Controversia V AD
Drac. - Romul. (Drac.Romul.5)
Text
VIR FORTIS OPTET QUOD VOLET. Pauper et dives inimici. Bellum incidit civitati. Dives fortiter fecit: reversus praemii nomine statuam petiit et meruit. Secundo fortiter egit: reversus petiit praemii nomine asylum fieri statuam suam et meruit. Tertio fortiter fecit: reversus petiit praemii nomine caput pauperis inimici. Pauper ad statuam divitis confugit. Contradicit.
Translation
A war hero may choose any reward he desires. A rich man and a poor man were enemies. The rich man fought heroically: on returning home, he asked and obtained a statue as his reward. Then he fought heroically for the second time: on returning home, he asked and obtained as his reward that his statue would become a place of refuge. Then he fought heroically for the third time: on returning home, he asked as his reward the death of the poor man, his enemy. The poor man fled for refuge to the statue of the rich man. He opposes this.
Main Characters
Rich man
Characters
Poor man
Issues
Accusations
Killing of the poor man - asylum vs. reward
Narrative themes
Hero, Refuge, Statue
Legal references
Vir fortis optet quod volet - hero