deinde Carthaginienses duobus fratribus, qui Philaeni vocabantur

The Great Cat

New Member

Location:
Oxford
I'm trying to teach myself latin, but the book I'm currently using (Latin Stories - A GCSE Reader) doesn't have translations. Could someone give me a rough translation of the following passage so I can check my work? Thank you!
deinde Carthaginienses duobus fratribus, qui Philaeni vocabantur, imperaverunt ut legati irent; qui ab urbe statim profecti celerrime iter fecerunt. Cyrenenses tamen lentius euntes pauca milia passuu, progressi sunt. ubi convenerunt, hi timebant ne domum regressi punirentur. itaque vituperabant Carthaginienses: 'vos sine dubio ante tempus profecti estis!' tum illi rogaverunt quomodo Cyrenenses rem constituere vellent. Cyrenenses responderunt: 'si vivi hic obrui vultis, hunc finem faciemus; si non vultis, nos finem delifemus et ibi nos vivi obruemur.' tum duo fratres Carthaginienses condicione dira accepta in illo ipso loco vivi obruti sunt.

I've attempted to translate some of it, but it doesn't really make sense. I'm having trouble the endings, and some of the vocab. This isn't urgent, but I'd appreciate it if someone would help.
 

Tacitus Arctous

Active Member

Location:
Finnia, Helsinki
Then the Carthaginians ordered two brothers, who were called Philaeni, to set forth as legates. Having left the city immediately they travelled very quickly. The Cyrenians on the other hand going slower advanced couple of thousands of paces (passuum) . When they (the two parties) met, these (Cyrenians) were afraid that they will be punished when they come back home. In this manner they reproached the Carthaginians: "You have set fourth too early!" Then those (Carthaginian brothers) asked how the Cyrenians would settle the matter. The Cyrenians responded: "If you want to be buried alive here, we shall set the border here, if you do not want, we shall select (deligemus?) the border and there shall we be buried alive". Then the two Carthaginian brothers having accepted the dire conditions were buried alive in this very place.

Maybe something like that... I am not sure about my English.
 
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