Ab Urbe Condita 1.27

Liv. 1.27.1Nec diū pāx Albāna mānsit.

The peace with Alba did not last long.

Note. Livy now turns to Mettius Fufetius, the Alban dictator, and the war with Fidenae and Veii.

Liv. 1.27.1Invidia vulgī, quod tribus mīlitibus fortūna pūblica conmissa fuerat, vānum ingenium dictātōris corrūpit et, quoniam rēcta cōnsilia haud bene ēvēnerant, prāvīs reconciliāre populārium animōs coepit.

The people's resentment that the fortune of the state had been entrusted to three soldiers corrupted the shallow mind of the dictator, and since honest plans had not turned out well, he began to win back his countrymen's favour with crooked ones.

Note. Invidia vulgī quod …: 'the resentment of the people that…'. recta cōnsilia … prāvīs: 'honest plans … crooked ones', with cōnsiliīs understood.

Liv. 1.27.2Igitur, ut prius in bellō pācem, sīc in pāce bellum quaerēns, quia suae cīvitātī animōrum plūs quam vīrium cernēbat esse, ad bellum palam atque ex ēdictō gerundum aliōs concitat populōs, suīs per speciem societātis prōditiōnem reservat.

So, seeking war in peace as he had earlier sought peace in war, and seeing that his city had more spirit than strength, he stirred up other peoples to make war openly and by formal declaration, and kept treachery for his own people under a show of alliance.

Note. ut … sīc: 'as … so'. animōrum plūs quam vīrium: partitive genitives, 'more spirit than strength'. ex ēdictō: 'by public declaration', i.e. openly, in contrast to the hidden treachery he kept for his own side.

Liv. 1.27.3Fīdēnātēs, colōnia Rōmāna, Vēientibus sociīs cōnsiliī adsūmptīs pactō trānsitiōnis Albānōrum ad bellum atque arma incitantur.

The Fidenates, a Roman colony, took the Veientes into their plans as allies and were roused to war and arms by an agreement that the Albans would desert.

Note. Fīdēnātēs, colōnia Rōmāna: in apposition. pactō trānsitiōnis: 'by an agreement about desertion', i.e. the Albans had promised to change sides during the battle.

Liv. 1.27.4Cum Fīdēnae apertē dēscīssent, Tullus Mettiō exercitūque eius ab Albā accītō contrā hostēs dūcit.

When Fidenae had openly revolted, Tullus summoned Mettius and his army from Alba and led them against the enemy.

Liv. 1.27.4Ubi Aniēnem trānsiit, ad Cōnfluentīs collocat castra.

When he had crossed the Anio, he pitched camp at the Confluence.

Note. Anienem: accusative of Aniō, -ēnis. The Confluence was where the Anio flows into the Tiber.

Liv. 1.27.4Inter eum locum et Fīdēnās Vēientium exercitus Tiberim trānsierat.

Between that place and Fidenae the army of the Veientes had crossed the Tiber.

Liv. 1.27.5Hī in aciē prope flūmen tenuēre dextrum cornū;

In the battle line these held the right wing, near the river;

Liv. 1.27.5in sinistrō Fīdēnātēs propius montēs cōnsistunt.

on the left the Fidenates took their stand nearer the hills.

Liv. 1.27.5Tullus adversus Vēientem hostem dērigit suōs, Albānōs contrā legiōnem Fīdēnātium conlocat.

Tullus sets his own men against the Veientine enemy and places the Albans facing the legion of the Fidenates.

Liv. 1.27.5Albānō nōn plūs animī erat quam fideī.

The Alban had no more courage than loyalty.

Note. Albānō: dative of possession, 'the Alban (Mettius) had'.

Liv. 1.27.5Nec manēre ergō nec trānsīre apertē ausus sēnsim ad montēs succēdit;

So, daring neither to stay nor to go over openly, he moves gradually towards the hills;

Note. ausus: perfect participle of the semi-deponent audeō with present meaning, 'not daring'.

Liv. 1.27.6inde, ubi satis subīsse sēsē ratus est, ērigit tōtam aciem flūctuānsque animō, ut tereret tempus, ōrdinēs explicat.

then, when he thought he had gone far enough up, he halts his whole line, and, wavering in his mind, deploys his ranks to waste time.

Note. ut tereret tempus: purpose clause, 'to waste time'.

Liv. 1.27.6Cōnsilium erat, quā fortūna rem daret, eā inclīnāre vīrēs.

His plan was to throw his strength to whichever side fortune gave the victory.

Note. quā … eā: 'on whichever side … on that side'. The relative adverb quā and the demonstrative eā answer each other.

Liv. 1.27.7Mīrāculō prīmō esse Rōmānīs, quī proximī steterant, ut nūdārī latera sua sociōrum dīgressū sēnsērunt;

At first the Romans standing nearest were amazed when they saw that their flanks were being exposed by the withdrawal of their allies;

Note. Mīrāculō … esse: esse is a historical infinitive (used like a past indicative) and mīrāculō a predicative dative: 'it was a cause of wonder to the Romans'.

Liv. 1.27.7inde eques citātō equō nūntiat rēgī abīre Albānōs.

then a horseman rode up at a gallop and reported to the king that the Albans were leaving.

Liv. 1.27.7Tullus in rē trepidā duodecim vōvit Saliōs fānaque Pallōrī ac Pavōrī.

In the crisis Tullus vowed twelve Salian priests and shrines to Paleness and Panic.

Note. Tullus vowed new priests and shrines in the crisis. The Salii were the dancing priests of Mars; Tullus added a second college of twelve. Pallor and Pavor ('Paleness' and 'Panic') were worshipped as gods so that they would strike the enemy rather than Rome. The digital text is garbled here (fāna,:ue); the standard reading fānaque has been restored.

Liv. 1.27.8Equitem clārā increpāns vōce, ut hostēs exaudīrent, redīre in proelium iubet: nihil trepidātiōne opus esse;

He rebukes the horseman in a loud voice, so that the enemy could hear, and orders him back into the battle: there was no need for alarm;

Note. What Tullus shouts is given in indirect statement: nihil trepidātiōne opus esse, 'there was no need for alarm'. opus est takes the ablative of the thing needed.

Liv. 1.27.8suō iussū circumdūcī Albānum exercitum, ut Fīdēnātium nūda terga invādant;

the Alban army was being led round on his orders, to attack the unprotected rear of the Fidenates;

Note. suō iussū: 'by his order'. The lie was meant to be heard by both sides.

Liv. 1.27.9item imperat, ut hastās equitēs ērigerent.

he also orders the cavalry to raise their spears.

Note. hastās … ērigerent: raised spears would block the infantry's view of the departing Albans (90).

Liv. 1.27.9Id factum magnae partī peditum Rōmānōrum cōnspectum abeuntis Albānī exercitūs intersaepsit;

This action blocked a large part of the Roman infantry from seeing the Alban army going off;

Liv. 1.27.9quī vīderant, id, quod ab rēge audītum erat, ratī, eō ācrius pugnant.

those who had seen it believed what they had heard the king say, and fight all the more fiercely.

Note. ratī: 'thinking'. eō ācrius: 'all the more fiercely for it'.

Liv. 1.27.9Terror ad hostēs trānsit;

The panic passes to the enemy;

Liv. 1.27.9et audīverant clārā vōce dictum, et magna pars Fīdēnātium, ut quī colōnī additī Rōmānīs essent, Latīnē sciēbant.

they had heard what was said in a loud voice, and a large part of the Fidenates understood Latin, since they had been settlers added to the Romans.

Note. ut quī … essent: 'since they were men who…', a causal relative clause. Fidenae had received Roman colonists, so many could understand Latin.

Liv. 1.27.10Itaque, nē subitō ex collibus dēcursū Albānōrum interclūderentur ab oppidō, terga vertunt.

So, to avoid being cut off from their town by a sudden charge of the Albans down from the hills, they turn their backs.

Liv. 1.27.10Īnstat Tullus fūsōque Fīdēnātium cornū in Vēientem aliēnō pavōre perculsum ferōcior redit.

Tullus presses on, and having routed the wing of the Fidenates, he turns back with greater fury against the Veientes, who were shaken by the others' panic.

Note. aliēnō pavōre perculsum: 'struck by the panic of others'. ferōcior: comparative with adverbial force, 'more fiercely'.

Liv. 1.27.10Nec illī tulēre impetum, sed ab effūsā fugā flūmen obiectum ab tergō arcēbat.

They too did not stand up to the attack, but the river lying behind them kept them from a headlong flight.

Liv. 1.27.11Quō postquam fuga inclīnāvit, aliī arma foedē iactantēs in aquam caecī ruēbant, aliī, dum cūnctantur in rīpīs, inter fugae pugnaeque cōnsilium oppressī.

When the flight turned that way, some shamefully threw away their arms and rushed blindly into the water, while others, hesitating on the banks between flight and fight, were overwhelmed.

Note. Quō: 'in that direction', i.e. towards the river.

Liv. 1.27.11Nōn alia ante Rōmāna pugna atrōcior fuit.

No earlier battle of the Romans was fiercer.