livy full text Flashcards
senatum adit. ‘transire Tiberim’, inquit, ‘patres, et intrare, si possim, castra hostium volo, non praedo nec populationum in vicem ultor; maius si di iuvant in animo est facinus.’
He went to the senate. ‘Senators,’ he said, ‘I want to cross the river Tiber and enter, if I can, the enemy’s camp, not as a bandit or an avenger as plundering in return; if the gods help I have a greater deed in mind.’
senatum adit (he went to the senate) –> the fact that he goes to the senate shows that he is a sensible character who does it by the book. adit (he went) is a vivid present
patres…si possum (senators…if I can) –> he understands the power of the senators and is modest and polite, making Mucius a likeable character
non praedo nec populationem in vicem ultor (not as a bandit nor an avenger as plundering in return) –> he shows that he is still noble and not a thug by emphasising that his deed is much greater.
si di iuvant (if the gods help) –> makes it seem like the gods are on his side which makes his deed seem more important and makes the senators more likely to side not only with Mucius but with the gods.
adprobant patres; abdito intra vestem ferro proficiscitur. Ubi eo venit, in confertissima turba prope regium tribunal constitit.
The senators approve; he sets off with a sword concealed inside his clothes. When he came to that place, he stood in the densest part of the crown next to the royal platform.
adprobant patres (the senators approve) –> emphatic placement/hyperbaton of adprobant (approve) which emphasises their approval
abdito (concealed) –> double meaning, he conceals his sword, but also conceals his true plan from the senators
proficiscitur (he sets off) –> vivid present
ibi cum stipendium militibus forte daretur et scriba cum rege sedens pari fere ornatu multa ageret eumque milites volgo adirent, timens sciscitari uter Porsenna esst, ne ignorando regem semet ipse aperiret quis esset, quo temere traxit fortuna facinus, scribam pro rege obtruncat.
There, since payment was being given out to the soldiers, and the scribe, sitting with the king in almost the same costume, was carrying out lots of business, and the soldiers were generally going up to him, Mucius was afraid to ask which of the two was Porsenna, in case by not recognising the king he should reveal who he really was, as fortune blindly directed the deed, killed the scribe instead of the king.
ASK THE GC
vadentem inde qua per trepidam turbam cruento mucrone sibi ipse fecerat viam, cum concursu ad clamorem facto comprehensum regii satellites retraxissent,
From there, as he was proceeding along the way which he had made for himself through the anxious crowd with a bloody sword, when - having rushed to the uproar - the royal guards had seized him and dragged him back,
trepidam turbam –> alliteration, emphasises the fear of the crowd
cruento mucrone (bloody sword) –> CR repeated harsh sound
comprehensum (had seized him) –> passive shows Mucius’s lack of control
sibi ipse (he himself) –> shows his ability to seize control even in a stressful situation
vadentem (proceeding) –> promoted, first thing we hear is that he has proceeded showing his confidence
ante tribunal regis destitutus, tum quoque inter tantas fortunae minas metuendus magis quam metuens, ‘Romanus sum’, inquit, ‘civis; Gaium Mucium vocant’.
having been left in front of the king’s platform, then too, amongst such great threats of fortune, more frightening that frightened, he said, ‘I am a Roman citizen; they call me Gaius Mucius.’
metuendus…metuens (frightening…frightened) –> alliteration emphasises his lack of fear
Romanus civis sum (I am a Roman citizen) –> promotion of ‘Romanus’ which shows Mucius is bold and proud
From metuendus to vocant, Mucius is regaining control
‘hostis hostem occidere volui, nec ad mortem minus animi est quam fuit ad caedem; et facere et pati fortia Romanum est.
As an enemy, I wanted to kill an enemy, I have no less courage to face death than I had to face slaughter; both to do and to endure bravely is the Roman way.
hostis hostem (enemy enemy) –> juxtaposition and polyptoton, Mucius recognises that he sees Porsenna as an enemy and vice versa. He is reasonable and understanding.
hostis…est –> tricolon, building from Mucius as an individual towards Mucius as a Roman to show not only the threat of Mucius but the bigger picture. (occidere volui - i wanted to kill an enemy, nec ad mortem minus animi est quam fuit ad caedem - I have no less courage to face death that I had to face slaughter, et facere et pati fortia Romanum est - both to do and to endure bravely is the Roman way)
et facere et pati fortia Romanum est (both to do and to ensure bravely is the Roman way) –> alliteration of f and many repeated t sounds drawing emphasis to the clause which speaks of patriotism and fearlessness
ad mortem…ad caedem (to (face) death… to (face) slaughter) –> ASK TANYA
nec unus in te ego hos animos gessi; longus post me ordo est idem petentium decus
I’m not the only one who thinks this way towards you; there is a long line behind me of men seeking the same glory
nec unus in te ego (I’m not the only one) –> juxtaposition of ‘te ego’ (personal) next to nec unus (bigger picture) emphasises the collective threat
longus post me ordo (long line behind me) –> emphasising how many people want to kill him
idem…decus (seeking the same glory) –> content: showing that killing Porsenna would be glorious and all Romans want glory. Illustrates threat to Porsenna.
proinde in hoc discrimen, si iuvat, accingere, ut in singulas horas horas capite dimices tuo, ferrum hostemque in vestibulo habeas regiae.
So then, prepare yourself for this struggle, if you like, to fight for your life every single hour, to have an armed enemy in the entrance of your palace.
si iuvat (if you like) –> baiting him, intimidating him; suggests Porsenna is too weak/cowardly
in singulas horas (every single hour) –> emphasis on scale of the danger that awaits
ferrum hostem que (sword/iron and an enemy) –> hendiadys doubles the threat
hoc tibi iuventus Romana indicimus bellum. nullam aciem, nullum proelium timueris; uni tibi et cum singulis res erit.’
We Roman young men declare this war on you. You’ll fear no battle-line, no battle: the issue will be for you alone and with one man at a time.
hoc tibi iuventus Romana indicimus bellum (we Roman young men declare this war on you) –> CHIASMUS, 1st person plural of indicimus vs. 2nd person singular of tibi, Roman youth are united against Porsenna alone.
nullam aciem, nullum proelium (You’ll fear no battle-line, no battle) –> anaphora, shows Porsenna’s lack of ability and Roman bravery
uni tibi et cum singulis res erit (the issue will be for you alone and with one man at a time) –> uni tibi (singular) vs cum singulis (plural), shows the imbalance and shows Porsenna is outnumbered, future tense (erit) shows its inevitable
cum rex simul ira incensus periculoque conterritus circumdari ignes minitabundus iuberet… ‘en tibi’ inquit, ‘ut sentias quam vile corpus sit iis qui magnam gloriam vident; dectramque accenso ad sacrificium foculo inicit.
When the king, at the same time inflamed with anger and terrified by the danger, was ordering him to be surrounded and was threatening him with fire… Mucius said, ‘Look here, so that you may feel how cheap a body is to those who see great glory!’ and he thrust his right hand into the blazing fire for sacrifice.
incensus (inflamed) –> out of control, crazy with anger
quam vile corpus sit (how cheap a body is) –> corpus (body), singular body compared to collective glory
incensus…conterritus…circumdari (inflamed, terrified, surrounded) –> passive verbs showing his confusion and lack of control
ira + periculoque (anger + danger) –> contrast of simultaneous emotions, chaos and confusion
conterritus (terrified) –> ‘con’territus, intensifying prefix
vile corpus vs magnam gloriam (cheap body vs. great glory) –> contrasts
‘dextram’ (hand) –> promoted to show speed and draws attention/creates visual image
inicit (thrust) –> vivid present
quam cum velut alienato ab sensu torreret animo, prope attonitus miraculo rex cum ab sede sua prosiluisset amoverique ab altaribus iuvenem iussisset, ‘tu vero abi’ inquit, ‘in te magis quam in me hostilia ausus. luberem macte virtute esse, si pro mea patria ista virtus staret; nunc iure belli liberum te, intactum inviolatumque hinc dimitto.
When he was scorching it as if with his mind devoid of feeling, the king, almost stunned by the portent, when he had leapt fourth from his seat and had ordered the young man to be removed from the altar, said, ‘You clear off now, having dared hostile actions against yourself more than against me. I would tell you to continue to be courageous, if this courage were displayed on behalf of my country; now I send you away free from the law of war, untouched and unviolated.
alienato […] animo (mind [devoid of] feeling) –> agree with each other, emphasises how far his soul is devoid of feeling, his soul is far away
prosiluisset, iuisset, inquit (leap forth, ordered, said) –> tricolon of the king’s reaction
liberum, intactum, inviolatumque (free, untouched, unviolated) –> tricolon of every mercy given to Mucius, shows control
quam…animo (When he was scorching it as if with his mind devoid of feeling) –> start and end of clause shows Mucius’s ability to seperate his hand from his mind
macte virtute esse (continue to be courageous) –> tricolon (really??)
tunc Mucius, quasi remunerans meritum, ‘quando quidem’, inquit, ‘est apud te virtuti honos, ut beneficio tuleris a me quod minis nequisti, trecenti coniuravimus principes iuventutis Romanae ut in te hac via grassaremur.
Then Mucius, as if paying back a kindness, said: ‘since you hold courage in high regard, so that you have obtained from me by kindness what you couldn’t have through threats, we have sworn, three hundred leaders of the youth of Rome, to attack you by this route.
quasi (as if) - mocking the king’s ‘kindness’ which is just sparing Mucius’s life
benificio…minis (so that you have obtained from me by kindness what you (couldn’t have) through threats) - juxtaposition
trecenti coniuravimus (we 300 have sworn) - emphatic placement of ‘300’ (trecenti) and the use of 1st person plural in ‘coniuravimus’ (we have sworn) to show the collective
mea prima sors fuit; ceteri ut cuiusque ceciderit primi quoad te opportunum fortuna dederit, suo quisque tempore aderunt.’
Mine was the first lot; as each man’s lot will have fallen, the rest will be present each at his own time, taking turns until fortune has given a favourable chance against you.
mea prima sors fuit (mine was the first lot) - emphasis on ‘mea’ (here it is Mucius), short clause about his own lot and then a long clause about all the other attempts
fortuna (fortune) - supported by the gods, makes Mucius’s goal seem more important
‘cuisque/quisque (each) - polyptoton, emphasises the collective and the individuals that are brave
aderunt (will be present) - future tense, inevitability, looming threat
ergo ita honorata virtute, feminae quoque ad publica decora excitatae, et Cloelia virgo una ex obsidibus, cum castra Etruscorum forte haud procul ripa Tiberis locata essent, frustrata custodes, dux agminis virginum inter tela hostium Tiberim tranavit, sopsitesque omnes Romam ad propinquos restituit.
