Commodian — Instructiones 49
But when war is waged or the enemy floods in, whoever can conquer or hide — great trophies; but unhappy will he be who is captured by them. He loses both country and king, which worthily befalls him who would not fight for country or for life. He ought to have died rather than go under a barbarian king, and let slavery lie open — to render it to lawless enemies. If by preaching you die for the land, you have conquered; but if you give hands while unhurt, by law you have perished. Let the enemy cross the river — hide yourself in cover; or if he can enter without slaughter, do not cease. Make yourself safe on every side, and your own: you have conquered; and act watchfully, lest anyone rush into those things. The king will be infamous if anyone exposes himself to the enemy. Who does not know how to conquer and runs to hand himself over, awkward, sent neither himself nor his country any praise; then he refused to live, when life itself will perish. Then if a helpless or profane man flees from the enemy — like sounding brass, or as deaf asps — he ought to pray enough and hide himself as such.
Latin
49 QUI APOSTATAVERUNT DEO. Quando bellum autem geritur aut inrigat hostis, Uincere qui poterit aut latere, magna tropaea, Infelix autem erit, qui fuerit captus ab illis. Amittit et patriam et regem, cui digne prouenit, Pugnare pro patria qui noluit neque pro uita. Obisse debuerat quam ire sub barbaro rege, Seruitiumque pateat hostibus sine lege deferre. Tu si praedicando moreris pro terra, uicisti, At si manus dederis incolumem, lege peristi. Transfluuiat hostis, tu sub latebra <re>conde, Aut si intrare potest sine c<aede>, ne cessa. Undique te redde tutum tuos quoque: uicisti; Et uigilanter age, ne quis incurrat in illa. Rex infamis erit, si quis se propalat hosti. Uincere qui nescit et occurrit tradere sese, Nec sibi nec patriae laudem remisit ineptus; Tunc uiuere noluit, cum ipsa uita peribit. De<inde> si refugiat inops aut profanus ab hoste, Eramen ut sonans, facti uel ut aspides surdi, Orare satis debet et se condere tali<s>.