Cn. Lentulus tribunus militum cum praetervehens equo sedentem in saxo cruore oppletum consulem vidisset, ‘L. Aemili’ inquit, ‘quem unum insontem culpae cladis hodiernae dei respicere debent, cape hunc equum, dum et tibi virium aliquid superest, 5 et comes ego te tollere possum ac protegere. Ne funestam hanc pugnam morte consulis feceris; etiam sine hoc lacrimarum satis luctusque est.’ Ad ea consul: ‘Tu quidem, Cn. Corneli, macte virtute esto; sed cave frustra miserando exiguum tempus e 10 manibus hostium evadendi absumas. Abi, nuntia publice patribus, urbem Romanam muniant ac, priusquam victor hostis advenit, praesidiis firment; privatim Q. Fabio L. Aemilium praeceptorum eius memorem et vixisse adhuc et mori. Memet in hac 15 strage militum meorum patere exspirare, ne aut reus iterum e consulatu sim aut accusator oollegae existam, ut alieno crimine innocentiam meam protegam.’ Haec eos agentes prius turba fugientium civium, deinde hostes oppressere; consulem ignorantes, 20 quis esset, obruere telis, Lentulum inter tumultum arripuit equus. Tum undique effuse fugiunt.
Livy, xxii. 49.
1 praetervehens equo = riding by. praetervehor used here as a deponent.—Dimsdale.
2 oppletum (= perfusum) = covered (lit. filled up), or drenched.
4 respicere = to look on with favour.—D.
9 macte virtute esto = lit. go on and prosper in your courage.
mactus = i. magis + auctus = increased, glorified, or more prob. ii. = old partic. of obsolete mago (= augeo), from √μακ, e.g. in μάκ-αρ. Vocative used as nominative.
14 praeceptorum. His self-sacrifice was not in vain. The tactics of Fabius were again adopted after his death.
15 et vixisse adhuc et mori = died as he had ever lived.—D.
17 reus iterum e consulatu = a second time to stand on my defence in consequence of my consulship, i.e. on a charge that grew out of his acts as Consul (219 B.C.) with M. Livius Salinator of misappropriation of the spoils at the close of the Illyrian War.