Cum larvis non luctandum.[1]

Do not wrestle with the dead

Aeacidae[2] moriens percussu cuspidis Hector[3],
Qui toties hosteis vicerat antè suos,
Comprimere haud potuit vocem insultantibus illis,
Dum curru & pedibus nectere vincla parant,
Distrahite ut libitum est: sic cassi luce leonis
Convellunt barbam vel timidi lepores.[4]

When he was dying from the wound dealt by the spear of Aeacus’ descendant, Hector, who had so often before defeated his own enemies, could not keep silent as they triumphed over him, while preparing to tie the ropes to chariot and feet. Tear me as you will, he said; when the lion is deprived of the light of life, even cowardly hares pluck his beard.

Hector ille omnium Troianorum fortissi-
mus Priami Regis filius, qui postquam pluries
hostes suos vicerat, solus ille Grecorum copias
fugaverat, & patriam servaverat, tandem ab Aea-
cide, id est, Achille (sic dictus ab avo pater-
no) Graecorum praestantissimo Duce, ex im-
proviso lancea transfossus ac semiperemptus
  Link to an image of this page  [g1v p98]ad currum religatus, circum Troiae moenia
raptatus fuit, ut apud Homerum & Vergilium lib. 1.
Aeneidos iamque moriens Graecis exultantibus
illumque miserè lacerantibus, dixit, trahite & cru
ciate me nunc pro libidine vestra. Sic enim
saepe vel etiam timidi lepores obcaecati & sup-
pressi Leonis barbam evellere ausi sunt. Imò
Achillem, bigis alligatum Hectorem traxisse non
vivum, sed mortuum eius corpus iam nihil sen-
tiens, eleganter disserit Cicero lib. 1. Tusculanae quaestionum.
Ignavum autem & ridiculum est, nihilque in-
dignius bellicoso atque ingenuo viro, quàm
insectari & pugnare cum eis qui iam extincti
sunt, quos, si viverent, vix inspicere ausus esset,
mortui quippe non mordent.