There has not been any great genius without some element of
madness.
Es hat kein großes Genie ohne irgendein Element der Verrücktheit
gegeben
.
We are all interested in freedom. Latin is a door to freedom of language. Instead of being locked in a dungeon of constantly repetitive and redundant forms of language, (boring I might add) we can open the door and our minds to new ways of expression and understanding. When our minds are suddenly bombarded with this new form, it can be both disconcerting and enlightening :
Porsena, king of the Clusi for some time had besieged Rome and great was his fame in this town.
.
Mucius Romam servare voluit itaque in castra Porsenae extra urbem ivit.
Mucius Rome to save he wished and so into the camp of Porsena out of the city (Rome) he went.
.
Ibi multos milites vidit, sed Porsenam de facie non novit.
Here, many soldiers he saw but Porsena by sight he did not know.
.
Tandem per errorem scribam pro Porsena Mucius occidit.
At last in error, a scribe before Porsena he killed.
(thinking the scribe was Porsena).
.
Milites Mucium statim comprehenderunt et eum ad Porsenam traxerunt.
Soldiers Mucius quickly him they siezed and him to Porsena they dragged.
.
Porsena magnopere iratus est et iussit milites accendere ignem, nam Mucium
Porsena very angry he was and ordered the soldiers to build a fire, for Mucius
.
igne consumere volebat. Mucius autem neque ignum neque Porsenam timuit sed
in fire to be consumed he wanted. Mucius however niether fire nor Porsena he feared but
.
dixit, "Romanus civis sum neque ignum neque mortem timeo." Deinde dextram manum in ignem imposuit.
Said "Roman citizen I am, niether fire nor death I fear." Then his right hand into the fire he thrust .
Porsena, admirans virtutem Muci et timens alios Romanos qui eum interficere volebant, Mucium
Porsena, admiring the bravery of Mucius and fearing other Romans who him to kill they wished, Mucius
.
Romam dimisit. Deinde ex agris Romanis copias reduxit
to Rome he let go Then out of the fields of Rome troops he lead back
.
et Rome salva erat. Postea Mucius "Scaevola" appellatus est quod dextram manum amiserat.
and Rome saved it was. Afterwards Mucius "Scaevola" he was called because his right hand he was missing.
Scaevola means "left hand" or "left handed"
It is pronounced "Skywola"
I am presently adding to this web page an interlinear Latin translation of Sallust's Catilina, (The Cataline Conspiracy - viewed from the HISTORY link) it is a work in progress..... (In Chapter 5 at the moment). The Cataline Conspiracy
Beauty and Majesty on the Baleric Islands, off the Coast of Spain.
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