91-95 Flashcards
Haec dum aguntur, interea Cleomenes iam ad Helori litus pervenerat; iam sese in terram e navi eiecerat quadrirememque fluctuantem in salo reliquerat. Reliqui praefecti navium, cum in terram imperator exisset, cum ipsi neque repugnare neque mari effugere ullo modo possent, appulsis ad Helorum navibus Cleomenem persecuti sunt. Tum praedonum dux Heracleo, repente praeter spem non sua virtute sed istius avaritia nequitiaque victor, classem pulcherrimam populi Romani in litus expulsam et eiectam, cum primum invesperasceret, inflammari incendique iussit.
While these things were going on, in the meantime Cleomenes had already reached the shore of Elorum; he had already thrown himself from the ship onto the land and left the quadrireme tossing in the (waves of the) sea. The remaining captains of the ships, when their commander had left onto the land and since they were neither able to defend themselves nor escape by sea by any means, drove their ships ashore at Elorum and followed after Cleomenes. Then Heraclo, the leader of the pirates, was suddenly victorious beyond hope not by his own excellence but by the greed and vileness of that man (Verres), ordered, when it first becomes evening, a most beautiful fleet of the Roman people, which had been driven onto the shore and abandoned, to be set alight and burnt.
O tempus miserum atque acerbum provinciae Siciliae! o casum illum multis innocentibus calamitosum atque funestum! o istius nequitiam ac turpitudinem singularem! Una atque eadem nox erat qua praetor amoris turpissimi flamma, classis populi Romani praedonum incendio conflagrabat. Affertur nocte intempesta gravis huiusce mali nuntius Syracusas; curritur ad praetorium, quo istum ex illo praeclaro convivio reduxerant paulo ante mulieres cum cantu atque symphonia. Cleomenes, quamquam nox erat, tamen in publico esse non audet; includit se domi; neque aderat uxor, quae consolari hominem in malis posset.
O what a miserable and bitter time for the province of Sicily! O that event, disastrous and fatal for many innocent people! What unmatched vileness and infamy of that man! On one and the same night, while the governor was burning with fires of most disgraceful passions, a fleet of Roman people was burning with the flames of pirates. In the dead of night, the grave news of this disaster was brought to Syracuse; there was a rush to the house of the praetor, to which his women had not long before lead him back to from his brilliant banquet, with songs and music. Cleomenes, although it was night, still did not dare to be in public; he shuts himself in his home; and his wife was not present, she who might be able to comfort her husband in his misfortunes.
Huius autem praeclari imperatoris ita erat severa domi disciplina ut in re tanta et tam gravi nuntio nemo admitteretur, nemo esset qui auderet aut dormientem excitare aut interpellare vigilantem. Iam vero re ab omnibus cognita concursabat urbe tota maxima multitudo. Non enim, sicut erat antea semper consuetudo, praedonum adventum significabat ignis e specula sublatus aut tumulo, sed flamma ex ipso incendio navium et calamitatem acceptam et periculum reliquum nuntiabat.
However, the discipline was so severe at the house of that famous general that even in so great an affair and such serious news no one was admitted. There was no who dared either to awake him while he was sleeping or to disrupt him while he was awake. But now with the matter having been understood by everyone, a very great crowd ran together from the whole city. For flames raised from a watchtower or hill was no signifying the arrival of the pirates, as had always been the custom, but flames from the very burning of the ships were announcing both the recent disaster and danger yet to come.
Cum praetor quaereretur et constaret neminem ei nuntiasse, fit ad domum eius cum clamore 94concursus atque impetus. Tum iste excitatus audit rem omnem ex Timarchide, sagum sumit (lucebat iam fere), procedit in medium vini, somni, stupri plenus. Excipitur ab omnibus eius modi clamore ut ei Lampsaceni periculi similitudo versaretur ante oculos; hoc etiam maius hoc videbatur, quod in odio simili multitudo hominum haec erat maxima. Tum istius acta commemorabatur, tum flagitiosa illa convivia; tum appellabantur a multitudine mulieres nominatim; tum quaerebant ex isto palam tot dies continuos per quos numquam visus esset ubi fuisset, quid egisset; tum imperator ab isto praepositus Cleomenes flagitabatur; neque quicquam propius est factum quam ut illud Uticense exemplum de Hadriano transferretur Syracusas, ut duo sepulcra duorum praetorum improborum duabus in provinciis constituerentur. Verum habita est a multitudine ratio temporis, habita tumultus, habita etiam dignitatis existimationisque communis, quod is est conventus Syracusis civium Romanorum ut non modo illa provincia verum etiam hac re publica dignissimus existimetur.
When the praetor was being searched for and it became evident that no one had reported the news to him, the throng made rush to his house with shouting. Then that man was roused and heard the whole story from Timarchides, he put on his uniform and went forth (as daylight was breaking) full of sleep, wine, and debauchery.
He was greeted by so much shouting from everyone that a likeness of the danger he faced at Lampscus came before his eyes; and still this appeared greater than that, because this mass of men in a similar state of hatred were much the greatest (in number). Then his beach parties were being recalled, then those infamous banquets, then the women were being called by name by the crowd, then they were openly asking that man where he had been on so many days on he which he had never been seen, what had he done, then the Cleomenes, who had been appointed commander by that man, was being demanded; and nothing was ever nearer happening than that example concerning Hadrianus at Utica would be transferred to Syracuse, that two tombs of two wicked praetors would be set up in two provinces. However, truly regard was had by the crowd of the time, of the disorder, of even the common dignity and opinion, because that group of Roman citizens at Syracuse is such as to be considered the most dignified not only in that province but even in this republic.
Confirmant ipsi se, cum hic etiam tum semisomnus stuperet, arma capiunt, totum forum atque Insulam, quae est urbis magna pars, complent.
Unam illam noctem solam praedones ad Helorum commorati, cum fumantes etiam nostras naves reliquissent, accedere incipiunt Syracusas; qui videlicet saepe audissent nihil esse pulchrius quam Syracusarum moenia ac portus, statuerant se, si ea Verre praetore non vidissent, numquam esse visuros.
They emboldened themselves, while he is still even at that time half-asleep and daze; they took up arms, they filled the whole forum and the island, which is a large part of the city. The pirates having lingered at Elorum for that single night, left our ships still smoking and began to approach Syracuse; for they had of course heard nothing could be more beautiful than the city walls and harbour of Syracuse, they had made up their minds, that if they did not see them while Verres was praetor, they would never see them.
