dux idem vatesque fuit. “durate parumper” inquit “et excussis muliebribus ore querellis 270 fatorum toleremus onus. nil nautica prosunt turbatae lamenta rati nec segnibus undae planctibus aut vanis mitescunt flamina votis. nunc instare manu, toto nunc robore niti communi pro luce decet: succurrere velis, 275 exhaurire fretum, varios aptare rudentes omnibus et docti iussis parere magistri. non, si perfidia nacti penetrabile tempus inrupere Getae, nostras dum Raetia vires occupat atque alio desudant Marte cohortes, 280 idcirco spes omnis abit. mirabile posset esse mihi, si fraude nova vel calle reperto barbarus ignotas invaderet inscius Alpes; nunc vero geminis clades repetita tyrannis famosum vulgavit iter nec nota fefellit 285 semita praestructum bellis civilibus hostem. per solitas venere vias, aditusque sequendos barbarico Romana dedit discordia bello. “Sed nec praeteritis haec res incognita saeclis: saepe lacessitam, sed non impune, fatemur 290 Ausoniam. haec Senonum restinxit sanguine flammas, haec et Teutonico quondam patefacta furori colla catenati vidit squalentia Cimbri. vile decus, quod non erexit praevius horror; ingentes generant discrimina magna triumphos. 295 “Quid turpes iam mente fugas, quid Gallica rura * * * * * Page 147 this crisis he showed himself by his courage at once general and seer. “A little patience,” said he; “away with womanly repinings: let us bear with fortitude whatever fate lays upon us. What good do the sailors’ cries do to the storm-driven vessel? Neither waves nor winds will abate their fury for coward tears or useless prayer. Now for the general safety it befits us to use every effort, to struggle with all our strength--to attend to the sails, work the pumps, manage the various ropes, and obey every order of the skilful captain. Because the Getae have broken through, seizing by treachery the hour for striking home, what time Raetia claimed our attention and our regiments were busied with another war--not for that is all hope lost. Marvel indeed I might, if by some new guile, some discovered path, the barbarian ignorantly marched over the unexplored Alps; now, however, the successive defeats of the two tyrants[53] have made the road notorious, nor has the foeman missed the well-known track that was built for him by our civil strife. They have come a well-known way and Roman discord has opened the approach to barbaric war.