Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

RUTILIUS NAMATIANUSdeclining day. Amid the traces of his camp ourconversation weaves aijain the tale of Lepidus inheadlonii: flight to Sardinia ;^ for 'twas from Cosa'sshore that Rome, following the lead of valiantCatulus, drove off the foes of her own blood. Yetwas that Lepidus more a villain, who mid civil strife,in a confederacy of three, waged impious warfare ;whose reinforcements—to the city's dread—crushedthe freedom recovered in battle at Mutina. Athird of the name ventured to contrive a plot againstthe peace and met a fate that fits luckless defendants.A fourth, aiming at a stealthy inroad onimperial power, paid the penalty of foul adultery.To-day also—but of the Lepidi of our day famewill draw up a better indictment : let posterity bethe judge to brand the ill-omened stock. Am I tobelieve that definite characters descend from namesor rather that definite names are given to characters ?However that be, it is a strange routine in thechronicles of Latium that misfortune has so oftenrecurred through the sword of the Lepidi.^The shades of night as yet are undispelled whenwe entrust ourselves to the sea. Born of the neighbouringhill-crest, a breeze befriends us. Mountbetween Mark Antony and the Senate, joined forces withAntony after the battle of ^lutina in 44 B.C. The allusion in1. 300 is to his membership of the triumvirate with Antonyand Octavian. (3) The triumvir's son plotted in 30 b.c.to murder Octavian, but was arrested and sent to Octavian,then in the East, where he was put to death. (4) M. AemiliusLepidus was the second husband of Drusilla, Caligula's sister.He conspired against his imperial brother-in-law, and hadillicit relations with Agrippina and Li villa, two other sistersof the emperor. He was executed in .\.d. 39.^ Lepidum : genit. plur. rather than adjectivally withmalum.791