Friday, April 26, 2013

Livy I 26. p. 59


Non tulit populus nec patris lacrimas nec ipsius parem in omni periculo animum, absolveruntque admiratione magis virtutis quam iure causae.

The people did not bear neither the tear of the father nor the courage of the young man himself, which was the same in every danger, and they acquitted him more because of admiration of (his) virtue than the justice of his cause.

Itaque, ut caedes manifesta aliquo tamen piaculo lueretur, imperatum est patri ut filium expiaret pecunia publica. Is, quibusdam piacularibus sacrificiis factis, quae deinde genti Horatiae tradita sunt, transmisso per viam tigillo, capite adoperto velut sub iugum misit iuvenem.

Thus, so that the obvious slaughter would be atoned for by some sacrifice (ritual of purification), it was ordered to the father that he purify his son at public expense. With certain expiatory sacrifices having been made, which then became a tradition for the family of the Horatii (= which were afterwards handed down to the family of the Horatii as tradition), with a small beam having been send across the street, he (the father) sent the young man as if under the yoke with his head having been covered.


Id hodie quoque publice semper refectum manet: sororium tigillum vocant. Horatiae sepulcrum, quo loco corruerat icta, constructum est saxo quadrato.

Even today it always remains repaired at public expense: they called it the Sister’s Beam. A tomb of squared stone was built for Horatia in the very place where she had fallen having been stabbed.

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