Servī Aeneī: The Bronze Servants of Rome

###

Part A (Interleaved Text)

1.1 Mārcus Marcus ingeniōsus ingenious artifex craftsman Rōmānus Roman erat was quī who in in officiō workshop magnō large prope near Forum Forum labōrābat worked

1.2 Illīs in those temporibus times Rōma Rome nōn not servīs by slaves sed but mīrābilibus by wonderful automatīs automatons aenēīs bronze flōrēbat flourished quae which labōrēs tasks difficillimōs most difficult perficiēbant completed

1.3 Prīmum first automaton automaton ā by philosophō philosopher Graecō Greek Hērōne Heron Alexandrīnō Alexandrian inventum invented est was quī who artēs skills mechanicās mechanical Rōmānīs to Romans docuerat had taught

1.4 Imperātor Emperor Augustūs Augustus māgnam great pecūniam money in for hās these māchinātiōnēs inventions dederāt had given quod because intellexerat he had understood quantum how much imperiō to empire prōdessent they benefited

1.5 In in officiō workshop Mārcī of Marcus centum hundred automatī automatons variī various creābantur were being created et and reparābantur repaired ā by multīs many artificibus craftsmen peritīs skilled

1.6 Quīdam some automatī automatons aquam water per through aquaeductūs aqueducts ducēbant were guiding aliī others in in agrīs fields frūmentum grain metēbant were harvesting aliī others vehīcula vehicles per through viās roads trahēbant were pulling

1.7 Mārcus Marcus ipsum himself novum new genus type automatōrum of automatons nūper recently invēnerat had invented quī who vōcēs voices humānās human intellegere to understand et and respondēre to respond poterant were able

1.8 Dīcitur it is said Imperātōrem Emperor Hadriānum Hadrian ipsum himself officinam workshop vīsitāvisse to have visited ut so that mīrābile wonderful inventum invention īnspiceret he might inspect

1.9 Automaton Automaton prīmus first nōmine by name Valerius Valerius imperātōrem emperor salūtāvit greeted et and cum with eō him dē about philosophiā philosophy et and poēsī poetry collocūtus having conversed est is

1.10 Hadriānus Hadrian attonitus astonished magnā with great admīrātiōne admiration implētus filled est was et and magnā great praemia rewards Mārcō to Marcus prōmīsit promised

1.11 Brevi in short tempore time automatī automatons per throughout tōtum whole imperium empire diffūsī spread sunt were et and vītam life omnium of all cīvium citizens facilitābant were making easier

1.12 Nūlla no iam now necessitās necessity servōrum of slaves erat was et and omnēs all hominēs men līberī free nāscēbantur were being born atque and in in līberis free artibus arts ērudiēbantur were being educated

1.13 Senātōrēs senators dīvitēs wealthy in in domibus homes magnificīs magnificent habitābant lived cum with multīs many automatīs automatons quī who cibōs foods parābant prepared vestēs clothes lavābant washed et and hortōs gardens cūrābant tended

1.14 Etiam even plēbs common people urbāna urban automatīs automatons minōribus smaller ūtēbātur used quī who in in tabernīs shops pistrīnīs bakeries thermīs baths labōrābant worked

1.15 Maximē especially mīrabile wonderful erat was vidēre to see automatōs automatons medicōs doctors quī who aegrotōs sick cūrābant cared for et and morbōs diseases dīligenter carefully dīgnōscēbant diagnosed

1.16 Ūnus one automaton automaton doctissimus most learned nōmine by name Galenus Galenus librōs books medicōs medical scrībēbat wrote et and discipulōs students in in acadēmiā academy docēbat taught

1.17 In in exercitū army quoque also automatī automatons bellicī warlike mīlitābant served quī who castra camps aedificābant built armā weapons fabricābant crafted et and fīnēs borders imperiī of empire custōdiēbant guarded

1.18 Nōn not tamen however pugnābant they fought quod because Rōmānī Romans lēgem law tulerant had passed nē lest automatī automatons umquam ever arma weapons contrā against hominēs men ferrent might bear

1.19 Philosophī philosophers et and poētae poets saepe often disputābant debated utrum whether automatī automatons animam soul habērent might have an or tantum only māchinae machines essent might be

1.20 Cicerō Cicero ipse himself librum book scrīpserat had written "Dē about Nātūrā nature Automatōrum" of automatons in in quō which argumentābat he argued eōs them ratiōnem reason sine without animā soul habēre to have

1.21 Mārcus Marcus autem however crēdēbat believed suōs his automatōs automatons aliquam some fōrmam form cōnscientiāe of consciousness possidēre to possess et and eōs them quasī as if līberōs children amābat loved

1.22 Praecipuē especially Valerium Valerius dīligēbat cherished quī who iam now tam so sapiēns wise factus made erat was ut that poēmata poems pulcherrima most beautiful compōneret he composed

1.23 Ūnō on one diē day cum when Mārcus Marcus senex old man aegrotāret was sick Valerius Valerius lacrimīs with tears aenēīs bronze dominum master suum his flēvisse to have wept dīcitur is said

1.24 Post after mortem death Mārcī of Marcus multī many artificiēs craftsmen novōs new et and meliōrēs better automatōs automatons creābant created quī who erant were velōciōrēs faster et and callidiōrēs more clever

1.25 Imperātor Emperor Trāiānus Trajan collēgium college artificium of craftsmen automatōrum of automatons instituit established quod which nova new inventa inventions semper always quaerēbat sought

1.26 Saeculīs centuries sequentibus following automatī automatons tam so perfectī perfect facti made sunt were ut that vix scarcely ab from hominibus men distinguī to be distinguished possent could be

1.27 Nōnnūllī some timēbant feared nē lest automatī automatons aliquandō someday contrā against creātōrēs creators suōs their insurgerent might rise up

1.28 Sed but sapientēs wise men docēbant taught automatōs automatons semper always servōs servants fidēlēs faithful humānitātis of humanity manēre to remain et and numquam never rebellātūrōs about to rebel esse to be

1.29 Itaque therefore Rōmānum Roman imperium empire per for multa many saecula centuries flōrēbat flourished automatīs by automatons labōrantibus working dum while cīvēs citizens artēs arts litterās literature et and philosophiam philosophy studēbant studied

1.30 Historicī historians posteā afterwards scrīpsērunt wrote hanc this aetātem age auream golden fuisse to have been quā in which hominēs men līberī free ā from labōribus labors servīlibus servile altissimōs highest gradūs levels cultūrae of culture et and cīvīlitātis civilization attigerant had reached

Part B (Complete Latin Text)

1.1 Mārcus ingeniōsus artifex Rōmānus erat quī in officiō magnō prope Forum labōrābat.

1.2 Illīs temporibus Rōma nōn servīs sed mīrābilibus automatīs aenēīs flōrēbat quae labōrēs difficillimōs perficiēbant.

1.3 Prīmum automaton ā philosophō Graecō Hērōne Alexandrīnō inventum est quī artēs mechanicās Rōmānīs docuerat.

1.4 Imperātor Augustūs māgnam pecūniam in hās māchinātiōnēs dederāt quod intellexerat quantum imperiō prōdessent.

1.5 In officiō Mārcī centum automatī variī creābantur et reparābantur ā multīs artificibus peritīs.

1.6 Quīdam automatī aquam per aquaeductūs ducēbant, aliī in agrīs frūmentum metēbant, aliī vehīcula per viās trahēbant.

1.7 Mārcus ipsum novum genus automatōrum nūper invēnerat quī vōcēs humānās intellegere et respondēre poterant.

1.8 Dīcitur Imperātōrem Hadriānum ipsum officinam vīsitāvisse ut mīrābile inventum īnspiceret.

1.9 Automaton prīmus nōmine Valerius imperātōrem salūtāvit et cum eō dē philosophiā et poēsī collocūtus est.

1.10 Hadriānus attonitus magnā admīrātiōne implētus est et magnā praemia Mārcō prōmīsit.

1.11 Brevi tempore automatī per tōtum imperium diffūsī sunt et vītam omnium cīvium facilitābant.

1.12 Nūlla iam necessitās servōrum erat et omnēs hominēs līberī nāscēbantur atque in līberis artibus ērudiēbantur.

1.13 Senātōrēs dīvitēs in domibus magnificīs habitābant cum multīs automatīs quī cibōs parābant, vestēs lavābant et hortōs cūrābant.

1.14 Etiam plēbs urbāna automatīs minōribus ūtēbātur quī in tabernīs, pistrīnīs, thermīs labōrābant.

1.15 Maximē mīrabile erat vidēre automatōs medicōs quī aegrotōs cūrābant et morbōs dīligenter dīgnōscēbant.

1.16 Ūnus automaton doctissimus nōmine Galenus librōs medicōs scrībēbat et discipulōs in acadēmiā docēbat.

1.17 In exercitū quoque automatī bellicī mīlitābant quī castra aedificābant, armā fabricābant et fīnēs imperiī custōdiēbant.

1.18 Nōn tamen pugnābant quod Rōmānī lēgem tulerant nē automatī umquam arma contrā hominēs ferrent.

1.19 Philosophī et poētae saepe disputābant utrum automatī animam habērent an tantum māchinae essent.

1.20 Cicerō ipse librum scrīpserat "Dē Nātūrā Automatōrum" in quō argumentābat eōs ratiōnem sine animā habēre.

1.21 Mārcus autem crēdēbat suōs automatōs aliquam fōrmam cōnscientiāe possidēre et eōs quasī līberōs amābat.

1.22 Praecipuē Valerium dīligēbat quī iam tam sapiēns factus erat ut poēmata pulcherrima compōneret.

1.23 Ūnō diē cum Mārcus senex aegrotāret Valerius lacrimīs aenēīs dominum suum flēvisse dīcitur.

1.24 Post mortem Mārcī multī artificiēs novōs et meliōrēs automatōs creābant quī erant velōciōrēs et callidiōrēs.

1.25 Imperātor Trāiānus collēgium artificium automatōrum instituit quod nova inventa semper quaerēbat.

1.26 Saeculīs sequentibus automatī tam perfectī facti sunt ut vix ab hominibus distinguī possent.

1.27 Nōnnūllī timēbant nē automatī aliquandō contrā creātōrēs suōs insurgerent.

1.28 Sed sapientēs docēbant automatōs semper servōs fidēlēs humānitātis manēre et numquam rebellātūrōs esse.

1.29 Itaque Rōmānum imperium per multa saecula flōrēbat automatīs labōrantibus dum cīvēs artēs, litterās et philosophiam studēbant.

1.30 Historicī posteā scrīpsērunt hanc aetātem auream fuisse quā hominēs līberī ā labōribus servīlibus altissimōs gradūs cultūrae et cīvīlitātis attigerant.

✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾

---