pius = feeling, as opposed to unnatural.
7-8 i.e. to have killed Porsena would have been less glorious than to display such heroism.—Stephenson.
Porsena. Livy tells us that Mucius, in gratitude for the magnanimity of Porsena, revealed to him that 300 Roman youths had sworn to attempt the same deed that he had undertaken. Whereupon Porsena feared to distress the Romans any longer, and made peace with them.
LATIN WAR. BATTLE OF LAKE REGILLUS, 498 B.C.
The Dictator and his Master of the Horse.
Ibi alia inter proceres coorta pugna. Imperator Latinus, ubi cohortem exulum a dictatore Romano prope circumventam vidit, ex subsidiariis manipulos aliquot in primam aciem secum rapit. Hos agmine venientes T. Herminius legatus conspicatus, interque 5 eos insignem veste armisque Mamilium noscitans, tanto vi maiore, quam paulo ante magister equitum, cum hostium duce proelium iniit, ut et uno ictu transfixum per latus occiderit Mamilium, et ipse inter spoliandum corpus hostis veruto percussus, 10 cum victor in castra esset relatus, inter primam curationem exspiraverit. Tum ad equites dictator advolat obtestans, ut fesso iam pedite descendant ex equis et pugnam capessant. Dicto paruere; desiliunt ex equis, provolant in primum, et pro antesignanis 15 parmas obiciunt. Recipit extemplo animum pedestris acies, postquam iuventutis proceres aequato genere pugnae secum partem periculi sustinentes vidit. Tum demum impulsi Latini, perculsaque inclinavit acies. 20
Livy, ii. 20.
1 inter proceres. The Battle of Lake Regillus was, in the main, a Homeric battle of single combats between the opposing chiefs.
1-2 Imperator Latinus, i.e. Mamilius of Tusculum, son-in-law of Tarquin.