The History of Roman Literature - Charles Thomas Cruttwell

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are not sufficient to disprove its claim to be a true restoration of an ancient monument. To consider it a forgery is to disregard entirely the judgment of Quintilian, [18] who takes its genuineness for granted. It is in places imperfect—

      "Secestanosque … opsidioned exemet, lecionesque Cartaciniensis omnis

       maximosque macistratos luci palam post dies novem castreis exfociunt,

       magistratus effugiunt

       Macelamque opidom vi puenandod cepet. Enque eodem macistratud bene

       rem navebos marid consol primos ceset, copiasque clasesque navales primos

       gessit

       ornavet paravetque. Cumque eis navebous claseis Poenicas omnis, item

       maxumas copias Cartaciniensis, praesented Hanibaled dictatored olorom,

       illorum

       inaltod marid puenandod vicet. Vique navis cepet cum socieis septeresmom

       in alto septiremem

       unam, quinqueresmosque triresmosque naveis xxx: merset xiii. Aurom

       mersit

       captom numci [Symbols] DCC. arcentom captom praeda: numci CCCI[Symbols]

       CCCI[Symbols]. Omne captom, aes CCCI[Symbols] (plus vicies semel). Primos

       quoque navaled praedad poplom donavet primosque Cartaciniensis incenuos

       ingenuos

       duxit in triumpod."

      We notice here C for G, ET for IT, O for V on the one hand: on the other, praeda where we should expect praida, besides the inconsistencies alluded to on p. 13.

      The Mausoleum of the Scipios containing the epitaphs was discovered in 1780. The first of these inscriptions dates from 280 B.C. or twenty years earlier than the Columna Rostrata, and is the earliest original Roman philological antiquity of assignable date which we possess. But the other epitaphs on the Scipios advance to a later period, and it is convenient to arrange them all together. The earliest runs thus:—

      "Cornéliús Lucíus, | Scípió Barbátus, Gnaivód patré prognátus | fórtis vír sapiénsque, quoiús formá vírtu | teí parísuma fúit, [19] consól censór aídílis | queí fuít apúd vos, Taurásia Cisaúna | Sámnió cépit subigít omné Loucánam | ópsidésque abdoúcit."

      The next, the title of which is painted and the epitaph graven, refers to the son of Barbatus. Like the preceding, it is written in Saturnian verse:

      "Honc oíno ploírumé co | séntiónt Romái duonóro óptumó fu | íse viró viróro Lucíom Scípióne. | Fíliós Barbáti consól censór aidílis | híc fuét apúd vos hec cépit Córsica 'Aleri | áque urbé pugnándod, dedét Témpestátebus | aíde méretod vótam."

      The more archaic character of this inscription suggests the explanation that the first was originally painted, and not engraven till a later period, when, as in the case of the Columna Rostrata, some of its archaisms (probably the more unintelligible) were suppressed. In ordinary Latin it would be:

      "Hunc unum plurimi consentiunt Romani (or Romae) bonorum optimum fuisse virum virorum, Lucium Scipionem. Filius (erat) Barbati, Consul, Censor. Aedilis hic fuit apud vos. Hic cepit Corsicam Aleriamque urbem pugnando; dedit tempestatibus aedem merito votam."

      The third epitaph is on P. Corn. Scipio, probably son of the great

       Africanus, and adopted father of Scipio Aemilianus:—

      "Quei ápice insígne diális | fláminís gesístei mors pérfecít tua ut éssent | ómniá brévia honós famá virtúsque | glória átque ingénium: quibús sei in lónga lícui | sét tíbi útier víta facilé factís superásses | glóriám maiórum. quaré lubéns te in grémiu | Scípió récipit terrá, Publí, prognátum | Públió Cornéli."

      The last which will be quoted here is that of L. Corn. Scipio, of uncertain date:

      "Magná sapiéntiá mul | tásque vírtútes Aetáte quóm párva | póssidét hoc sáxsum, quoieí vitá defécit | nón honós honóre. Is híc sitús, qui núnquam | víctus ást virtúteí. Annós gnatús vigínti | ís Diteíst mandátus, ne quaíratís honóre | queí minus sít mandátus."

      These last two are written in clear, intelligible Latin, the former showing in addition a genuine literary inspiration. Nevertheless, the student will perceive many signs of antiquity in the omission of the case- ending m, in the spellings gesistei, quom ( = cum. prep.) in the old long quantities omnia fama facile and the unique quairatis. There are no less than five other inscriptions in the Mausoleum, one of which concludes with four elegiac lines, but they can hardly be cited with justice among the memorials of the old language.

      The Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus, or, as some scholars prefer to call it, Epistola Consulum ad Teuranos (186 B.C.), found at Terra di Teriolo, in Calabria, in 1640, is quite in its original state. It is easily intelligible, and except in orthography, scarcely differs from classical Latin. We subjoin it entire, as it is a very complete and important specimen of the language, and with it we shall close our list:—

      "1. Q. Marcius L. f. S(p) Postumius L. f. cos senatum consoluerunt n. Oct-

       2. ob. apud aedem | Duelonai. Sc. arf. M. Claudi(us) M. f.

       Bellonae Scribendo adfuerunt

       L. Valeri(us) P.f.Q. Minuci(us) C. f.—

       3. De Bacanalibus quei foideratei | esent ita exdeicendum censuere.

       4. Neiquis eorum Bacanal habuise velet. Sei ques | esent quei

       vellet Si qui

       sibei deicerent necesus ese Bacanal habere, eeis utei

       5. ad pr(aetorem) urbanum | Romam venirent deque eeis rebus,

       6. ubei eorum verba audita esent, utei senatus | noster decerneret, dum ne

       minus Senatorbus C adesent, quom ea

       adessent

       7. res cosoleretur | Bacas vir nequis adiese velet ceivis Roma-

       8. nus neve nominus Latini neve socium | quisquam, nisei

       pr(aetorem) urbanum adiesent, isque de senatuos sententiad,

       adiissent

       9. dum ne | minus Senatoribus C adesent, quom ea res cosoleretur, iousiset.

       Censuere. |

       10. Sacerdos nequis vir eset. Magister neque vir neque mulier

       11. quisquam eset. | Neve pecuniam quisquam eorum comoinem ha-

       communem

       12. buise velet, neve magistratum | neve pro magistratud, neque

       13. virum neque mulierem quiquam fecise velet. | Neve posthac inter sed

       coniourase

       14. neve comvovise neve conspondise | neve compromesise velet, neve quis-

       15. quam fidem inter sed dedise velet | Sacra in oquoltod ne quisquam

       occulto

       16. fecise velet, neve in poplicod neve in | preivatod neve exstrad urbem

       17. sacra quisquam fecise velet—nisei | pr(aetorem) urbanum adieset isque

       18. de senatuos sententiad, dum ne minus | senatoribus C adesent, uom es

       res cocoleretur, iousiset. Censuere.

       19. Homines plous V oinversei virei atque mulieres sacra ne quisquam |

       universi

       20. fecise velet, neve inter ibei virei plous duobus mulieribus plous tri-

       21. bus | arfuise velent, nisei de pr(aetoris) urbani senatuosque sententiad,

       22. utei suprad | scriptam est.

       23. Haice utei in coventionid exdeicatis ne minus trinum | noundinum

      

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