Βροῦτος δὲ διαβάς τι ῥεῖθρον ὑλῶδες καὶ παράκρημνον ἤδη σκότους ὄντος οὐ πολὺ προῆλθεν, ἀλλʼ ἐν τόπῳ κοίλῳ καὶ πέτραν ἔχοντι μεγάλην προκειμένην καθίσας, ὀλίγων περὶ αὐτὸν ἡγεμόνων καὶ φίλων ὄντων, πρῶτα μὲν ἀποβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀστέρων ὄντα μεστόν ἀνεφθέγξατο δύο στίχους, ὧν τὸν ἕτερον Βολούμνιος ἀνέγραψε· Ζεῦ, μὴ λάθοι σε τῶνδʼ ὃς αἴτιος κακῶν· τοῦ δʼ ἑτέρου φησὶν ἐπιλαθέσθαι.
But Brutus, after crossing a brook which ran among trees and had precipitous banks, would go no further, since it was already dark, but sat down in a hollow place with a great rock in front of it, having a few officers and friends about him. First, he turned his eyes to the heavens, which were studded with stars, and recited two verses, one of which Volumnius has recorded:— O Zeus, do not forget the author of these ills! / the other Volumnius says he has forgotten.
μετὰ δὲ μικρὸν τῶν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ πρὸ αὐτοῦ πεσόντων ἑταίρων ἕκαστον ὀνομάζων μάλιστα τῇ Φλαβίου μνήμῃ καὶ τῇ Λαβεῶνος ἐπεστέναξεν. ἦν δʼ αὐτοῦ πρεσβευτὴς ὁ Λαβεών, ὁ δὲ Φλάβιος ἔπαρχος τῶν τεχνιτῶν.
Then, after a little, he called the name of each of his comrades who had fallen in the battle to defend him, groaning most heavily at the mention of Flavius and Labeo. Labeo was his legate, and Flavius his chief of engineers.
ἐν τούτῳ δέ τις αὐτός τε διψήσας καὶ τὸν Βροῦτον ὁρῶν ὁμοίως ἔχοντα, λαβὼν κράνος ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν κατέδραμε. ψόφου δὲ κατὰ θάτερα προσπεσόντος Βολούμνιος προῆλθε κατοψόμενος, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Δάρδανος ὁ ὑπασπιστής.
At this point, someone who was thirsty himself and saw that Brutus was thirsty too, took a helmet and ran down to the river. Then a noise fell upon their ears from the opposite direction, and Volumnius went forth to reconnoitre, and with him Dardanus his shield-bearer.
ἐπανελθόντες δὲ μετὰ μικρὸν ἠρώτησαν περὶ τοῦ πώματος, ἠθικῶς δὲ σφόδρα μειδιάσας ὁ Βροῦτος πρὸς τὸν Βολούμνιον ἐκπέποται, εἶπεν, ἀλλʼ ἕτερον ὑμῖν κομισθήσεται πεμφθεὶς δʼ ὁ αὐτός ἐκινδύνευσεν ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ἁλῶναι καὶ μόλις ἐσώθη τετρωμένος.
After a little while, however, they returned, and asked about the water to drink. Whereupon, with a very expressive smile, Brutus said to Volumnius: It is drunk up; but another draught shall be fetched for you. Then the same man who had brought the first was sent for more, but he ran the risk of being captured by the enemy, was wounded, and with difficulty came off safe.
εἰκάζοντι δὲ αὐτῷ μὴ πολλοὺς ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τεθνάναι Στατύλλιος ὑπέστη διὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἐκπαισάμενος ʽάλλως γὰρ οὐκ ἦν κατόψεσθαι τὸ στρατόπεδον, καὶ πυρσὸν ἄρας ἄνπερ εὕρῃ τἀκεῖ σῳζόμενα, πάλιν ἀφίξεσθαι πρὸς αὐτόν.
Now, since Brutus conjectured that not many of his men had been killed in the battle, Statyllius promised him that after cutting his way through the enemy (there was no other way), he would reconnoitre the camp, raise a blazing torch if he found things there in safety, and then come back to him.
ὁ μὲν οὖν πυρσὸς ἤρθη τοῦ Στατυλλίου παρελθόντος εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον, ὡς δʼ οὐκ ἐπανῄει χρόνῳ πολλῷ Βροῦτος εἶπεν ἂν ζῇ Στατύλλιος, ἀφίξεται. συνέβη δʼ αὐτὸν ἐπανερχόμενον ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ διαφθαρῆναι.
Accordingly, the blazing torch was raised, since Statyllius succeeded in reaching the camp; but after a long time had passed and he did not return, Brutus said: If Statyllius is alive, he will come back. But it so happened that he fell in with the enemy on his way back, and was slain.
προϊούσης δὲ τῆς νυκτός ἀποκλίνας, ὡς ἔτυχε καθεζόμενος, πρὸς οἰκέτην ἑαυτοῦ Κλεῖτον ἐλάλει. σιωπῶντος δὲ τοῦ Κλείτου καὶ δακρύοντος, αὖθις ἐπισπασάμενος τὸν ὑπασπιστὴν Δάρδανον ἰδίᾳ τινὰς αὐτῷ προσέφερε λόγους.
As the night advanced, Brutus turned, just as he sat, towards his servant Cleitus, and talked with him. And when Cleitus wept and made no answer, Brutus next drew Dardanus his shield-bearer aside and had some private conversation with him.
τέλος δὲ τὸν Βολούμνιον αὐτὸν Ἑλληνιστὶ τῶν λόγων καὶ τῆς ἀσκήσεως ὑπεμίμνῃσκε· καὶ παρεκάλει τῇ χειρὶ συνεφάψασθαι τοῦ ξίφους αὐτῷ καὶ συνεπερεῖσαι τὴν πληγήν.
Finally, he spoke to Volumnius himself in Greek, reminding him of their student life, and begged him to grasp his sword with him and help him drive home the blow.
τοῦ δὲ Βολουμνίου διωσαμένου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁμοίως ἐχόντων, εἰπόντος δέ τινος ὡς δεῖ μὴ μένειν, ἀλλὰ φεύγειν, ἐξαναστὰς, πάνυ μὲν οὖν, ἔφη, φευκτέον· ἀλλʼ οὐ διὰ τῶν ποδῶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν χειρῶν.
And when Volumnius refused, and the rest likewise, and some one said they must not tarry but fly, Brutus rose and said: By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but with our hands.
ἐμβολὼν δὲ τὴν δεξιὰν ἑκάστῳ μάλα φαιδρός ἥδεσθαι μὲν ἔφη μεγάλην ἡδονήν ὅτι τῶν φίλων αὐτὸν οὐδεὶς ἐψεύσατο, τῇ τύχῃ δʼ ἐγκαλεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος·
Then, after clasping each by the hand, with a very cheerful countenance he said he rejoiced with exceeding joy that not one of his friends had proved false to him, and as for Fortune, he blamed her only for his country’s sake;
ἑαυτὸν δὲ τῶν νενικηκότων μακαριώτερον νομίζειν, οὐκ ἐχθὲς οὐδὲ πρώην μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν, ἀπολείποντα δόξαν ἀρετῆς, ἣν οὔτε ὅπλοις οὔτε χρήμασιν ἀπολείψουσιν οἱ κεκρατηκότες, ὡς μὴδοκεῖν ὅτι δικαίους ἄνδρας ἄδικοι καὶ κακοὶ χρηστοὺς ἀπολέσαντες οὐ προσηκόντως ἄρχουσι.
himself he regarded as more to be envied than his conquerors, not yesterday and the day before merely, but even now, since he was leaving behind him a reputation for virtue, which those who surpassed in arms or wealth would not do; since the world would believe that base and unjust men who put to death the good and just were unfit to rule.
δεηθεὶς δὲ καὶ παρακαλέσας σῴζειν ἑαυτούς ἀνεχώρησεν ἀπωτέρω μετὰ δυεῖν ἢ τριῶν, ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ Στράτων ὁ ἀπὸ λόγων ῥητορικῶν γεγονὼς αὐτῷ συνήθης.
Then, after earnestly entreating them to save themselves, he withdrew a little way in the company of two or three friends, among whom was Strato, who had been his intimate since they studied rhetoric together.
καὶ τοῦτον ἔγγιστα παραστησάμενος ἑαυτῷ καὶ τὸ ξίφος γυμνὸν ἐπὶ τῆς λαβῆς τοῖς χερσὶν ἀμφοτέραις ἐρείσας καὶ περιπεσών ἐτελεύτησεν.
This man he placed nearest to himself, and then, grasping with both hands the hilt of his naked sword, he fell upon it and died.
οἱ δέ φασιν οὐκ αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸν Στράτωνα, πολλὰ πάνυ τοῦ Βρούτου δεηθέντος, ἀποστρέψαντα τὴν ὄψιν ὑποστῆσαι τὸ ξίφος· ἐκεῖνον δὲ ῥύμῃ προσβαλόντα τὸ στέρνον καὶ διώσαντα συντόμως ἀποθανεῖν.
Some, however, say that it was not Brutus himself, but Strato, who at his very urgent request, and with averted eyes, held the sword in front of him, upon which he fell with such force that it passed quite through his breast and brought him instant death.
τοῦτον δὲ τὸν Στράτωνα Μεσσάλας ἑταῖρος ὢν Βρούτῳ Καίσαρι διαλλαγεὶς ἐπὶ σχολῆς ποτε προσήγαγε, καὶ δακρύσας εἶπεν· οὗτός ἐστιν, ὦ Καῖσαρ, ὁ ἀνήρ, ὁ τῷ ἐμῷ Βρούτῳ τὴν τελευταίαν ὑπουργήσας χάριν.
As for this Strato, Messala, the comrade of Brutus, after a reconciliation with Octavius, once found occasion to introduce him to his new master, and said, with a burst of tears: This is the man, O Caesar, who did the last kind office for my dear Brutus.
ἀποδεξάμενος οὖν ὁ Καῖσαρ ἔσχεν αὐτὸν ἔν τε τοῖς πόνοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς περὶ Ἄκτιον ἀγῶσιν ἕνα τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν ἀγαθῶν γενομένων Ἑλλήνων.
Accordingly, Strato was kindly received by Octavius, who, in his subsequent labours, and especially at the battle of Actium, found him, as well as other Greeks, a brave partisan.
αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν Μεσσάλαν λέγουσιν ὕστερον ἐπαινούμενον ὑπὸ Καίσαρος ὅτι, καίπερ ἐν Φιλίπποις πολεμιώτατος αὐτοῖς γενόμενος διὰ Βροῦτον, ἐν Ἀκτίῳ προθυμότατον ἑαυτὸν παρέσχεν, ἐγώ τοι, φάναι, ὦ Καῖσαρ, ἀεὶ τῆς βελτίονος καὶ δικαιοτέρας τιμῆς καὶ μερίδος ἐγενόμην.
And it is said that Messala himself was once praised by Octavius because, though at Philippi he had been most hostile to him and Antony for the sake of Brutus, at Actium he had been a most zealous adherent of his; whereupon Messala said: Indeed, O Caesar, I have ever been on the better and juster side.
τὸν δὲ Βροῦτον ὁ Ἀντώνιος ἀνευρὼν τεθνηκότα τὸ μὲν σῶμα τῇ πολυτελεστάτῃ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ φοινικίδων περιβαλεῖν ἐκέλευσεν, ὕστερον δὲ τὴν φοινικίδα κεκλεμμένην αἰσθόμενος ἀπέκτεινε τὸν ὑφελόμενον. τὰ δὲ λείψανα πρὸς τὴν μητέρα τοῦ Βρούτου Σερβιλίαν ἀπέπεμψε.
When Antony found Brutus lying dead, he ordered the body to be wrapped in the most costly of his own robes, and afterwards, on hearing that the robe had been stolen, put the thief to death. The ashes of Brutus he sent home to his mother Servilia.
Πορκίαν δὲ τὴν Βρούτου γυναῖκα Νικόλαος ὁ φιλόσοφος ἱστορεῖ καὶ Οὐαλέριος Μάξιμος βουλομένην ἀποθανεῖν, ὡς οὐδεὶς ἐπέτρεπε τῶν φίλων, ἀλλὰ προσέκειντο καὶ παρεφύλαττον, ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς ἀναρπάσασαν ἄνθρακας καταπιεῖν καὶ τὸ στόμα συγκλείσασαν καὶ μύσασαν οὕτω διαφθαρῆναι.
As for Porcia, the wife of Brutus, Nicolaüs the philosopher, as well as Valerius Maximus, relates that she now desired to die, but was opposed by all her friends, who kept strict watch upon her; wherefore she snatched up live coals from the fire, swallowed them, kept her mouth fast closed, and thus made away with herself.
καίτοι φέρεταί τις ἐπιστολὴ Βρούτου πρὸς τοὺς φίλους ἐγκαλοῦντος αὐτοῖς καὶ ὀλοφυρομένου περὶ τῆς Πορκίας, ὡς ἀμεληθείσης ὑπʼ αὐτῶν καὶ προελομένης διὰ νόσον καταλιπεῖν τὸν βίον.
And yet there is extant a letter of Brutus to his friends in which he chides them with regard to Porcia and laments her fate, because she was neglected by them and therefore driven by illness to prefer death to life.
ἔοικεν οὖν ὁ Νικόλαος ἠγνοηκέναι τὸν χρόνον, ἐπεὶ τό γε πάθος καὶ τὸν ἔρωτα τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς τελευτῆς ὑπονοῆσαι δίδωσι καὶ τὸ ἐπιστόλιον, εἴπερ ἄρα τῶν γνησίων ἐστίν.
It would seem, then, that Nicolaüs was mistaken in the time of her death, since her distemper, her love for Brutus, and the manner of her death, are also indicated in the letter, If, indeed, it is a genuine one.
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