1. I intend to write about the crime of Appius Claudius, the Decemvir. 2. He fell in love with a beautiful girl, and, when he found that he could not entice her with money, he claimed her as a slave [for slavery]. 3. He sent one of his clients to the market place to carry[1] her off by force. 4. The girl’s friends sent a messenger to carry the news[1] to her father Virginius, who was then away on military duty. 5. Virginius immediately returned to Rome and sought the aid of the people. 6. When he saw that there was no aid anywhere, he seized a knife and killed his daughter. 7. Appius then repented of his crime.
[1] See [p. 5, n. 3].
[XIII.]
Complementary infinitive; genitive with oblivīscor;
hortatory subjunctive.
1. The tribune of the plebs appointed a day for (the trial of) Manlius, because with great severity he had banished his son to the country. 2. When his son Titus heard of this design of the tribune, he hastened to Rome and forced him to abandon the charge. 3. Such [this] filial devotion reflected great credit on the young man, and his father repented of his harshness. 4. Afterwards, when the Gauls were carrying on war with the Romans, a Gaul of enormous size wanted to fight with the bravest Roman. 5. “Let him come on,” said Titus Manlius, who was now tribune of the soldiers, “that I may show him which of us is the braver.” 6. Between the two lines they joined[1] in close[1] combat,[1] and with a stroke or two of his Spanish sword he thrust through his gigantic foe. 7. Having stripped a necklace from the Gaul, he was afterwards called Torquatus. 8. The son of this same Torquatus, without the consent of the consul, his father, met and conquered a Latin in a single combat. 9. When he returned to camp, his father ordered him to be put to death because he had disobeyed[2] his commander. 10. The young man’s companions did not forget the father’s cruelty. 11. Cornelius Piso was also a man of great sternness. 12. He once ordered a soldier to be put to death on the charge of murdering a comrade. 13. The comrade had not been murdered and soon appeared in camp. 14. When they returned to Piso with great rejoicing, he angrily ordered both the comrades and the centurion who had been placed in charge of the execution to be put to death. 15. Another Manlius was guilty of [showed] like cruelty toward his son. 16. The Macedonians sent ambassadors to complain[3] about his son Silanus. 17. Manlius wanted to try the case himself, and this was granted by the senate. 18. After he had heard both sides of the case, he forbade his son to return to his home. 19. The next day[4] the young man committed[5] suicide.[5]
[1] See [p. 11, l. 14].
[2] The reason is that of the father, not the writer.
[3] Cf. conquestum, [l. 82], with quī dēpōsceret, [XII, l. 7], and express in two ways.
[4] H. 486 (429); M. 630; A. 256; G. 393; B. 230.
[5] See [XII, l. 30].