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13 - Stories from the History of Rome by Emily Beesly · Stories from the History of Rome

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twelve of Stories from the History of Rome by
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  Speaker 1: Emily Beasley. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Melissa Jane Melissa Janeaudio at gmail dot com.
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  Speaker 1: The Story of Titus Manlius. The Romans were taught from
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  Speaker 1: their childhood that they ought to love their country more
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  Speaker 1: than any other thing. They were also taught that it
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  Speaker 1: was their duty to obey their father, and that he
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  Speaker 1: might do anything he pleased with them. Even if a
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  Speaker 1: Roman father were cruel or unkind, his son would have
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  Speaker 1: been thought very bad if he had not been obedient
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  Speaker 1: and dutiful to him. To show you how real and
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  Speaker 1: strong this feeling was, I will tell you the story
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  Speaker 1: of Titus Manlius. There lived in Rome a man of
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  Speaker 1: noble family called Lucius Manlius, who, because of his proud
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  Speaker 1: and stern temper, was surnamed the Imperious. He was made
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  Speaker 1: dictator and raised troops in Rome to fight against a
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  Speaker 1: neighboring people called the Hernicans. Lucius Manlius had one son,
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  Speaker 1: whose name was Titus. This young man was not clever
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  Speaker 1: and stammered when he spoke. His father treated him unkindly,
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  Speaker 1: for he would not let Titus live in Rome, but
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  Speaker 1: sent him away into a country village, where he lived
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  Speaker 1: with the rough peasants and had no chance of being
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  Speaker 1: able to learn and improve himself. The Romans did not
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  Speaker 1: like the proud Manlius, and when his time of being
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  Speaker 1: dictator was over, one of the tribunes of the people,
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  Speaker 1: called Marcus Pomponius, brought a complaint against him. Pomponius said
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  Speaker 1: that Manlius had been very cruel and severe in his
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  Speaker 1: way of raising the troops. He has, said the tribune,
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  Speaker 1: taken a great deal of money from the people, and
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  Speaker 1: has imprisoned them and had them beaten. Besides all this,
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  Speaker 1: he has kept his own son, who has done no wrong,
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  Speaker 1: away from the city and his home, putting him to
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  Speaker 1: hard and rough work, and treating the young man like
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  Speaker 1: a slave instead of like the son of the greatest
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  Speaker 1: man in Rome. And why has Manly has done all this?
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  Speaker 1: Because the poor young man could not speak well, but
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  Speaker 1: stammered in his talk. Ought he not rather, if he
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  Speaker 1: had been a kind father, to have been more tender
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  Speaker 1: to his son, instead of punish him for what was
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  Speaker 1: not a fault but a misfortune. When Titus Manlius heard
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  Speaker 1: that his father had been accused of cruelty to him.
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  Speaker 1: He was very angry, for he was an obedient son,
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  Speaker 1: and he thought that he ought to do and bear
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  Speaker 1: whatever his father wished. He was so unhappy that his
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  Speaker 1: father should be brought into trouble on his account, that
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  Speaker 1: he set off at once for Rome. He arrived there
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  Speaker 1: very early in the morning and went straight to the
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  Speaker 1: house of the tribune, Pomponius. When Titus asked to see
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  Speaker 1: the tribune, the servants told him that he was still
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  Speaker 1: in bed, but they went and told their master that
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  Speaker 1: the son of Manlius had come and wanted to speak
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  Speaker 1: to him. The tribune hoped that Titus had some complaint
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  Speaker 1: to make against his father, and sent for him to
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  Speaker 1: come in. When they had saluted each other, Titus spoke,
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  Speaker 1: I must see you alone, Pomponius, he said, for I
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  Speaker 1: have a secret which none must hear but you. The
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  Speaker 1: servants left them, and as soon as they were alone,
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  Speaker 1: Titus drew a dagger from his belt, and, standing over
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  Speaker 1: the tribune, swear to me, he cried that you will
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  Speaker 1: never call the people together to judge my father, or
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  Speaker 1: I will stab you. At once. The tribune was dreadfully
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  Speaker 1: frightened when he saw the dagger glitter before his eyes.
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  Speaker 1: He was alone and unarmed. The young man was strong
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  Speaker 1: and active and really meant to do as he had said,
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  Speaker 1: So Pomponius was obliged to swear that he would go
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  Speaker 1: no further in his accusation against the elder Manlius. The
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  Speaker 1: people were very sorry that they could not punish the
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  Speaker 1: stern and cruel man, for the tribune was obliged to
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  Speaker 1: keep his word. But they could not help admiring the
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  Speaker 1: love and duty of Titus, who was so good a
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  Speaker 1: son to so unkind a father, and in that same
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  Speaker 1: year they chose him to be one of the chief
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  Speaker 1: officers of the army. Not long after this, a war
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  Speaker 1: broke out between the Romans and the Gauls. The Roman army,
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  Speaker 1: commanded by the dictator Titus Quintius Pennis, marched out to
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  Speaker 1: meet the Gauls, who had encamped about three miles from
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  Speaker 1: Rome near a bridge over the river Oneo. Quintius pitched
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  Speaker 1: his camp on the other side of the river, nearer
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  Speaker 1: to Rome, so the bridge was between the two armies.
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  Speaker 1: Both tried hard to get possession of it, and there
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  Speaker 1: was a good deal of fighting, but neither party could
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  Speaker 1: keep the bridge, and at last the armies went back,
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  Speaker 1: each to its own side of the river. Then a
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  Speaker 1: gigantic gall came forward, all alone on the empty bridge, and,
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  Speaker 1: waving his sword in the air, shouted aloud, let.
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  Speaker 2: The bravest man among the Romans come out and fight
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  Speaker 2: with me, that we may see if the Gauls or
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  Speaker 2: the Romans are the best warriors.
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  Speaker 1: The bravest of the Roman youths stood silent for a while,
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  Speaker 1: ashamed to refuse to fight, yet not liking the danger
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  Speaker 1: of meeting so fierce an enemy. At last, Titus Manlius
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  Speaker 1: came forward to the dictator General. He said, I should
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  Speaker 1: never have dared to step out of the ranks to
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  Speaker 1: fight without your orders. No, not if I had been
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  Speaker 1: sure that I should win the victory. But if you
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  Speaker 1: will give me leave, I will show this great hulking
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  Speaker 1: brute who is strutting and bragging in front of the
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  Speaker 1: Gaulish standards, that I am come of the same race
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  Speaker 1: as that Manlius who threw the Gaulls down the Tarpaian rock. Well, said,
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  Speaker 1: brave Manlius, answered the dictator, you show that your love
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  Speaker 1: for your country is as great as your love for your.
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  Speaker 3: Father, go on, and by the help of the gods,
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  Speaker 3: let these galls see that Rome is not to be conquered.
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  Speaker 1: Then the young man's friends helped him to put on
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  Speaker 1: his armor. He took the shield of a foot soldier
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  Speaker 1: and girt himself with a good Spanish sword. So they
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  Speaker 1: let him forth against the Gall, who, as the savage
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  Speaker 1: custom of his people was, showed his joy at meeting
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  Speaker 1: his enemy by shouting out his war song and making
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  Speaker 1: mocking faces at the Roman. Then the rest returned to
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  Speaker 1: their places, and the champions were left between the armies,
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  Speaker 1: who stood to watch the fight with the greatest eagerness.
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  Speaker 1: It was more like seeing a play acted than looking
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  Speaker 1: at a real combat. So different did the two warriors appear,
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  Speaker 1: and so unequal did they seem. The Gall was of
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  Speaker 1: gigantic size and great strength. He was clad in a
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  Speaker 1: garment checked with many colors. His painted armor glittered with gold,
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  Speaker 1: and round his neck he wore a twisted collar of gold.
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  Speaker 1: He carried a shield and a long and heavy broadsword.
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  Speaker 1: The Roman, though much smaller, was strong and active. His
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  Speaker 1: dress was not so gay, and his armor was more
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  Speaker 1: useful than splendid. He came forward quietly, without useless shouts
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  Speaker 1: or wavings of his weapons, but keeping all his strength
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  Speaker 1: for the hard work of the battle. Thus they stood
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  Speaker 1: between the two armies, and the Gall, who towered above
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  Speaker 1: the Roman, holding his shield before his body. With his
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  Speaker 1: left hand, struck at Manlius with his long broad sword.
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  Speaker 1: So great a stroke was it that the noise of
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  Speaker 1: it could be heard far away, as Manlius caught it
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  Speaker 1: on his shield and so remained unhurt.
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  Speaker 4: Then, before the Gall had time to strike again, Manlius
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  Speaker 4: ran close to him, and, knocking up the giant's shield
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  Speaker 4: with his own, he plunged his short, double edged sword
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  Speaker 4: again and again into the body of his enemy. Down
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  Speaker 4: fell the Gall, and his gigantic body lay stretched out,
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  Speaker 4: covering a great space of ground. Manlius stooped down, and,
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  Speaker 4: unfastening from the throat of the dead man, the golden
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  Speaker 4: collar he wore, clasped it round his own neck, and
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  Speaker 4: returned to his friends. The army of the Gauls was
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  Speaker 4: struck with surprise and fear, but the Romans, with shouts
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  Speaker 4: of joy and triumph, led their brave young champion to
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  Speaker 4: the dictator, and from that day Manlius was called Torquatus
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  Speaker 4: from the Latin word torquis, which means a collar, because
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  Speaker 4: he had won the golden collar from the gigantic gall.
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  Speaker 4: The end of the story of Titus Manlius is a
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  Speaker 4: sad one, but it is interesting. You will hear how
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  Speaker 4: he who gave such full obedience to his own father
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  Speaker 4: and also to his general, expected the same obedience and
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  Speaker 4: duty from his son. And you will hear too how
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  Speaker 4: sternly he punished that son for the want of it.
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  Speaker 1: Many years after the fight between Manlius and the Gaul,
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  Speaker 1: there was a war between the Romans and the Latins.
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  Speaker 1: Manlius was then one of the consuls, and he and
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  Speaker 1: his fellow consul led the Roman army out and encamped
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  Speaker 1: before the town of Capua. The Latins were of the
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  Speaker 1: same race as the Romans. Their manners, customs, and language
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  Speaker 1: were the same, and as they had been allies, many
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  Speaker 1: of the Romans had friends in the Latin army. The consuls,
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  Speaker 1: because of this, agreed together that the soldiers must be
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  Speaker 1: kept very strictly and severely, and they sent a crier
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  Speaker 1: through the camp to say that no man was to
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  Speaker 1: fight with the enemy out of his rank or without
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  Speaker 1: the command of the consuls. Now it happened that among
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  Speaker 1: the leaders of the horsemen who were sent out from
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  Speaker 1: the Roman camp to find out what the Latins were doing,
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  Speaker 1: was a son of the consul Manlius, who was called
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  Speaker 1: Titus as his father was young. Manlius was very brave
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  Speaker 1: and full of spirit, and was eager to make his
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  Speaker 1: name famous by some brave deed, as his father had done.
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  Speaker 1: One day, when he was riding out with his troop,
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  Speaker 1: he met a party of the enemy's horsemen, whose leader
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  Speaker 1: was a young man of noble family and great courage
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  Speaker 1: named Geminus Metius. Metius knew the consul's son and called out.
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  Speaker 3: To him, what, said he, do you Romans mean to
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  Speaker 3: fight the Latins with one troop of horse? What has
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  Speaker 3: become of your two consuls and your great army?
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  Speaker 1: You will see what has become of them soon enough,
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  Speaker 1: answered Manlius. At the Battle of Lake Regulus, you had
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  Speaker 1: as much fighting with us as you wanted, but you
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  Speaker 1: shall have plenty more of it before we have done
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  Speaker 1: with you. Meteus laughed, before that dreadful day.
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  Speaker 3: Comes, said he, one, you mean to do such wonderful things?
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  Speaker 1: Will you dare to fight with me? That all the
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  Speaker 1: world may see? How much braver a Latin night is
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  Speaker 1: than a Roman. Manlius was very angry at the mocking
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  Speaker 1: words of Meteus, and forgetting his father's commands and the
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  Speaker 1: decree of the consuls. He said he was ready to fight.
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  Speaker 1: The rest of the horsemen stood aside so as to
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  Speaker 1: give the two young men plenty of room for the battle,
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  Speaker 1: and they set spurs to their horses and charged one
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  Speaker 1: another fiercely with their sharply pointed spears. The lance of
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  Speaker 1: Manlius just grazed the helmet of the Latin, while Metius
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  Speaker 1: slightly wounded the neck of the Roman's horse. Then turning
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  Speaker 1: their horses, they charged again. Manlius raised himself in his
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  Speaker 1: saddle and pierced his enemy's horse between the ears. The horse,
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  Speaker 1: frightened by the pain of the wound, reared and plunged
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  Speaker 1: and threw Metius, and while he was trying to get
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  Speaker 1: on his feet again, Manlius ran his spear into his
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  Speaker 1: throat and so killed him. Then dismounting, he seized the
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  Speaker 1: arms of the Latin, carried them to his companions, and
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  Speaker 1: rode back in triumph with them to the Roman camp.
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  Speaker 1: He hastened to his father's tent. Little thinking of what
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  Speaker 1: was going to happen, father, said he when he stood
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  Speaker 1: before the consul. To show you that I am worthy
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  Speaker 1: to be your son, I bring you here the spoils
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  Speaker 1: of a Latin knight who defied and challenged me, and
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  Speaker 1: whom I have slain fairly in single combat. When the
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  Speaker 1: Consul had heard his son's words, he answered him nothing,
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  Speaker 1: but turned away his face. Presently, he ordered the soldiers
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  Speaker 1: to be called together by the sound of a trumpet,
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  Speaker 1: and then, in the presence of all he spoke to
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  Speaker 1: his son in these words, dietus Manlius, you have forgotten
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  Speaker 1: the obedience a soldier owes his general and the respect
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  Speaker 1: a son should show to his father's commands. And you
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  Speaker 1: have dared to fight the enemy against our orders. If
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  Speaker 1: you were not to be punished for doing this, the
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  Speaker 1: Roman soldiers, who till now have been careful in their
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  Speaker 1: duty and obedient to their leaders, might grow careless, and
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  Speaker 1: so the army of Rome would become weak and useless. Now,
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  Speaker 1: therefore I must choose whether I will do my duty
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  Speaker 1: to Rome and punish my son, or whether my love
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  Speaker 1: or my son shall make me forget my duty to Rome.
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  Speaker 1: I choose that you and I shall pay for our
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  Speaker 1: rashness and folly, but that Rome shall not be the
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  Speaker 1: worse as for me. The love that all fathers feel
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  Speaker 1: for their children, and the proofs of your courage that
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  Speaker 1: you have just shown me grieve me deeply. But since
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  Speaker 1: you must die for having disobeyed the consuls, show me
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  Speaker 1: that you are worthy to be my son by submitting
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  Speaker 1: cheerfully to the punishment. Then he bade the electors bind
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  Speaker 1: his son, which they did, and then cut off his head.
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  Speaker 1: The army was greatly surprised by the severity of the consul,
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  Speaker 1: and very sorry for the brave young Manlius, and a
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  Speaker 1: splendid funeral was made for him. But the fear of
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  Speaker 1: being treated in the same way made the soldiers more obedient,
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  Speaker 1: and the guards and sentinels more watchful. This did much
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  Speaker 1: good in the war that followed, which ended in the
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  Speaker 1: victory of the Romans. End of Chapter twelve. Recording by
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  Speaker 1: Melissa Jane Melissa Janeaudio at gmail dot com.