Arria: first and second stories Flashcards
aegrobat Caecina Paetus, maritus Arriae; aegrobat et filius, uterque gravissime, ut videbatur.
Arria’s husband, Caecina Paetus, was ill; their son was ill too, both of them very seriously, as it seemed.
filius mortuus est, iuvenis pulcherrimus et verecundus et parentibus carus.
The son died, a young man very handsome and modest and dear to his parents.
huic Arria ita funus paravit, ita duxit exsequias, ut ignarus esset maritus; quin immo quotiens cubiculum eius intraret, vivere filium atque etiam commodiorem esse simulabat, ac persaepe marito roganti, quid ageret puer, respondebat: ‘bene dormivit, libenter cibum consumpsit.’
Arria arrange his funeral in such a way, (and) led the procession in such a way that her husband was unaware (of it); indeed, whenever she entered his bed-chamber, she pretended that their son was alive and even rather better, and to her asking husband very often how the boy was doing she replied; ‘He has slept well and eaten food willingly.’
deinde, cum lacrimae diu cohibitae eam vincerent prorumperentque, egrediebatur; tum se dolori dabat; satiata siccis oculis composito vultu in cubiculum redibat, tamquam orbitatem foris reliquisset.
Then, when the tears, having been held back for a long time, overcame her and broke out, she went out; then she gave herself to grief; having had her fill (of tears), she returned to the bed-chamber with dry eyes and with her face composed, as if she had left her bereavement outside.
praeclarum quidem illud factum eiusdem, ferrum stringere, perfodere pectus, extrahere pugionem, porrigere marito, addere vocem immortalem ac paene divinam: ‘Paete, non dolet.’
That (was) indeed a remarkable deed of the same woman, to draw a sword to pierce her breast, to draw out the dagger, and to offer (it) to her husband, and to add the immortal and almost divine words: ‘Paetus, it does not hurt.’
