- Source
- Titi Livi ab urbe condita libri editionem priman, Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:40.4.1-40.4.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Faced with King Philip's cruel decree, Theoxena attempts to flee with her husband Poris to protect her children, but when cornered by pursuers, she leads them all to commit suicide.
earnm1 crudelitatem, foedam per se, foediorem unius domus clades fecit.
That cruelty, shameful in itself, the ruin of a single house made still more shameful.
Herodicum principem Thessalorum multis ante annis occiderat; generos quoque eius postea interfecit. in viduitate relictae filiae singulos filios parvos habentes.
He had killed Herodicus, a leading man of the Thessalians, many years before; his sons-in-law also he afterwards put to death. His daughters, left in widowhood, had each a single young son.
Theoxena et Archo nomina iis erant mulieribus. Theoxena multis petentibus aspernata nuptias est:
The names of these women were Theoxena and Archo. Theoxena, though many sought her in marriage, rejected the nuptials;
Archo Poridi cuidam, longe principi gentis Aenianum, nupsit et apud eum plures enixa partus, parvis admodum relictis omnibus, decessit.
Archo married a certain Poris, by far the chief man of the nation of the Aenianes, and having borne him several children, died, leaving them all extremely young.
Theoxena, ut in suis manibus liberi sororis educarentur, Poridi nupsit; et tamquam omnes ipsa enixa foret, suum sororisque filios in eadem habebat cura.
Theoxena, in order that her sister’s children might be brought up in her own hands, married Poris; and just as if she had given birth to them all herself, she held both her own and her sister’s sons in the same care.
postquam regis edictum de comprehendendis liberis eorum, qui interfecti essent, accepit, ludibrio2 futuros non regis modo sed custodum etiam libidini rata ad rem atrocem animum adiecit ausaque est dicere se sua manu potius omnes interfecturam quam in potestatem Philippi venirent.
After she received the king’s edict regarding the arrest of the children of those who had been put to death, thinking that they would be a plaything not only for the king’s lust but also for that of the guards, she directed her mind to a dreadful deed, and dared to say that she would rather kill them all with her own hand than that they should come into the power of Philip.
Poris abominatus mentionem tam foedi facinoris Athenas deportaturum eos ad fidos hospites dixit, comitemque ipsum fugae futurum esse.
Poris, abhorring the mention of so shocking a crime, said that he would convey them to Athens to faithful hosts, and that he himself would be the companion of their flight.
proficiscuntur ab Thessalonica Aeneam ad statum sacrificium, quod Aeneae conditori cum magna caerimonia quotannis faciunt.
They set out from Thessalonica for Aenea to the stated sacrifice which they perform annually with great ceremony to Aeneas their founder.
ibi die per sollemnes epulas consumpto navem praeparatam a Poride sopitis omnibus de tertia vigilia3 conscendunt tamquam redituri Thessalonicam: sed traicere in Euboeam erat propositum.
There, having spent the day in the solemn feast, when all were asleep, they embarked during the third watch on a ship prepared by Poris, as if they were about to return to Thessalonica; but their plan was to cross over to Euboea.
ceterum in adversum ventum nequiquam eos tendentes prope terram lux oppressit, et regii, qui praeerant custodiae portus, lembum armatum ad retrahendam eam navem miserunt cum gravi edicto, ne reverterentur sine ea.
However, while they were struggling in vain against a contrary wind, daylight overtook them near the land, and the king’s men who were in charge of the guard of the port sent an armed bark to bring back that ship, with a strict command not to return without it.
cum iam appropinquabant, Poris quidem ad hortationem remigum nautarumque intentus erat; interdum manus ad caelum tendens deos, ut ferrent opem, orabat.
When they were already approaching, Poris indeed was intent on encouraging the rowers and sailors; sometimes, stretching his hands to heaven, he prayed to the gods to bring help.
ferox interim femina, ad multo ante praecogitatum revoluta facinus, venenum diluit ferrumque promit et posito in conspectu poculo strictisque gladiis “mors” inquit “una vindicta est.
Meanwhile the fierce woman, returning to the crime she had premeditated long before, diluted the poison and brought out the steel; and placing the cup in sight and drawing the swords, she said: “Death is our only deliverance.
viae ad mortem hae sunt: qua4 quemque animus fert, effugite superbiam regiam. agite, iuvenes mei, primum, qui maiores estis, capite ferrum aut haurite poculum, si segnior mors iuvat.” et hostes aderant et auctor mortis instabat.
These are the ways to death: by whichever path each one’s mind leads him, escape the royal arrogance. Come, my youths, first you who are older, take the steel, or drain the cup if a slower death pleases you.” Both the enemy were at hand, and the instigator of death was pressing them.
alii alio leto absumpti semianimes e nave praecipitantur. ipsa deinde virum comitem mortis complexa in mare sese deiecit. nave vacua dominis regii potiti sunt.
Destroyed, some by one death, some by another, they were thrown half-dead from the ship. She then, having embraced her husband, the companion of her death, cast herself into the sea. The king’s men took possession of the ship, empty of its masters.
- 40.4.1earnm
Considered a manuscript corruption, usually emended to the feminine accusative singular demonstrative pronoun eam (or earundem), modifying the noun crudelitatem.
- 40.4.6ludibrio
A dative of purpose; with esse understood, it functions as the predicate in the accusative and infinitive construction "ludibrio futuros [esse]" (that they would become a plaything). The subject accusative is liberos.
- 40.4.10de tertia vigilia
The preposition de here denotes the time from which or during which an action takes place. The Roman night was divided into four watches (vigiliae), and the tertia vigilia refers to the third watch (from midnight to around 3 a.m.).
- 40.4.14qua
A relative adverb (or feminine ablative singular with via understood) meaning 'by which way' or 'whither'. Thus, "qua quemque animus fert" means 'whichever way each one's mind leads.'