| (1) Ille igitur populus qui cunctis athletizantibus pro imperio mundi prevaluit, de divino iudicio prevaluit. Nam, cum diremptio universalis litigii magis Deo sit cure quam diremptio particularis, et in particularibus litigiis quibusdam per athletas divinum iudicium postulamus iuxta iam tritum proverbium «Cui Deus concedit, benedicat et Petrus», nullum dubium est quin prevalentia in athletis pro imperio mundi certantibus Dei iudicium sit secuta. |
(1) Thus that people who won the race to rule the world against all competition did so by divine decree. For since the resolving of a universal dispute is of greater concern to God than the resolving of a limited dispute, and in some limited disputes we seek to know divine judgment through champions, as the well-worn proverb says: "May Peter bless the man to whom God gives victory", there is no doubt that the victory among those competing in the race for world domination was won in accordance with God's judgment. |
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| (2) Romanus populus cunctis athletizantibus pro imperio mundi prevaluit: quod erit manifestum -- si considerantur athlete -- si consideretur et bravium sive meta. Bravium sive meta fuit omnibus preesse mortalibus: hoc enim 'Imperium' dicimus. Sed hoc nulli contigit nisi romano populo; hic non modo primus, quin etiam solus actigit metam certaminis, ut statim patebit. |
(2) The Roman people won the race to rule the world against all competition. This will be clear if, when we consider the competitors, we also consider the prize or finishing-post. The prize or finishing-post was to rule over all mortals: this is what we mean by "empire". But none achieved this except the Roman people; they were not only the first, but indeed the only ones to reach the finishing-post in the contest, as will appear directly. |
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| (3) Primus nanque in mortalibus, qui ad hoc bravium anelavit, Ninus fuit Assiriorum rex: qui quamvis cum consorte thori Semiramide per nonaginta et plures annos, ut Orosius refert, imperium mundi armis temptaverit et Asyam totam sibi subegerit, non tamen occidentales mundi partes eis unquam subiecte fuerunt. |
(3) For the first among mortals who strove to win this prize was Ninus, king of the Assyrians. Although, as Orosius relates, he tried for ninety years and more with his consort Semiramis to conquer the world by force, and subjected all of Asia to himself, nonetheless the eastern parts of the world were never under their rule. |
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(4) Horum amborum Ovidius memoriam fecit in quarto, ubi dicit in Pyramo: Coctilibus muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem et infra: Conveniant ad busta Nini lateantque sub umbra. |
(4) Ovid recalled them both in his fourth book, where he says in the Pyramus episode: "Semiramis circled the city with walls of brick"; and later on: "They were to meet at the tomb of Ninus and hide in the shade". |
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| (5) Secundus Vesoges, rex Egipti, ad hoc bravium spiravit; et quamvis meridiem atque septentrionem in Asya exagitaverit, ut Orosius memorat, nunquam tamen dimidiam partem orbis obtinuit; quin ymo a Scithis inter quasi athlotetas et terminum ab incepto suo temerario est aversus. |
(5) The second who aspired to this prize was Vesoges, king of Egypt; and although he pillaged southern and northern Asia, as Orosius recalls, yet he never conquered even half the world; for he was turned aside from his reckless undertaking by the Scythians, midway as it were between the starters and the finishing-post. |
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| (6) Deinde Cirus, rex Persarum, temptavit hoc: qui, Babilone destructa imperioque Babilonis ad Persas translato, nec adhuc partes occidentales expertus, sub Tamiride regina Scitharum vitam simul et intentionem deposuit. |
(6) Then Cyrus, king of the Persians, attempted the same thing. Having destroyed Babylon and transferred the Babylonian empire to the Persians, he laid down his life and along with it his ambition under Tamiris, queen of the Scythians, without ever even reaching the lands to the west. |
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(7) Post hos vero Xerxes, Darii filius et rex in Persis, cum tanta gentium multitudine mundum invasit, cum tanta potentia, ut transitum maris Asyam ab Europa dirimentis inter Sexton et Abidon ponte superaverit. Cuius operis admirabilis Lucanus in secundo Farsalie memor fuit; canit enim ibi sic: Talis fama canit tumidum super equora Xerxem construxisse vias. Et tandem, miserabiliter ab incepto repulsus, ad bravium pervenire non potuit. |
(7) After these Xerxes, son of Darius and king of the Persians, invaded the world with such a vast number of peoples and with such military might that he was able to bridge the strait which separates Asia from Europe, between Sestos and Abidos. Lucan recalls this astonishing achievement in the second book of the Pharsalia; for he says there: "Fame sings that proud Xerxes Built such paths across the seas". But in the end, ignominiously driven back from what he had set out to do, he was unable to win the prize. |
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| (8) Preter istos et post, Alexander rex Macedo maxime omnium ad palmam Monarchie propinquans, dum per legatos ad deditionem Romanos premoneret, apud Egiptum ante Romanorum responsionem, ut Livius narrat, in medio quasi cursu collapsus est. |
(8) In addition to these, and after them, Alexander king of Macedon came closer than anyone else to winning the prize of monarchy. Livy relates that as he was urging the Romans to surrender through his ambassadors, he collapsed in Egypt before receiving a reply from the Romans, in the middle of the race so to speak. |
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(9) De cuius etiam sepultura ibidem existente Lucanus in octavo, invehens in Ptolomeum regem Egipti, testimonium reddit dicens: Ultima Lagee stirpis perituraque proles degener, inceste sceptris cessure sororis, cum tibi sacrato Macedo servetur in antro. |
(9) Lucan bears witness to his tomb being there in Egypt, when he says in his eighth book, inveighing against Ptolemy king of Egypt: "Last doomed and degenerate descendant Of the line of Lagus, you who must surrender The sceptre to your own incestuous sister, Even though the Macedonian is preserved In a consecrated cave". |
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| (10) «O altitudo divitiarum scientie et sapientie Dei», quis hic te non obstupescere poterit? Nam conantem Alexandrum prepedire in cursu coathletam romanum tu, ne sua temeritas prodiret ulterius, de certamine rapuisti. |
(10) "O depth of the riches both of the knowledge and wisdom of God", who is not astonished at you in this connection? For you carried off Alexander from the contest when he was striving to obstruct his Roman rival in the race, so that his foolhardiness might proceed no further. |
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(11) Sed quod Roma palmam tanti bravii sit adepta, multis comprobatur testimoniis. Ait enim Poeta noster in primo: Certe hinc Romanos olim volventibus annis hinc fore ductores, revocato a sanguine Teucri, qui mare, qui terras omni ditione tenerent. |
(11) But that Rome won the prize in this great contest is confirmed by many testimonies. For our poet says in his first book: "Surely you promised that from them some time, With passing years, the Romans were to come; From Teucer's line restored, leaders should come To hold the sea and all lands in their sway". |
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(12) Et Lucanus in primo: Dividitur ferro regnum populique potentis que mare, que terras, que totum possidet orbem non cepit Fortuna duos. |
(12) And Lucan in his first book: "The kingdom is divided by the sword; The destiny of the imperial people Who rule the sea and lands and the whole world Found no place for two men". |
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(13) Et Boetius in secundo, cum de Romanorum principe loqueretur, sic inquit: Hic tamen sceptro populos regebat, quos videt condens radios sub undas Phebus extremo veniens ab ortu, quos premunt septem gelidi triones, quos nothus sicco violentus estu torret, ardentes recoquens arenas. |
(13) And Boethius in his second book, when speaking of the prince of the Romans, says: "The empire that he held in sway From eastern sun's rise then was spread To where he sinks at close of day. Its northern march where the two Bears stand, Its southern bounds where the parched south wind Burns and bakes the arid sand". |
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| (14) Hoc etiam testimonium perhibet scriba Cristi Lucas, qui omnia vera dicit, in illa parte sui eloquii: «Exivit edictum a Cesare Augusto, ut describeretur universus orbis»; in quibus verbis universalem mundi iurisdictionem tunc Romanorum fuisse aperte intelligere possumus. |
(14) Christ's chronicler Luke, who always speaks the truth, bears witness to this also, in the passage where he tells us: "There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed"; in these words we can clearly perceive that at that time the Romans exercised jurisdiction over the whole world. |
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| (15) Ex quibus omnibus manifestum est quod romanus populus cunctis athletizantibus pro imperio mundi prevaluit: ergo de divino iudicio prevaluit, et per consequens de divino iudicio obtinuit; quod est de iure obtinuisse. |
(15) From all of this it is clear that the Roman people won the race against all its rivals competing for world domination; therefore they won by divine judgment, and consequently they obtained it by divine judgment; which means they obtained it by right. |
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