Ab Urbe Condita 1.11

Liv. 1.11.1Dum ea ibi Rōmānī gerunt, Antemnātium exercitus per occāsiōnem ac sōlitūdinem hostīliter in fīnēs Rōmānōs incursiōnem facit.

While the Romans were doing these things there, the army of the Antemnates, seizing the chance while the land was unguarded, made a hostile raid into Roman territory.

Note. Dum … gerunt: dum with the present indicative, 'while'. per occāsiōnem ac sōlitūdinem: 'taking advantage of the chance and the lack of defenders'.

Liv. 1.11.1Raptim et ad hōs Rōmāna legiō ducta pālātōs in agrīs oppressit.

Against them too a Roman legion was hastily led, and it caught them scattered over the fields.

Note. Raptim: 'in haste'. pālātōs: from pālor, 'wander, straggle'.

Liv. 1.11.2Fūsī igitur prīmō impetū et clāmōre hostēs;

So the enemy were routed at the first charge and shout;

Liv. 1.11.2oppidum captum;

the town was taken;

Liv. 1.11.2duplicīque victōriā ovantem Rōmulum Hersilia coniūnx precibus raptarum fatīgāta ōrat, ut parentibus eārum det veniam et in cīvitātem accipiat;

and as Romulus rejoiced in the double victory, his wife Hersilia, worn down by the pleas of the captured women, begged him to pardon their parents and receive them into the citizenship;

Note. ovantem: ovō, 'exult'; the ovation was later a lesser form of triumph. ut … det … accipiat: indirect command after ōrat.

Liv. 1.11.2ita rem coalēscere concordiā posse.

in this way, she said, the state could grow together in harmony.

Liv. 1.11.3Facile impetrātum.

It was easily granted.

Liv. 1.11.3Inde contrā Crustumīnōs profectus bellum īnferentēs.

Then he set out against the Crustumini, who were making war.

Note. profectus (est): supply est; bellum īnferentēs agrees with the Crustumini.

Liv. 1.11.3Ibi minus etiam, quod aliēnīs clādibus ceciderant animī, certāminis fuit.

There there was even less of a fight, because their spirits had sunk at the defeats of others.

Note. minus … certāminis: partitive genitive, 'less (of) fighting'. cecīderant animī: 'their spirits had fallen'.

Liv. 1.11.3Utrōque colōniae missae;

Colonies were sent to both places;

Liv. 1.11.4plūrēs inventī, quī propter ūbertātem terrae in Crustumīnum nōmina darent.

more men were found who, because of the richness of the soil, gave in their names for Crustumerium.

Note. nōmina dare: 'to enrol'; here, to sign up as colonists for Crustumerium.

Liv. 1.11.4Et Rōmam inde frequenter migrātum est, ā parentibus maximē ac propinquīs raptarum.

And many people moved to Rome from there, especially the parents and relatives of the seized women.

Liv. 1.11.5Novissimum ab Sabīnīs bellum ortum, multōque id maximum fuit;

The last war arose from the Sabines, and it was by far the greatest;

Note. multō … maximum: multō, ablative of degree of difference, 'by far the greatest'.

Liv. 1.11.5nihil enim per īram aut cupiditātem āctum est, nec ostendērunt bellum prius quam intulērunt.

for nothing was done through anger or desire, and they did not show war before they brought it.

Note. prius … quam intulērunt: 'they did not show war before they made it' — the Sabines struck without warning.

Liv. 1.11.6Cōnsiliō etiam additus dolus.

To their planning they also added a trick.

Liv. 1.11.6Sp. Tarpeius Rōmānae praeerat arcī.

Spurius Tarpeius was in command of the Roman citadel.

Liv. 1.11.6Huius fīliam virginem aurō corrumpit Tatius, ut armātōs in arcem accipiat;

Tatius bribed his young daughter with gold to let armed men into the citadel;

Note. corrumpit … ut … accipiat: the bribe is aimed at an indirect command. The girl is Tarpeia, from whom the Tarpeian Rock, where traitors were later thrown to their death, was named.

Liv. 1.11.6aquam forte ea tum sacrīs extrā moenia petītum ierat.

she had happened at that moment to go outside the walls to fetch water for the rites.

Note. petītum: supine of purpose after a verb of motion, 'had gone to fetch water'. sacrīs: dative of purpose, 'for the rites'.

Liv. 1.11.7Acceptī obrutam armīs necāvēre, seu ut vī captā potius arx vidērētur, seu prōdendī exemplī causā, nē quid usquam fīdum prōditōrī esset.

Once let in, they crushed her under their shields and killed her, either so that the citadel would seem to have been taken by force, or to set an example, so that nothing should anywhere be safe for a traitor.

Note. necāvēre = necāvērunt. seu … seu: 'either … or'. prōdendī exemplī causā: gerundive with causā, 'to set an example'. nē quid … fīdum … esset: 'so that nothing should be reliable for a traitor'.

Liv. 1.11.8Additur fābula, quod vulgō Sabīnī aureās armillās magnī ponderis bracchiō laevō gemmātōsque magnā speciē ānulōs habuerint, pepigisse eam, quod in sinistrīs manibus habērent;

A story is added that, because the Sabines usually wore heavy gold bracelets on their left arm and handsome jewelled rings, she had bargained for what they had on their left hands;

Note. quod vulgō Sabīnī … habuerint: subjunctive because it is part of what the story says. pepigisse eam: the accusative and infinitive still depends on the idea of 'it is said'.

Liv. 1.11.8eō scūta illī prō aureīs dōnīs congesta.

and so shields, instead of golden gifts, were heaped on her.

Liv. 1.11.9Sunt, quī eam ex pactō trādendī, quod in sinistrīs manibus esset, dērēctō arma petīsse dīcant et fraude vīsam agere suā ipsam perēmptam mercēde.

There are some who say that by the bargain to hand over what was in their left hands she had asked outright for their arms, and that, seeming to act by trickery, she was killed by her own reward.

Note. Sunt quī … dīcant: relative clause of characteristic, 'there are some who say'. ex pactō: 'by the agreement'. suā ipsam peremptam mercēde: 'killed by her own reward', a neat ironic ending.