48. Answers to exercises Copy

There was once in the town of Tyndaris a very beautiful statue of Mercury which Scipio had

given to the people of Tyndaris when he had captured the city of Carthage, as a memorial

both of his victory and of their alliance. As soon as Verres arrived he ordered the citizens to

give him the statue. The senators replied to him that the statue had been dedicated to the god

and could not be moved from its place. Verres summoned the magistrate Sopater and

threatened to punish him. ‘You yourself’ he said ‘will die unless the statue is handed over to

me.’ Sopater in tears tried to persuade the senators to change their decision, but in vain. When he heard this, Verres ordered his guards to drag Sopater into the middle of the forum and strip him naked. For there stood a statue of a horse made of bronze, on which Verres ordered Sopater to be tied up. But when the people of Tyndaris saw this innocent man left naked on the horse statue in the cold and rain (for it was the middle of winter), they raised such great shouts outside the senate that the senators decided hand Mercury over to Verres. Then finally Sopater, half-alive, was set free from his ropes.