42.1Brevī tempore ad flūmen Tiberim vēnit.In a short time he came to the river Tiber. 42.2Tum tamen nūlla erat urbs in eō locō, Rōma enim nōndum condita erat.At that time, however, there was no city in that place, for Rome had not yet been founded.Note. Rome was traditionally founded in 753 BC, long after the age of heroes. 42.3Herculēs itinere fessus cōnstituit ibi paucōs diēs morārī, ut sē ex labōribus recreāret.Hercules, tired from the journey, decided to stay there a few days, to recover from his labors. 42.4Haud procul ā valle ubi bovēs pāscēbantur spēlunca erat, in quā Cācus, horribile mōnstrum, tum habitābat.Not far from the valley where the oxen were grazing there was a cave, in which Cacus, a horrible monster, was then living. 42.5Hic speciem terribilem praebēbat, nōn modo quod ingentī magnitūdine corporis erat, sed quod ignem ex ōre exspīrābat.He had a terrifying appearance, not only because he was of enormous size, but because he breathed out fire from his mouth. 42.6Cācus autem dē adventū Herculis fāmam accēperat; noctū igitur vēnit, et dum Herculēs dormit, quattuor pulcherrimōrum boum abripuit.Cacus had heard of the arrival of Hercules; so he came by night, and while Hercules was sleeping, he carried off four of the most beautiful oxen.Note. quattuor … boum: '(four) of the oxen'.
42.7Hōs caudīs in spēluncam trāxit, nē Herculēs ē vestīgiīs cognōscere posset quō in locō cēlātī essent.He dragged these by their tails into the cave, so that Hercules could not tell from the tracks where they had been hidden.Note. nē … posset: purpose, 'so that he could not'. quō in locō … essent is an indirect question: 'where they had been hidden'.