Learning Latin With Plutarch II: Exitium Veiorum

I’ve started working on a second volume of my Learning Latin With Plutarch series which provides excerpts from Plutarch’s Lives in intermediate Latin. You can check out Volume I here, and I will posting sections from Volume II as I finish them. If you like this sort of thing, please show your support by liking posts, buying books and leaving favorable reviews for books!

Exitium Veiorum

In anno belli decimo Senatus fecit Camillum esse dictator. Camillus statim vota deis fecit, et exercitus ad Veios incessit. Ibi imperavit ut^[1] cuniculae sub urbe foderentur. Dum cuniculae aedificantur, Camillus impetum parvum contra urbem mandavit ne^[2] Veientes cuniculas animadverterent.

Tandem cuniculae sub arcem, quae est prope templum Iunonis, advenerunt. Eo ipso tempore princeps Tuscorum sacrificium offerebat, et sacerdos, viscera tollens, clamavit, “Dei victoriam populo, qui sacrificia perficiet, dabunt.” Hoc audiens Romani per terram ruperunt, et viscera abstulerunt ut^[3] Camillo ferrent. Tunc Romani urbem vi tota petiverunt, et Veios ceperunt.

Militibus urbem spoliantibus^[4] Camillus in turre alta videns lacrimavit, et oravit, “O Jupiter supremus et vos dei, qui sunt iudices actionum bonarumque scelestarum, scitis^[5] nos, cum causa bona sed necessitate tam coactos, pulsos esse ut^[6] urbem hostium iniustorumque scelestorum ulciscamur. Sin in vicissitudine rerum tibi calamitatem debetis, oro ut^[7] calamitas e urbeque agminibus Romanis divertatur et quam minimo^[8] dolore in caput meum cadat.”

Tun Camillus ad dextram vertens lapsus est, sed se recuperato^[9] dixit, “Quidem accepi quid^[10] rogaverim. Roma maxima fortunam bonam accepit, et calamitatem minimam accepi.”

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[1] Introduces an indirect command

[2] Introduces a purpose clause

[3] Introduces a purpose clause

[4] An ablative absolute

[5] Introduces an indirect statement

[6] Introduces a result clause

[7] Introduces an indirect command

[8] Quam with the superlative- as little pain as possible

[9] An ablative absolute

[10] Introduces an indirect question

Vocabulary

Actiō, actiōnis, f.- action, act, deed

Adveniō, īre, advēnī, adventus- to arrive

Aedificō, āre, āvī, ātus- to build

Animadvertō, ere, animadvertī, animadversus- to notice, observe

Annus, ī, m.- year

Arx, arcis, f.- citadel

Aufero, auferre, abstuli, ablatus- to carry away, take away

Bellum, ī, n.- war

Camillus, ī, m.- Camillus (a Roman name)

Cūnicula, ae, f.- tunnel

Debeō, ēre, debuī, debitus- ought, should, must; to owe

Deus, ī, m.- god

Dictātor, dictātōris, m.- dictator

Exercitus, ūs, m.- army

Faciō, ere, fēcī, factus- to make, do

Fodiō, ere, fōdī, fossus- to dig

Imperō, āre, āvī, ātus- to command

Impetus, ūs, m.- attack

Incedō, ere, incessī, incessus- to march, advance

Iudex, iudicis, m.- judge

Iūnō, Iūnonis, f.- Juno

Mandō, āre, āvī, ātus- to order

Parvus, a, um- small, little

Prīnceps, principis, m.- leader, chief

Prope + acc- near

Rumpo, ere, rupi, ruptus- to break; destroy

Sacrificium, ī, n.- sacrifice

Senātus, ūs, m.- senate

Sin (conj.)- but if; if on the contrary

Statim- immediately

Sub + abl- under, beneath

Sum, esse, fuī, futūrus- to be

Supremus, a, um- final, last; highest

Tandem- at last

Templum, ī, n.- temple

Tempus, temporis, n.- time

Tuscī, ōrum, m. pl.- Tuscans

Urbs, is, f.- city

Veientēs, ium, m. pl.- the Veientes (people of Veii)

Veiī, ōrum, m. pl.- Veii (Etruscan city)

Vicissitudo, vicissitudinis, f.- change, vicissitude

Vōtum, ī, n.- vow, solemn promise

Translation

In the seventh year of the war, the Senate made Camillus dictator. Camillus immediately made vows to the gods, and the army marched to Veii. There he ordered mines to be dug under the city. While the mines were being built, Camillus ordered a small attack against the city so that the Veientes would not notice the mines.

At last the mines arrived beneath the citadel which was near the temple of Juno. At that very moment the prince of the Tuscans was offering sacrifices, and the priest, holding the innards, shouted, “The gods will give victory to the people who complete the sacrifices.” Hearing this the Romans burst through the earth and seized the viscera in order to to bring them to Camillus. Then the Romans attacked the city with its whole force and captured Veii.

While the soldiers were plundering the city, Camillus, who was watching in a high tower, wept and prayed, “O most high Jupiter and you gods, who are the judges of good and evil deeds, you know that we, with good cause and so compelled by necessity, were driven to take vengeance on the city of our wicked and unjust enemies. But if in the vicissitude of things you owe us calamity, I pray that the calamity will be turned from our city and the Roman armies and it will fall on my head with as little pain as possible.”

Then turning to the right, Camillus fell, but, after he had recovered, he said, “Indeed I have received what I asked for. Roma has received a very great and good fortune, and I have received a very small calamity.”