hic adverb
here, at this point; scansion shows that this is the adverb hīc, not the masculine nominative singular demonstrative adjective hĭc.
altus, -a, -um
profound, deep; high.
iuvenis, -e
young; also used as a noun (m./f.) meaning young man/young woman; warrior.
gemitus, gemitus m.
groan(ing), moan(ing); with alto, an ablative of attendant circumstances.
coorior, -oriri, -ortus/a sum
rise up; with lacrima, well up; ablative absolute (in origin a type of ablative of attendant circumstances).
parens, –entis m./f.
parent; mother, father; ancestor; in direct address to Regulus.
numen, numinis n.
divinity, supernatural power (from nuo, nod). The awkward syntax perhaps arises from the astonishing elevation of Regulus to divinity (SPQR at the end of the line contains a bust of Jupiter); understand the following result clause as standing in apposition with the vocative magne parens: [numen] quo numine maius nobis nec in arce Tarpeia sedet (nec is postponed from its normal position for emphasis = not even).
nobis: dative of reference (ethical dative: see A&G §§376-380, esp. §380).
arx, arcis f.
summit, cliff; modified by Tarpeia (scan for case). The Tarpeian Rock is a precipice on the southern half of the Capitoline Hill overlooking the Roman Forum on which sat the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (click SPQR). Serranus hails his father, Regulus, as greater even than Jupiter himself, the king of gods and men.
querela, -ae f.
complaint. Note the separation of noun from modifier (piis) here for emphasis; Silius employs the rhetorical figure hyperbaton regularly (look for other examples throughout the passage).
concedo, -ere, -cessi, -cessum
concede, yield, give precedence.
solamen, solaminis n.
solace, consolation.
decus, decoris n.
honor, glory; the normal position for the demonstrative adjective is before, not after, its noun.
durus, -a, -um
harsh, severe; unfeeling; cruel. Serranus continues to address his father.
nego (1)
deny, refuse, decline. Shortened (syncopated) perfect form (negasti = negavisti). The SPQR contains the neoclassical painting by American Artist Benjamin West (1738-1820) of Regulus rejecting the Senators' appeals.
tango, -ere, tetigi, tactum
touch; these acts (tangere, libavisse) are the solamen/decus that Regulus denied his family.
sacratus, -a, -um
holy, hallowed; perfect passive participle of sacro (1).
vultus, vultus m.
face; feature.
osculum, -i n.
kiss; sweet mouth.
libo (1)
taste, touch; pour (a libation). Serranus continues to use language appropriate to divinity. The infinitives tangere and libavisse are coordinate with solamen and decus as direct objects of negasti. In this use of the infinitive, there is little difference between the present and perfect tenses. The SPQR at the end of the line illustrates a libation dish (patera).
dext(e)ra, -ae f.
right hand; pledge.
pre(he)ndo, -ere, -endi, -ensum
take hold of; seize; understand dextram as the accusative direct object and dextra as the ablative of means.
licitum = licitum est (impersonal verb licet)
it is permitted; perfect passive tense.
levior, -oris (comparative form of levis)
light, easy, slight.
forent: an alternate form of the imperfect subjunctive essent (from sum). The verb introduces the apodosis (conclusion) of a contrary-to-fact condition in present time (see A&G §517, esp. 517a); si in the next line introduces the protasis (supposition).
quantum adverb
how much, how greatly; translate at the beginning of the clause, modifying leviora.
manes, -ium m. pl.
spirits of the lower world; lower world.
infigo, -ere, -fixi, -fixum
drive in(to), fix in/on; followed by mente, an ablative instead of the dative usually found with infigo (perhaps metri gratia).
do (1)
permit, grant (used impersonally here).
amplexus, amplexus, m.
embrace; accusative direct object of ferres.
veneror (1 deponent)
revere, worship, honor; venerande is a gerundive (it conveys the idea of obligation or necessity). Regulus is again addressed in terms associated with divinity.
vanus, -a, -um
empty, idle, useless.
recordor (1 deponent)
call to heart, call to mind.
ni = nisi conjunction
if not; unless.
Marus, -i m.: proper name of the soldier who was Regulus' comrade in the First Punic War; he accompanied his commander on the campaign in Africa and on his return to Rome as a prisoner of war.
haereo, -ere, haesivi, haesitum
remain at; linger; cling to. Serranus' use of the plural is either rhetorical or includes his mother and brother. Translate with in aevo; it is an unusual expression, echoing the usage in Marus’ question above (l. 406: agnoscisne diem? an teneris non haesit in annis?).
aevum, -i n.
age; with primus, it refers to childhood.
humanus, -a, -um
human; modifies the unexpressed [specie], ablative of comparison after maior.
species, speciei f.
appearance.
horridus, -a, -um
shaggy, bristling.
canus, -a, -um
white, gray; white/gray-haired; old, aged.
vertex, verticis m.
turning point; highest point; crown, top of the head; ablative of place from which, following descendens.
descendo, -ere, -scendi, -scensum
fall, flow, hang down; climb down; come/go down.
tego, -ere, texi, tectum
cover, conceal, hide.
caesaries, caesariei f.
long, flowing, luxuriant hair. Note the effect of the hyperbaton (horrida...caesaries); here the adjective opens the clause that is closed by its noun.
frons, frontis m.
forehead, brow; ablative of place where without the preposition.
coma, comae f.
hair of the head, a lock of hair; scan for the case.
squaleo, -ere, squalui
be rough, dirty; ablative absolute.
decor, -oris m.
seemliness, beauty; the subject of sedebat along with pondus.
venerabilis, -e
honored, venerable.
nil = nihil; read nil . . . simile as nemo . . . similis.
posthac adverb
hereafter, in the future.
incido, -ere, -cidi, -casum + dative
fall in(to)/on(to); occur, happen; meet. Followed by [meis] oculis.
excipio, -ere, -cepi, -ceptum
pick up a conversation; take out/up/over. With inde, a common expression for the transition from one speaker (Serranus) to another (Marus).
inhibeo, -ere, -hibui, -hibitum + dative and infinitive
hold in/back from; translate with the unexpressed Serrano and convellere.
convello, -vellere, -velli, -vulsum/volsum
wrench; tear out; undermine; the subject is the unexpressed Serranus, the object is vulnera.
questus, questus m.
complaint, lament; the use is ablative of means.
quid, cum: what [was he thinking] when ... .
praetereo, -ire, -ii, -itum
pass over; neglect; reject.
invideo, -ere, -vidi, -visum
look at (in a negative sense); hate, envy; invisa modifies the distant hospitia (l. 433).
Penates, -ium m. pl.
Penates, the proper name of the household gods (see an example in the SPQR at the end of the line).
hospitium, -i n.
lodging; hospitality.
sedes, sedis f.
seat; abode; home.
Poenus, -a, -um
Phoenician, Carthaginian. An alternate reference is Punicus (l. 437); the SPQR at the end of the line contains an early Punic mask.
acerbus, -a, -um
bitter, harsh.
affixo, -ere, -fixi, -fixum
hang up; fix to, attach to; the perfect passive participle modifies clipei.
clipeus, -i m.
round shield. The captured items of war are the subject of pulsabant below (the SPQR offers an example of the clipeus).
currus, currus m.
chariot; car.
spiculum, -i n.
spear; sharp point; arrow. The war booty came from successful campaigns that Regulus conducted as consul before and during the First Punic War.
notus, -a, -um
familiar; known; the adjective modifies monumenta in the next line, in apposition with the captured arms. The juxtaposition of parvis and magni on either side of the caesura emphasizes both the humble nature of Regulus’ abode and the proud nature of the spoils.
pulso (1)
strike, batter; these words suggest the story of the inhuman blinding inflicted on Regulus upon his return to Carthage.
limen, liminis n.
threshold; doorway, entrance. The phrase in limine primo = at the front of the threshold.
quo adverb
to what place; where; whither.
gressus, gressus m.
step, pace.
fugio, -ere, fugi
flee from; the use of the present subjunctive rather than the present indicative indicates that this is a relative clause of characteristic (see A&G §§534-535).
carcer, carceris m.
prison. It is the antecedent of quem, postponed to the end of the sentence and separated from its modifier Punicus; the use of hyperbaton emphasizes Marcia’s bewilderment.
vestigium, -i n.
trace, sign; footprint.
torus, tori m.
couch, bed. The SPQR at the end of the line shows a couple beside the marriage bed.
domus, -i f.
house, home; modified by casta and inviolata, it is the subject of the verb servat.
patrius, -a, -um
father’s; hereditary; native.
crimen, -inis n.
charge, reproach, guilt, offense.
servo (1)
preserve, keep, guard.
inviolatus, -a, -um
unharmed, undamaged, unbroken.
Lar, Laris m.
Lar, the god of the larder/the hearth; a household god. The separation from its modifier patrium (hyperbaton) lends weight to Marcia’s assertion that she has maintained an impeccable domus. Click on the SPQR at the end of the line for an image of a Lar.
semel ... iterumque adverbs
once and again; Marcia refers to her two sons by Regulus, Marcus and Gaius.
polluo, -ere, pollui, pollutum
pollute; followed by the dative of agent (nobis).
proles, prolis f.
progeny, offspring.
grator (1 deponent)
rejoice with, congratulate; ablative absolute with senatu et patria.
senatus, senatus m.
Roman Senate.
enitor, eniti, enisus/enixus/a sum
give birth to; struggle out/up/over; here tibi is the dative indirect object.
respicio, -ere, -spexi, -spectum
look back at; consider.
unde adverb
from where, whence; here and in the following lines Silius uses the adverbs unde and quo instead of relative pronouns to introduce relative clauses.
(h)umerus, -i m.
shoulder, upper arm.
fulgeo, -ere, fulsi or fulgo, fulgere
shine, be bright; with umeris, an ablative absolute.
ostrum, -i n.
purple; purple garment; a reference to the toga praetexta (click SPQR).
consul, consulis m.
consul; separated from its modifier ingens (hyperbaton), it is in apposition with the personal ending of the verb (vidisti).
procedo, -cedere, -cessi, -cessum
go/come forward.
fasces, fascium m. pl.
fasces. A bundle of rods usually bound with an axe (click SPQR), they were carried by Roman (Latios) lictors who accompanied special magistrates (consuls, praetors); the fasces were the sign of their power (imperium) to punish.
Mars, Martis m.
Mars, the god of war (click SPQR); his name is often used by metonomy for bellum.
refero, -ferre, rettuli, relatum
bring/carry back.
soleo, -ere, solitus/a sum
be accustomed. Victor (l. 446) is in apposition with the personal ending of solebas, which governs three complementary infinitives: ire, referre, suspendere.
suspendo, -ere, suspendi, suspensum + dative
hang down from, suspend; translate with postibus. The SPQR shows captured arms on display.
postis, postis m.
doorpost; door.
complexus, complexus m.
embrace; see amplexus (l. 424).
foedus, foederis n.
agreement, treaty, bond of marriage.
taeda, -ae f.
pine-torch, wedding torch; click SPQR for a wedding ceremony.
coniugium, -i n.
union, marriage; the enclitic -ve (= or) joins coniugium closely to foedera.
damno (1)
condemn; a complementary infinitive with the imperative absiste.
absto, absistere, abstiti
stand away from, refrain from, cease.
fas = fas esse
divine law; right; it is an infinitive in indirect statement following the imperative duc (translate not lead, but rather consider).
concedo, -ere, -cessi, -cessum
pass; yield; grant, allow; infinitivein indirect statement following duc.
iungo, -ere, iunxi, iunctum
join; unite; connect. The perfect passive participle (iunctus), agreeing with the unnamed subject (Regulus), is followed by the dative (Poenis) and an accusative of respect (vestigia); often termed a "Greek accusative," the accusative of respect usually identifies the part of the body that the verb acts upon.
cludo/claudo, -ere, clusi/clausi, clusum/clausum
close.
Tyrius , -a, -um
Tyrian; in these passages Silius uses three other epithets for the Carthaginians: Poenus (l. 433), Punicus (l. 437), Libys (l. 500).
relinquo, -ere, reliqui, relictum
leave behind; let go.
trepidus, -a, -um
anxious, alarmed.
funus, funeris n.
funeral. Marcia, who has been dressed in mourning and withdrawn from the public eye since her husband's capture five years previous, realistically anticipates his death (l. 500) in her final approach to him.
ut conjunction
when, as; followed by the indicative.
puppis, puppis, f.
stern of a boat; by synecdoche, boat, ship (click SPQR for a detail of the Torlonia relief). The dative case is used instead of the accusative of place to which.
tremendus, -a, -um
terrible, formidable; the neuter accusative singular is used here as an adverb.
vociferor (1 deponent)
shout, yell, cry out.
celer, celeris, celere
swift, quick, hasty.
tollo, tollere, sustuli, sublatum
take; lift.
Libyes, Libyum m. pl.
Libyans, people in North Africa; Carthaginians; see the first passage for two other names for the Carthaginians.
comites, comitis m./f.
comrade, companion.
poena, -ae f.
punishment, penalty.
uterus, -i m.
womb; child; belly; Marcia refers to her two sons by Regulus, Marcus and Gaius.
pignus, -oris n.
pledge, token; pl. children. Marcia’s repetition of unum (anaphora), placed before and after the words coniunx, uteri, pignora, illustrates the fundamental and single-minded commitment to family that she represents.
liceat: impersonal verb in the jussive subjunctive (see A&G §§439-440).
tecum = cum te, subject of ferentem.
quicum/nque pronoun
whatever; all that; modifies labores.
patior, pati, passus/a sum
experience, suffer.
Amyclaeus, -a, -um
Citizen of Amyclae; Spartan.
ductor, -oris m.
leader, commander. Marcia alludes to Xanthippus, the general hired by the Carthaginians to train their army in the First Punic War. He led them to victory at the battle of Tunis (255 BCE), where he defeated the Romans and captured Regulus (click SPQR).
circumdo (1)
put, place around. Not only does the word order of ll. 504-505 contrast Marcia with the Carthaginians, but it mirrors her meaning: the adjectives nostris and tua and the nouns colla and catenis are arranged chiastically (chiasmus) around the verb sunt circumdata, on either side of the caesura.
usque adverb
all the way to; note the gender of miseram.
Carthago, -inis f.
Carthage; click SPQR for a digital reconstruction.
flecto, -ere, flexi, flectum
turn aside; bend; note the tense of the verb.
praecludo, -cludere, -clusi, -clusum
close off, preclude; the verb is in a future most vivid condition (see A&G §516, esp. 516c).
auris, auris f.
ear; modified by suas, which refers to the subject (urbs) of the verb (praecluserit).
inimicus, -a, -um
hostile, unfriendly; i.e. Carthage.
tunc adverb
then, at that time.
hora, -ae f.
hour, time; with eadem, the subject of manebit. Marcia’s point is that the entire family will together and at once face Carthaginian reprisals.
stat + infinitive (rumpere) = it is (your) fixed resolve (to).
rumpo, -ere, rupi, ruptum
interrupt; put an end to; break; the infinitive is the subject of the impersonal verb stat (see A&G §§454-455).
morior, mori, mortuus/a sum
die; a mixed condition introduced by si: the protasis is in the present indicative (stat; see A&G §515), the apodosis is in the present hortatory subjunctive (moriamur; see A&G §§439-440).
adsum, -esse, -fui
be present.
resolvo, -ere, -solvi, -solutum
loosen, free; perfect passive participle modifying puppis.
paulatim adverb
gradually, little by little.
ripa, -ae f.
bank; ablative of place from which without a preposition.
decedo, -ere, -cessi, -cessum
go away from, depart, withdraw; both infinitives (moveri, decedere) are dependent on coepit.
infelix, -icis
unhappy, unlucky. Through the use of this epithet Silius invites comparison with Vergil's Dido: Marcia is infelix because of the perfidia of Regulus as Dido was infelix (Aeneid 1.712, 749; 4.68, 450, 529, 596) because of Aeneas’ perfidia.
furio (1)
madden, infuriate, enrage; followed by mentem, a Greek accusative specifying the site of the action, and dolore, an ablative of cause.
fessus, -a, -um
tired, exhausted (from lifting her hands in pleading).
tendo, -ere, tetendi, tentum/tensum
stretch (out), extend.
litus, -oris, n.
shore, beach.
iacto (1)
boast. The subject is [homo] qui; followed by the construction of indirect statement (accusative subject se and infinitive servare).
Libya, -ae, f.
Libya, North Africa, Carthage.
nefandus, -a, -um
abominable, impious.
thalamus, -i m.
bedroom; marriage bed.
perfidus, -a, -um
treacherous, faithless. Just as Dido calls Aeneas faithless (Aeneid 4.305, 366, 421), Marcia charges Regulus with betrayal. Her repetition of words with the root fid (signifying faith and trust) point up Regulus' hypocrisy in honoring his vow to the Carthaginians while betraying his pledge to his wife. The disordered words reveal Marcia’s distress.
percutio, -ere, -cussi, -cussum
strike, beat; with remi at the end of the line, a poetic description of rowing reminiscent of Homer.
veto, -are, vetui, vetitum
forbid, prohibit, prevent.
nosco, -ere, novi, notum
learn; noscere is a complementary infinitive with the verb vetuerunt, cetera is its direct object.
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