A disastrous spectacle, and Belimicus in the wrong again. Quintus tells Cogidubnus about his escape from Pompei.
Belimicus ultor
| Belimicus, princeps Canticus, postquam Dumnorix in certamine navali vicit, rem graviter ferebat. | Belimicus, chief of the Cantici, after Dumnorix won the boat race, took it badly. |
| iratissimus erat. omnes hospites, quos rex ad aulem invitaverat, eam deridebant. | He was very angry. All the guests whom the King had invited to the palace were laughing at him. |
| Cantici quoque eum deridebant et ituperabant, etiam servi, qui de naufragio cognoverantm clam ridebant. | The Cantici also laughed at him and cursed him. Even slaves, who knew about the shipwreck, were laughing at him behind their hands. |
| ‘iste Dumnorix me decepit, belimicus sibi dixit.’me in scopulum impulit et praemium iniuste cepit. decorum est mihi eum punire. | That Dumnorix cheated me, said Belimicus to himself. He forced me onto the reef and took the first prize. It is right for me to punish him. |
| Belimicus secum cogitavit et consilium callidum cepit. erant in aula multae bestiiae, quas rex e multis terris importaverat. | Belimicus thought to himself and siezed on a cunning plan, There were many wild beasts in the palace that the King had imported from many lands. |
| inter has bestias erat ursa ingens, quam servus Germanicus custodiebat. Belimicus ad hunc servum adiit. | Amongthese beasts was a huge bear, that the slave Germanicus looked after. Belimicus approached this slave. |
| ‘hoc animal est magnificum’, inquit. me valde delectat. ursam tractare volo; eum non timeo. | This animal is magnificent, he said. It truly pleases me. I wish to handle the bear, I am not afraid of it. |
| itaque princeps ad ursam cotidie veniebat; ursae cibum et aquam dabat. paulatim ursam mansuetam fecit. tandem solus ursam tractare potuit. | And so the chief was coming every day. He gave food and water to the bear. Gradually he made the bear grow tame. Finally he was able to handle the bear alone. |
| mox Cogidubnus cenam et spectaculum nuntiavit. amicos ad aulam invitavit. Belimicus statim ad servum Germanicum contendit. | Soon Cogidubnus announced dinner and entertainment. He invited his friends into the palace. At once Belimicus hurried to the slave Germanicus. |
| ‘rex hodie spectaculum dat’ inquit. ‘hodie hanc ursam in aulam ducere volo. nunc eam tractare possum. hospitibus eum ostendere volo. | The king gives an entertainment today, he said, Today I wish to lead this bear into the palace. Now that I am able to handle it I wish to show it to the guests. |
| servus invitus consensit. Belimicus cachinnans sibi dixit,’paratus sum, nunc Dumnorigem punire possum. | The slave reluctantly consented. Belimicussaid to him jeeringly. I am ready. Now. I can punish Dumnorix. |
rex spectaculum Dat 1
| rex cum multis hospitibus in aula cenabat. Salvius et Quintus prope regem recumbant. Britanni cibum laudabant, Romani vinum. omnes hospites regi gratias agebant. | The king was dining with many guests in the palace. Salvius and Quintus were reclining near the king. The Britons praised the food, the Romans the wine. All the guests were giving thanks to the King. |
| subito Belimicus tardus intravit. ‘ecce! naufragus noster intrat’, clamavit Dumnorix,’num tu aliam navem amisisti?’ | Suddenly Belimicus came in late. ‘See our shipwrecked sailor enters excalimed Dumnorix. Another boat lost? |
| ceteri Belicum deriserunt et Dumnorigi plauserunt. Belimicus Dumnorigi nihil respondit, sed tacitus consedit. | Everyone laughed at Belimicus and applauded Dumnorix. However, Belimicus replied nothing to Dumnorix but sat down silently. |
| rex hospitibus suis spectaculum nuntiavit. statim pumiliones cum saltatricibus intraverunt et hospites delectaverunt. deinde, ubi rex eis signum dedit omnes exierunt. | The King announced his spectacle. Immediately dwarves and dancing girls entered and entertained the guests. Then, when the King gave his signal, they all left. |
| Salvius, quem pumiliones non delecaverunt, clamavit, ‘haec cena est bona. numquam cenam meliorem consumpsi. sed ursam, quae saltat, videre volo. | Salvius who did not like dwarves, exclaimed, this dinner is good, I have never eaten a better dinner, but I wish to see the dancing bear. |
| illa ursa me multo magis delectat quam pumiliones et saltatrices. | That bear pleases me much more than dwarves and dancing girls. |
rex spectatulum dat 2
| rex servis signum dedit. servus Germanicus, qui hoc signum exspecabat, statim cum ursa processit et hospitibus eam ostendit. | The King gave a signal to the slave. The slave Germanicus who was expecting this sgnal, immediately proceeded with the bear and showed it to the guests. |
| Belimicus, simultaque hoc vidit, surrexit, et ad medium trinclinium contendit. | Belimicus, as soon as he saw this jumped up and rushed to the middle of the dining room. |
| ‘ mi Dumnorix!’ clamavit,’facile est tibi iocus facere. sed ursam tractare non audes! ego non timeo, ego, quem tu derides, ursam tractare audeo.’ | Dumnorix he exclaimed, it is easy for you to make jokes, you do not dare to handle the bear. I am not afraid, I whom you mock, i dare to handle the bear. |
| omnes Belimicum spectabant attoniti. Belimicus, qui servum iam dimiserat, ursam ad Dumnorigem duxit. | Everyone was looking at Belimicus astonished, who had now dismissed the slave, lead the bear to Dumnorix. |
| ‘nonne tu quoque ursam tractare vis?’ rogavit insolens.’nonne tu hospitibus spectaculum dare vis?’ Dumnorix impavidus statim surrexit et Belimicum derisit. ‘facile est mihi’, inquit, hanc ursam superare. te quoque, homuncule, superare possum.’ | Do you not wish to handle this bear, he asked insolently. Do you not wish to give to the guests the spectacle Dumnorix immediately rose and mocked Belimicus. It is easy for me he said to overcome this bear, but you cannot overcome it little man. |
| tum ceteri, qui antea timuerant, valde cachinnaverunt. Belimicus, ubi cachinnos audivit, furens ursam pulsavit, et eam ad Dumnorigem impulit. | Then everone, who had been afraid before, truly roared with laughter. Belimicus, who heard the laughter, punched the bear in rage and drove it at Dumnorix. |
| subito ursa seva se vertit, et Belimicum ferociter percussit. tum principes perterriti clamorem magnum sustulerunt et ad ianuas quam celerrime concurrunt. | immediately the bear turned around and hit Belimicus ferrociously. then the chiefssent up a terrified clamour and ran fast for the doors. |
| etiam inter se pugnabant, quod exire non poterat, ursa, quam hic clamour terruerat, ad lectum concucrrit, ubi rex sedebat. | Now too they were fighting amongst themselves, because they were not able to get out. The bear, frightened by this noise rushed to the couch where the king was sitting. |
| rex tamen, quod claudicabat, effugere non poterat. Dumnorix in ursam frustra se coniecit. Salvius immotus stabat. sed Quintus hastam, quam servus Germanicus tenebat, rapuit. | However the king, because he was lame, was not able to escape. Dumnorix threw himself at the bear in vain. Salvius was standing immobile. Quintus snatched the spear that the slave Germanicus was holding. |
| hastam celeriter emisit et bestiam saevam transfixit. illa decidit mortua, | He quickly threw the spear and pierced the savage beast. It fell dead. |
Quintus de se
| postridie Quintus per hortum cum rege ambulabat, floresque varios spectabat. deinde rex ‘quo modo Pompeiis effugisti? | Next day Quintus was walking with the King through the garden. Then the King said ‘ How did you escape from the city of Pompeii? |
| paterne et mater superfuerunt? Quintus tristis ‘periit pater,’ inquit. mater quoque in urbe periit. ego et unus servus superefuimus. | Did your mother and father survive? Sadly Quintus replied My father died. My mother also perished in the city. I and a slave survived. |
| ad urbem Neapolim vis effugimus. ibi servum, qui tam fortis et tam fidelis fuerat, liberavi’. | We fled with difficulty to the city of Naples. Where I freed the slave who had been brave and faithful. |
| ‘quid deinde fecisti?’ inquit rex. ‘pecuniam habebas?’ Omnes villas, quas pater in Campania possederat, vendidi. | What did you do next, asked the King. Had you any money? I sold all the houses that my father owned in Campania. |
| ita multam pecuniam comparavi. tum ex Italia discedere volui, quod tristissimus eram. ego igitur et libertus meus navem conscendimus. | That way I obtained a lot of money, Then I wished to leave Italy, because it was very sad. I and my freedman therefore embarked by ship. |
| primo ad Graeciam venimus et in urbe Athenis habitabamus, haec urbs erat pulcherrima, sed cives turbulenti, | First we came to Greece and we were living in the city of Athens. This city was most beautiful, but the citizens turbulent. |
| multi philosophi, quam forum coditie frequentabant, controversias inter se habebant. | Many philosophers who were crowding the forum daily had arguments amongst the,selves. |
| post paucos menses, alias urbes videre voluimus. Ad Aegyptum igitur navigavimus, et mox ad urbem Alexandriam advenimus | After a few months we wished to see other cities, We therefore sailed to Egypt and arrived at the city of Alexandria. |