“Iam enim advēnerant hostēs recentēs, essedīs[1] carrīsque[2] superstantēs,[3] quī ingentī sonitū rotārum cōnsternābant equōs, quibus tālis tumultus īnsolitus erat. Quae rēs Rōmānīs[4] victōriam paene explōrātam in fugam vertit.
“Decius, cum frūstrā suīs cēdentibus resistere cōnātus esset: ‘Quid[5] ultrā moror,’[6] inquit, ‘mortem fātō dēbitam? Nostrae enim gentī datum est,[7] ut dēpellendīs cīvitātis perīculīs[8] piāculō[9] sīmus. Quārē ego, ut anteā[10] pater, nunc et mē ipsum et hostium legiōnēs dīs īnferīs dabō.’[11]
“Haec locūtus, M. Līvium, pontificem, quem abīre ā sē vetuerat, praeīre[12] iussit verba, quibus sē legiōnēsque hostium prō exercitū populī Rōmānī dēvovēret. Quō rīte factō, quā cōnfertissima cernēbātur Gallōrum aciēs, eā[13] concitāvit equum, īnfestīsque tēlīs sē īnferēns statim occīsus est.”
“Heu!” inquit Cornēlia. “Quā rē fit, obsecrō, ut fortissimī et optimī omnēs[14] exitūs tam miserōs inveniant?”
“Deciō quidem,” inquit pater, “illa mors prō patriā oppetītā pulcherrima vidēbātur; et populō Rōmānō certē multum[15] prōfuit.[16] Nam mīlitibus perterritīs iam rediit animus, et eō diē victōria clāra ā nostrīs parta est.”
“Quō modō animus mīlitibus redīre potuit,” inquit Cornēlia, “cum dux ab hostibus occīsus esset?”
At pater: “Pontificī Līviō līctōrēs[17] Decius trādiderat, eumque iusserat imperium suum recipere; quī, cum cōnsulem occīsum
- ↑ essedum, -ī, n., chariot.
- ↑ carrus, -ī, m., truck.
- ↑ superstāns, -antis, part., erect (upon).
- ↑ Rōmānīs: dat. of disadvantage.
- ↑ Quid, Why.
- ↑ moror: here trans., keep waiting, put off.
- ↑ datum est, it has been assigned.
- ↑ dēpellendīs . .. perīculīs: dat. of purp.
- ↑ piāculum, -ī, n., sacrifice; dat. of service in text.
- ↑ anteā: sc. fēcit.
- ↑ dabō, I will doom.
- ↑ praeīre, dictate.
- ↑ quā … eā, advs., where … there.
- ↑ omnēs: mod. of optimī.
- ↑ multum, adv.
- ↑ prōsum, prōdesse, prōfuī, intr., profit.
- ↑ līctor, -ōris, m., lictor. The lictors represented his authority as commander.
