Helps to Latin Translation at Sight Part 39

+Marcellus at Nola.+ 'It was the merit of Marcellus that he saved Nola from being taken.' --Ihne.

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SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.

_Cicero's Description of Syracuse._

Urbem Syracusas maximam esse Graecarum urbium pulcherrimamque omnium saepe audistis, Est, indices, ita, ut dicitur: nam et situ est c.u.m munito, tum ex omni aditu vel terra vel mari praeclaro ad aspectum: et portus habet prope in aedificatione {5} aspectuque urbis inclusos: qui c.u.m diversos inter se aditus habeant, in exitu coniunguntur et confluunt. Eorum coniunctione pars oppidi, quae appellatur Insula, mari disiuncta angusto, ponte rursum adiungitur et continetur. Ea tanta est urbs, ut ex {10} quattuor urbibus maximis constare dicatur: quarum una est ea, quam dixi, Insula: quae duobus portubus cincta, in utriusque portus ostium aditumque proiecta est: in qua domus est, quae Hieronis regis fuit, qua praetores uti solent. Altera autem est urbs {15} Syracusis, cui nomen Achradina est: in qua forum maximum, pulcherrimae porticus, ornatissimum prytaneum, amplissima est curia, templumque egregium Iovis Olympii. Tertia est urbs, quae, quod in ea parte Fortunae fanum antiquum fuit, {20} Tycha nominata est, in qua et gymnasium amplissimum est et complures aedes sacrae: coliturque ea pars et habitatur frequentissime. Quarta autem est urbs, quae quia postrema coaedificata est, Neapolis nominatur: quam ad summam theatrum est maximum. {25}

CICERO, _In Verrem_, ii. 4. 117-119.

[Linenotes: 5-6. +prope ... inclusos+, a special feature of Syracuse, because many ancient cities were built at some distance from the sea, with a harbour detached from them (e.g. Ostia, the port of Rome), though sometimes joined by long walls, as at Athens.

7. +in exitu+ = _at their outlet_, i.e. the narrow channel between Ortygia (= Insula) and the mainland which connected the two harbours.

9. +disiuncta+ = _separated from the rest_ (+dis+--).

12. +Insula+, i.e. Ortygia, the only part now inhabited.

14. +Hieronis regis+, King of Syracuse, 270-216 B.C., distinguished by his military ability and the wise policy of his reign. From 263 B.C. till his death, the faithful friend and ally of Rome.

16. +Achradina+, the mainland N. of Ortygia. At the time of the famous siege of Syracuse by the Athenians, 415-413 B.C., the city consisted only of Ortygia and Achradina.

18. +prytaneum+ = _town-hall_ (p??ta?e??? = _the presidents'

hall_).

25. +theatrum est maximum+, capable of holding 25,000 people. Of all the buildings described by Cicero as existing in Neapolis, the Theatre alone remains.]

+Reference.+ Freeman's _History of Sicily_.

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SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.

_Engineering Skill of Archimedes._

Adversus hunc navalem apparatum Archimedes variae magnitudinis tormenta in muria disposuit. In eas, quae procul erant, naves saxa ingenti pondere emittebat, propiores levioribus eoque magis crebris petebat telis; postremo, ut sui vulnere intacti tela {5} in hostem ingererent, murum ab imo ad summum crebris cubitalibus fere cavis aperuit, per quae cava pars sagittis pars scorpionibus modicis ex occulto petebant hostem.

Quae propius quaedam subibant naves, quo interiores ictibus tormentorum essent, in {10} eas tollenone super murum eminente ferrea ma.n.u.s, firmae catenae illigata, c.u.m iniecta prorae esset gravique libramento plumbi recelleret ad solum, suspensa prora navem in puppim statuebat; dein remissa subito velut ex muro cadentem navem c.u.m {15} ingenti trepidatione nautarum ita undae affligebat, ut, etiam si recta reciderat, aliquantum aquae acciperet, Ita maritima oppugnatio est elusa omnisque spes eo versa, ut totis viribus terra aggrederentur. Sed ea quoque pars eodem omni apparatu tormehtorum instructa {20} erat Hieronis impensis curaque per multos annos, Archimedis unica arte.

LIVY, xxiv, 34.

[Linenotes: 1. +adversus ... apparatum+, i.e. to oppose the elaborate naval attack by Marcellus on the seaward defences of Achradina.

7. +cubitalibus fere cavis+ = _with holes_ (fr. +cavum+ = noun) _about 1 feet square_, +cubitalibus+ (_cubitum_) = _a cubit long_.

Polybius has a _palm_ long, about 3 inches. This is more probable.

8. +scorpionibus+ = _crossbows_ or _manuballistae_.

10. +quo interiores ... essent+ = _so as to be too close in to be hit by_ (+intertores ictibus+) _the engines_.

10-12. +in eas+ (sc. +proras+) +iniecta+ = _on their bows was dropped_ ...

11. +tollenone+ = _from a swing beam_, supported at the centre of gravity by a strong fixed fulcrum.

12-13. +c.u.m (ferrea ma.n.u.s) gravique ... ad solum+ = lit. _when (the grappling-iron) swung back_ (+recelleret+) _to the ground by a heavyweight of lead_. 'This is incorrect; it was not the grappling-iron, but the other (_inland_) end of the lever which was brought down to the ground.' --Rawlins.

15. +remissa+ (sc. +ferrea ma.n.u.s+) = _the grappling-hook was (then) suddenly let go_.

16. +ita undae affligebat+ = _was dashed with such violence on the disturbed water_ (+undae+).]

+Cause of the War.+ Soon after the death of Hiero in 216 B.C., his whole family was murdered, and the supreme power in Syracuse fell into the hands of the two brothers, Hippocrates and Epicydes, Hannibal's agents.

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SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.

_Marcellus laments over Syracuse._

Marcellus ut moenia ingressus ex superioribus locis urbem omnium ferme ilia tempestate pulcherrimam subiectam oculis vidit, illacrima.s.se dicitur partim gaudio tantae perpetratae rei, partim vetusta gloria urbis. Atheniensium cla.s.ses demersae et duo {5} ingentes exercitus c.u.m duobus clarissimis ducibus deleti occurrebant et tot bella c.u.m Carthaginiensibus tanto c.u.m discrimine gesta, tot tam opulenti tyranni regesque, praeter ceteros Hiero c.u.m recentissimae memoriae rex, tum ante omnia, quae virtus ei fortunaque {10} sua dederat, beneficiis in populum Romanum insignis. Ea c.u.m universa occurrerent animo subiretque cogitatio, iam illa momento horae arsura omnia et ad cineres reditura, priusquam signa Achradinam admoveret, praemitt.i.t Syracusanos, {15} qui intra praesidia Romana fuerant, ut alloquio leni impellerent hostes ad dedendam urbem. . . . Achradina diripienda militi data est. c.u.m multa irae, multa avaritiae foeda exempla ederentur, Archimeden memoriae proditum est in tanto tumultu, quantum {20} pavor captae urbis in discursu diripientium militum ciere poterat, intentum formis, quas in pulvere descripserat, ab ignaro milite, quis esset, interfectum; aegre id Marcellum tulisse sepulturaeque curam habitam, et propinquis etiam inquisitis honori praesidioque {25} nomen ac memoriam eius fuisse.

LIVY, xxv. 24, 31.

[Linenotes: 1-2. +ex superioribus locis+, i.e. from the heights of Epipolae, which he had taken by a night attack, when the Syracusans were celebrating a three days' festival of Artemis.

6. +ducibus+, e.g. Lamachus, Eurymedon, Demosthenes.

7-8. +tot bella ... gesta+, e.g. at Himera, 480 B.C., on the same day as Salamis.

8-9. +tot tam ... regesque+, e.g. Gelo, 485 B.C.; Dionysius the Elder, 406 B.C.; Hiero II., the friend and ally of Rome, King of Syracuse, 270-216 B.C.

8. +tyranni+, i.e. _absolute rulers, despots_, with reference rather to the _irregular way_ in which the power was gained, than the way in which it _was exercised_.

16. +qui ... fuerant+, i.e. Syracusan deserters who kept up communication with the republican (pro-Roman) party in Syracuse.

22. +formis+ = _diagrams_.

24. +sepulturae+. Cf. Demonstration VI, page 54.]

+The Treatment of Syracuse.+ It would have been the undying glory of Marcellus if, on obtaining possession, he had s.h.i.+elded the unhappy city from further miseries. The art-treasures of Syracuse were sent to Rome, a precedent afterwards followed.

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SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.

_The Death of Marcellus, 208 B.C._

Exiguum campi ante castra erat; inde in collem aperta undique et conspecta ferebat via. Numidis speculator, nequaquam in spem tantae rei positus, sed si quos vagos pabuli aut lignorum causa longius a castris progressos possent excipere, signum dat, ut {5} pariter ab suis quisque latebris exorerentur. Non ante apparuere, quibus obviis ab iugo ipso consurgendum erat, quam circ.u.miere, qui ab tergo intercluderent viam.

Tum undique omnes exorti et clamore sublato impetum fecere. c.u.m in ea valle {10} consules essent, ut neque evadere possent in iugum occupatum ab hoste nec receptum ab tergo circ.u.mventi haberent, extrahi tamen diutius certamen potuisset, ni coepta ab Etruscis fuga pavorem ceteris {15} iniecisset. Non tamen omisere pugnam deserti ab Etruscis Fregellani, donec integri consules hortando ipsique ex parte pugnando rem sustinebant; sed postquam vulneratos ambo consules, Marcellum etiam transfixum lancea prolabentem ex equo moribundum {20} videre, tum et ipsi--perpauci autem supererant--c.u.m Crispino consule duobus iaculis ieto et Marcello adolescente saucio et ipso effugerunt.

LIVY, xxvii. 27.

+Context+. Marcellus was Consul for a fifth time in 208 B.C. After the attempt to retake Locri (S.E. of Bruttium) was frustrated by Hannibal, Marcellus and his colleague Crispinus faced H. near Venusia in Apulia.

Hannibal hoped to bring on a decisive action, but Marcellus adopted Fabian tactics, and himself headed a cavalry reconnaissance to explore the country between the Roman and the Carthaginian camps.

[Linenotes: 2-3. +Numidis speculator+. A wooded hill lay between the two camps: H. had posted here in ambush some Numidian hors.e.m.e.n.

4-5. +si quos possent excipere+ = _on the chance of their being able to intercept_. --Stephenson.

6-8. +Non ante ... circ.u.miere+ = _those who were to spring on the enemy_ (lit. _those to whom it was necessary to rise in a ma.s.s confronting the enemy_ +obviis+) _from the hill itself did not show themselves until a detachment had made their way round_ (+circ.u.miere+).--S.

10. +valle+ = _a hollow_, i.e. a depression on the Roman side of the hill.

16. +Fregellani+. Fregellae, a town of the Volsci, on the Via Latina between Rome and Campania, colonised 328 B.C.

17. +ipsique ex parte pugnando+ = _taking their share in fighting_.

--S.]

+Character of Marcellus+. 'He was a brave soldier, a firm intrepid patriot, and an unflinching enemy of the enemies of Rome, but as a general no match for Hannibal.' --Ihne.

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