Quintus and Clemens in Alexandria
tumultus 1
| in villa Barbilli diu habitabam. ad urbem cum servo quondam contendi, quod Clementem visitare volebam. | I was living a long time in the house of Billicus. I hastened to the city one day with a slave, because I was wishing to visit Clemens |
| ille tabernam prope portum Alexandrae possidebat. servus, qui me ducebat, erat puer Aegyptius. | He owned a shop near the port of alexandria. The slave who was guiding me was the Egyptian boy. |
| in urbe erat ingens multitudo, quae vias complebat. mercatores per vias ambulabant et negotioum inter se agebant. | In the city was a huge multitude who were filling the streets. Merchants were walking through the streets and making deals between themselves. |
| feminae et ancillae tabernas frequebant; tabernarii feminis et ancillis stolas ostendebant. | Women and slave girls were frequenting the shops; shopkeepers were showing dresses to the women. |
| multi servi per vias urbis currebant. difficile erat nobis per vias ambulare, quod maxima erat multitudo. | Many slaves were running through the streets. It was difficult for us to walk through the streets because the multitude was very great. |
| tandem ad portum Alexandriae pervenimus. plurimi Aegyptii aderant, sed nullos Graecos videre poteramus. | At length we arrived at the port of Alexandria. Very many Egyptians were present, but we were not able to see any Greeks. |
| puer, postquam hoc sensit, anxius ‘melius est nobis’, inquit,’ ad villam Barbilli revenire, ad tabernam Clementis ire non possumus. | After he had realised this the boy said anxiously it would be better for us to return to the house of Barbillus, it is not possible for us to go to Clemens’s shop |
| viae sunt periculosae, quod Aegyptii irati sunt. omnes Graeci ex hac parte urbis fugerunt. | The streets are dangerous, because the Egyptians are angry. All the Greeks have fled from this part of the city |
| ‘minime!’ puero respondi.’quamquam Aegyptii sunt irati, ad villam redire nolo. longum iter iam fecimus. | By no means, I replied to the boy, I do not wish to return to the house, even though the Egyptians are angry. We have made a long journey. |
| paene ad tabernam Clementis pervenimus. necesse est nobis caute procedere.’ | We have almost arrived at Clemens shop. We must proceed cautiously. |
tumultus 2
| itaque ad tabernam Clementis contendimus, sed in via plurimi Aegyptii nobis obstabant. | And so we made out way to Clemens shop, but in the road many Egyptians were blocking our way. |
| in multitudine Aegyptiorum erat senex, qui Graecos Romanosque vituperabat. Omnes eum intente audiebant. | In the multitude of Egyptians was an old man, who cursed the Greeks and the Romans. All listened to him intently. |
| ubi hoc vidi, sollicitus eram. puer Aegyptius, qui sollitudinem meam senserat, me ad casam proximam duxit. | When I saw this, I was worried. The Egyptian boy, who sensed my anxiety, led me to a nearby house. |
| ‘domine, in hac casa habitat faber, qui Barbillum bene novit. necesse est nobis in casa intrare et periculum vitare. | Master, in this house lives a craftsman who knows Barbillus well. It is necessary for us to enter the house and to avoid danger. |
| faber per fenestram casae forte spectabat. ubi puerum agnovit, nos in casam suam libenter accepit. | By chance the craftsman was looking through the window of the house. When he recognised the boy, he freely admitted us to his house. |
| postquam casam intravimus, susurravi, ‘qui est hic faber?’ ‘est Diogenes, faber Graecus’ respondit puer. | After we had entered the house, I whispered, who is this craftsman. It is Diogenes, a Greek craftsman replied the boy. |
| ubi hoc audivi, magis timebam. nam in casa viri Graeci eram; extra ianuam casae Aegyptii Graecos vituberant. | When I heard this, I was more afraid. For I was in the house of a Greek man; outside the door of the house,Egyptians were cursing Greeks. |
| subito servus clamavit, ‘eheu! Aeguptii infesti casam oppugnant.’ Diogenes statim ad armarium contendit. | Suddenly the slave cried out Alas, hostile Egyptians are attacking the house. Diogenes immediately went to the cupboard. |
| in armario erant quinque fustes, quos Diogenes etraxit et bobis tradidit. | In the cupboard were five clubs, which Diogenes took out and handed to us. |
| Aegyptii ianuam effregerunt et in casam irruperunt. nos Aegyptiis fortiter resistebamus, sed illi erant multi, nos pauci. | The Egyptians broke down the door and burst into the house. We were bravely resisting the Egyptians. But they were many, we were few. |
| septem Aegyptii me circumveniebant. duos graviter vulneravi, sed ceteri me superaverunt. | Seven of the Egyptians were surrounding me. I wounded two, but the rest overcame me. |
| procubui exanimatus ubi animum recepi, casam circumspecavi, fenestrae erant fracta, casa direpta. | I sank down unconscious. When I recovered consciousness I looked around the house. The windows were broken, the house ransacked. |
| Diogenes in media casa stabat lacrimans. prope me iacebat puer meus. | Diogenes was standing in the middle of the house in tears. Near me my boy was lying. |
| ‘puer motuus est’, inquit Diogenes.’Aegyptii eum necaverunt, quod ille defendebat.’ | The boy is dead, said Diogenes. The Egyptians killed him because he was defending you |
ad templum
Barbillus vias urbis quondam cum Barbillo ibam. in multitudine, quae vias complebat, Aegyptios, Graecos, Iudaeos, Syros vidi. subito vir quidam nobis appropinquavit. Barbillus, simulatque eum conspexit, magnum gemitum dedit.
I was once going through the streets of the city with Barbillus. In the great crowd that filled the streets I saw Egyptians, Greeks, Jews, Syrians. Suddenly a certain man approached us. When he spotted him Barbillus gave a great groan.
| Barbillus: eheu! quam miseri sumus! ecce Plancus, vir doctissimus, qui numquam tacet! semper de templis deorum et de aliis garrire vult. | Alas! How unhappy I am! See Plancus, a learned man who never shuts up! He always wishes to chtter about the temples of the Gods and other monuments. |
| Plancus: salve, mi dulcissime! quid hodie agis? quo contendis? | Greetings my dear fellow. How are you today? Where are you hurrying? |
| Barbillus: .(invitus) ad templum | (reluctantly) to the temple |
| Plancus: ad templum Augusti? | To the temple of Augustus? |
| Barbillus: minime, ad templum Serapidis imus. nunc festinare debemus, quod iter longum est. nonne tu negotium cum aliis mercatoribus agere debes? vale! | No indeed, we go to the temple of Serapidis. We are now obliged to hurry, because it is a long way. Can you not deal with another merchant? Goodbye! |
| Plancus: hodie otiosus sum. commondum est mihi ad templu Serapidis ire. de Serapide vobis narrare possum | Today ]I am at leisure. It is easy for me to go to the temple of Serapidis. I can tell yo about Serapidis. |
| (Plancus nobiscum ibat garriens. nobis de omnibus monumentis marrare coepit.) | (Plancus walked with us chattering. He had begun to talk about every monument) |
| Barbillus: (susurrans) amicus noster loquatior est quam psittacus et obstinatior quam asinus, | (whispering) Our friend is more talkative than a parrot and more obstinate than an ass. |
| Plancus: nunc ad templum Serapidis advenimus. spectate templum! quam magnificum! spectate cellam! statuam vidistis, quaae in cella est? deus ibi cum magna dignitate sedet. in capite dei est canistrum. opportune huc venimus. hora quarta est. nunc sacerdotes in ara sacrificium facere solent. | Now we come to the temple of Serapidis. See the temple! Look at the sanctuary. The god sits there with great dignity. On the head of the god is a basket. In fact Serapidis is the god who guards the crops. We come just at the right time. It is four o’clock. The priests are accustomed to make a sacrifice on the alter. |
| (subito tuba somnuit. sacerdotes e cella templi ad aram processerunt,) | Suddenly a trumpet sounded. The priests processed from the sanctuary of the temple to the alter. |
| Sacerdos: tacete vos omnes, qui adestis! tacete vos, qui hocsacrificium videre vultis! | Silence all of you who are present. Silence you who wish to see the sacrifice. |
| (omnes viri feminaeque statim tacuerunt) | At once all the men and women were silent. |
| Barbillus: (ridens et susurrans) ehem! videsne Plancum? ubi sacerdos silentium poposcit, etiam ille denique tacuit. miraculum est. deus nos servavit. | (smiling and whispering) Well! Do you see Plancus? The priest demanded silence and finally he shut up It is a miracle. The god has saved us. |