§2.2.63cumque serenus erit vultusque remiserit illos, §2.2.64qui secum terras imperiumque movent, §2.2.65exiguam ne me praedam sinat esse Getarum, §2.2.66detque solum miserae mite, precare, fugae,
And when he is calm and relaxes those expressions, which move the earth and the empire along with himself, pray that he does not allow me to be a meager prey of the Getans, and that he grants a mild soil for my wretched exile.
The time is suitable for prayers: he is well and sees that your strength, Rome, which he has made, is robust.
§2.2.69incolumis coniunx sua pulvinaria servat; §2.2.70promovet Ausonium filius imperium; §2.2.71praeterit ipse suos animo Germanicus annos, §2.2.72nec vigor est Drusi nobilitate minor, §2.2.73adde nurus neptesque pias natosque nepotum §2.2.74ceteraque Augustae membra valere domus; §2.2.75adde triumphatos modo Paeonas, adde quieti §2.2.76subdita montanae brachia Dalmatiae.
His safe wife keeps to her sacred cushions; his son advances the Ausonian empire; Germanicus himself surpasses his own years in spirit, nor is the vigor of Drusus inferior to his noble birth; add the pious daughters-in-law, granddaughters, and the children of the grandchildren, and that the other members of the Augustan house are well; add the recently triumphed Paeonians, add the arms of mountainous Dalmatia submitted to peace.
§2.2.77nec dedignata est abiectis Illyris armis §2.2.78Caesareum famulo vertice ferre pedem, §2.2.79ipse super currum placido spectabilis ore §2.2.80tempora Phoebea virgine nexa tulit.
Nor did the Illyrian land, throwing down her arms, disdain to bear the Caesarean foot on her submissive head; he himself, conspicuous with a calm face upon his chariot, bore his temples bound with the Phoebean virgin.
§2.2.81quem pia vobiscum proles comitavit euntem, §2.2.82digna parente suo nominibusque datis, §2.2.83fratribus adsimiles, quos proxima templa tenentis §2.2.84divus ab excelsa Iulius aede videt.
Whom the pious offspring accompanied as he went, along with you, worthy of their parent and of the names given to them, like the brothers, whom, occupying the nearby temples, the deified Julius sees from his lofty shrine.
§2.2.85his Messalinus, quibus omnia cedere debent, §2.2.86primum laetitiae non negat esse locum, §2.2.87quicquid ab his superest, venit in certamen amoris: §2.2.88hac hominum nulli parte secundus erit.
To these, to whom all things ought to yield, Messalinus does not deny the first place of joy, whatever is left from them comes into the contest of love: in this part, he will be second to none of men.
He will cultivate this love before the day on which the laurel, decreed to the deserving one, comes to his honored hair.
Happy are they, oh, to whom it was permitted to behold the triumphs and to enjoy the face of the leader that equals the gods!
But to me, the Sauromatae must be seen instead of Caesar's face, and a land devoid of peace, and water bound with ice.
Yet if you hear these things and my voice reaches you there, let your favor be sweet by changing my place of exile.
§2.2.97hoc pater ille tuus primo mihi cultus ab aevo, §2.2.98siquid habet sensus umbra diserta, petit.
That father of yours, worshipped by me from my earliest years, if his eloquent shade possesses any sense, asks this.
Your brother also asks this, although perhaps he fears lest the care of saving me should harm you.
Your whole house asks this, nor can you yourself deny that I too was once a part of your crowd.
At least of my talent, which I feel I have used badly, the 'Arts' excepted, you were often an approver.
Nor can my life, if only you remove my most recent sins, be a cause of shame to your house.
§2.2.107sic igitur vestrae vigeant penetralia gentis, §2.2.108curaque sit superis Caesaribusque tui.
Thus therefore may the inner shrines of your race flourish, and may you be the care of the gods and the Caesars.
Adore the deity, mild yet justly angry with me, that he may remove me from the ferocity of this Scythian place.
§2.2.111difficile est, fateor, sed tendit in ardua virtus, §2.2.112et talis meriti gratia maior erit.
It is difficult, I confess, but virtue strives for arduous things, and the gratitude for such a service will be greater.
§2.2.113nec tamen Aetnaeus vasto Polyphemus in antro §2.2.114accipiet voces Antiphatesve tuas, §2.2.115sed placidus facilisque parens veniaeque paratus, §2.2.116et qui fulmineo saepe sine igne tonat, §2.2.117qui cum triste aliquid statuit, fit tristis et ipse, §2.2.118cuique fere poenam sumere poena sua est.
Nor yet will the Aetnaean Polyphemus in his vast cave receive your words, nor Antiphates, but a calm and gentle father, ready for pardon, and one who often thunders without lightning fire, who, when he decrees something sad, becomes sad himself, and to whom inflicting punishment is almost his own punishment.
Yet his clemency has been overcome by my fault, and his anger, forced, has come to its full strength.
§2.2.121qui quoniam patria toto sumus orbe remoti, §2.2.122nec licet ante ipsos procubuisse deos, §2.2.123quos colis, ad superos haec fer mandata sacerdos, §2.2.124adde sed et proprias ad mea verba preces.
Since I am removed from my fatherland to the end of the world, nor am I allowed to prostrate myself before the gods themselves, carry these mandates to the gods whom you worship, as their priest, but add also your own prayers to my words.
§2.2.125sic tamen haec tempta, si non nocitura putabis.
Yet attempt these things only if you think they will not harm you.
§2.2.126ignosces.
You will forgive me.
timeo naufragus omne fretum.
Having been shipwrecked, I fear every sea.