Stories – Latin – Flashcards

When Quintus saw the crowd of people standing in front of the theatre of Pompey, he wanted to know the reason for such a large gathering. And so he wormed his way through the crowd to the front rank, from where he could see everything. Very many senators and other distinguished men were entering the theatre. Then Quintus saw Gaius Julius Caesar going in with the magistrates. He was wearing a purple toga and a laurel crown on his head. All the senators got up and greeted Caesar. While he was sitting down, many senators stood round him. Then one senator asked him something and held his toga in his hands. At that very moment another of the senators struck him with a dagger; a third wounded his arm, Caesar tried to get up, but the conspirators were attacking him from every side. Amongst others Caesar saw Brutus, his closest friend, running against him; 'You too, Brutus,' he said. Then he wrapped his head in his toga and fell to the ground, pierced by twenty-three wounds. The conspirators left Caesar lying on the ground before the statue of Pompey. They burst out of the theatre and shouted to the people; 'The tyrant is dead: we have freed the Roman people.' But all stood silent, stupefied by the terrible event. Quintus turned and ran home. When he reached home, he called his father. Flaccus heard him anxiously as he told it all. He was silent for a little. At last he said, 'What is going to happen now? The republic is in great danger. Without doubt we shall see riots. You, Quintus, must beware.' On the fifth day after the death of Caesar, when Quintus reached the forum, he saw a huge crowd filling the whole forum. He could not reach the street which led to Heliodorus' school. And so he stayed in the furthest part of the forum and climbed the steps of a temple, from where he could see everything.

Quintus ran home terrified and told his father everything. He (Flaccus) lowered his head and covered his eyes with his hands. At length he said, "Quintus, I foresee civil war. The citizens are running mad. The magistrates cannot control the city. We must leave Rome. You, Quintus, must sail to Athens and study philosophy; I will return to Venusia and look after your mother and sister." The next day Quintus hurried early to the school of Heliodorus. The journey was very difficult because many bands of criminals were wandering through the streets; they were stealing things, and setting fire to houses. Quintus at last reached the school; the door was closed; Quintus knocked on the door but no one opened. And so he ran to the house of Heliodorus, which was not far away. For a long time he knocked on the door. At last Heliodorus opened a window and looked out. He saw Quintus; he came down and opened the door. "Come in quickly," he said, and when Quintus had come in, he shut the door again. Quintus explained the whole situation to him. Heliodorus replied; "Your father is right (speaks the truth) he is a very sensible man. The city is in the greatest danger. For the leaders care neither for peace nor for the laws; they want nothing except to increase their own power. I foresee civil wars and battles renewed throughout the whole world; citizens will fight with citizens, fathers with sons. Shall we never see peace and tranquillity? What god, what man will be able to save the republic? The whole Roman empire is hurtling to destruction." He could say no more; his eyes were full of tears. For a little he was silent, then. "So you, Quintus," he said, "will go to Athens and study philosophy there: Good! You are a young man of great ability, and if you study hard, you will learn much and become very learned. But wait; I will write a letter to a friend of mine who gives lectures in the Academy." He went out into his study; he soon returned and handed Quintus a letter. "When you arrive in Athens," he said, "give this letter to Theomnestus. He is a man of the greatest scholarship, my old friend. He will receive you kindly and look after your studies. The gods will keep you safe. Farewell." Quintus thanked him and hurried home.

The master, to whom Flaccus had already handed over the fare, called Quintus onto the ship. Flaccus, whose eyes were filled with tears, turned towards Quintus; "Farewell, dearest son," he said, "when you first reach Greece, write a letter to us. The gods will preserve you, for you are a boy of fine character. Quintus, holding his father in his embrace, "goodbye, dear Father," he said, "I promise this: when I first reach Greece, I will write you a very long letter, in which I will tell everything about the journey. And you, when you return to Venusia, give my utmost greetings to mother and to Horatia and to Argus. If it will be pleasing to the gods, I will see you all soon. Flaccus turned around and without delay, hurried out of the port. Quintus watched him departing. Then he boarded the ship. The sailors, to whom the captain had given the signal, untied the ship. When they reached the open sea, they raised the sails. Quintus, who was standing in the stern of the ship, looked back at the shore, ignorant of the future; neither his father nor his mother nor his sister was he ever going see after this. The journey on which Quintus was embarking was long and difficult. Having sailed past the whole coast of Italy, finally they reached Sicily and sailed through the Sicilian channel. There on the right lived Scylla, who had seized the companions of Ulysses and had eaten them alive; on the left, was Charybdis, a terrible whirlpool, which had almost swallowed down Ulysses himself. Quintus spied Mt Aetna far off, belching flames into the sky. He remembered Aeneas and the Trojans, whom Cyclops had almost captured. From there through the open sea they were sailing to Greece; already he saw the unknown land in sight; everywhere the sky, everywhere the sea. Suddenly the winds rose up; the waves became great; the clouds obscured the sky. The ship was in the greatest danger; the travellers were crying and were praying to the gods. The sailors themselves were desperate and feared death.

The next day Quintus got up early and hurried to the Academy, carrying the letter which Heliodorus had written to Theomnestus. He (Theomnestus) was head of the school which Plato had founded three hundred years before; no school in the whole world was more famous or better than that. When Quintus entered, he saw two young men talking in the hall. He went up to one and said, "I am looking for Theomnestus; will you lead me to him?" He replied, "Come with me. I will take you to him." He led Quintus through a very long portico to Theomnestus' study. Quintus thanked him and knocked on the door. Theomnestus was sitting at a table reading a book. He was an impressive and venerable man; he had a very long beard and a very severe expression. He looked at Quintus and said, "What do you want, young man?" Quintus replied, "I want to become your pupil." He said, "Do you really want to study, or to play?" Quintus answered, "I bring a letter which Heliodorus wrote to you." He took the letter; when he had read it, he smiled at Quintus. "You are a young man of excellent character, as Heliodorus says, and none of his pupils studies harder. And so I shall gladly accept you into the number of my pupils. Go away now. Tomorrow come back to the theatre and listen to my lecture." Quintus returned to the hall delighted. He was approaching the gates when two young men entered laughing and talking loudly. Quintus recognized one; he could scarcely believe his own eyes; there was Marcus Cicero. Quintus called him. He turned round and "Immortal gods!" he said, "Don't I see Quintus? There's no one I would rather see from Rome than you (literally; no one has come from Rome more pleasing to me than you). Come with me; we will go into the city and drink some wine." He led Quintus into the city and soon they were sitting in a pub drinking wine. "Come on, Quintus," he said, "tell me everything. When did you arrive in Athens? What is happening in Rome? What have you heard about my father? Is he remaining in danger or has he gone into retirement (literally; retired into leisure)?" Quintus told him everything about his studies, about the death of Caesar, about the dangers of the city. Marcus said, "You are right, Quintus. The times have never been more difficult. That is why (on account of that reason) my father sent me to Athens. Because he himself is in the greatest danger. And so I am studying in the Lyceum. But these studies don't please me; I scarcely understand the lecture of Cratippus and the books of philosophers are boring. Besides I have fallen into some difficulty. For I've spent all the money that my father gave me. My father won't send me more money unless he hears a better report of me. What shall I do?"

Scintilla Desperat (Chapter 36) All the Venusians were becoming exceedingly anxious. Daily worse reports were being brought; the state was slipping into civil war, just as Flaccus had predicted. Scintilla was sitting in the house when a postman entered and gave her a letter. She at once broke the seal and quickly read over the letter; she shrieked moved by fear. Flaccus now had set out fro the field but when he (had) heard the noises of his wife, he ran back to the house. Entering he said 'what have you suffered, my dear?' She said, 'O my husband, Quintus has left Athens; he has followed Brutus to Asia.' Flaccus 'what are you saying, my dear?' he said; 'does our son want to serve in the army?' She said, 'he is defending the freedom of the Roman people, as he says; O black day! O immortal gods! Save our son. O Flaccus, send for Decimus; he will help us.' Flaccus said, 'Quintus is not a boy now but a strong and brave man; he ought to carry out his own duty. We are not able to stop him defending the freedom of the Roman people against the tyrants. But, si you please, I shall summon Decimus so that we may outline the situation to him.' Flaccus hurried to the house of Decimus. He met him at Brindisium about to set out but he persuaded him to return with him to Venusia. Entering the house they found Scintilla weeping copiously. Decimus approached her and said, 'Do not weep, Scintilla. Quintus will, without doubt, soon return to Athens and will again study in the Academy. War is not waged for long. Quintus however is foolish, if he has joined Brutus; for Antony is very expert at campaigning and has better forces. When he defeats the assassins of Caesar, he will, without doubt, restore the republic. Now the republic needs a strong man who will restore peace to the citizens. I myself am about to set out for Brundisium now to join the army of Antony.' Flaccus, when he had heard these things, was not able to restrain himself. 'What are you saying, traitor!' he said; 'do you have it in your mind to fight in the army of that tyrannt? Do you care nought for freedom? Be off! Do not enter into this house ever more.' Decimus turned and went out silently. Flaccus approached Scintilla and was trying to console her. She however did not stop weeping; 'how many ills do we suffer!' she said; 'citizens fight with citizens, fathers with sons. How many mothers will mourn for their own sons! Mars will rage impiously through the whole world.' Having said these things she fell to the ground, in a faint.