Prose Literature: Inspiration for the Fight

Question 1

Boudicca curru filias prae se vehens, ut quamque nationem accesserat,

Answer 1

Boudicca, carrying her daughters in front of her in her chariot, as she approached each tribe,

Question 2

solitum quidem Britannis feminarum ductu bellare testabatur,

Answer 2

was declaring that it was indeed usual for the Britons to wage war under the leadership of women,

Question 3

sed tunc non tantis maioribus ortam regnum et opes, verum ut unam e vulgo libertatem amissam, confectum verberibus corpus, contrectatam filiarum pudicitiam ulcisci.

Answer 3

but now, she was not avenging her kingdom and wealth as someone who had been born from such great ancestors, but truly as one of the people [she was avenging lost freedom], her body worn out with scourging, the outraged chastity of her daughters.

Question 4

eo provectas Romanorum cupidines ut non corpora, ne senectam quidem aut virginitatem impollutam reliquant.

Answer 4

Roman lusts have advanced so much that they do not leave bodies unpolluted, not even old age or virginity.

Question 5

adesse tamen deos iustae vindictae:

Answer 5

[She said that] the gods of righteous vengeance were present:

Question 6

cecidisse legionem, quae prolium ausa sit;

Answer 6

the legion which dared to fight has perished;

Question 7

ceteros castris occultare aut fugam circumspicere.

Answer 7

the rest are hidden in their camps or are looking around for flight.

Question 8

ne strepidum quidem et clamorem tot milium, nedum impetus et manus perlaturos:

Answer 8

They will not even be able to endure the noise and uproar of so many thousands, still less our attack and the [blows from] our hands:

Question 9

si copias armatorum, si causas belli secum expenderent, vicendum illa acie vel cadendum esse.

Answer 9

“If you weigh up to yourselves the troops of armed men and the causes of the war, [you can see that] in that battle you must either conquer or die.

Question 10

id mulieri destinatum: viverent viri et servirent.

Answer 10

This is the resolve of a woman: as for the men, let them live and let them be slaves.”

Question 11

ne Suetonius quidem in tanto discrimine silebat.

Answer 11

Nor was Suetonius silent in such a crisis:

Question 12

quamquam confideret virtuti, tamen exhortationes et preces miscebat ut spernerent sonores barbarorum et inanes minas:

Answer 12

although he trusted the courage [of his men], nevertheless he was mixing encouragement and pleading that they should scorn the noises of the barbarians and their empty threats.

Question 13

plus illic feminarum quam iuventutis aspici.

Answer 13

[He said that] more women were visible than youth.

Question 14

imbelles inermes cessuros statim ubi ferrum virtutemque vincentium toties fusi adgnovissent.

Answer 14

Unwarlike, unarmed, they would give way immediately when they recognised the steel and the courage of their conquerors [by whom they had been] flattened so often.

Question 15

etiam in multis legionibus paucos qui proelia profligarent;

Answer 15

Even among many legions [there are] few who decide the battles;

Question 16

gloriaeque eorum accessurum quod modica manus universi exercitus famam adipiscerentur.

Answer 16

it will be more to their glory that a small band of men would earn the fame of an entire army.

Question 17

conferti tantum et pilis emissis post umbonibus et gladiis stragem caedemque continuarent, praedae immemores;

Answer 17

[The] only [thing they should do was to stand] closely packed and when they had thrown their javelins, they should afterwards with shields and swords continue the destruction and slaughter, without thinking of plunder.

Question 18

parta victoria cuncta ipsis cessura.

Answer 18

When victory has been obtained, everything else would yield to them.

Question 19

is ardor verba ducis sequebatur, ita se ad intorquenda pila expedierat vetus miles et multa proeliorum experientia ut certus eventus Suetonius daret pugnae signum.

Answer 19

Such enthusiasm followed the words of the leader and so [promptly] did the veteran soldiers, with much experience of battles, prepare themselves to hurl their javelins, that Suetonius, confident of the outcome, gave the signal for the fight.

Question 20

ac primum legio gradu immota et angustias loci pro munimento retinens, postquam in propius suggressos hostes certo iactu tela exhauserat, velut cuneo erupit.

Answer 20

At first the legion [was] in their unmoved position and holding on to the narrow parts of the place as a defence. After they had discharged their missiles with accurate aim against the enemy as they approached more closely, they broke out in wedge formation.

Question 21

idem auxiliarium impetus; et eques protentis hastis perfringit quod obvium et validum erat.

Answer 21

The attack of the auxiliaries was the same; and the cavalry, with extended spears smashed whatever was in the way and strong.

Question 22

ceteri terga praebuere, difficili effugio, quia circumiecta vehicula saepserant abitus.

Answer 22

The rest showed their backs [in retreat], a difficult flight, because the surrounding waggons had blocked the exits.

Question 23

et miles ne mulierum quidem neci temperabat, confixaeque telis etiam iumenta corporum cumulum auxerant.

Answer 23

And the soldiers did not exercise restraint in the deaths even of women, and, pierced through with missiles even the beasts of burden increased the heap of bodies.

Question 24

clara et antiquis victoriis par ea die laus parta:

Answer 24

Illustrious glory, equal to the victories of old, was obtained on that day:

Question 25

quippe sunt qui paulo minus quam octoginta milia Britannorum cecidisse tradant, militum quadringentis ferme interfectis nec multo amplius vulneratis.

Answer 25

for there are [those] who tell that a little less than 80,000 Britons fell, with about four hundred soldiers killed and not many more wounded.

Question 26

Boudicca vitam veneno finivit.

Answer 26

Boudicca ended her life with poison.