Translation of Servius\' comment on Aeneid

[M. Caecilius]

Hi Cornelius,

I don't know of any translation, but here is what I have come up with. Keep in mind that I am no classicist, and that in parts at least, my translation is subject to improvement - and actually in one or two parts, I had to capitulate.

Also be careful to separate Virgl's quotes from those of the commentator. It makes for an easier translation, especially on the first sentence (which actually does not make much sense as a whole, unless it's separated).

Also, might I ask that you identify yourself with your first name, as per the rules?

Here is the translation, as far as I could do it.


“ Nor did Porsenna not command Tarquin [to be received back] from exile” Tarquinius Superbus had reckless sons, and amongst them Arruns. While he was at the camp, at the time when his father was besieging Ardea, and while there had arisen between him and Collatinus, the husband of Lucretia, a discussion about their wives, and this had gone as far as a quarrel, they both proceeded together, having taken their horses, to their houses in order to prove the virtues of their wives. Having entered the city of Collatia, where Lucretia’s house stood, they found her working at the loom and sad about the absence of her husband. From there they proceeded to the house of Arruns and, having found his wife enjoying the attentions of singers and dancers, they returned to the camp. This Arruns resented, and, thinking about assaulting the chastity of Lucretia, he forged a letter in the name of her husband and gave it to Lucretia. In this letter, he wrote that she was to receive Arruns as a guest. Having done this, he entered her room at night together with an Ethiopian and with his sword unsheathed, and proceeded in this manner to get her to lie with him, saying: “If you don’t sleep with me, I will put the Ethiopian with you, and then catch in you in the act of adultery.” Fearing therefore lest she lose her reputation out of love for chastity, and, since he realized that she was not going to be left bereft of exoneration (unsure), she gave in unwillingly to these shameful orders. And the next day, having called together those close to her, her husband Collatinus, her father Tricipitinus, her maternal uncle Brutus, who was tribune of the fast cavalry, she revealed the affair, asked that her violated pudor and her own death should not go unpunished, and she killed herself by throwing herself on a sword. This sword Brutus pulled from her body and went before the people, and, having spoken at length on the arrogance of Tarquinius and the turpitude of his sons, he acted so that they were not received into the city, with this authority this was the most he could do (unsure): because, as we have said, Brutus was Tribune of the Cavalry. But when he was not received, Tarquinius went before Porsenna, the King of the Etruscans. And Porsenna attacked Rome fiercely for Tarquinius, with large forces and having captured the Ianiculum and erected his camp there. And when he tried to cross over the Sublician Bridge, that is the wooden one which was only recently called the “of stone”, Cocles alone withstood the attack of the enemy, until the bridge destroyed in his back by his allies; after the bridge was destroyed, he threw himself in the Tiber with his weapons, and, although he was wounded in the hip, still survived its waters: and because of this, he said, when in the popular assembly he was reproached with the infirmity of his hip: “I am reminded of my triumph by single steps.” But the people came to such a necessity in the siege that they even gave hostages. Amongst them Cloelia, having found an opportunity, swam across the river and returned to Rome, and, was returned again, Porsenna having asked for her by the law of the peace (unsure - probably means by the conditions of the ceasefire). He admired the virtue of the girl and gave allowed her the choice with which companions she wanted to return. She chose the maidens, who could be at the mercy of unjust treatment (unsure), and thus Porcenna conceded this and stood amazed, and asked by letters the Roman People to give her some manly honour, and they gave her an equestrian statue, which we can see nowadays in the Via Sacra.

Exile . He could easily have been caught and murdered. But he was not captured because he could not be killed because of the a religious scruple, as he had been rex sacrorum. After this others were made consuls, and others reges sacrorum.

Porsenna He added one “n” because of the meter, and thus put the accent on the penultimate syllable; indeed, he was called Porsena: Martial writes: “And Porsena could not see his hand”.

Best,
Max