Ab Urbe Condita 1.28

Liv. 1.28.1Tum Albānus exercitus, spectātor certāminis, dēductus in campōs.

Then the Alban army, which had watched the contest, was led down onto the plain.

Liv. 1.28.1Mettius Tullō dēvictōs hostēs grātulātur;

Mettius congratulates Tullus on defeating the enemy;

Liv. 1.28.1contrā Tullus Mettium benignē adloquitur.

Tullus in turn speaks to Mettius kindly.

Liv. 1.28.1Quod bene vertat, castra Albānōs Rōmānīs castrīs iungere iubet;

Wishing that it might turn out well, he orders the Albans to join their camp to the Roman camp;

Note. Quod bene vertat: a religious formula, 'and may it turn out well'. Tullus uses solemn words to cover his trap.

Liv. 1.28.1sacrificium lūstrāle in diem posterum parat.

he prepares a sacrifice of purification for the next day.

Note. A lūstrātiō was a ceremony of purification for an army after battle.

Liv. 1.28.2Ubi inlūxit, parātīs omnibus, ut adsolet, vocārī ad cōntiōnem utrumque exercitum iubet.

When it was light and everything was ready, he orders both armies to be called to an assembly, as is customary.

Note. ut adsolet: 'as is the custom'. The two armies were assembled for a speech (cōntiō).

Liv. 1.28.2Praecōnēs ab extrēmō orsī prīmōs excīvēre Albānōs.

The heralds, starting from the far end, summoned the Albans first.

Note. ōrsī, from ōrdior, 'beginning'. excīvēre = excīvērunt.

Liv. 1.28.2Hī novitāte etiam reī mōtī, ut rēgem Rōmānum cōntiōnantem audīrent, proximī cōnstitēre.

Moved also by the novelty of the thing, they stood nearest, so as to hear the Roman king making a speech.

Liv. 1.28.3Ex conpositō armāta circumdatur Rōmāna legiō;

As had been arranged, the Roman legion surrounded them under arms;

Note. Ex compositō: 'by arrangement'. The Roman legion surrounds the unarmed Albans.

Liv. 1.28.3centuriōnibus datum negōtium erat, ut sine morā imperia exequerentur.

the centurions had been given the task of carrying out orders without delay.

Liv. 1.28.4Tum ita Tullus īnfit: "Rōmānī, sī umquam ante aliās ūllō in bellō fuit, quod prīmum dīs immortālibus grātiās agerētis, deinde vestrae ipsōrum virtūtī, hesternum id proelium fuit.

Then Tullus begins thus: "Romans, if ever before in any war there was reason to give thanks first to the immortal gods and then to your own courage, it was in yesterday's battle.

Note. īnfit: an archaic, defective verb, 'he begins (to speak)'. quod … agerētis: a relative clause of characteristic, 'a reason to give thanks'.

Liv. 1.28.4Dīmicātum est enim nōn magis cum hostibus quam, quae dīmicātiō maior atque perīculōsior est, cum prōditiōne ac perfidiā sociōrum.

For the fight was not more with the enemy than with the treachery and faithlessness of allies, which is the greater and more dangerous fight.

Liv. 1.28.5Nam, nē vōs falsa opīniō teneat, iniussū meō Albānī subiēre ad montēs, nec imperium illud meum, sed cōnsilium et imperiī simulātiō fuit, ut nec vōbīs ignōrantibus dēserī vōs āverterētur ā certāmine animus et hostibus circumvenīrī sē ab tergō ratīs terror ac fuga inicerētur.

For, so that you are not misled by a false belief, the Albans went up to the hills without my orders; that was not my order but a plan and a pretence of an order, so that you would not lose heart for the fight by knowing you were deserted, and so that the enemy, believing themselves surrounded from behind, would be struck by terror and flight.

Note. nē vōs falsa opīniō teneat: 'so that a false belief may not hold you'. iniussū meō: 'without my order'. ratīs is dative plural of the participle ratus, agreeing with hostibus: 'to the enemy, believing themselves…'.

Liv. 1.28.6Nec ea culpa, quam arguō, omnium Albānōrum est;

And the guilt I am charging is not that of all the Albans;

Liv. 1.28.6ducem secūtī sunt, ut et vōs, sī quō ego inde agmen dēclīnāre voluissem, fēcissētis.

they followed their leader, as you would have done if I had wanted to turn the column anywhere from there.

Note. sī quō … voluissem, fēcissētis: a past unreal condition: 'if I had wanted …, you would have done (the same)'.

Liv. 1.28.6Mettius ille est ductor itineris huius, Mettius īdem huius māchinātor bellī, Mettius foederis Rōmānī Albānīque ruptor.

Mettius is the leader of that march, Mettius is also the contriver of this war, Mettius is the breaker of the treaty between Rome and Alba.

Note. The threefold repetition of Mettius (anaphora) piles the blame on one man.

Liv. 1.28.6Audeat deinde tālia alius, nisi in hunc īnsigne iam documentum mortālibus dederō."

Let another dare such things hereafter, if I do not now make him a striking example to all mankind."

Liv. 1.28.7Centuriōnēs armātī Mettium circumsistunt;

Armed centurions surround Mettius;

Liv. 1.28.7rēx cētera, ut ōrsus erat, peragit: "quod bonum, faustum fēlīxque sit populō Rōmānō ac mihi vōbīsque, Albānī, populum omnem Albānum Rōmam trādūcere in animō est, cīvitātem dare plēbī, prīmōrēs in patrēs legere, ūnam urbem, ūnam rem pūblicam facere.

the king continues as he had begun: "May it be good, favourable and lucky for the Roman people, for me and for you, Albans: I intend to bring the whole Alban people to Rome, to give citizenship to the commons, to enrol the leading men among the senators, and to make one city, one state.

Note. quod bonum, faustum fēlīxque sit: the solemn formula for opening a public act. Tullus announces the union of the two peoples: the Alban commons get Roman citizenship and their leaders join the Senate.

Liv. 1.28.7Ut ex ūnō quondam in duōs populōs dīvīsa Albāna rēs est, sīc nunc in ūnum redeat."

As the Alban state was once split from one people into two, so let it now come back into one."

Note. Alba was supposed to be Rome's mother city, so the two peoples were once one; Tullus says they are simply becoming one again.

Liv. 1.28.8Ad haec Albāna pūbēs inermis ab armātīs saepta in variīs voluntātibus commūnī tamen metū cōgente silentium tenet.

At this the Alban youth, unarmed and hemmed in by armed men, kept silent, divided in their wishes but forced by a common fear.

Liv. 1.28.9Tum Tullus "Mettī Fūfētī" inquit, "sī ipse discere possēs fidem ac foedera servāre, vīvō tibi ea disciplīna ā mē adhibita esset;

Then Tullus said: "Mettius Fufetius, if you yourself could learn to keep faith and treaties, I would have taught you that lesson while you lived;

Note. Mettī Fūfētī: vocative. The condition is unreal: if Mettius could learn loyalty, Tullus would have taught him while he lived.

Liv. 1.28.9nunc, quoniam tuum īnsānābile ingenium est, at tū tuō suppliciō docē hūmānum genus ea sāncta crēdere, quae ā tē violāta sunt.

now, since your nature cannot be cured, you at least must teach mankind by your punishment to hold sacred what you have violated.

Note. at tū: 'you at least'; at here strengthens the command after a conditional thought.

Liv. 1.28.9Ut igitur paulō ante animum inter Fīdēnātem Rōmānamque rem ancipitem gessistī, ita iam corpus passim distrahendum dabis."

So, as a little while ago you kept your mind divided between the cause of Fidenae and that of Rome, so now you will give up your body to be torn apart in two directions."

Note. The punishment mirrors the crime: Mettius kept his mind 'divided' between two sides, so his body is torn apart in two directions. distrahendum dabis: 'you will give your body to be torn apart', gerundive of purpose.

Liv. 1.28.10Exinde duābus admōtīs quadrīgīs in currūs eārum distentum inligat Mettium, deinde in dīversum iter equī concitātī lacerum in utrōque currū corpus, quā inhaeserant vinculīs membra, portantēs.

Then two four-horse chariots were brought up, and he tied Mettius stretched out to their cars; then the horses were driven in opposite directions, carrying off part of the mangled body on each car, wherever the limbs had been held fast by the bonds.

Note. Mettius was tied between two four-horse chariots driven in opposite directions.

Liv. 1.28.11Āvertēre omnēs ab tantā foeditāte spectāculī oculōs.

Everyone turned their eyes away from so hideous a sight.

Liv. 1.28.11Prīmum ultimumque illud supplicium apud Rōmānōs exemplī parum memoris lēgum hūmānārum fuit;

That was the first and last punishment among the Romans of a kind that took little account of human law;

Note. exemplī parum memoris lēgum hūmānārum: genitive of description, 'of a kind too little mindful of human law'. Livy distances Rome from the cruelty.

Liv. 1.28.11in aliīs glōriārī licet nūllī gentium mītiōrēs placuisse poenās.

in other respects we may boast that no nation has favoured milder punishments.

Note. in aliīs: 'in other cases'. glōriārī licet: 'we may boast'.