Ab Urbe Condita 1.25

Liv. 1.25.1—Foedere ictō trigeminī, sīcut convēnerat, arma capiunt.

When the treaty had been struck, the triplets took up their arms, as had been agreed.

Note. Foedere ictō: ablative absolute, 'the treaty having been struck'. foedus īcere (strike a treaty) comes from the sacrifice that sealed it. The triplets (trigeminī) are the three Horatii for Rome and the three Curiatii for Alba; Livy admits that sources disagreed which family belonged to which city.

Liv. 1.25.1Cum suī utrōsque adhortārentur, deōs patriōs, patriam ac parentēs, quicquid cīvium domī, quicquid in exercitū sit, illōrum tunc arma, illōrum intuērī manūs, ferōcēs et suōpte ingeniō et plēnī adhortantium vōcibus in medium inter duās aciēs prōcēdunt.

While their own people urged on each side, telling them that their fathers' gods, their country and their parents, all their fellow citizens at home and all in the army, were now watching their weapons and their hands, they stepped out into the space between the two battle lines, fierce by their own nature and filled with the shouts of encouragement.

Note. A long sentence built on cum … adhortārentur. The words of encouragement are given in reported speech: deōs … patriam … illōrum arma intuērī ('[saying that] the gods… were watching their arms'). suōpte = suō with the emphatic suffix -pte, 'by their own'.

Liv. 1.25.2Cōnsēderant utrimque prō castrīs duo exercitūs perīculī magis praesentis quam cūrae expertēs;

The two armies had sat down on either side in front of their camps, free of immediate danger rather than of anxiety;

Note. periculī magis praesentis quam cūrae expertēs: expers takes the genitive, 'free of'. They were in no immediate danger, but full of anxiety.

Liv. 1.25.2quippe imperium agēbātur in tam paucōrum virtūte atque fortūnā positum.

for what was at stake was supremacy, resting on the courage and fortune of so few.

Note. quippe gives the reason, 'for, of course'. imperium here means supremacy between Rome and Alba, which the duel was to decide.

Liv. 1.25.2Itaque ergō ērēctī suspēnsīque in minimē grātum spectāculum animōs intendunt.

And so, alert and in suspense, they fixed their minds on a far from pleasant spectacle.

Liv. 1.25.3Datur signum īnfestīsque armīs velut aciēs ternī iuvenēs magnōrum exercituum animōs gerentēs concurrunt.

The signal is given, and the three young men on each side, like two battle lines, carrying the spirit of great armies, charge together with weapons levelled.

Note. Datur signum: Livy switches to the vivid historic present. ternī is a distributive numeral, 'three on each side'.

Liv. 1.25.3Nec hīs nec illīs perīculum suum, pūblicum imperium servitiumque obversātur animō futūraque ea deinde patriae fortūna, quam ipsī fēcissent.

Neither side thinks of its own danger, but of the public rule or slavery, and of the future fortune of their country, which they themselves would then have made.

Note. The verb obversātur is singular with several subjects. futūraque … fortūna: 'and the fortune their country would then have', the future participle of sum used as an adjective.

Liv. 1.25.4Ut prīmō statim concursū concrepuēre arma micantēsque fulsēre gladiī, horror ingēns spectantīs perstringit;

As soon as their weapons clashed at the very first encounter and the swords flashed and glittered, a great shudder runs through the onlookers;

Note. concrepuēre, fulsēre: the perfect ending -ēre for -ērunt, common in Livy. spectantīs is accusative plural (-īs for -ēs): the shudder 'grips the onlookers'.

Liv. 1.25.4et neutrō inclīnātā spē torpēbat vōx spīritusque.

and with hope leaning to neither side, voice and breath were numb.

Note. neutrō inclīnātā spē: ablative absolute, 'with hope leaning to neither side'; neutrō is an adverb, 'in neither direction'.

Liv. 1.25.5Cōnsertīs deinde manibus cum iam nōn mōtus tantum corporum agitātiōque anceps tēlōrum armōrumque sed vulnera quoque et sanguis spectāculō essent, duo Rōmānī, super alium alius, vulnerātīs tribus Albānīs expīrantēs corruērunt.

Then, when they had come to close quarters, and it was not only the movement of bodies and the uncertain flicker of spears and shields but wounds too and blood that the watchers saw, two of the Romans fell dying, one upon the other, while all three Albans were wounded.

Note. Cōnsertīs manibus: ablative absolute, 'when they had joined hands', i.e. come to close combat. super alium alius: 'one over the other'.

Liv. 1.25.6Ad quōrum cāsum cum conclāmāsset gaudiō Albānus exercitus, Rōmānās legiōnēs iam spēs tōta, nōndum tamen cūra dēseruerat, exanimēs vice ūnīus, quem trēs Curiātiī circumsteterant.

At their fall the Alban army raised a shout of joy, while all hope, though not yet all anxiety, had deserted the Roman legions, breathless with fear for the one man whom the three Curiatii had surrounded.

Note. exanimēs vice ūnīus: 'breathless with concern for the one man'; vice (from the defective vicis) here means 'on account of, for the sake of'.

Liv. 1.25.7Forte is integer fuit, ut ūniversīs sōlus nēquāquam pār, sīc adversus singulōs ferōx.

By chance he was unhurt, so that although he was no match for all of them together, he was a fierce opponent for each one singly.

Note. ut … sīc: 'while … so', a balanced comparison. ūniversīs solus nequāquam pār: 'alone he was no match for them all together'.

Liv. 1.25.7Ergō, ut sēgregāret pugnam eōrum, capessit fugam, ita ratus secūtūrōs, ut quemque vulnere adfectum corpus sineret.

So, to split up their attack, he takes to flight, reckoning that they would follow him as fast as each one's wounded body would let him.

Note. ita ratus secūtūrōs ut …: 'thinking they would follow in such a way as …'. ratus, from reor, has present meaning: 'thinking'. Supply eōs as subject of secūtūrōs (esse).

Liv. 1.25.8Iam aliquantum spatiī ex eō locō, ubi pugnātum est, aufūgerat, cum respiciēns videt magnīs intervallīs sequentēs;

He had already fled some distance from the place where they had fought, when, looking back, he sees them following at wide intervals;

Liv. 1.25.8ūnum haud procul ab sēsē abesse.

one of them was not far from him.

Liv. 1.25.9In eum magnō impetū rediit, et dum Albānus exercitus inclāmat Curiātiōs, utī opem ferant frātrī, iam Horātius caesō hoste victor secundam pugnam petēbat.

He turned on this man with a great rush, and while the Alban army was shouting to the Curiatii to help their brother, Horatius had already killed his enemy and, victorious, was going on to a second fight.

Note. dum + present indicative (inclāmat) means 'while', even in a past context. utī = ut, an older form.

Liv. 1.25.9Tunc clāmōre, quālis ex īnspērātō faventium solet, Rōmānī adiuvant mīlitem suum;

Then the Romans cheer their champion with the kind of shout that people give when something happens against all hope;

Note. quālis ex īnspērātō faventium solet: 'such as usually comes from supporters after something unhoped-for'. Supply clāmor.

Liv. 1.25.9et ille dēfungī proeliō festīnat.

and he hurries to finish the fight.

Liv. 1.25.10Prius itaque, quam alter, quī nec procul aberat, cōnsequī posset, et alterum Curiātium cōnficit;

So, before the other, who was not far away, could reach him, he kills the second Curiatius as well;

Note. Prius … quam: 'before', split by itaque. posset is subjunctive because the second Curiatius did not, in fact, reach him: an anticipated action.

Liv. 1.25.11iamque aequātō Mārte singulī supererant, sed nec spē nec vīribus parēs.

and now, with the odds made even, one was left on each side, but they were equal neither in hope nor in strength.

Note. aequātō Marte: 'with Mars (the fortune of war) made equal'. The god's name stands for war itself, a common figure (metonymy).

Liv. 1.25.11Alterum intāctum ferrō corpus et gemināta victōria ferōcem in certāmen tertium dabat;

The one, his body untouched by steel and his victory doubled, was going into the third fight full of spirit;

Note. Alterum … alter (21): 'the one … the other', i.e. Horatius and the last Curiatius.

Liv. 1.25.11alter fessum vulnere, fessum cursū trahēns corpus victusque frātrum ante sē strāge victōrī obicitur hostī.

the other, dragging a body worn out by his wound and worn out by running, and beaten already by the slaughter of his brothers before his eyes, is thrown in the way of a victorious enemy.

Note. obicitur: present passive, 'is thrown in the way of'. The repeated fessum (anaphora) stresses his exhaustion.

Liv. 1.25.12Nec illud proelium fuit.

It was not even a fight.

Liv. 1.25.12Rōmānus exsultāns "duōs" inquit "frātrum Mānibus dedī;

The Roman, exulting, said: "Two I have given to the shades of my brothers;

Note. Mānibus: the Mānēs are the spirits of the dead. Horatius offers the two dead Curiatii to the spirits of his brothers as if they were sacrificial victims.

Liv. 1.25.12tertium causae bellī huiusce, ut Rōmānus Albānō imperet, dabō."

the third I shall give to the cause of this war, so that the Roman may rule the Alban."

Note. causae bellī: dative, 'to the cause of this war'. The purpose clause ut Rōmānus Albānō imperet spells out that cause. huiusce = huius with the emphatic -ce.

Liv. 1.25.12Male sustinentī arma gladium supernē iugulō dēfīgit;

As his opponent could barely hold up his weapons, he drives his sword down into his throat from above;

Note. Male sustinentī: dative with dēfīgit ('plunges into him'), 'to the man barely holding up his arms'. male often means 'hardly, scarcely' with words of ability.

Liv. 1.25.12iacentem spoliat.

he strips him as he lies there.

Liv. 1.25.13Rōmānī ovantēs ac grātulantēs Horātium accipiunt eō maiōre cum gaudiō, quō prope metum rēs fuerat.

The Romans receive Horatius with cheering and congratulations, their joy all the greater because they had come so close to fear.

Note. eō maiōre … quō …: 'all the greater … because (by how much)'. prope metum rēs fuerat: 'things had come close to fear'.

Liv. 1.25.13Ad sepultūram inde suōrum nēquāquam paribus animīs vertuntur, quippe imperiō alterī auctī, alterī diciōnis aliēnae factī.

Then they turn to burying their dead, in very different moods, since the one side had gained an empire and the other had been made subject to foreign rule.

Note. alterī … alterī: 'the one side … the other'. diciōnis aliēnae factī: genitive of possession, 'made (subjects) of foreign rule'.

Liv. 1.25.14Sepulcra extant, quō quisque locō cecidit, duo Rōmāna ūnō locō propius Albam, tria Albāna Rōmam versus, sed distantia locīs, ut et pugnātum est.

The tombs stand where each man fell: the two Roman ones in one place, nearer Alba, the three Alban ones towards Rome, but at a distance from each other, just as they had fought.

Note. Livy points to monuments still visible in his day as evidence for the story. Rōmam versus: versus follows its noun, 'towards Rome'. ut et pugnātum est: 'just as they had also fought', i.e. at intervals.