[Speech by Mussolini, 9 May 1936] - 1936

INTRODUCTION

The text reproduced here comes from an uncatalogued document preserved in the archive of the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani in Rome (without impressum or indication of date or authorship; threefold). The sheet we used for the current edition has some hand-written corrections/suggestions, which recorded in the critical notes. See Lamers and Reitz-Joosse (2016: 216-217) with Lamers (2017). The text was also printed in Luggin (2020: 140-141).

Bibliography

Lamers, Han. 2017. “Latinizing Mussolini’s Message: Nicola Festa’s Latin Translation of the ‘Proclamation of Empire’ (1936/7).” International Journal of the Classical Tradition 24 (2): 198–218.

 

Lamers, Han, and Bettina Reitz-Joosse. 2016. “Lingua Lictoria: The Latin Literature of Italian Fascism.” Classical Receptions Journal 8 (2): 216–52.


Luggin, Johanna. 2020. ‘Imperium iam tandem Italiae restitutum est. Lateinische Übersetzungen der Reden Mussolinis’. In: Han Lamers, Bettina Reitz-Joosse and Valerio Sanzotta (eds.), Studies in the Latin Literature and Epigraphy of Italian Fascism. Leuven: Leuven University Press, 105-142.

DISCORSO DEL DUCE DEL 9 MAGGIO 1936 – XV
1
Omnium copiarum et Patriae et Africanis Coloniis praesidio Legati, Centuriones, Milites!
2
Lictorii Sodales!
3
Itali Italiaeque omnes domi vel extra fines incolentes, audite:
4
Decretis quae brevi nota erunt, quae autem Supremum Lictoriae Reipubblicae consilium conprobavit, sollemnis in Patriae annualibus eventus significatur: Aethiopiae sors ab hoc die, a. d. VII Id. Maias Anno XV a Fascibus Restitutis destinatur.
5
Nodis omnibus fulgenti nostrae virtutis gladio resectis, Africana victoria in Patriae memoribus Fastis integra intactaque extat ut legionariis omnibus fuit in votis qui vitam pro Patria fuderunt et qui supersunt atque ii sanguine1 assequi voluerunt.
6
Italia tandem suum habet imperium.
7
Lictorium quia cum Lictoriae fidei tum voluntatis majestatisque indelebilia vestigia gerit,2 quia ad hanc metam quintum jam decimum annum pollentes neque eo minus militari disciplina assuetas novae subolis vires excitavimus. Pacis imperium nam nobis et omnibus pacem exoptamus nec ad bellum inducimur nisi summa duraque necessitate coacti.
8
Civilis cultus humanitatisque imperium omnibus Aethiopiae gentibus hinc exoritur nam Romanum est vincere, victos autem in omnes belli pacisque fortunas consociare.
9
En lex Itali, qua actas quaedam domesticae historiae terminum habet, alia patet faustissimis hominibus pollens:
10
I Fines gentesque jam Regis Aethiopum dicioni3 subiectae sub Regni Italici imperium potestatemque rediguntur.4
11
II Imperatoris Aethiopiae titulus Italiae Regi ejusque successoribus esto.
12
Omnium copiarum et Patriae et Africanis Coloniis praesidio Legati, Centuriones, Milites, Lictorii Sodales.
13
Itali Italaeque omnes, Italam gentem fateor sanguine suo imperium peperisse, suo opere uber opibus reddituram, infestis armis contra quemlibet defensuram.
14
Suprema hac fide freti extollite, legionarii, signa, ferrum, corda, quindecim post saecula in sacris Romae collibus renovatum Imperium consalutantes.
15
Nonne hoc digni eritis?
16
Adclamatio vestra tamquam sacramentum vos coram Deo hominibusque in vitam mortemque obstringit.
17
Lictorii Sodales, Legionarii, Bene Regem!
Critical Notes
  • 1) sanguine: originally senguine, manually corrected by anonymous reader to sanguine in the copy preserved in the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani.
  • 2) illegible words crossed out by anonymous reader in the copy preserved in the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani.
  • 3) illegible letter crossed out by anonymous reader in the copy preserved in the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani.
  • 4) words crossed out by anonymous reader in the copy preserved in the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani, illegible.