text_original: They were never so strong a power in the state as towards the close of the Republic, when the corsairs swept the seas and organized themselves almost as a belligerent power, while on the mainland runaway slave bands and professional brigands were infesting the highways.
text_transcription: THEY WERE NEVER SO STRONG A POWER IN THE STATE AS TOWARD THE CLOSE OF THE REPUBLIC WHEN THE CORSAIRS SWEPT THE SEAS AND ORGANIZED THEMSELVES ALMOST AS A BELLIGERENT POWER WHILE ON THE MAINLAND RUNAWAY SLAVE BANDS AND PROFESSIONAL BRIGANDS WERE INFESTING THE HIGHWAYS
phonemes: ðeɪ wɜː nˈɛvɚ sˌoʊ stɹˈɔŋ ɐ pˈaʊɚɹ ɪnðə stˈeɪt æz təwˈɔːɹdz ðə klˈoʊs ʌvðə ɹᵻpˈʌblɪk, wˌɛn ðə kˈɔːɹsɛɹz swˈɛpt ðə sˈiːz ænd ˈɔːɹɡənˌaɪzd ðɛmsˈɛlvz ˈɔːlmoʊst æz ɐ bᵻlˈɪdʒɚɹənt pˈaʊɚ, wˌaɪl ɔnðə mˈeɪnlənd ɹˈʌnəwˌeɪ slˈeɪv bˈændz ænd pɹəfˈɛʃənəl bɹˈɪɡændz wɜːɹ ɪnfˈɛstɪŋ ðə hˈaɪweɪz.