Ab Urbe Condita 1.23

Liv. 1.23.1Haec nūntiant domum Albānī.

The Albans carry this message home.

Note. domum: accusative of motion towards, without a preposition.

Liv. 1.23.1Et bellum utrimque summā ope parābātur, cīvīlī simillimum bellō, prope inter parentēs nātōsque, Trōiānam utramque prōlem, cum Lāvīnium ab Trōiā, ab Lāvīniō Alba, ab Albānōrum stirpe rēgum oriundī Rōmānī essent.

And on both sides the war was prepared with the greatest effort, very like a civil war, almost between parents and children, both of them Trojan stock, since Lavinium had sprung from Troy, Alba from Lavinium, and the Romans from the line of the Alban kings.

Note. civili simillimum bello: dative with similis. Troianam utramque prolem: Rome and Alba were both descended from Aeneas' Trojans by way of Lavinium. oriundi: from oriundus, 'sprung from'.

Liv. 1.23.2Ēventus tamen bellī minus miserābilem dīmicātiōnem fēcit, quod nec aciē certātum est et tēctīs modo dīrutīs alterīus urbis duo populī in ūnum cōnfūsī sunt.

Yet the outcome of the war made the conflict less pitiable, because there was no pitched battle, and when only the buildings of one of the two cities had been pulled down, the two peoples were merged into one.

Note. quod nec acie certatum est: impersonal passive, 'because there was no fighting in pitched battle'. tectis … dirutis: ablative absolute; only Alba's buildings were destroyed (told in ch. 29).

Liv. 1.23.3Albānī priōrēs ingentī exercitū in agrum Rōmānum impetum fēcēre.

The Albans struck first, invading Roman land with a huge army.

Note. fecere = fecerunt.

Liv. 1.23.3Castra ab urbe haud plūs quīnque mīlia passuum locant;

They pitch camp no more than five miles from the city;

Note. haud plus quinque milia passuum: 'not more than five miles'; plus does not affect the case of milia.

Liv. 1.23.3fossā circumdant;

they surround it with a trench;

Note. fossa circumdant: 'they surround (the camp) with a ditch'.

Liv. 1.23.3fossa Cluilia ab nōmine ducis per aliquot saecula appellāta est, dōnec cum rē nōmen quoque vetustāte abolēvit.

the trench was called the Cluilian trench after the leader's name for several centuries, until with the thing itself the name too died out through age.

Note. fossa Cluilia: the 'Cluilian trench', a landmark near Rome in Livy's day that was explained by this story. cum re nomen quoque … abolevit: 'with the thing the name too disappeared'.

Liv. 1.23.4In hīs castrīs Cluilius, Albānus rēx, moritur;

In this camp Cluilius, the Alban king, dies;

Note. Cluilius' death is unexplained; Tullus at once claims it as a divine punishment.

Liv. 1.23.4dictātōrem Albānī Mettium Fūfētium creant.

the Albans appoint Mettius Fufetius dictator.

Note. dictatorem: Alba is given the Roman title for an emergency commander.

Liv. 1.23.4Interim Tullus ferōx, praecipuē morte rēgis, magnumque deōrum nūmen ab ipsō capite orsum in omne nōmen Albānum expetītūrum poenās ob bellum inpium dictitāns, nocte praeteritīs hostium castrīs īnfestō exercitū in agrum Albānum pergit.

Meanwhile Tullus, fierce above all because of the king's death, and saying again and again that the great power of the gods, beginning with the head himself, would exact punishment from the whole Alban nation for an impious war, passed the enemy's camp by night and advances into Alban territory with his army ready for battle.

Note. magnum … numen … expetiturum (esse) poenas: future infinitive in indirect statement after dictitans, 'that the great power of the gods would exact punishment'. ab ipso capite orsum: 'beginning with the head itself', i.e. the king. dictitans: frequentative, 'saying again and again'. praeteritis … castris: ablative absolute.

Liv. 1.23.4Ea rēs ab statīvīs excīvit Mettium.

This roused Mettius from his standing camp.

Note. stativis (castris): a 'standing' or stationary camp.

Liv. 1.23.5Dūcit quam proxumē ad hostem potest.

He leads his army as close to the enemy as he can.

Note. quam proxume: quam with a superlative, 'as near as possible'; proxume is the older spelling of proxime.

Liv. 1.23.5Inde lēgātum praemissum nūntiāre Tullō iubet, priusquam dīmicent, opus esse colloquiō;

From there he sends an envoy ahead and orders him to tell Tullus that before they fight there is need of a conference;

Note. legatum praemissum nuntiare … iubet: 'he orders an envoy sent ahead to announce'. opus esse colloquio: 'that there is need of a conference' (opus est + ablative).

Liv. 1.23.5sī sēcum congressus sit, satis scīre ea sē allātūrum, quae nihilō minus ad rem Rōmānam quam ad Albānam pertineant.

if he would meet him, he was sure he would bring proposals that concerned the Roman interest no less than the Alban.

Note. Indirect speech: si … congressus sit, … ea se allaturum (esse). nihilo minus … quam: 'no less … than'.

Liv. 1.23.5Haud aspernātus Tullus, tamen, sī vāna adferantur, in aciem ēdūcit.

Tullus did not reject it, but in case empty proposals were made he leads his men out into battle line.

Note. Haud aspernatus: 'not rejecting it'. si vana adferantur: 'in case empty proposals should be made'.

Liv. 1.23.6Exeunt contrā et Albānī.

The Albans too come out against them.

Note. contra: adverb, 'opposite', 'to meet them'.

Liv. 1.23.6Postquam strūctī utrimque stābant, cum paucīs procerum in medium ducēs prōcēdunt.

When the two sides were standing drawn up, the leaders advance into the middle with a few of their chief men.

Note. structi: 'drawn up' (struo). paucis procerum: 'a few of the chief men'.

Liv. 1.23.7Ibi īnfit Albānus: "iniūriās et nōn redditās rēs ex foedere quae repetītae sint et ego rēgem nostrum Cluilium causam huiusce esse bellī audīsse videor nec tē dubitō, Tulle, eadem prae tē ferre;

Then the Alban begins: "Wrongs, and property not given back as the treaty required when it was demanded, I think I have heard our king Cluilius name as the cause of this war, and I do not doubt, Tullus, that you put forward the same;

Note. infit: defective verb, 'begins (to speak)'. The speech begins with a long object: iniurias et … res … causam … esse belli … audisse videor, 'I seem to have heard that wrongs … were the cause'. prae te ferre: 'to put forward'. Note the vocative Tulle.

Liv. 1.23.7sed sī vēra potius quam dictū speciōsa dīcenda sunt, cupīdō imperiī duōs cognātōs vīcīnōsque populōs ad arma stimulat.

but if what is true is to be said rather than what sounds fine, it is the desire for power that drives two related and neighbouring peoples to arms.

Note. dictu speciosa: supine in -u, 'fine-sounding in the telling'. cupido imperii: 'lust for power', the subject of stimulat.

Liv. 1.23.8Neque, rēctē an perperam, interpreter;

Whether rightly or wrongly, I do not judge;

Note. recte an perperam: an introduces the second half of an alternative, 'rightly or wrongly'. interpreter: present subjunctive, 'I would not judge'.

Liv. 1.23.8fuerit ista eius dēlīberātiō, quī bellum suscēpit;

let that have been the concern of the man who undertook the war;

Note. fuerit: perfect subjunctive, jussive or concessive: 'let that have been the concern of…'.

Liv. 1.23.8mē Albānī gerendō bellō ducem creāvēre.

the Albans have made me their leader for waging it.

Note. gerendo bello: dative of the gerundive expressing purpose, 'for waging the war'.

Liv. 1.23.8Illud tē, Tulle, monitum velim: Etrūsca rēs quanta circā nōs tēque maximē sit, quō propior es Tuscīs, hōc magis scīs.

Of one thing I would like you warned, Tullus: how great the power of Etruria is around us, and around you most of all, you know better, the nearer you are to the Etruscans.

Note. Illud … monitum velim: 'I would like you to be warned of this'. quanta … sit: indirect question. quo propior … hoc magis: 'the nearer you are, the more you know'. The Etruscans were the great power north of the Tiber.

Liv. 1.23.8Multum illī terrā, plūrimum marī pollent.

They are strong on land, and very strong by sea.

Note. Multum … plurimum: adverbial accusatives with pollent, 'they are very strong'.

Liv. 1.23.9Memor estō, iam cum signum pugnae dabis, hās duās aciēs spectāculō fore, ut fessōs cōnfectōsque, simul victōrem ac victum, adgrediantur.

Remember: when you give the signal for battle, these two lines will be a spectacle for them, so that they may attack us, worn out and exhausted, victor and vanquished together.

Note. esto: future imperative of sum, 'be mindful'. spectaculo fore: predicative dative, 'will be a spectacle (to them)'. victorem ac victum: the Etruscans will attack whichever side wins, worn out by the battle.

Liv. 1.23.9Itaque, sī nōs dī amant, quoniam nōn contentī lībertāte certā in dubiam imperiī servitiīque āleam īmus, ineāmus aliquam viam, quā, utrī utrīs imperent, sine magnā clāde, sine multō sanguine utrīusque populī dēcernī possit."

So, if the gods love us, since not content with sure freedom we are going into a doubtful gamble of mastery or slavery, let us find some way by which it can be decided which people shall rule the other without great loss, without much bloodshed on either side."

Note. si nos di amant: a common formula. utri utris imperent: 'which (of us) should rule which'. decerni possit: impersonal passive, 'it can be decided'.

Liv. 1.23.10Haud displicet rēs Tullō, quamquam cum indole animī tum spē victōriae ferōcior erat.

The proposal does not displease Tullus, though he was the fiercer of the two, both by nature and by his hope of victory.

Note. cum … tum: 'both … and'. ferocior: 'the fiercer (of the two)'.

Liv. 1.23.10Quaerentibus utrimque ratiō initur, cui et fortūna ipsa praebuit māteriam.

As both sides searched, a plan is adopted, for which fortune itself supplied the means.

Note. Quaerentibus utrimque: dative of the participle, 'to those searching on both sides'. ratio initur: 'a plan is adopted'.