Ab Urbe Condita 1.16

Liv. 1.16.1Hīs inmortālibus ēditīs operibus cum ad exercitum recēnsendum cōntiōnem in campō ad Caprae palūdem habēret, subitō coorta tempestās cum magnō fragōre tonitribusque tam dēnsō rēgem operuit nimbō, ut cōnspectum eius cōntiōnī abstulerit;

When these immortal deeds had been done, and he was holding an assembly on the Campus at the Goat's Marsh to review the army, a storm suddenly arose with a great crash and thunder and wrapped the king in so thick a cloud that it took him out of the assembly's sight;

Note. The Caprae palus (Goat's Marsh) lay in the Campus Martius. ad exercitum recensendum: gerundive of purpose. ut ... abstulerit: result clause with the perfect subjunctive, stressing the actual fact. The source printed tempestatas, a misprint for tempestas.

Liv. 1.16.1nec deinde in terrīs Rōmulus fuit.

and from then on Romulus was no longer on earth.

Note. A famous understatement: 'and after that Romulus was not on earth'.

Liv. 1.16.2Rōmāna pūbēs sēdātō tandem pavōre, postquam ex tam turbidō diē serēna et tranquilla lūx rediit, ubi vacuam sēdem rēgiam vīdit, etsī satis crēdēbat patribus, quī proxumī steterant, sublīmem raptum procella, tamen velut orbitātis metū icta maestum aliquamdiū silentium obtinuit.

When the panic had at last settled and a clear, calm daylight returned after so stormy a day, and the Roman youth saw the royal seat empty, although they quite believed the senators who had stood nearest that he had been carried up on high by the storm, still, struck as if by the fear of being orphaned, they kept a sad silence for some time.

Note. satis credebat patribus ... sublimem raptum (esse) procella: indirect statement depending on credebat. proxumi: archaic spelling of proximi. velut orbitatis metu icta: 'struck as if by fear of being orphaned'.

Liv. 1.16.3Deinde ā paucīs initiō factō deum deō nātum, rēgem parentemque urbis Rōmānae salvēre ūniversī Rōmulum iubent;

Then, when a few had made a start, they all hail Romulus as a god born of a god, as king and father of the city of Rome;

Note. deum deo natum: 'a god born of a god' (Romulus' father was Mars). salvere iubent: 'they bid him hail', the formula of greeting.

Liv. 1.16.3pācem precibus exposcunt, utī volēns propitius suam semper sōspitet prōgeniem.

they beg his favour with prayers, that he may willingly and kindly protect his offspring for ever.

Note. uti = ut. volens propitius: an old prayer formula, 'willing and favourable'. sospitet: an archaic religious verb, 'keep safe'.

Liv. 1.16.3Fuisse crēdō tum quoque aliquōs, quī discerptum rēgem patrum manibus tacitī arguerent;

I believe that even then there were some who quietly claimed that the king had been torn apart by the hands of the senators;

Note. Livy gives the rationalizing version: the senators murdered Romulus and hid the body. credo is Livy speaking in the first person.

Liv. 1.16.4mānāvit enim haec quoque, sed perobscūra fāma;

for this story too spread, but very obscurely;

Liv. 1.16.4illam alteram admīrātiō virī et pavor praesēns nōbilitāvit.

the other story was made famous by admiration for the man and by the fear of the moment.

Note. illam alteram (famam): the story of his deification. pavor praesens: 'the fear of the moment'.

Liv. 1.16.5Et cōnsiliō etiam ūnīus hominis addita reī dīcitur fidēs.

And the plan of one man is also said to have added credibility to the matter.

Liv. 1.16.5Namque Proculus Iūlius, sollicitā cīvitāte dēsīderiō rēgis et īnfēnsā patribus, gravis, ut trāditur, quamvīs magnae reī auctor, in cōntiōnem prōdit.

For Proculus Julius, when the city was troubled by its longing for the king and hostile to the senators, a man of weight (as it is recorded), however great the thing he vouched for, comes forward into the assembly.

Note. Proculus Julius' story served the Julian family, which claimed descent from Aeneas' son Iulus; under Augustus this was a pointed detail. gravis: 'a man of weight', i.e. trustworthy. quamvis magnae rei auctor: 'though vouching for a very great thing'.

Liv. 1.16.6"Rōmulus" inquit, "Quirītēs, parēns urbis huius, prīmā hodiernā lūce caelō repente dēlāpsus sē mihi obvium dedit.

"Romulus," he said, "citizens, the father of this city, came down suddenly from the sky at first light today and met me face to face.

Note. Romulus ... se mihi obvium dedit: 'presented himself to me face to face'. prima hodierna luce: 'at first light today'.

Liv. 1.16.6Cum perfūsus horrōre venerābundus adstitissem, petēns precibus, ut contrā intuērī fās esset, "abī, nūntiā" inquit "Rōmānīs caelestēs ita velle;

When I had stood before him, filled with awe and reverence, praying that it might be right for me to look upon him, 'Go,' he said, 'tell the Romans that the gods in heaven so wish it,

Note. venerabundus: adjectives in -bundus describe a person in the act of feeling or doing something. The speech within a speech is marked by single quotation marks in English; caelestes ita velle introduces indirect statement continued in the ut clause of the next sentence.

Liv. 1.16.7ut mea Rōma caput orbis terrārum sit;

that my Rome be the capital of the world;

Note. caput orbis terrarum: 'the head of the world', a phrase that became a slogan of Roman power.

Liv. 1.16.7proinde rem mīlitārem colant sciantque et ita posterīs trādant nūllās opēs hūmānās armīs Rōmānīs resistere posse."

so let them practise the art of war, and let them know and hand down to their descendants that no human power can resist Roman arms.'"

Note. colant sciantque ... tradant: jussive subjunctives, 'let them practise … know … hand down'.

Liv. 1.16.8"Haec" inquit "locūtus sublīmis abiit."

"Having said this," he said, "he went away up on high."

Liv. 1.16.8Mīrum, quantum illī virō nūntiantī haec fideī fuerit quamque dēsīderium Rōmulī apud plēbem exercitumque factā fidē inmortālitātis lēnītum sit.

It is wonderful how much belief that man won as he told this, and how the longing for Romulus among the common people and the army was soothed once his immortality was believed.

Note. Mirum (est) quantum ... fuerit: 'it is amazing how much belief …', indirect question. quamque = et quam: 'and how'. facta fide immortalitatis: ablative absolute, 'once belief in his immortality had been created'.