§495servare cives principi et patriae graves, §496claro tumentes genere quae dementia est, §497cum liceat una voce suspectos sibi §498mori iubere? Brutus in caedem ducis,
To preserve citizens who are burdensome to the prince and the fatherland, who are swollen with their noble lineage—what madness is this, when it is permitted with a single word to order those suspected of treason to die?
§499a quo salutem tulerat, armavit manus: §500invictus acie, gentium domitor, Iovi §501aequatus altos ipse per honorum gradus §502Caesar nefando civium scelere occidit.
Brutus armed his hands for the slaughter of the leader from whom he had received his life: undefeated in battle, the conqueror of nations, equal to Jupiter, Caesar himself, having ascended through high ranks of honor, fell by the unspeakable crime of his citizens.
How much of her own blood did Rome see then, torn apart so many times!
§505virtute caelum, divus Augustus, viros §506quot interemit nobiles, iuvenes senes §507sparsos per orbem, cum suos mortis metu §508fugerent penates et trium ferrum ducum, §509tabula notante deditos tristi neci!
Even he who merited heaven by his pious virtue, the deified Augustus—how many noble men, young and old, did he put to death, scattered throughout the world, when they fled their own homes out of fear of death and the sword of the three leaders, while the proscription list marked those delivered to a sad death!
§510exposita rostris capita caesorum patres §511videre maesti, flere nec licuit suos, §512non gemere dira tabe polluto foro, §513stillante sanie per putres vultus gravi.
The sorrowful fathers saw the heads of the slain exposed on the rostra, nor was it permitted to weep for their own, nor to groan in the forum polluted with dreadful decay, while heavy blood-pus dripped down through their decomposing faces.
§514nec finis hic cruoris aut caedis stetit: §515pavere volucres et feras saevas diu §516tristes Philippi, † hausit et Siculum mare §517classes virosque † saepe cedentes suos.
Nor did the end of blood or slaughter stop here: for a long time the sorrowful Philippi terrified birds and savage wild beasts, and the Sicilian sea swallowed up fleets and its own men, who were often yielding.
§518concussus orbis viribus magnis ducum: §519superatus acie puppibus Nilum petit §520fugae paratis, ipse periturus brevi: §521hausit cruorem incesta Romani ducis §522Aegyptus iterum; nunc leves umbras tegit.
The world was shaken by the great forces of the leaders: defeated in battle, he sought the Nile with ships prepared for flight, himself about to perish shortly: unchaste Egypt swallowed once more the blood of a Roman leader; now it covers their light shades.
§523illic sepultum est impie gestum diu §524civile bellum, condidit tandem suos §525iam fessus enses victor hebetatos feris §526vulneribus, et continuit imperium metus.
There the civil war, impiously waged for a long time, was buried, and at last the victor, now weary, sheathed his swords dulled by fierce wounds, and fear held the empire together.
§527armis fideque militis tutus fuit, §528pietate nati factus eximia deus, §529post fata consecratus et templis datus.
He was safe through the arms and loyalty of the soldier, and made a god by the exceptional piety of his son, consecrated after death and given to temples.
§530nos quoque manebunt astra, si saevo prior §531ense occuparo quicquid infestum est mihi §532dignaque nostram subole fundaro domum.
The stars will await us too, if first with a savage sword I forestall whatever is hostile to me and establish our house with worthy offspring.
§533Implebit aulam stirpe caelesti tuam §534generata divo Claudiae gentis decus, §535sortita fratris more Iunonis toros.
She, generated from a deified emperor, the glory of the Claudian clan, will fill your court with celestial lineage, having obtained by lot your bed, after the manner of Jupiter's sister Juno.
An unchaste mother detracts from the credibility of her lineage, and the mind of my wife has never been joined to me.
In tender years, loyalty is not sufficiently clear, when love, overcome by shame, covers its flames.
§540Hoc equidem et ipse credidi frustra diu, §541manifesta quamvis pectore insociabili §542vultuque signa properent odium mei, §543tandem quod ardens statuit ulcisci dolor.
Indeed, I myself believed this in vain for a long time, although manifest signs from her incompatible heart and face hastened to show hatred of me, which at last my burning pain has resolved to avenge.
§544dignamque thalamis coniugem inveni meis §545genere atque forma, victa cui cedat Venus §546Iovisque coniunx et ferox armis dea.
And I have found a wife worthy of my chambers in lineage and beauty, to whom Venus herself must yield, along with the wife of Jupiter and the goddess fierce in arms.
§547Probitas fidesque coniugis, mores pudor §548placeant marito: sola perpetuo manent §549subiecta nulli mentis atque animi bona; §550florem decoris singuli carpunt dies.
Let honesty and loyalty in a wife, good character and modesty please a husband: these goods of the mind and soul alone remain perpetually, subject to no one; each single day plucks the flower of beauty.
God has gathered all praises into her alone, and the fates willed that such a woman be born for me.
§553Recedet a te (temere ne credas) amor.
Love will recede from you (do not believe blindly).
§554Quem summovere fulminis dominus nequit, §555caeli tyrannum, saeva qui penetrat freta §556Ditisque regna, detrahit superos polo?
Whom can the lord of the thunderbolt not remove— the tyrant of heaven, who penetrates the savage waves and the realms of Dis, and drags down the gods from heaven?
§557Volucrem esse Amorem fingit immitem deum §558mortalis error, armat et telis manus §559arcuque sacras, instruit saeva face §560genitumque credit Venere, Vulcano satum: §561vis magna mentis blandus atque animi calor §562Amor est; iuventa gignitur, luxu otio §563nutritur inter laeta Fortunae bona.
Mortal error feigns that Love is a winged, unmerciful god, and arms his hands with weapons and a sacred bow, equips him with a savage torch, and believes him born of Venus, begotten of Vulcan: Love is a great force of the mind and a flattering warmth of the soul; it is born in youth, nurtured in luxury and leisure among the joyful goods of Fortune.
If you cease to cherish and nourish it, it falls and quickly loses its strength, extinguished.
§566Hanc esse vitae maximam causam reor, §567per quam voluptas oritur; interitu caret, §568cum procreetur semper humanum genus §569Amore grato, qui truces mulcet feras.
I believe this is the greatest cause of life, through which pleasure arises; it lacks destruction, since the human race is always procreated by pleasing Love, which soothes savage wild beasts.
May this god carry the marriage torches before me and join Poppaea to our chambers with his fire.
The grief of the people could scarcely bear to see these marriage chambers, nor would sacred piety permit it.
§574Prohibebor unus facere quod cunctis licet?
Shall I alone be forbidden to do what is permitted to all?
§575Maiora populus semper a summo exigit.
The people always demand greater things from the highest.
I wish to test whether the support, rashly conceived in their minds, will yield, broken by my forces.
§578Obsequere potius civibus placidus tuis.
Obey your citizens rather, being peaceful.
§579Male imperatur, cum regit vulgus duces.
Government is badly run when the crowd rules its leaders.
§580Nihil impetrare cum valet, iuste dolet.
When the people can obtain nothing, they grieve justly.
§581Exprimere ius est, ferre quod nequeunt preces?
Is it right to extort what prayers cannot obtain?
§582Negare durum est.
To deny is harsh.
§583Remittat ipse.
Let the people themselves yield.
§584Levis atque vana.
The crowd is fickle and vain.
§585Excelsa metuit.
It fears lofty things.