Romulus et Tatius
The Vanity of Earthly Greatness
Romulus and Tatius confront each other in the afterlife, debating the relative merits of their earthly achievements and the foundations of their power.
Tatius. I got here a little sooner than you, but in the end we're both here, and you're no further ahead than I am, and no better off in your affairs. Romulus. The difference is huge. I have the glory of founding an eternal city, with an empire that will have no boundaries other than the universe itself; I’ve conquered the neighboring peoples; I’ve built an invincible nation from a crowd of refugee criminals. What have you done that anyone could compare to these wonders? Tatius. — Fine marvels! Gathering thieves and scoundrels, making yourself the leader of bandits, raiding neighboring lands without consequence, kidnapping women through treachery, following no law but fraud and violence, and slaughtering your own brother—those are things I admit I never did. Your city will last as long as the gods allow, but it's built on a poor foundation. As for your empire, it can easily expand because you've only taught your citizens to seize what belongs to others; they are in desperate need of being governed by a king who is more moderate and more just than you. And so they say that Numa, my son-in-law, has succeeded you: he's wise, just, pious, and beneficent.1 He's exactly the man needed to set your commonwealth straight and fix your mistakes.2 Romulus. It's easy to spend your life judging lawsuits, settling quarrels, and keeping order in a city; that's weak conduct and an obscure life. But winning victories and making conquests—that's what makes heroes.3
The Mirror of Treachery
The dialogue shifts to mutual accusations of assassination and betrayal, exposing the dark reality behind their political legacies.
Tatius. — Fine! That’s a strange kind of heroism—the kind that only ends in murdering the people you’re jealous of. Romulus. — What, assassinating! I can see clearly that you suspect me of having you killed. Tatius. I don't suspect you of it at all, because I don't doubt it in the least; I'm sure of it. You hadn't been able to stand me sharing the kingship with you for a long time. Everyone who crossed the Styx after me has assured me that you didn't even keep up appearances: you felt no regret for my death, and made no effort to avenge it or punish my murderers. But you got what you deserved. When you teach the godless to massacre one king, they'll soon know how to destroy the other. Romulus. Well then! If I had had you killed, I would only have followed the example of bad faith you had given me by deceiving that poor girl they called Tarpeia. You wanted her to let you climb up with your troops so you could take the rock that was later named Tarpeian after her. You had promised to give her what the Sabines wore on their left hands.4 She thought she would get the expensive bracelets she had seen; instead, they gave her all their shields and crushed her under them on the spot. That’s a treacherous and cruel deed for you.
The Mockery of Apotheosis
Tatius mocks the irony of Romulus's deification following his violent death, leading to a final dismissal of their earthly power.
Tatius. — Yours, having me killed by treachery, is even blacker; for we had sworn an alliance and united our two peoples. But I've been avenged. Your senators knew exactly how to curb your boldness and your tyranny. Not a scrap of your torn body was left; apparently, each man made sure to carry off his own piece under his robe. That's how they made you a god. Proculus saw you with the majesty of an immortal. Aren't you content with these honors, you who are so hungry for glory? Romulus. — Not really: but there's no remedy for my ills. They tear me to pieces and they worship me; it's a kind of mockery. If I were still alive, I would...5 Tatius. It's too late for threats; the shadows mean nothing now. Goodbye, you scoundrel—I'm leaving you.
Read the original Latin
Tatius. — Je suis arrivé ici un peu plus tôt que toi ; mais enfin nous y sommes tous deux, et tu n’es pas plus avancé que moi, ni mieux dans tes affaires.
Romulus. — La différence est grande. J’ai la gloire d’avoir fondé une ville éternelle, avec un empire qui n’aura d’autres bornes que celles de l’univers ; j’ai vaincu les peuples voisins ; j’ai formé une nation invincible d’une foule de criminels réfugiés. Qu’as-tu fait qu’on puisse comparer à ces merveilles ?
Tatius. — Belles merveilles ! assembler des voleurs, des scélérats, se faire chef de bandits, ravager impunément les pays voisins, enlever des femmes par trahison, n’avoir pour loi que la fraude et la violence, massacrer son propre frère ; voilà ce que j’avoue que je n’ai point fait. Ta ville durera tant qu’il plaira aux dieux ; mais elle est élevée sur de mauvais fondements. Pour ton empire, il pourra aisément s’étendre, car tu n’as appris à tes citoyens qu’à usurper le bien d’autrui : ils ont grand besoin d’être gouvernés par un roi plus modéré et plus juste que toi. Aussi dit-on que Numa, mon gendre, t’a succédé : il est sage, juste, religieux, bienfaisant. C’est justement l’homme qu’il faut pour redresser ta république et réparer tes fautes.
Romulus. — Il est aisé de passer sa vie à juger des procès, à apaiser des querelles, à faire observer une police dans une ville ; c’est une conduite faible et une vie obscure : mais remporter des victoires, faire des conquêtes, voilà ce qui fait les héros.
Tatius. — Bon ! voilà un étrange héroïsme, qui n’aboutit qu’à assassiner les gens dont on est jaloux !
Romulus. — Comment, assassiner ! je vois bien que tu me soupçonnes de t’avoir fait tuer.
Tatius. — Je ne t’en soupçonne nullement, car je n’en doute point ; j’en suis sûr. Il y avait longtemps que tu ne pouvais plus souffrir que je partageasse la royauté avec toi. Tous ceux qui ont passé le Styx après moi m’ont assuré que tu n’as pas même sauvé les apparences : nul regret de ma mort, nul soin de la venger ni de punir mes meurtriers. Mais tu as trouvé ce que tu méritais. Quand on apprend à des impies à massacrer un roi, bientôt ils sauront faire périr l’autre.
Romulus. — Eh bien ! quand je t’aurais fait tuer, j’aurais suivi l’exemple de mauvaise foi que tu m’avais donné en trompant cette pauvre fille qu’on nommait Tarpéia. Tu voulus qu’elle te laissât monter avec tes troupes pour surprendre la roche qui fut, de son nom, appelée Tarpéienne. Tu lui avais promis de lui donner, ce que les Sabins portaient à la main gauche. Elle croyait avoir les bracelets de grand prix qu’elle avait vus ; on lui donna tous les boucliers dont on l’accabla sur-le-champ. Voilà une action perfide et cruelle.
Tatius. — La tienne, de me faire tuer en trahison, est encore plus noire ; car nous avions juré alliance et uni nos deux peuples. Mais je suis vengé. Tes sénateurs ont bien su réprimer ton audace et ta tyrannie. Il n’est resté aucune parcelle de ton corps déchiré ; apparemment chacun eut soin d’emporter son morceau sous sa robe. Voilà comment on te fit dieu. Proculus te vit avec une majesté d’immortel. N’es-tu pas content de ces honneurs, toi qui es si glorieux ?
Romulus. — Pas trop : mais il n’y a point de remède à mes maux. On me déchire et on m’adore ; c’est une espèce de dérision. Si j’étais encore vivant, je les…
Tatius. — Il n’est plus temps de menacer, les ombres ne sont plus rien. Adieu, méchant, je t’abandonne.
Notes
- 1 ↩French « religieux » of a king is rendered « pious » (cult and reverence toward the gods), not monastic « religious life »; « bienfaisant » as « beneficent » keeps the active sense of doing good.
- 2 ↩« république » rendered « commonwealth » for the Roman res publica / civic body, not a modern electoral republic.
- 3 ↩French « police » here means civic order / public regulation, not a modern police force; rendered as 'keeping order'.
- 4 ↩Alludes to the Tarpeia legend: Sabines wore gold armlets/bracelets on the left arm, and also carried shields on the left; the promise is deliberately ambiguous.
- 5 ↩Source ends mid-threat with an ellipsis (je les…); next section shows Tatius cutting him off as empty shadow-threats. The trailing break is preserved.
Dialogues des morts, composés pour l'éducation de Mgr le Duc de Bourgogne companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit