[12] atque imperātōrem ipsum sanguine suō respersit.”
“Paene Rōmānī nōminis[13] mē pudet,” inquit Cornēlia, “cum tālia audiō. Imperātōrem quam crūdēlem, quī hominēs tam perīculōsa temptāre coēgerit!”
“Aliud multō inhūmānius fēcit Caligula,” inquit pater. “Ille enim, cum ad cibum ferārum mūnerī praeparātārum[14] pecudēs cārius[15] comparārentur, ex capitis damnātīs dīcitur hominēs ēlēgisse, quibus ferae vēscerentur.”
“Quāle mōnstrum hominis!” inquit Drūsilla, “sī vērō homō omnīnō appellandus est.”
“Naumachiam[16] quoque Nerō exhibuit,” inquit Cornēlius, “in
- ↑ fūnambulus, -a, -um, adj., rope-walking.
- ↑ ēdidit, exhibited.
- ↑ fūnem, tight-rope.
- ↑ dēcurrō, -currere, -currī, -cursum, tr. and intr., ride down.
- ↑ eōrum: neut.; dept. on similia.
- ↑ vērō, indeed.
- ↑ āer, āeris, m., the heavens; āera, acc. sing., Greek decl.
- ↑ propius: cf. longius, XI, 15.
- ↑ cēra, -ae, f., wax.
- ↑ molliō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus, tr., soften.
- ↑ prīmō statim cōnatū: cf. XVII, 91.
- ↑ dēcidō, -cidere, -cidī, intr., fall down.
- ↑ Rōmānī nōminis, the name ‘Roman.’
- ↑ praeparō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, tr., secure in advance.
- ↑ cārē, adv., at a high price. For comp., cf. saepius, IX, 88.
- ↑ naumachia, -ae, f., sham naval battle.
