(1) Posteā Pyrrhus coniūnctīs sibi Samnītibus, Lūcānīs, Bruttiīs Rōmam perrēxit, omnia ferrō īgnīque vāstāvit, Campāniam populātus est atque ad Praeneste vēnit, mīliāriō ab urbe octāvō decimō.
(2) Mox terrōre exercitūs, quī eum cum cōnsule sequēbātur, in Campāniam sē recēpit. Lēgātī ad Pyrrhum dē redimendīs captīvīs missī ab eō honorificē susceptī sunt, captīvōs sine pretiō Rōmam mīsit.
(3) Ūnum ex lēgātīs Rōmānōrum Fābricium sīc admīrātus, cum eum pauperem esse cognōvisset, ut quārtā parte rēgnī prōmissā sollicitāre voluerit, ut ad sē trānsīret; contemptusque est ā Fābriciō.
(4) Quārē, cum Pyrrhus Rōmānōrum ingentī admīrātiōne tenērētur, lēgātum mīsit, quī pācem aequīs condiciōnibus peteret, praecipuum virum, Cīneam nōmine, ita ut Pyrrhus partem Ītaliae, quam iam armīs occupāverat, obtinēret.
notes
Embassy of Cineas, 280 BCE
(1) Pyrrhus: see Pyrrhus, King of Epirus
coniūnctīs sibi Samnītibus, Lūcānīs, Bruttīs: ablative absolute using perfect passive participle (AG 419). The Samnites, Lucanians, and Bruttii lived to the south of Rome.
Campāniam populātus est: deponent verb in the perfect indicative tense (LS populor, AG 190). Campania is a region south of Rome.
ad Praeneste: see Praeneste
mīliāriō: for more information on Roman milestones, see note in Brev. 2.4
(2) terrōre exercitūs: Pyrrhus fears the Roman army, not his own.
quī: refers to exercitūs
sē recēpit: lit. "he took himself back" = "he withdrew." This march was merely a feint on the part of Pyrrhus (Hazzard).
dē redimendīs captīvīs: "for an exchange of prisoners-of-war" ablative gerundive (AG 507)
missī: supply sunt
ab eō: Pyrrhō
honorificē: The Romans always regarded Pyrrhus as an honorable enemy. Their feelings towards Hannibal were entirely different (Hazzard).
(3) Fābricium: C. Fābricius Luscīnus. He was consul for the first time in 282 BCE, when he triumphed over the Boii and Etruscans. He was noted for his extreme frugality and simplicity, as well as for his integrity. He is cited by Cicero and Horace as a type of the Roman citizens of the best days of the Commonwealth (Hazzard).
admīrātus: supply est, deponent verb (AG 190)
cum eum pauperem esse cognōvisset: English word order: cum cognōvisset eum [Fābricium] esse pauperem. The verb cognōvisset is pluperfect subjunctive governed by the cum clause (AG 545), and begins the subsequent indirect discourse (AG 577).
ut quārtā parte rēgnī prōmissā sollicitāre voluerit: result clause signaled by sīc (AG 537)
quārtā parte rēgnī prōmissā: ablative absolute that uses a perfect passive participle (AG 419)
ut ad sē trānsīret: "to win him over to his side" (Bird); purpose clause (AG 531)
(4) tenērētur: cum here is causal (AG 544)
quī pācem aequīs condiciōnibus peteret: relative clause of purpose (AG 531.2)
Cīneam: see Cineas
ita ut: "in such a way that"; result clause (AG 537) expressing an indirect command (AG 563) signaled by condiciōnibus
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| Pyrrhus, ī, m. |
king of Epirus, waged war against Rome 281–272 B.C. |
| cōniungō, ere, iūnxī, iūnctus |
to fasten together, connect, form by associating |
| Samnītēs, um, Gr. acc. pl. Samnītas, pl. m. |
the Samnites, a branch of the Sabine race inhabiting the mountains southeast of Latium |
| Lūcānī, ōrum, pl. m. |
the inhabitants of Lucania |
| Bruttiī, ōrum, pl. m. |
a people in the southwestern part of Italy |
| vāstō, āre, āvī, ātus |
to lay waste, devastate, destroy |
| Campānia, ae, f. |
a district of Italy on the western side, south of Latium |
| populō, āre, āvī, ātus |
to plunder, ravage, lay waste |
| Praeneste, is, n. |
a town in Latium east of Rome, modern Palestrina |
| mīliārium, ī, n. | a milestone, mile |
| terror, ōris [terreō], m. | fear, terror 2 |
| redimō, ere, ēmī, ēmptus |
to buy back, redeem, ransom |
| captīvus, a, um [capiō], adj. |
captive; as subst., captīvus, ī, m., captīva, ae, f., captive, prisoner of war |
| honōrificē [honōrificus, conferring honor], adv. | with honor, honorably |
| Fābricius, ī, m. |
(C.) Fābricius (Luscīnus), a Roman statesman and general, prominent in the war with Pyrrhus; consul 283 and 278 B.C. 3 |
| admīror, ārī, ātus sum | to wonder at, admire |
| sollicitō, āre, āvī, ātus [sollicitus, agitated] |
to urge, incite, tempt, solicit |
| admīrātiō, ōnis [admīror], f. |
admiration, wonderment, astonishment |
| praecipuus, a, um [praecipiō], adj. |
special, particular; eminent, prominent 4 |
| Cīneas, ae, m. |
the friend and minister of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus |