Learning Latin With Plutarch II: Magister Scelestus
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!
Magister Scelestus
Postea Roma dissensione turbabatur: plebs urbem dividere voluit, et Romanos dimidios ad Veios captos mittere voluit. Nobiles autem Romani sciverunt[1] dividere urbem esse stultitiam. Forte bellum cum Faliscis accidit, et Camillus Romanos contra Faliscos duxit. Romani urbem Faleriorum obsidebant, sed urbs erat bene munitaque plena ciborum. Quamquam labor erat difficillimus, Camillus cupivit cives a Roma abesse ne[2] de divisione urbis conloquerentur. Quidem Romani saepe medicamen hoc in dissensione civili usi sunt.
Moenia autem credentes Falisci Romanos non timebant, et vivebant ut in pace vivere solebant: vestes usitatas gerebant, et pueri ad ludum veniebant. Magister autem Faliscos prodere cupivit; cotidie itaque pueros a urbe paulatim duxit. Tandem pueri fortesque audaces ad castra Romana ducti sunt, et magister eos Romanis dedit. Tunc vir scelestus poposcit ut[3] dux Romanorum veniret.
Camillo ingresso[4] magister dixit, “Sum dominusque magister liberorum horum, sed beneficium tuum potius quam[5] obligationes ullas malo. Ego igitur discipulos meosque urbem parentum tibi do. Magistro audito[6] Camillus, ad Romanos alios vertens, locutus est, “Quidem bellum necessario est iniustumque violentum. Leges autem quaedam ab viris bonis vel[7] in bello observantur, nec victoria tam magna est ut[8] nos actiones turpesque viles facere debeamus. Dux magna virtuti non vitio virorum aliorum credit. Nunc virum hunc rapite, exuite, ligate.”
Tunc Camillus imperavit ut[9] Romani bacula discipulis darentque pueri perfidum punirentque ad urbem pellerent. Illo tempore parentes puerorum maleficia invenerunt, et lacrimaeque clamores extra urbem audiri poterant. Cum[10] autem parentesque cives urbis discipulos pellentes magistrum baculis vidissent, admirabantur. Tantus amorque admiratio iustitiae Camilli Faliscos moverunt ut[11] statim mitterent legatos Camillo qui legatos illos senatui mittat.
In Roma pro senatu legati dixerunt, “Romani, qui iustitiam potius quam victoriam malunt, subjectionem nobis docuerunt. Quamquam nos non eramus minus in vi, eramus minus in virtuti.” Tum senatus imperavit ut[12] Camillus rem decerneret. Tunc Camillus poposcit ut[13] Falisci pecuniam darent, et Romanique Falisci pacem habuerunt.
[1] Introduces an indirect statement
[2] Introduces a purpose clause
[3] Introduces an indirect command
[4] An ablative absolute
[5] potius quam- rather than
[6] An ablative absolute
[7] even
[8] Introduces a result clause
[9] Introduces an indirect command
[10] A cum temporal clause
[11] Introduces a result clause
[12] Introduces an indirect command
[13] Introduces an indirect command
Vocabulary
Absum, abesse, afuī, afuturus- to be away, absent; to be lacking
Accidō, ere, accidī, accisus- to happen
Admiror, ārī, ātus sum- to admire
Amor, ōris, m.- love
Audāx, audācis- bold, daring
Audiō, īre, īvī, ītus- to hear
Bāculum, ī, n.- stick, rod
Bellum, ī, n.- war
Beneficium, ī, n.- favor, kindness
Capiō, ere, cēpī, captus- to capture
Castra, ōrum, n. pl.- (military) camp
Cibus, ī, m.- food
Cīvis, is, m./f.- citizen
Clāmor, ōris, m.- shout, cry
Conloquor, ī, conlocūtus sum- to converse
Cotīdiē (adv.)- daily
Crēdō, ere, crēdidī, crēditus- to believe
Cupiō, ere, īvī, ītus- to desire
Dēbeō, ēre, uī, itus- to owe, ought
Dēcernō, ere, crēvī, crētus- to decide
Difficilis, is, e- difficult
Dīmidius, a, um- half
Discipulus, ī, m.- student
Dissēnsiō, ōnis, f.- disagreement, dissension
Dīvidō, ere, vīsī, vīsus- to divide
Dō, dare, dedī, datus- to give
Doceō, ēre, docuī, doctus- to teach
Dūcō, ere, dūxī, ductus- to lead
Exuō, ere, uī, ūtus- to strip
Falerii, ōrum, m. pl.- Falerii (city)
Falisci, orum, m.pl.- Falerians
Forte (adv.)- by chance
Gerō, ere, gessī, gestus- to wear; carry out
Ingredior, ī, ingressus sum- to enter, go into
Iniūstus, a, um- unjust
Iūstitia, ae, f.- justice
Labor, ōris, m.- work, hardship
Lacrima, ae, f.- tear
Lēgātus, ī, m.- ambassador, envoy
Lēx, lēgis, f.- law
Līber, lībera, līberum- free
Ligō, āre, āvī, ātus- to bind, tie
Lūdus, ī, m.- school; game
Magister, trī, m.- teacher, master
Maleficium, ī, n.- wrongdoing, crime
Mālō, mālle, māluī- to prefer
Medicāmen, inis, n.- remedy, cure
Mittō, ere, mīsī, missus- to send
Mōenia, ium, n. pl.- walls (city walls)
Moveō, ēre, mōvī, mōtus- to move, influence
Mūniō, īre, īvī, ītus- to fortify
Nōbilis, is, e- noble, high-born
Obligātiō, ōnis, f.- obligation
Observō, āre, āvī, ātus- to observe, heed
Obsideō, ēre, sēdī, sessus- to besiege
Paulātim (adv.)- little by little
Pāx, pācis, f.- peace
Pecūnia, ae, f.- money
Pellō, ere, pepulī, pulsus- to drive out
Plēbs, plēbis, f.- common people, plebeians
Popōscō, ere- to demand, request
Posteā- afterwards
Potius (adv.)- rather
Prōdō, ere, didī, ditus- to betray, hand over
Puer, ī, m.- boy
Pūniō, īre, īvī, ītus- to punish
Quidem (adv.)- indeed, certainly
Rapiō, ere, rapuī, raptus- to seize
Rōma, ae, f.- Rome
Scelestus, a, um- wicked, criminal
Sciō, īre, īvī, ītus- to know
Senātus, ūs, m.- senate
Stultitia, ae, f.- foolishness
Subiectio, subiectionis, f.- subjection; inferiority
Tam (adv.)- so
Tandem (adv.)- finally
Tempus, temporis, n.- time
Timeō, ēre, uī- to fear
Tunc (adv.)- then
Turbō, āre, āvī, ātus- to disturb, throw into confusion
Turpis, is, e- disgraceful, shameful
Urbs, urbis, f.- city
Ūsitātus, a, um- usual, customary
Veiī, ōrum, m. pl.- Veii (Etruscan city)
Victōria, ae, f.- victory
Videō, ēre, vīdī, vīsus- to see
Vīlis, is, e- cheap, base, vile
Violentus, a, um- violent
Vir, virī, m.- man
Virtūs, ūtis, f.- virtue, courage, strength
Vīvō, ere, vīxī, vīctus- to live
Volō, velle, voluī- to want
Translation
Afterwards Rome was disturbed by dissension: the plebeians wanted to divide the city and to send half the Romans to Veii which had been captured. However, the Roman nobles knew that to divide the city was foolishness. By chance a war with the Faliscans happened, and Camillus lead the Romans against the Faliscans. The Romans besieged the city of Falerii, but the city was well fortified and pull of food. Although the labor was very difficult, Camillus wanted the citizens to be far from the city so that they would not talk about the division of the city. Indeed the Romans often used this medicine in civil division.
However, the Falerians, because they trusted their walls, did not fear the Romans, and they lived as they were accustomed to live in peace: they were their usual dress, and children went to school. But the teacher wanted to betray the Falerians, and so daily he led the children from the city little bit by little bit. At last the brave and daring children were led to the Roman camp, and the teacher gave them to the Romans. Then the wicked man demanded that the leader of the Roman come.
After Camillus had entered, the teacher said, “I am the lord and master of these children, but I prefer your benefit rather than any obligations. I, therefore, give my students and the city of their parents to you. Once the teacher had been heard, Camillus, turning to the other Romans, said, “Indeed war necessarily is unjust and violent. However, certain laws are observed by good men even in war, and victory is not so great that we should do base and vile deeds. A great leader trusts virtue not the vice of other men. Now grab this man, strip him, and bind him.”
Then Camillus ordered that the Romans give rods to the students, the boys punish the traitor and they drive him to the city. At that time the parents of the children discovered the crime, and their weeping and shouting was able to be heard outside the city. However, when the parents and citizens of the city had seen the students driving the teacher with their rods, they were amazed. Such love and admiration for the justice of Camillus moved the Falerians that immediately they sent messengers to Camillus who sent those messengers to the senate.
In Rome before the senate the messengers said, “The Romans, who prefer justice rather than victory, have taught subjection to us. Although we were not less than you in strength, we were less in virtue.” Then the senate ordered that Camillus determine the matter. Then Camillus demanded that the Faliscans pay money, and the Romans and the Falerians had peace.