Livy - lines 1 - 52 GCSE set text

senatum adit.

He approached the senate

'transire Tiberum,' inquit, 'patres et intrare, si possim,

'Senators' he said, 'I wish to cross the Tiber and, if I can enter

castra hostium volo, non praedo nexc populationum in vicem ultor;

the camp of the enemy, not as a brigand, nor as an avenger in retaliation for the (enemy's) plundering;

maius si di iuvant in animo est facius'

if the gods help, ihave a greater deed in mind.'

adprobant patres; abdito intra vestem ferro proficiscitur.

The senators approved; having hidden a sword inside his clothing, he set off.

uni eo venit, in confertissima turba prope regium tribunal constitit.

When he got there, he took up a position near the royal platform in the thickest part of the crowd.

ibi cum stipendium militibus forte daretur et scriba cum rege sedens pari fere ornatu multa ageret eumque milites volgo adirent,

Since by chance pay was being given to the soldiers there and a clerk sitting with the king dressed in roughly the same apparel was performing many tasks,

timens sciscitari uter Porsenna esset, ne ignorando regem senet ipse aperiret quis esset,

and the soldiers were generally approaching him, (Mucius) feared to enquire which of the two was Porsenna, lest by not knowing the king he might reveal his own identity

quo temere traxit fortuna facinus, scribam pro rege obtruncat

as fortune blindly directed the deed, he slew the clerk instead of the king

cum rex simul ira incensus periculoque conterritus circumdari ignes minitabundus iuberet...

when the king, at the same time blazing with anger and terrified by the danger menacingly ordered fires to be placed round the prisoner

'en tibi' inquit, 'ut sentias quam vile corpus sit iis qui magnam gloriam vident';

(Mucius) said 'Look! so that you may realise how cheap the body is in the eyes of those who understand great glory':

dextramque accenso ad sacrificium foculo inicit.

and he put his right hand into a brazier lit for a sacrifice.

quam cum velut alienato ab sensu torreret animo,

When he was scorching this (hand) as if his mind was separated from his feeling,

prope attonitus miraculo rex cum a sede sua prosiluisset

and the king, virtually thunderstruck by the extraordinary event

amoverique ab altaribus iuvenem iussisset,

and ordered the young man to be moved away from the altar,

'tu vero abi' inquit, 'in te magis quam in me hostilia ausus.

said , 'Indeed , you depart , since you have dared (to commit) hostile actions more against yourself than against me.

iuberem macte virtute esse si pro mea patris ista virtus staret;

I would congratulate you on your courage if that courage of yours was standing on my own country's side;

nunc iure belli liberum te, intactum inviolatumque hinc dimitto'

as it is, by the right of war, I release you from here a free man untouched and unharmed'

tunc Mucius, quasi remunerans meritum,

Then Mucius, as if paying back the kindness,

'quando quidem' inquit, 'est apud te virtuti honos, ut benefico tuleris a me quod minis nequisti

said 'Since indeed there is esteem for courage in your eyes, so that you hace obtained from me by your kindness what you could not obtain by threats

trecenti coniuravimus principes iuventutis Romanae ut in te hac via grassaremur.

we 300 leaders of the roman youth formed a conspiracy to attack you in this way

mea prima sors fuit; ceteri ut cuiusque ceciderit primi quoad te opportunum fortuna dederit, suo quisque tempore aderunt.'

Mine was the first lot; the rest will be here each ast his own time, according to whoever's lot falls out first until fortune makes you suitable to attack

ergo ita honorata virtute, feminae quoque ad publica decora excitatae,

Therefore, as courae had been honoured in this way, the women were also roused to public glory

et Cloelia virgo una ex obsidibus, cum castra Etruscorum forte haud procul ripa Tiberis locata essent,

And since the camp of the Etruscans by chance had been pitched not far from the bank of the Tiber,

frustrata custodes, dux agminis virginum inter tela hostium Tiberim tranavit,

The maiden Cloelia, one of the hostages, decieved the guards and, leaeding the band of young women, swam across the TIber amid the weapons of the enemy

sospitesque omnes Romam ad propinquos restituit.

and restored them all safe to Rome to their families.

quod ubi regi nuntiatum est, primo incensus ira oratores Romam misit ad Cloeliam obsidem deposcendam: alias haud magni facere.

When this was announced to the king, at first, blazing with anger, he sent spokesmen to Rome demanding (the return of) the hostage Cloelia (he said that) he did not consider the others of great value.

deinde in admirationem versus, supra Coclites Muciosque dicere id facinus esse,

Then turning to admiration of Cloelia, he said that this deed was greater than those of men like Cocles and Muciues.

et prae se ferrre quemadmodum si non dedatur obses,

end he declared that, just as he would consider the treaty broken if the hostage was not given up.

pro rupto foedus se habiturum, sic deditam intactam inviolatamque ad suos remissurum

so, if she was given up, he would send her back to her family untouched and unhurt.

utrimque constitit fides: et Romani pignus pacis ex foedere restituerunt,

Both sides kept faith: And the Romans gave back the pledge of peace in accordance with the treaty,

et apud regem Etruscum non tuta solum sed honorata etiam virtus fuit,

and in the eyes of the Etruscan king, her virtues was not only safe but was even honoured,

laudatumque virginem parte obsidum se donare dixit;

and having praised the maiden, he siad that hwe was rewarding (her) with part of the hostages;

ipsa quos vellet legeret. ...

she herself should choose whom she wanted. ...

pace redintegrata Romani novam in femina virtutem novo genere honoris, statua equestri,

When peace was restored, the Romans rewarded this unusual courage in a woman with an unusual kind of honour

donavere; in summa Sacra Via fuit posita virgo insidens equo.

an equestrian statue; it was placed at the top of the Sacred Way, (showing) a young girl sitting on a horse.