Sulla, who was at Rome, called together the soldiers. “Soldiers,” he said, “let us go to Rome. Let us seize the city. Let us kill our enemies. I am not afraid. I am a great general. You obey me.”
Tum Sulla Rōmam cum mīlitibus contendit. urbem occupāvit. hostēs suōs interfēcit. posteā Rōmae imperium longum tenuit. cambridge latin course book 1 stage 11 sulla translation
Sulla replied angrily: “Soldiers, if you will not come with your weapons, I will not enter Rome. But I want to kill my enemies. I am a Roman general.” Sulla, who was at Rome, called together the soldiers
Then Sulla hurried to Rome with his soldiers. He seized the city. He killed his enemies. Afterwards he held power at Rome for a long time. Context Note This passage refers to the historical event of 88 B.C. , when the Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla marched on Rome with his army — an unprecedented act at the time — to defeat his political rivals (especially Marius). The Cambridge Latin Course simplifies this for beginners but captures the key idea: Sulla’s ambition and willingness to use military force inside the sacred city boundaries. Let us kill our enemies
Mīlitēs erant incertī. “Sed Rōma est urbs sacra,” clāmāvērunt. “in urbem armātī venīre nōn dēbēmus. sine armīs in urbem veniāmus.”