When Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, had taken the prince of Cappadocia in war together with his wife and children, he led them to Rome in triumph. He gave orders that the father and the elder of the brothers should be slain.
The ministers of execution, on coming to the place of confinement, inquired which was the elder. On this, there arose an earnest contention between the two young princes, each of them affirming himself to be the elder. When they had continued this heroic and fraternal emulation for some time, the afflicted mother with much difficulty prevailed on her elder son that he would permit his brother to die in his stead.
When Augustus was told of this, he regretted his severity, and gave an honourable support to the mother and her son.
羅馬第一任皇帝奧古斯都在沙場上俘虜了卡帕多其亞的君主和他妻子兒女，帶着他們，奏凱回到羅馬，下令把他和他長子處死。
負責行刑者來到囚室，問誰是長子。兩位年輕王子馬上激烈爭辯起來，都說自己是兄長。這對勇敢友愛的兄弟爭執多時，最後，苦惱的母親好不容易說服了長子，讓弟弟代他受死。
奧古斯都聽到這件事，後悔自己不仁，並為那母親和她兒子供給體面的生活所需。
【附注】卡帕多其亞位在今日土耳其中部。
Minister一字，解作「執行者」，是舊式英文用法，但這用法偶然還會看到，例如： Ariel calls himself"a minister of fate"（愛麗兒自稱是「命運的執行者」）。
（古德明）
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