Four sisters in Ancient Rome - Ray Laurence

古羅馬的四姊妹 - Ray Laurence

Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

譯者: Jephian Lin 審譯者: Hao-Wei Chang

Today, we're going to look at the world of Rome

今天，我們要透過一個小女孩的眼睛

through the eyes of a young girl.

來看看羅馬的世界

Here she is, drawing a picture of herself

這就是她，正在她父親那巨大的房子裡

in the atrium of her father's enormous house.

在中庭畫著自己的樣子

Her name is Domitia,

她的名字叫 Domitia

and she is just 5 years old.

她只有 5 歲

She has an older brother who is fourteen,

她有一個 14 歲的哥哥

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus,

叫作 Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus

named after her dad.

是以她爸爸的名字來命名

Girls don't get these long names that boys have.

女兒們就沒有像男孩的名字那麼長

What is worse is that Dad insists

但比較糟的是這個爸爸

on calling all his daughters Domitia.

堅持把所有的女兒都叫作 Domitia

"Domitia!"

「Domitia！」

His call to Domitia drawing on the column,

他叫的是在柱子上畫畫的 Domitia

Domitia III.

也就是 Domitia 三號

She has an older sister, Domitia II, who is 7 years old.

她有一個 7 歲的姊姊 也就是 Domitia 二號

And then there's Domitia I, who is ten.

而 Domitia 一號則是 10 歲

There would have been a Domitia IV,

原本還有 Domitia 四號

but mom died trying to give birth to her three years ago.

不過三年前媽媽在生她時過世了

Confused?

很混亂嗎？

The Romans were too.

羅馬人也這樣覺得

They could work out ancestry through the male line

他們可以從男生那優美的三段式名字

with the nice, tripartite names

來知道父系的血緣

such as Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus.

就像是 Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus 一樣

But they got in a real mess

但是一些記錄

over which Domitia was married to whom

像是哪一個 Domitia 嫁給了誰

and was either the great aunt

還有她是誰的伯母

or the great stepmother and so on to whom

或是誰的繼母還是什麼的

when they came to write it down.

則是一團糟

Domitia III is not just drawing on the pillar,

Domitia 三號不只是在柱子上畫畫

she's also watching the action.

她同時也在看大家一舉一動

You see, it's early,

你看，一早的時候

in the time of day when all her dad's clients and friends

她父親的客人 和朋友都來到家裡

come to see him at home to pay their respects.

拜訪她父親並向他至意

Lucius Popidius Secundus, a 17 year old,

17 歲的 Lucius Popidius Secundus 也來了

he wants to marry Domitia II

他想要在未來的 5 到 7 年內

within the next five to seven years,

娶 Domitia 二號為妻

has come as well.

娶 Domitia 二號為妻

He seems to be wooing not his future wife,

他似乎不是向未來妻子求愛

but her dad.

而是尋求她父親的青睞

Poor Lucius, he does not know that Domitia's dad

可憐的 Lucius，他並不知道 Domitia 的父親

thinks he and his family are wealthy

覺得儘管他和他家族很有錢

but still scumbags from the Subura.

但終就是 Subura 城來的下等人

Afterall, it is the part of Rome

畢竟，那是羅馬城內

full of barbers and prostitutes.

聚集理髮師和娼妓的地方

Suddenly, all the men are leaving with Dad.

突然，所有人都和父親一起離開了

It's the second hour

已經是白天兩點了 （譯註：羅馬分日間 12 小時以及夜間 12 小時。）

and time for him to be in court

該去參加朝會了

with a sturdy audience of clients

在那會有忠實的聽眾

to applaud his rhetoric

為他的辯論演說鼓掌

and hiss at his opponent.

還會對他的對手投以噓聲

The house is now quieter.

房子裡現在安靜多了

The men won't return for seven hours,

男人們 7 小時之內不會回來

not until dinner time.

一直到晚餐時間

But what happens in the house for those seven hours?

但這 7 小時內房子裡有發生什麼事嗎？

What do Domitia, Domitia, and Domitia do all day?

三位 Domitia 都在做什麼呢？

Not an easy question!

這不是個簡單的問題！

Everything written down by the Romans

所有我們今天看到

that we have today was written by men.

羅馬人的記錄 都是男人們寫的

This makes constructing the lives of women difficult.

這讓我們難以瞭解 當時女性的日常起居

However, we can't have a history of just Roman men,

然而，羅馬的歷史不可能只有男人

so here it goes.

所以故事是這樣的

We can begin in the atrium.

我們從中庭說起

There is a massive loom,

那裡有一台巨大的織布機

on which Dad's latest wife is working on a new toga.

最小的太太正坐在那 織一套新的羅馬袍

Domitia, Domitia, and Domitia are tasked

Domitia、Domitia、還有 Domitia

with spinning the wool

則被叫去整理毛線

that will be used to weave this mighty garment,

這些毛線會被用來縫那件大袍子

30 or more feet long and elliptical in shape.

整件呈橢圓形並且 30 多英尺長

Romans loved the idea

羅馬人喜歡

that their wives work wool.

叫他們的妻子織毛線

We know that because it's written

我們可以從羅馬女性的墓碑上

on the gravestones of so many Roman women.

我們可以知道這點

Unlike women in Greece,

和希臘的女性不一樣

Roman women go out the house

羅馬女性會走出家門

and move about the city.

到城中走走

They go to the baths in the morning to avoid the men

她們會在早晨去浴場洗澡 以避免和男人共浴

or to separate baths that are for women only.

或者會去男女分開的池子

Some do go in for the latest fad of the AD 70s:

但在有男人在的浴場裸浴

nude bathing with men present.

則變成公元 70 年代的最新時尚

Where they have no place

她們所不能去

is where the men are:

男人們集會的地方

in the Forum,

像是：議事廣場

in the Law Court,

法庭

or in the Senate House.

或元老院

Their place in public is in the porticos

她們會去的公共區域是柱廊（portico）

with gardens,

那裡有庭園

with sculpture,

有雕像

and with pathways for walking in.

還有進入的通道

When Domitia, Domitia, and Domitia want

當 Domitia、Domitia、還有 Domitia

to leave the house to go somewhere,

想要出去走走

like the Portico of Livia,

像是莉薇婭柱廊（Portico of Livia）

they must get ready.

她們要先梳妝打扮

Domitia II and Domitia III are ready,

Domitia 二號和 Domitia 三號已經準備好了

but Domitia I, who is betrothed to be married

不過 Domitia 一號已經訂婚了

in two years to darling Philatus,

兩年後要嫁給心愛的 Philatus

isn't ready.

她還沒準備好

She's not slow, she just has more to do.

她不是動作慢，她只是有比較多事要做

Being betrothed means she wears the insignia of betrothal:

訂婚的意思是她得戴上各種印記（insignia）

engagement rings

求婚戒指

and all the gifts Pilatus has given her -

還有所有 Pilatus 給她的禮物 ——

jewels,

珠寶

earrings,

耳環

necklaces,

項鍊

and the pendants.

還有垂飾

She may even wear her myrtle crown.

她甚至會帶金花冠（myrtle crown）

All this bling shouts,

穿戴閃亮的飾品表示：

"I'm getting married to that 19 year old

「我就要嫁給那位

who gave me all this stuff I'm wearing!"

送我這些禮物的 19 歲青年」

While as they wait, Domitia II and Domitia III play with their dolls

等待時，兩位 Domitia 玩起她們的娃娃，

that mirror the image of their sister

扮演她們姊姊

decked out to be married.

盛裝出嫁的樣子

One day, these dolls will be dedicated

婚禮當天

to the household gods on the day of their wedding.

這些娃娃會被獻給家庭守護神 （household god）

Okay, we're ready.

好了，我們準備好了

The girls step into litters carried by some burly slaves.

女孩們走上由奴隸們抬的轎子

They also have a chaperone with them

她們也會有侍女隨行

and will be meeting an aunt at the Porticus of Livia.

有位親戚會在 莉薇亞柱廊內和她們會合

Carried high on the shoulders of these slaves,

這些奴隷將轎子高舉在肩上

the girls look out through the curtains

女孩們從帷幔中偷看

to see the crowded streets below them.

下方擁擠的街道

They traverse the city, pass the Coliseum,

她們會穿越城市，通過羅馬競技場

but then turn off to climb up the hill

接著轉向爬上山坡

to the Porticus of Livia.

到達莉薇婭柱廊

It was built by Livia, the wife of the first emperor Augustus,

這是由莉薇婭所建 她是開國君主奧古斯都的妻子

on the site of the house of Vedius Pollio.

是波里歐（Vedius Pollio）家族的人

He wasn't such a great guy.

他不是一個偉大的人

He once tried to feed a slave

他有一次

to the eels in his fish pond

只因為奴隸摔破了一個盤子

for simply dropping a dish.

就要把奴隸丟去餵魚

Luckily, the emperor was at the dinner

幸運的是，在用碗餐的君王

and tamed his temper.

控制了他的脾氣

The litters are placed on the ground

轎子被放在廣場

and the girls get out

女兒們走了出來

and arm in arm, two by two,

手牽手、兩個兩個

they ascend the steps

走上階梯

into the enclosed garden with many columns.

走進那許多石柱的封閉庭園

Domitia III shot off and is drawing on a column.

Domitia 三號跑去柱子上畫畫

Domitia II joins her

Domitia 二號也跟上去

but seeks to read the graffiti higher up on the column.

但是她在看 刻在柱子上高處的文字

She spots a drawing of gladiators

他看到鬥士的圖像

and tries to imagine seeing them fighting,

然後試著想像他們打鬥的樣子

something she will never be permitted to do,

那是她永遠都被不予許看的東西

except from the very rear of the Coliseum.

除非她站在競技場很高的地方

From there, she will have a good view

從那裡，她可以看清楚

of the 50,000 spectators

那 5 萬名觀眾

but will see little by way of blood and gore.

但是幾乎看不到打鬥畫面

If she really wanted a decent view,

如果她真的合法地觀看，

she could become a vestal virgin

她可以選擇成為維斯塔貞女 （vestal virgin）

and would sit right down the front.

這樣她就可以坐在最前面

But a career tending the sacred flame of Vesta

但是照顧維斯塔女神的聖火

is not to everybody's taste.

並不是每個人都喜愛的工作

Domitia I has met another ten year old

Domitia 一號遇到了另一個 10 歲的女孩

also decked out in the insignia of betrothal.

她也穿戴著全套的訂婚印記

Home time.

回家時間到了

When they get there after the eighth hour,

當他們在白天 8 點後到家的時候

something is up.

有事情發生了

A smashed dish lies on the floor.

地上有一個破掉的盤子

All the slaves are being gathered together in the atrium

所有奴隸都被集合在中廊

and await the arrival of their master.

等主人的到來

Dad is going to go mad.

父親會抓狂

He will not hit his children,

他不會打小孩

but like many other Romans,

但是像其它羅馬人一樣

he believes that slaves have to be punished.

他相信奴隸必須受到懲罰

The whip lies ready for his arrival.

鞭子已經準備好了

No one knows who smashed the dish,

但沒有人知道是誰闖的禍

but Dad will call the undertaker

但是必要的話

to torture it out of them, if he must.

父親會叫負責人出來 折磨到他們認錯

The doorkeeper opens the front door to the house.

看門的人把前門打開了

A hush comes over the anxious slaves.

一片寂靜籠照著焦慮的奴隸

In walks not their master

但走出來的不是主人

but, instead, a pregnant teenager.

是一個懷孕的年輕人

It is the master's eldest daughter, age 15,

她 15 歲，是主人最大的女兒

who is already a veteran of marriage and child birth.

她已經對結婚和生小孩瞭若指掌

Guess what her name is.

猜猜看她的名字

There is a five to ten percent chance

有 5% 到 10% 的機率

she won't survive giving birth to her child,

在生產的過程中她沒辦法活下來

but, for now, she has come to dinner with her family.

但現在，她要來和家族吃晚餐

As a teenage mother,

一個十幾歲的媽媽

she has proved that she is a successful wife

藉由替男方延續香火

by bringing children and descendants for her husband,

證明自己是個成功的妻子

who will carry on his name in the future.

這些子嗣未來會繼承父親的名字

The family head off to the dining room

這家人走到飯廳

and are served dinner.

並享用晚餐

It would seem Dad has had an invite to dinner elsewhere.

看來似乎父親還有別的邀約

With dinner concluded, the girls crossed the atrium

晚餐結束，女孩們走過中庭

to bid farewell to their older sister

跟她們的姊姊告別

who is carried home in a litter,

她會被轎子接回家

escorted by some of Dad's bodyguards.

並由父親的貼身保鏢護送

Returning to the house,

回到家裡

the girls cross the atrium.

女孩們走過中庭

The slaves, young and old,

奴隸們

male and female,

不分男女老少

await the return of their owner.

還在等他們主人回來

When he returns, he may exact vengeance,

當他回來的時候 他會開始算帳

ensuring his power over the slaves

他以是靠暴力和威嚇來維持

is maintained through violence and terror,

以確保他管理奴隸的權力

to which any slave could be subjected.

這會讓所有奴隸都更服從

But, for the girls, they head upstairs for the night,

但對女孩們來說，她們就上樓去

ready for bed.

準備睡覺了