(1) Post hunc Cārus est factus Augustus Narbōne nātus in Galliā. Is cōnfestim Carīnum et Numeriānum fīliōs Caesarēs fēcit. Sed dum bellum adversus Sarmatās gerit, nūntiātō Persārum tumultū ad Orientem profectus rēs contrā Persās nōbilēs gessit, ipsōs proeliō fūdit, Cōchēn et Ctēsiphōntem urbēs nōbilissimās cēpit. Et cum castra suprā Tigridem habēret, vī dīvīnī fulminis periit.
(2) Numeriānus quoque, fīlius ēius, quem sēcum Caesarem ad Persās dūxerat, adulēscēns ēgregiae indolis, cum oculōrum dolōre correptus in lectīculā veherētur, impulsōre Aprō, quī socer eius erat, per īnsidiās occīsus est. Et cum dolō occultārētur ipsīus mors, quoūsque Aper invādere posset imperium, foētore cadāveris prōdita est. Mīlitēs enim, quī eum sequēbantur, putōre commōtī, dīductīs lectīculae palliīs, post aliquot diēs mortem ēius nōtam habēre potuērunt.
notes
Carus Emperor, 282–283 CE; Carus and Numerianus Emperors, 283–284 CE
(1) Post hunc: Carus succeeded Probus
Narbōne nātus: Carus was born in Narbonne
fīliōs: his children were Carinus and Numerian
dum gerit: dum regularly takes the present indicative to denote continued action in the past. (AG 556)
nūntiātō Persārum tumultū: ablative absolute using a perfect passive participle (AG 419)
rēs: "campaign" (LS res II.G)
Cōchēn et Ctēsiphōntem: Coche and Ctesiphon were among the most notable cities in the area.
vī dīvīnī fulminis: according to his biographer,
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When Carus, our prince for whom we truly care, was lying ill, there suddenly arose a storm of such violence that all things grew black and none could recognize another; then continuous flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, like bolts from a fiery sky, took from us the power of knowing what truly befell.
For suddenly, after an especially violent peal which had terrified all, it was shouted that the emperor was dead. It came to pass, in addition, that the chamberlains, grieving for the death of their prince, fired his tent; and the rumour arose, whatever its source, that he had been killed by the lightning, whereas, as far as we can tell, it seems sure that he died of his illness. (SHA, Carus 8.5–7; translated by David Magie)
(2) ēgregiae indolis: genitive of quality (AG 345)
oculōrum dolōre correptus: "affected with a disease of the eye" (Hazzard)
impulsōre Aprō: Aper ("the Boar") was the butt of many puns, including the following:
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"When Diocletian," he said, "while still serving in a minor post, was stopping at a certain tavern in the land of the Tungri in Gaul, and was making up his daily reckoning with a woman, who was a Druidess, she said to him, 'Diocletian, you are far too greedy and far too stingy,' to which Diocletian replied, it is said, not in earnest, but only in jest, 'I shall be generous enough when I become emperor.' At this the Druidess said, so he related, 'Do not jest, Diocletian, for you will become emperor when you have slain a Boar.'" (SHA Car. 14.2–3, translated by David Magie)
prōdita est: mors
palliīs: "curtains"
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
|
Cārus, ī, m. |
(M. Aurēlius) Cārus, Roman emperor, 282–283 A.D. |
|
Augustus, ī, m. |
a title of honor given to Octavianus in 27 BC and after him to all the Roman emperors |
|
Narbō, ōnis, m. |
a city in the southern part of Gaul |
|
Gallia, ae, f. |
the country of the Gauls; modern France and the territories on the west bank of the Rhine. The northern part of Italy was settled by Gauls, and was called Gallia Cisalpina; hence the pl. Galliae. |
|
cōnfestim, adv. |
immediately, at once |
|
Carīnus, ī, m. |
the son of the emperor Carus. He was associated with his father in the government. |
|
Numeriānus, ī, m. |
the younger of the two sons of the emperor Carus 2 |
|
Caesar, aris, m. |
a family name in the Julian gens. (1) C. Iūlius Caesar, the famous dictator; (2) Sex. Iūlius Caesar, uncle of the dictator. Consul 91 B.C.; (3) C. Octāviānus, the emperor Augustus |
|
Sarmatae, ārum, pl. m |
the inhabitants of Sarmatia |
|
nūntiō, āre, āvī, ātus [nūntius] |
to tell, announce, report |
|
Persae, ārum, pl. m. |
the Persians |
|
tumultus, ūs, m. |
a disturbance, uproar; rebellion, riot |
|
Oriēns, entis [orior], m. (sc. sōl) |
the rising sun, the East, the Orient |
|
Cōchē, ēs, f. |
a city on the Tigris, near Ctesiphon |
|
Ctēsiphōn, ōntis, f. |
a city in Assyria, on the Tigris |
|
Tigris, idis, m. |
the Tigris, a river in Macedonia |
|
dīvīnus, a, um [dīvus], adj. |
divine, sacred |
|
fulmen, inis [fulgeō], n. |
lightning, thunderbolt |
|
adulēscēns, entis [adolēscō, to grow up], m. |
young; as substantive, a young man |
|
indolēs, is, f. |
nature, disposition |
|
corripiō, ere, uī, reptus |
to seize, snatch up, grasp; collect, carry off, plunder |
|
lectīcula, ae [dim. of lectīca, couch], f. |
a litter; bier |
|
impulsor, ōris [impellō], m. |
one who incites, instigator |
|
Aper, prī, m. |
Arrius Aper, praetorian praefect. He was put to death by Diocletian, 284 A.D. |
|
socer, erī, m. |
father-in-law |
|
īnsidiae, ārum [īnsideō, to sit upon], pl. f. |
ambush; treachery |
|
occultō, āre, āvī, ātus [freq. of occulō] |
to hide, conceal; secrete |
|
quoūsque, adv. |
till when? how long? until (late) |
|
invādō, ere, vāsī, vāsus |
to enter; attack; seize, take possession of |
|
foetor -ōris m. |
an offensive smell |
|
cadāver, eris [cadō], n. |
a corpse, body |
|
pūtor, pūtōris, m |
stench, smell |
|
commoveō, ēre, mōvī, mōtus |
to arouse, disturb, move, influence |
|
pallium, ī, n. |
a Grecian cloak, mantle |
|
aliquot [alius + quot], indef. indecl. adj. |
some, several |