Cicero Lines 25-48

praetorio procedit iste repente e praetorio inflammatus sceleri furore crudelitatis

that man quickly rushed out of the praetor’s headquarters, burning with wickedness, rage, and cruelty

in forum venit, nauarchos vocari iubet

he came to the forum and ordered the captains to be summoned

qui nihil metuerent, nihil suspicarentur, statim accurrunt

since they feared nothing and suspected nothing, they ran to him at once

iste hominibus miseris innocentibus iniici catenas imperat

he ordered chains to be put on the wretched innocent men

implorare illi fidem praetoris, et quare id faceret rogare

they begged for the praetor’s protection and asked why he had done this

tum iste hoc causae dicit, quod classem praedonibus prodidissent

he said it was because they had betrayed the fleet to the pirates

fit clamor et admiratio populi

there was an outcry and amazement among the people

tantam esse in homine impudentiam atque audaciam

at the shamelessness and audacity of this man

ut aut aliis causam calamitatis attribueret

that he blamed others for the cause of the disaster

quae omnis propter avaritiam ipsius accidisset

which had all happened because of his own greed

aut, cum ipse praedonum socius arbitraretur

or because he himself was thought to be the pirates’ ally

aliis proditionis crimen inferret

he brought a charge of treason against the others

deinde hoc quinto decimo die crimen esse natum

then this charge arose on the fifteenth day

postquam classis esset amissa

after the fleet had been lost

incluuntur in carcerem condemnati

the condemned men were shut up in prison

supplicium constituitur in illos

the death penalty was decided for them

sumitur de miseris parentibus nauarchorum

torture was inflicted on the miserable parents of the ship captains

prohibentur adire ad filios

they were forbidden to approach their sons

prohibentur liberis suis cibum vestitumque ferre

they were forbidden to bring food and clothes to their children

patres hi quos videtis iacebant in limine

they lay at the prison entrance

matresque miserae pernoctabant ad ostium carceris

and the miserable mothers spent the whole night at the prison door

ab extremo conspectu liberum exclusae

cut off from the very last sight of their children

quae nihil aliud orabant

they begged for nothing else

nisi ut filiorum suorum postremum spiritum ore excipere liceret

except to be allowed to draw their sons’ last breath from their mouths

aderat ianitor carceris

the prison doorkeeper was there

carnifex praetoris

the praetor’s executioner

mors terrorque sociorum et civium Romanorum

the bringer of death and terror to the allies and Roman citizens

lictor Sextius

Sextius the lictor

cui ex omni gemitu doloreque certa merces comparabatur

for whom a fixed fee was arranged for every groan and every cry of pain

ut ad eas, tantum dabis

how much will you give so that you may approach your child?

ut cibum tibi intro ferre liceat, tantum

how much will you give so that you may bring food inside?

nemo recusabat

no one refused

quid? ut uno ictu secures adferam mortem filio tuo, quid dabis?

what will you give me so that I kill your son with a single blow of the axe?

ne diu crucietur

so that he is not tortured for long

ne saepius feriatur

so that he is not beaten too often

ne cum sensu doloris aliquo spiritus auferatur

so that his breath is not taken away amid pain

etiam ob hanc causam pecunia lictori dabatur

even for this reason, money was given to the lictor