Adspice, Roma, tuum iam vertice celsior hostem, adspice quam rarum referens inglorius agmen Italia detrusus eat quantumque priori dissimilis, qui cuncta sibi cessura ruenti 80 pollicitus patrii numen iuraverat Histri non nisi calcatis loricam ponere rostris. o rerum fatique vices! qui foeda parabat Romanas ad stupra nurus, sua pignora vidit coniugibus permixta trahi; qui mente profundas 85 hauserat urbis opes, ultro victoribus ipse praeda fuit; nostri quondam qui militis auro adgressus temptare fidem, desertus ab omni gente sua manibusque redit truncatus et armis. Hoc quoque, quod veniam leti valuere mereri, 90 si positis pendas odiis, ignoscere pulchrum iam misero poenaeque genus vidisse precantem. quae vindicta prior quam cum formido superbos flectit et adsuetum spoliis adfligit egestas? sed magis ex aliis fluxit dementia causis, 95 consulitur dum, Roma, tibi. tua cura coëgit inclusis aperire fugam, ne peior in arto saeviret rabies venturae conscia mortis; nec tanti nomen stirpemque abolere Getarum, ut propius peterere, fuit. procul arceat altus 100 Iuppiter, ut delubra Numae sedesque Quirini barbaries oculis saltem temerare profanis possit et arcanum tanti deprendere regni. * * * * * Page 133 Lift up thy head, Rome, and behold thine enemy; see how, leading back in dishonour a shattered host, he is cast forth from Italy. How different is he from what he was when he sware that everything should yield to his onset and took an oath by Danube whom he and his fathers worshipped that he would never unbuckle his breastplate until he had marched in triumph through the Forum. How strange are the changes Fate brings about! He who destined the women of Rome as victims of his lust has seen his own wives and children led away captive; he who in imagination had drained the countless wealth of our city became himself his victor’s easy prey; he who once sought to corrupt the loyalty of our troops has been deserted by his own people and has returned to his country beggared of men and arms.