Liddell.
10. This story is told in very spirited verse by Macaulay, in his poem of Horatius:
1. Fast by the royal standard,O'erlooking all the war,Lars Porsena of ClusiumSate in his ivory car.By the right wheel rode Mamilius,Prince of the Latian name;And by the left false Sextus,That wrought the deed of shame.2. But when the face of SextusWas seen among the foes,A yell that rent the firmamentFrom all the town arose.On thehouse-tops was no womanBut spate toward him and hissed;No child but screamed out curses,And shook its little fist.3. But the consul's brow was sad,And the consul's speech was low;And darkly looked he at the wall,And darkly at the foe."Their van will be upon usBefore the bridge goes down;And if they once may win the bridge,What hope to save the town?"4. Then out spoke brave Horatius,The captain of the gate:"To every man upon this earthDeath cometh soon or late.And how can man die betterThan facing fearful oddsFor the ashes of his fathers,And the temples of his gods!
1. Fast by the royal standard,O'erlooking all the war,Lars Porsena of ClusiumSate in his ivory car.By the right wheel rode Mamilius,Prince of the Latian name;And by the left false Sextus,That wrought the deed of shame.
2. But when the face of SextusWas seen among the foes,A yell that rent the firmamentFrom all the town arose.On thehouse-tops was no womanBut spate toward him and hissed;No child but screamed out curses,And shook its little fist.
3. But the consul's brow was sad,And the consul's speech was low;And darkly looked he at the wall,And darkly at the foe."Their van will be upon usBefore the bridge goes down;And if they once may win the bridge,What hope to save the town?"
4. Then out spoke brave Horatius,The captain of the gate:"To every man upon this earthDeath cometh soon or late.And how can man die betterThan facing fearful oddsFor the ashes of his fathers,And the temples of his gods!
Battle on the bridgeHoratius.
Horatius.
5. "Hew down the bridge, Sir ConsulWith all the speed ye may;I, with two more to help me,Will hold the foe in play.In yon straight path a thousandMay well be stopped by three.Now, who will stand on either hand,And keep the bridge with me?"6. Then out spoke Spurius Lartius,A Ramnian proud was he:"Lo, I will stand on thy right hand,And keep the bridge with thee."And out spoke strong Herminius,Of Titian blood was he:"I will abide on thy left side,And keep the bridge with thee."7. The three stood calm and silent,And looked upon the foes.And a great shout of laughterFrom all the vanguard rose:And forth three chiefs came spurringBefore that mighty mass;To earth they sprang, their swords they drewAnd lifted high their shields, and flewTo win the narrow pass.8. Aunus from green Tifernum,Lord of the Hill of Tines;And Seius, whose eight hundred slavesSicken in Ilva's mines;And Picus, long to ClusiumVassal in peace and war,Who led to fight his Umbrian powersFrom that gray crag where, girt with towers,The fortress of Nequinum lowersO'er the pale waves of Nar.9. Stout Lartius hurled down AunusInto the stream beneath;Herminius struck at Seius,And clove him to the teeth;At Picus brave HoratiusDarted one fiery thrust,And the proud Umbrian's gilded armsClashed in the bloody dust.10. But meanwhile axe and leverHave manfully been plied,And now the bridge hangs totteringAbove the boiling tide."Come back, come back, Horatius,"Loud cried the Fathers all."Back, Lartius! back, Herminius!Back, ere the ruin fall!"11. Back darted Spurius Lartius;Herminius darted back:And as they passed, beneath their feetThey felt the timbers crack.But when they turned their faces,And on the further shoreSaw brave Horatius stand alone,They would have crossed once more.12. But with a crash like thunderFell every loosened beam,And, like a dam, the mighty wreckLay right athwart the stream;And a long shout of triumphRose from the walls of Rome,As to the highest turret topsWas splashed the yellow foam.13. Alone stood brave Horatius,But constant still in mind;Thrice thirty thousand foes before,And the broad flood behind."Down with him!" cried false Sextus,With a smile on his pale face."Now yield thee," cried Lars Porsena,"Now yield thee to our grace."14. Round turned he, as not deigningThose craven ranks to see;Naught spake he to Lars Porsena,To Sextus naught spake he;But he saw on PalatinusThe white porch of his home,And he spake to the noble riverThat rolls by the towers of Rome.15. "Oh, Tiber! Father Tiber!To whom the Romans pray,A Roman's life, a Roman's arms,Take thou in charge this day!"So he spoke, and speaking sheathedThe good sword by his side,And with his harness on his backPlunged headlong in the tide.16. But fiercely ran the current,Swollen high by months of rain;And fast his blood was flowing;And he was sore in pain,And heavy with his armor,And spent with changing blows:And oft they thought him sinking,But still again he rose.17. And now he feels the bottom;Now on dry earth he stands;Now round him throng the fathers,To press his gory hands;And now with shouts and clapping,And noise of weeping loud,He enters through the River-gate,Borne by the joyous crowd.18. And still his name sounds stirringUnto the men of Rome,As the trumpet-blast that cries to themTo charge the Volscian home;And wives still pray to JunoFor boys with hearts as boldAs his who kept the bridge so wellIn the brave days of old.19. And in the nights of winter,When the cold north winds blow,And the long howling of the wolvesIs heard amidst the snow;When round the lonely cottageRoars loud the tempest's din,And the good logs of AlgidusRoar louder yet within;20. When the oldest cask is opened,And the largest lamp is lit,When the chestnuts glow in the embers,And the kid turns on the spit;When young and old in circleAround the firebrands close;When the girls are weaving baskets,And the lads are shaping bows;21. When the goodman mends his armor,And trims his helmet's plume;When the goodwife's shuttle merrilyGoes flashing through the loom;With weeping and with laughterStill is the story told,How well Horatius kept the bridgeIn the brave days of old.
5. "Hew down the bridge, Sir ConsulWith all the speed ye may;I, with two more to help me,Will hold the foe in play.In yon straight path a thousandMay well be stopped by three.Now, who will stand on either hand,And keep the bridge with me?"
6. Then out spoke Spurius Lartius,A Ramnian proud was he:"Lo, I will stand on thy right hand,And keep the bridge with thee."And out spoke strong Herminius,Of Titian blood was he:"I will abide on thy left side,And keep the bridge with thee."
7. The three stood calm and silent,And looked upon the foes.And a great shout of laughterFrom all the vanguard rose:And forth three chiefs came spurringBefore that mighty mass;To earth they sprang, their swords they drewAnd lifted high their shields, and flewTo win the narrow pass.
8. Aunus from green Tifernum,Lord of the Hill of Tines;And Seius, whose eight hundred slavesSicken in Ilva's mines;And Picus, long to ClusiumVassal in peace and war,Who led to fight his Umbrian powersFrom that gray crag where, girt with towers,The fortress of Nequinum lowersO'er the pale waves of Nar.
9. Stout Lartius hurled down AunusInto the stream beneath;Herminius struck at Seius,And clove him to the teeth;At Picus brave HoratiusDarted one fiery thrust,And the proud Umbrian's gilded armsClashed in the bloody dust.
10. But meanwhile axe and leverHave manfully been plied,And now the bridge hangs totteringAbove the boiling tide."Come back, come back, Horatius,"Loud cried the Fathers all."Back, Lartius! back, Herminius!Back, ere the ruin fall!"
11. Back darted Spurius Lartius;Herminius darted back:And as they passed, beneath their feetThey felt the timbers crack.But when they turned their faces,And on the further shoreSaw brave Horatius stand alone,They would have crossed once more.
12. But with a crash like thunderFell every loosened beam,And, like a dam, the mighty wreckLay right athwart the stream;And a long shout of triumphRose from the walls of Rome,As to the highest turret topsWas splashed the yellow foam.
13. Alone stood brave Horatius,But constant still in mind;Thrice thirty thousand foes before,And the broad flood behind."Down with him!" cried false Sextus,With a smile on his pale face."Now yield thee," cried Lars Porsena,"Now yield thee to our grace."
14. Round turned he, as not deigningThose craven ranks to see;Naught spake he to Lars Porsena,To Sextus naught spake he;But he saw on PalatinusThe white porch of his home,And he spake to the noble riverThat rolls by the towers of Rome.
15. "Oh, Tiber! Father Tiber!To whom the Romans pray,A Roman's life, a Roman's arms,Take thou in charge this day!"So he spoke, and speaking sheathedThe good sword by his side,And with his harness on his backPlunged headlong in the tide.
16. But fiercely ran the current,Swollen high by months of rain;And fast his blood was flowing;And he was sore in pain,And heavy with his armor,And spent with changing blows:And oft they thought him sinking,But still again he rose.
17. And now he feels the bottom;Now on dry earth he stands;Now round him throng the fathers,To press his gory hands;And now with shouts and clapping,And noise of weeping loud,He enters through the River-gate,Borne by the joyous crowd.
18. And still his name sounds stirringUnto the men of Rome,As the trumpet-blast that cries to themTo charge the Volscian home;And wives still pray to JunoFor boys with hearts as boldAs his who kept the bridge so wellIn the brave days of old.
19. And in the nights of winter,When the cold north winds blow,And the long howling of the wolvesIs heard amidst the snow;When round the lonely cottageRoars loud the tempest's din,And the good logs of AlgidusRoar louder yet within;
20. When the oldest cask is opened,And the largest lamp is lit,When the chestnuts glow in the embers,And the kid turns on the spit;When young and old in circleAround the firebrands close;When the girls are weaving baskets,And the lads are shaping bows;
21. When the goodman mends his armor,And trims his helmet's plume;When the goodwife's shuttle merrilyGoes flashing through the loom;With weeping and with laughterStill is the story told,How well Horatius kept the bridgeIn the brave days of old.
Macaulay.
Sitting in a circle
1. The establishment of the republic marked an era in the history of Rome. The people had decreed, that for them there never should be a king, and the law was kept to the letter; though, if they meant that supreme authority should never be held among them by one man, it was violated many times. The story of Rome is unique in the history of the world, for it is not the record of the life of one great country, but of a city that grew to bestrong, and successfully established its authority over many countries.
2. The most ancient and the most remote from the sea of the cities of Latium, Rome soon became the most influential, and began to combine in itself the traits of the peoples near it; but owing to the singular strength and rare impressiveness of the national character, these were assimilated, and the inhabitant of the capital remained distinctively a Roman in spite of his intimate association with men of different origin and training.
3. The citizen of Rome was practical, patriotic, and faithful to obligation; he loved to be governed by inflexible law; and it was a fundamental principle with him that the individual should be subordinate to the state. His kings were either organizers, like Numa and Ancus-Marcius, or warriors like Romulus and Tullus Hostilius; they either made laws, like Servius, or they enforced them with the despotism of Tarquinius Superbus. It is difficult for us to conceive of such majestic power emanating from a territory so insignificant.
4. We hardly realize that Latium did not comprise a territory quite fifty miles by one hundred in extent, and that it was but a hundred miles from the Mediterranean to the Adriatic. It was but a short walk from Rome to the territory of the Etruscans, and when Tarquin found an asylum at Cære, he did not separate himself by twenty miles from the scene of his tyranny. Ostia was scarcely more distant, and one might have ridden before the first meal of the day to Lavinium, or Alba, or Veii, or to Ardea, the ancient city of the Rutuli. It is important to keep these facts in mind as we read the story of the remarkable city.
5. All towns were built on hills in these early days, for safety in case of war, as well as because the valleyswere insalubrious, but this was not a peculiarity of the Romans, for in New England in the late ages of our own ancestors, they were obliged to follow the same custom. On the tops and slopes of seven hills, as they liked to remind themselves, the Romans built their city. They were not impressive elevations, though their sides were sharp and rocky, for the loftiest rose less than three hundred feet above the sea-level. Their summits were crowned with groves of beech trees and oaks, and in the lower lands grew osiers and other smaller varieties.
A large buildingAncient Roman Monument.
Ancient Roman Monument.
6. The earlier occupations of the Roman people were war and agriculture, or the pasturage of flocks and herds. They raised grapes and made wines; they cultivated the oil-olive, and knew the use of its fruit. They found copper in their soil, and made a pound of it their unit of value, but it was so cheap that ten thousand pounds of it were required to buy a war-horse, though cattle and sheepwere much lower. They yoked their oxen and called the path they occupied ajugerum(jugum—a cross-beam or a yoke), and this in time came to be their familiar standard of square measure, containing about two-thirds of an acre. Two of these were assigned to a citizen, and seven were the narrow limit to which only one's landed possessions were for a long time allowed to extend. In time commerce was added to the pursuits of the men, and with it came fortunes and improved dwellings, and public buildings. Laziness and luxury were frowned upon by the early Romans. Mistress and maid worked together in the affairs of the household, like Lucretia and other noble women of whom history tells, and the man did not hesitate to hold the plow, as the example of Cincinnatus will show us. Time was precious, and thrift and economy were necessary to success. The father was the autocrat in the household, and exercised his power with stern rigidity.
7. Art was backward, and came from abroad; of literature there was none, long after Greece had passed its period of heroic poetry. The dwellings of the citizens were low and insignificant, though, as time passed on, they became more massive and important. The vast public structures of the later kings were comparable to the taskwork of the builders of the Egyptian pyramids, and they still strike us with astonishment, and surprise.
8. The religion of these strong conquerors was narrow, severe, and dreary. The early fathers worshiped native deities only. They recognized gods everywhere—in the home, in the grove, and on the mountain. They erected their altars on the hills; they had their lares and penates to watch over their hearth-stones, and their vestal virgins kept everlasting vigil near the never-dying fires in the temples. With the art of Greece that made itself felt through Etruria, came also the influence of the Grecianmythology, and Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva found a shrine on the top of the Capitoline, where the first statue of a deity was erected. The mysterious sibylline books are also a mark of the Grecian influence, coming from Cumæ, a colony of Magna Græcia.
9. During the period we have considered, the city passed through five distinct stages of political organization. The government at first was an elective monarchy, the electors being a patriarchal aristocracy. After the invasion of the Sabines there was a union with that people, the sovereignty being held by rulers chosen from each, but it was not long before Rome became the head of a federal state. The Tarquins established a monarchy, which rapidly degenerated into an offensive tyranny, which aroused rebellion and at last led to the republic.
10. During all these changes, the original aristocrats and their descendants held their position as the Populus Romanus, the Roman people, insisting that every one else must belong to an inferior order, and, as no body of men is willing to be condemned to a hopelessly subordinate position in a state, there was a perpetual antagonism between the patricians and the plebeians, between the aristocracy and the commonalty. This led to a temporary change under Servius Tullius, when property took the place of pedigree in establishing a man's rank and influence; but owing to the peculiar method of voting adopted, the power of the commons was not greatly increased. However, they had made their influence felt, and were encouraged.
11. The overturning of the scheme by Tarquin favored a union of the two orders for the punishment of that tyrant, and they combined; but it was only for a time. When the danger had been removed, the tie was found broken and the antagonism rather increased, so that the subsequenthistory for five generations, though exceedingly interesting, is largely a record of the struggles of the commons for relief from the burdens laid upon them by the aristocrats.
Conversing with one anotherRoman Private Life.
Roman Private Life.
12. The father passed down to his son the story of the oppression of the patricians, and the son told the same sad narrative to his offspring. The mother mourned with her daughter over the sufferings brought upon them by the rich, for whom their poor father and brothers wereobliged to fight the battles, while they were not allowed to share the spoil, nor to divide the lands gained by their own prowess. The struggle was not so much between patrician and plebeian as between the rich and the poor. It was intimately connected with the uses of money in those times. What could the rich Roman do with his accumulations? He might buy land or slaves, or he might become a lender; to a certain extent he could use his surplus in commerce; but of these its most remunerative employment was found in usury. As there were no laws regulating the rates of interest, they became exorbitant, and as it was customary to compound it, debts rapidly grew beyond the possibility of payment. As the rich made the laws they naturally exerted their ingenuity to frame them in such a way as to enable the lender to collect his dues with promptness and with little regard for the feelings or interests of the debtor.
13. It is difficult, if not impossible, for us to form a proper conception of the magnitude of the wrongs involved in the system of money-lending at Rome during the period of the republic. The small farmers were ever needy, and came to their wealthy neighbors for accommodation loans. If these were not paid when due, the debtor was liable to be locked up in prison, to be sold into slavery, with his children, wife, and grandchildren; and the heartless law reads, that in case the estate should prove insufficient to satisfy all claims, the creditors were actually authorized to cut the body to pieces, that each Shylock might take the pound of flesh that he claimed.
14. At last the severity of the lenders overreached itself. It was in the year 495B. C., that a poor but brave debtor, one who had been at the very front in the wars, broke out of his prison, and while the wind flaunted his rags in the face of the populace, clanked his chains and told thestory of his calamities so effectually in words of natural eloquence, that the commons were aroused to madness, and resolved at last to make a vigorous effort, and seek redress for their wrongs in a way that could not be resisted.
15. The form of this man stands out forever on the pages of Roman history, as he entered the forum with all the badges of his misery upon him. His pale and emaciated body was but partially covered by his wretched tatters; his long hair played about his shoulders, and his glaring eyes and the grizzled beard hanging down before him added to his savage wildness. As he passed along he uncovered the scars of near two score battles that remained upon his breast, and explained to inquirers that while he had been serving in the Sabine war, his house had been pillaged and burned by the enemy; that when he had returned to enjoy the sweets of the peace he had helped to win, he had found that his cattle had been driven off, and a tax imposed.
16. To meet the debts that thronged upon him and the interest by which they were aggravated, he had stripped himself of his ancestral farms. Finally, pestilence had overtaken him, and as he was not able to work, his creditor had placed him in a house of detention, the savage treatment in which was shown by the fresh stripes upon his bleeding back.
17. At the moment a war was imminent, and the forum—the entire city, in fact—already excited, was filled with the uproar of the angry plebeians. Many confined for debt broke from their prison-houses and ran from all quarters into the crowds to claim protection. The majesty of the consuls was insufficient to preserve order, and while the discord was rapidly increasing horsemen rushed into the gates announcing that an enemy was actually upon them, marching to besiege the city. Theplebeians saw that their opportunity had arrived, and when proud Appius Claudius called upon them to enroll their names for the war, they refused the summons, saying that the patricians might fight their own battles; that for themselves it was better to perish together at home rather than to go to the field and die separated.
18. Threatened with war beyond the gates, and with riot at home, the patricians were forced to promise to redress the civil grievances. It was ordered that no one could seize or sell the goods of a soldier while he was in camp, or arrest his children, and that no one should detain a citizen in prison or in chains, so as to hinder him from enlisting in the army. When this was known, the released prisoners volunteered in numbers, and entered upon the war with enthusiasm. The legions were victorious, and when peace was declared, the plebeians anxiously looked for the ratification of the promises made to them.
19. Their expectations were disappointed. They had, however, seen their power, and were determined to act upon their new knowledge. Without undue haste they protected their homes on the Aventine, and retreated the next year to a mountain across the Anio, about three miles from the city, to a spot which afterward held a place in the memories of the Romans similar to that which the green meadow on the Thames called Runnymede has held in British history since the June day when King John met his commons there, and gave them the great charter of their liberties.
20. The plebeians said calmly that they would no longer be imposed upon; that not one of them would thereafter enlist for a war until the public faith was made good. They reiterated the declaration that the lords might fight their own battles, so that the perils of conflict should lie where its advantages were. When thesituation of affairs was thoroughly understood, Rome was on fire with anxiety, and the enforced suspense filled the citizens with fear lest an external enemy should take the opportunity for a successful onset upon the city.
21. Meanwhile the poor secessionists fortified their camp, but carefully refrained from actual war. The people left in the city feared the senators, and the senators in turn dreaded the citizens lest they should do them violence. It was a time of panic and suspense. After consultation, good counsels prevailed in the senate, and it was resolved to send an embassy to the despised and downtrodden plebeians, who now seemed to hold the balance of power, and to treat for peace, for there could be no security until the secessionists had returned to their homes.
22. The spokesman on the occasion was Menenius Agrippa Lanatus who was popular with the people and had a reputation for eloquence. The address of this good man had its desired effect, and the people were at last willing to listen to a proposition for their return. It was settled that there should be a general release of all those who had been handed over to their creditors, and a cancelling of debts, and that two of the plebeians should be selected as their protectors, with power to veto objectionable laws, their persons being as inviolable at all times as were those of the sacred messengers of the gods. These demands, showing that the plebeians did not seek political power, were agreed to, the Valerian laws were reaffirmed, and a solemn treaty was concluded, each party swearing for itself and its posterity, with all the formality of representatives of foreign nations.
23. The two leaders of the commons, Caius Licinius and Lucius Albinus, were elected the first tribunes of the people, as the new officers were called, with two ædiles to aid them. They were not to leave the cityduring their term of office, their doors being open night and day, that all who needed their protection might haveaccess to them. The hill upon which this treaty had been concluded was ever after known as the Sacred Mount; its top was enclosed and consecrated, an altar being built upon it, on which sacrifices were offered to Jupiter, the god of terror and deliverance, who had allowed the commons to return home in safety, though they had gone out in trepidation. Henceforth the commons were to be protected; they were better fitted to share the honors as well as the benefits of their country, and the threatened dissolution of the nation was averted.
Arthur Gilman, M. A. "The Story of Rome."
Putnam's "Stories of the Nations Series."
1. In the course of the early Roman wars, Minucius, one of the consuls suffered himself to be cut off from Rome, in a narrow valley of Mount Algidus, and it seemed as if hope of delivery there was none. However, five horsemen found means to escape and report at Rome the perilous condition of the consul and his army. Then the other consul consulted the senate, and it was agreed that the only man who could deliver the army was Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus. He was thereupon named dictator, and deputies were sent to acquaint him with his high dignity.
2. He was called Cincinnatus, because he wore his hair in long curling locks,cincinni, and, though he was a patrician he lived on his own small farm, like any plebeianyeoman. This farm was beyond the Tiber, and here he lived contentedly with his wife Racilia.
3. Two years before he had been consul, and had been brought into great distress by the conduct of his son, Kæso. This Kæso was a Wild and insolent young man, who despised the plebeians and hated their tribunes. One Volscius Fictor alleged that he and his brother, an old and sickly man, had been attacked by Kæso and a party of young patricians by night, and that his brother had died of the treatment then received. The indignation of the people rose high; and Kæso was forced to go into exile. After this the young patricians became more insolent than ever, but they courted the poorest of the people, hoping to engage them on their side against the more respectable plebeians.
4. Next year all Rome was alarmed by finding that the Capitol had been seized by an enemy during the night. This enemy was Appius Herdonius, a Sabine, and with him was associated a band of desperate men, exiles and runaway slaves. The first demand he made was that all Roman exiles should be restored. The consul, P. Valerius, collected a force and took the Capitol, but was killed in the assault, and Cincinnatus, father of the banished Kæso, was chosen to succeed him. When he heard the news of his elevation, he turned to his wife, and said: "I fear, Racilia, our little field must remain this year unsown." Then he assumed the robe of state, and went to Rome. It was believed that Kæso had been concerned in the desperate enterprise that had just been defeated. What had become of him was unknown; but that he was already dead was pretty certain; and his father was very bitter against the tribunes and their party, to whom he attributed his son's disgrace and death.
5. P. Valerius, the consul, had persuaded the plebeiansto join in the assault of the Capitol, by promising to gain them further privileges; this promise Cincinnatus refused to keep, and used all his power to frustrate the attempts of the tribunes to gain its fulfillment. At the end of his year of office, however, when the patricians wished to continue him in the consulship, he positively declined the offer, and returned to his rustic life as if he had never left it.
6. It was two years after these events that the deputies of the senate, who came to invest him with the ensigns of dictatorial power, found him working on his little farm. He was clad in his tunic only, and as the deputies advanced they bade him put on his toga, that he might receive the commands of the senate in seemly guise. So he wiped off the dust and sweat, and bade his wife fetch his toga, and asked anxiously whether all was right or no. Then the deputies told him how the army was beset by the Æquian foe, and how the Senate looked to him as the savior of the state. A boat was provided to carry him over the Tiber; and when he reached the other bank, he was greeted by his family and friends, and the greater part of the senate, who followed him to the city, while he himself walked in state, with his four and twenty lictors.
7. That same day the dictator and his master of horse came down into the forum, ordered all shops to be shut, and all business to be suspended. All men of the military age were to meet in the Field of Mars before sunset, each man with five days' provisions and twelve stakes; the older men were to get the provisions ready, while the soldiers were preparing the stakes. Thus all was got ready in time: the dictator led them forth; and they marched so rapidly, that by midnight they had reached Mount Algidus, where the army of the consul was hemmed in.
8. Then the dictator, when he had discovered the place of the enemy's army, ordered his men to put all their baggage down in one place, and then to surround the enemy's camp. They obeyed, and each one raising a shout, began digging the trench and fixing his stakes, so as to form a palisade round the enemy. The consul's army, which was hemmed in, heard the shout of their brethren, and flew to arms; and so hotly did they fight all night, that the Æquians had no time to attend to the new foe, and next morning found themselves hemmed in on all sides by the trench and palisade, so that they were now between two Roman armies. They were thus forced to surrender. The dictator required them to give up their chiefs, and made their whole army pass under the yoke, which was formed by two spears fixed upright in the ground, and a third bound across them at the top.
9. Cincinnatus returned to Rome amid the shouts and exultation of his soldiers: they gave him a golden crown, in token that he had saved the lives of many citizens; and the senate decreed that he should enter the city in triumph. So Cincinnatus accomplished the purpose for which he had been made dictator in twenty-four hours. One evening he marched forth to deliver the consul, and the next evening he returned victorious. But he would not lay down his high office till he had avenged his son. Accordingly, he summoned Volscius Fictor, the accuser, and had him tried for perjury. The man was condemned and banished; and then Cincinnatus once more returned to his wife and farm.
Liddell.
1. Among the most interesting of the early legends of Rome is that of Virginius, a soldier of the army belonging to the plebeian order. While performing his duty in the army which was encamped about twenty miles from Rome, his young daughter, Virginia, about fifteenyears of age found her home with her near relatives in the city. Her beauty attracted the attention of Appius Claudius, one of the ten governors of Rome. With the view of getting possession of her person, he ordered one of his clients, M. Claudius by name, to lay hands upon her as she was going to her school in the Forum, and to claim her as his slave. The man did so; and when the cries of her nurse brought a crowd round them, M. Claudius insisted on taking her before the decemvir, in order (as he said) to have the case fairly tried. Her friends consented, and no sooner had Appius heard the matter, than he gave judgment that the maiden should be delivered up to the claimant, who should be bound to produce her in case her alleged father appeared to gainsay the claim.
Claimed as a slaveThe Seizure of Virginia.
The Seizure of Virginia.
2. Now this judgment was directly against one of the laws of the Twelve Tables, which Appius himself had framed: for therein it was provided, that any person being at freedom should continue free, till it was proved that such person was a slave. Icilius her betrothed, therefore, with Numitorius, the uncle of the maiden, boldly argued against the legality of the judgment; and at length, Appius, fearing a tumult, agreed to leave the girl in their hands, on condition of their giving bail to bring her before him next morning; and then, if Virginius did not appear, he would at once, he said, give her up to her pretended master.
3. To this Icilius consented; but he delayed giving bail, pretending that he could not procure it readily, and in the mean time he sent off a secret message to the camp on Algidus to inform Virginius of what had happened. As soon as the bail was given, Appius also sent a message to the decemvirs in command of that army, ordering them to refuse leave of absence to Virginius. But when this last message arrived, Virginius was already half-wayon his road to Rome; for the distance was not more than twenty miles, and he had started at nightfall.
4. Next morning early, Virginius entered the forum leading his daughter by the hand, both clad in mean attire. A great number of friends and matrons attended him; and he went about among the people entreating them to support him against the tyranny of Appius. So, when Appius came to take his place on the judgment-seat, he found the forum full of people, all friendly to Virginius and his cause. But he inherited the boldness as well as the vices of his sires, and though he saw Virginius standing there, ready to prove that he was the maiden's father, he at once gave judgment against his own law, that Virginia should be given up to M. Claudius, till it should be proved that she was free. The wretch came up to seize her, and the lictors kept the people from him. Virginius now despairing of deliverance, begged Appius to allow him to ask the maiden whether she were indeed his daughter or no. "If," said he, "I find I am not her father, I shall bear her loss the lighter." Under this pretense, he drew her aside to a spot upon the northern side of the forum (afterward called the Novæ Tabernæ), and here, snatching up a knife from a butcher's stall, he cried: "In this way only can I keep thee free!" and, so saying, stabbed her to the heart.
5. Then he turned to the tribunal, and said: "On thee, Appius, and on thy head be this blood." Appius cried out to sieze "the murderer"; but the crowd made way for Virginius, and he passed through them holding up the bloody knife, and went out at the gate, and made straight for the army. There, when the soldiers had heard his tale, they at once abandoned their decemviral generals, and marched to Rome. They were soon followed by the other army from the Sabine frontier; forto them Icilius had gone, and Numitorius; and they found willing ears among the men. So the two armies joined their banners, elected new generals, and encamped upon the Aventine hill, the quarter of the plebeians.
6. Meantime, the people at home had risen against Appius; and after driving him from the forum, they joined their armed fellow citizens upon the Aventine. There the whole body of the commons, armed and unarmed, hung like a dark cloud ready to burst upon the city.
Liddell.
1. When Appius Claudius saw that deed he shuddered and sank down,And hid his face some little space with the corner of his gown,Till with white lips and blood-shot eyes Virginius tottered nigh,And stood before the judgment-seat, and held the knife on high."Oh! dwellers in the nether gloom, avengers of the slain,By this dear blood, I cry to you, do right between us twain;And even as Appius Claudius hath dealt with me and mine,Deal you by Appius Claudius and all the Claudian line!"So spake the slayer of his child, and turned, and went his way;But first he cast one haggard glance to where the body lay,And writhed, and groaned a fearful groan; and then with steadfast feet,Strode right across the market-place into the sacred street.2. Then up sprang Appius Claudius: "Stop him; alive or dead!Ten thousand pounds of copper to the man who brings his head."He looked upon his clients, but none would work his will.He looked upon his lictors, but they trembled and stood still.And as Virginius, through the press, his way in silence cleft,Ever the mighty multitude fell back to right and left.And he hath passed in safety unto his woful home,And there ta'en horse to tell the camp what deeds are done in Rome.3. By this the flood of people was swollen from every side,And streets and porches round were filled with that o'erflowing tide,And close around the body gathered a little trainOf them that were the nearest and dearest to the slain.They brought a bier, and hung it with many a cypress crown,And gently they uplifted her, and gently laid her down.The face of Appius Claudius wore the Claudian scowl and sneer,And in the Claudian note he cried, "What doth this rabble here?Have they no crafts to mind at home, that hitherward they stray?Ho! lictors, clear the market-place, and fetch the corpse away!"4. Till then the voice of pity and fury was not loud,But a deep, sullen murmur, wandered among the crowd.Like the moaning noise that goes before the whirlwind on the deep,Or the growl of a fierce watch-dog but half-aroused from sleep.But when the lictors at that word, tall yeomen all, and strong,Each with his axe and sheaf of twigs, went down into the throng,Those old men say, who saw that day of sorrow and of sin,That in the Roman Forum was never such a din.The wailing, hooting, cursing, the howls of grief and hate,Were heard beyond the Pincian hill, beyond the Latin gate.5. But close around the body, where stood the little trainOf them that were the nearest and dearest to the slain,No cries were there, but teeth set fast, low whispers, and black frowns,And breaking up of benches, and girding up of gowns.'Twas well the lictors might not pierce to where the maiden lay,Else surely had they been all twelve torn limb from limb that day.Right glad they were to struggle back, blood streaming from their heads,With axes all in splinters, and raiment all in shreds.
1. When Appius Claudius saw that deed he shuddered and sank down,And hid his face some little space with the corner of his gown,Till with white lips and blood-shot eyes Virginius tottered nigh,And stood before the judgment-seat, and held the knife on high."Oh! dwellers in the nether gloom, avengers of the slain,By this dear blood, I cry to you, do right between us twain;And even as Appius Claudius hath dealt with me and mine,Deal you by Appius Claudius and all the Claudian line!"So spake the slayer of his child, and turned, and went his way;But first he cast one haggard glance to where the body lay,And writhed, and groaned a fearful groan; and then with steadfast feet,Strode right across the market-place into the sacred street.
2. Then up sprang Appius Claudius: "Stop him; alive or dead!Ten thousand pounds of copper to the man who brings his head."He looked upon his clients, but none would work his will.He looked upon his lictors, but they trembled and stood still.And as Virginius, through the press, his way in silence cleft,Ever the mighty multitude fell back to right and left.And he hath passed in safety unto his woful home,And there ta'en horse to tell the camp what deeds are done in Rome.
3. By this the flood of people was swollen from every side,And streets and porches round were filled with that o'erflowing tide,And close around the body gathered a little trainOf them that were the nearest and dearest to the slain.They brought a bier, and hung it with many a cypress crown,And gently they uplifted her, and gently laid her down.The face of Appius Claudius wore the Claudian scowl and sneer,And in the Claudian note he cried, "What doth this rabble here?Have they no crafts to mind at home, that hitherward they stray?Ho! lictors, clear the market-place, and fetch the corpse away!"
4. Till then the voice of pity and fury was not loud,But a deep, sullen murmur, wandered among the crowd.Like the moaning noise that goes before the whirlwind on the deep,Or the growl of a fierce watch-dog but half-aroused from sleep.But when the lictors at that word, tall yeomen all, and strong,Each with his axe and sheaf of twigs, went down into the throng,Those old men say, who saw that day of sorrow and of sin,That in the Roman Forum was never such a din.The wailing, hooting, cursing, the howls of grief and hate,Were heard beyond the Pincian hill, beyond the Latin gate.
5. But close around the body, where stood the little trainOf them that were the nearest and dearest to the slain,No cries were there, but teeth set fast, low whispers, and black frowns,And breaking up of benches, and girding up of gowns.'Twas well the lictors might not pierce to where the maiden lay,Else surely had they been all twelve torn limb from limb that day.Right glad they were to struggle back, blood streaming from their heads,With axes all in splinters, and raiment all in shreds.
She's deadThe Dead Virginia.
The Dead Virginia.
6. Then Appius Claudius gnawed his lip, and the blood left his cheek;And thrice he beckoned with his hand, and thrice he strove to speak;And thrice the tossing forum sent up a frightful yell—"See, see, thou dog! what thou hast done; and hide thy shame in hell,Thou that wouldst make our maidens slaves, must first make slaves of men.Tribunes!—Hurrah for tribunes! Down with the wicked Ten!"And straightway, thick as hailstones, came whizzing through the airPebbles, and bricks, and potsherds, all round the curule chair;And upon Appius Claudius great fear and trembling came;For never was a Claudius yet brave against aught but shame.7. So now 'twas seen of Appius. When stones began to fly,He shook, and crouched, and wrung his hands, and smote upon his thigh."Kind clients, honest lictors, stand by me in this fray!Must I be torn to pieces? Home, home the nearest way."While yet he spake, and looked around with a bewildered stare,Four sturdy lictors put their necks beneath the curule chair;And fourscore clients on the left, andfourscore on the right,Arrayed themselves with swords and staves, and loins girt up for fight.8. But, though without or staff or sword, so furious was the throng,That scarce the train, with might and main, could bring their lord along.Twelve times the crowd made at him; five times they seized his gown;Small chance was his to rise again, if once they got him down:And sharper came the pelting; and evermore the yell—"Tribunes! we will have tribunes!" rose with a louder swell:And the chair tossed as tosses a bark with tattered sail,When raves the Adriatic beneath an eastern gale,When the Calabrian sea-marks are lost in clouds of spume,And the great Thunder-Cape has donned his veil of inky gloom.One stone hit Appius in the mouth, and one beneath the ear;And ere he reached Mount Palatine, he swooned with pain and fear.His cursed head, that he was wont to hold so high with pride,Now, like a drunken man's, hung down, and swayed from side to side;And when his stout retainers had brought him to his door,His neck and face were all one cake of filth and clotted gore.
6. Then Appius Claudius gnawed his lip, and the blood left his cheek;And thrice he beckoned with his hand, and thrice he strove to speak;And thrice the tossing forum sent up a frightful yell—"See, see, thou dog! what thou hast done; and hide thy shame in hell,Thou that wouldst make our maidens slaves, must first make slaves of men.Tribunes!—Hurrah for tribunes! Down with the wicked Ten!"And straightway, thick as hailstones, came whizzing through the airPebbles, and bricks, and potsherds, all round the curule chair;And upon Appius Claudius great fear and trembling came;For never was a Claudius yet brave against aught but shame.
7. So now 'twas seen of Appius. When stones began to fly,He shook, and crouched, and wrung his hands, and smote upon his thigh."Kind clients, honest lictors, stand by me in this fray!Must I be torn to pieces? Home, home the nearest way."While yet he spake, and looked around with a bewildered stare,Four sturdy lictors put their necks beneath the curule chair;And fourscore clients on the left, andfourscore on the right,Arrayed themselves with swords and staves, and loins girt up for fight.
8. But, though without or staff or sword, so furious was the throng,That scarce the train, with might and main, could bring their lord along.Twelve times the crowd made at him; five times they seized his gown;Small chance was his to rise again, if once they got him down:And sharper came the pelting; and evermore the yell—"Tribunes! we will have tribunes!" rose with a louder swell:And the chair tossed as tosses a bark with tattered sail,When raves the Adriatic beneath an eastern gale,When the Calabrian sea-marks are lost in clouds of spume,And the great Thunder-Cape has donned his veil of inky gloom.One stone hit Appius in the mouth, and one beneath the ear;And ere he reached Mount Palatine, he swooned with pain and fear.His cursed head, that he was wont to hold so high with pride,Now, like a drunken man's, hung down, and swayed from side to side;And when his stout retainers had brought him to his door,His neck and face were all one cake of filth and clotted gore.