Ch. 37 Horace meets a boorish fellow

Ibam Bia Sacra, ut soleo, cogitans de rebus meis.

I was going on the Via Sacra, as I am accustomed, thinking about my matters

Occurit quidam notus mihi nomine tantum, raptaque manu, “Quid agis?” ait.

A certain man known to me only by name ran up, with my hand having been grabbed, he says, “What are you doing?”

“Suaviter”, inquam.

“Pleasantly” I say.

Cum ille sequeretur, ego, misere discedere quarens, modo ibam celerius, modo consistebam

Since that man was following (me), I, miserably seeking to depart, now was going more swiftly, now I was stopping.

Ille loquebatur, vias et Romam laudans.

That man was speaking, praising the streets and Rome.

Ut illi nihil nrespondebam, “Misere cupis,” inquit, “abire.”

As I was responding nothing to that man, he said, “You desire miserably to leave.”

“Eo ad aedes amici cuiusdam, longe trans Tiberim,” inquam

I said, “I am going to the house of a certain friend, far across the tiber.”

“Nihil habeo quod agam, et non sum piger; sequar te.”

“I have nothing which I am doing, and I am not lazy; I will follow you.”

Veneramus ad templum Vestae, quarta iam parte diei praeterita, et ad litem illi respondendum erat; nisi hoc faciat, perdat litem.

We had come to the Temple of Vesta, with the 4th part of the day already having been gone, and it had to be responded by that man to the lawsuit; if he should not do this, he would lose the lawsuit.

“Si me amas,” inquit, “mane hic ut me iuves!”

“If you love me,” he says, “stay here so that you may help me!”

“Peream, si novi civilia iura,” inquam

“Let me die, if I know the civil laws” I say

“Quid faciam?” inquit. “Tene relinquam an litem?”

“What should I do?” he says. “Should I leave you or the lawsuit?”

“Me.” “Non faciam.”

“Me” “I will not do it”

Diende Aristius Fuscus, mihi carus amicus, occurit.

Then Aristius Fuscus, a dear friend to me, ran up.

Manum eius rapio, nutans, distorquens oculos, ut me eripiant.

I snatched his hand, nodding, rolling my eyes, so that he may snatch me away.

“Certe habes aliquid quod vis loqui mecum,” inquam.

“Certainly you have something which you want to speak with me,” I say.

“Memini ene, sed meliore tempore dicam; ignosces; necesse est mihi abire.”

“I remember well, but I will tell you at a better time; you will forgive me; it is necessary for me to depart.”

Fugit et me sub cultro relinquit

He fled and left me under the knife

Deinde occurit illi adversaries: “Quo tu turpissime abis?” magna voce clamat, et “Licet te antestari?”

Then, the opponent to that man ran up: “Where are you departing most shamefully?” he exclaims with a great voice, and “Is it permitted to call you as a witness?”

Ego oppono auriculam

I offer my earlobe

Rapit illum in ius

He snatches that man into court

Sic me servavit Apollo

So Apollo saved me