The Copy Book

The Speech of King Caratacus

A proud British king, taken to Rome as a trophy of Empire, refused to plead for his life.

Tr. Church and Brodribb, slightly emended
40-50
In the Time of

Roman Britain 43-410

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The Speech of King Caratacus

© Przemysław Sakrajda, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0. Source
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Caractacus’s chief settlement became Roman Verulamium, and this Roman mosaic was laid down in a house there. Later, it was renamed St Albans after England’s first martyr.

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© Przemysław Sakrajda, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Caractacus’s chief settlement became Roman Verulamium, and this Roman mosaic was laid down in a house there. Later, it was renamed St Albans after England’s first martyr.

Introduction

Caratacus, King of the Catuvellauni, led the British resistance to Roman invasion in the AD 40s, but he was betrayed and taken to Rome. The Emperor Claudius asked him why his life should be spared, and this was the King’s reply.

“HAD my moderation in prosperity been equal to my noble birth and fortune, I should have entered this city as your friend rather than as your captive; and you would not have disdained to receive, under a treaty of peace, a king descended from illustrious ancestors and ruling many nations.*

“My present lot is as glorious to you as it is degrading to me. I had men and horses, arms and wealth. What wonder if I parted with them reluctantly? If you Romans choose to lord it over the world, does it follow that the world is to accept slavery?

“Were I to have been at once delivered up as a prisoner, neither my fall nor your triumph would have become famous. My punishment would be followed by oblivion, whereas, if you save my life, I shall be an everlasting memorial of your clemency.”

Tr. Church and Brodribb, slightly emended

From the ‘Annals’ of Cornelius Tacitus, translated by Church and Brodribb. Slightly emended.

The king’s name appears in Tacitus both as Caratacus and Caractacus; Cassius Dio calls him both Καράτακος and Καρτάκης (Karátakos and Kartákis). The ancient Welsh form of the name is Caradog. In keeping with the consensus of modern scholarship, Caratacus has been used on this site.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

Archive

Word Games

Spinners Find in Think and Speak

For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.

This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.

1 Ancestor. Man. You.

2 Clemency. Everlasting. Friend.

3 Enter. Fall. Follow.

Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)

Homophones Find in Think and Speak

In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.

This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.

1. Piece. Peace. 2. Doe. Dough. 3. Berth. Birth. 4. Yew. You. 5. Your. You’re. Yore. 6. Knot. Not. 7. Hoarse. Horse. 8. Wood. Would.

Confusables Find in Think and Speak

In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.

This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.

1. Friend. Ally. 2. Illustrate. Illustrious. 3. Notorious. Famous. 4. Pit. Mine. 5. Quarry. Mine. 6. Quite. Rather. 7. Shall. Should. 8. Wander. Wonder. 9. Your. You’re.

High Tiles Find in Think and Speak

Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?

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