Ab Urbe Condita 1.3

Liv. 1.3.1Nōndum mātūrus imperiō Ascanius, Aenēae fīlius, erat;

Ascanius, Aeneas' son, was not yet old enough to rule;

Note. Chapter 3. mātūrus imperiō: 'ripe for rule', dative.

Liv. 1.3.1tamen id imperium eī ad pūberem aetātem incolume mānsit;

yet that kingdom remained safe for him until he came of age;

Note. ad pūberem aetātem: 'to the age of manhood'.

Liv. 1.3.1tantisper tūtēlā muliebrī— tanta indolēs in Lāvīniā erat— rēs Latīna et regnum avītum paternumque puerō stetit.

for so long, under a woman's guardianship — such was Lavinia's character — the Latin state and the kingdom of his grandfather and father stood firm for the boy.

Note. tūtēlā muliebrī: ablative, 'under a woman's guardianship'. tanta indolēs in Lāvīniā erat: a parenthesis praising Lavinia. puerō stetit: 'stood firm for the boy'.

Liv. 1.3.2Haud ambigam— quis enim rem tam veterem prō certō adfirmet?

I shall not argue — for who could state as certain a matter so old? —

Note. Haud ambigam: 'I shall not argue the point'. quis … adfirmet?: a deliberative or potential subjunctive, 'who could affirm?'.

Liv. 1.3.2—,hicine fuerit Ascanius an maior quam hic, Creūsā mātre Īliō incolumī nātus comesque inde paternae fugae, quem Iūlum eundem Iūlia gēns auctōrem nōminis suī nūncupat.

whether it was this Ascanius, or one older than him, born of Creusa while Ilium still stood and the companion of his father's flight from there, whom the Julian family calls Iulus and names as the founder of their name.

Note. hicine fuerit Ascanius an …: an indirect double question ('whether it was this Ascanius or …'). The issue is whether Ascanius was Lavinia's son or Creusa's son born at Troy. Iūlum: the Julian family (gēns Iūlia), Caesar's and Augustus', claimed descent from Iulus.

Liv. 1.3.3Is Ascanius, ubicumque et quācumque mātre genitus— certē nātum Aenēā cōnstat—, abundante Lāvīnī multitūdine flōrentem iam, ut tum rēs erant, atque opulentam urbem mātrī seu novercae relīquit, novam ipse aliam sub Albānō monte condidit, quae ab sitū porrēctae in dorsō urbis Longa Alba appellāta.

This Ascanius, wherever and of whatever mother he was born — it is certain at least that he was the son of Aeneas — since Lavinium had more than enough people, left that city, already flourishing and rich for those times, to his mother or stepmother, and founded another, new one himself below the Alban Mount, which was called Alba Longa from its position, stretched out along a ridge.

Note. ubicumque et quācumque mātre genitus: Livy shrugs again. abundante Lāvīnī multitūdine: ablative absolute, 'since Lavinium had a surplus of people'. ut tum rēs erant: 'as things were then'. Longa Alba: 'the long white (city)', named from its position stretched along a ridge.

Liv. 1.3.4Inter Lāvīnium conditum et Albam Longam colōniam dēductam trīgintā fermē interfuēre annī.

Between the founding of Lavinium and the planting of the colony at Alba Longa about thirty years passed.

Note. Inter Lāvīnium conditum et Albam … dēductam: 'between the founding of Lavinium and the founding of Alba' — the participle + noun phrase expresses an action, as often in Livy.

Liv. 1.3.4Tantum tamen opēs crēverant maximē fūsīs Etrūscīs, ut nē morte quidem Aenēae nec deinde inter muliebrem tūtēlam rudīmentumque prīmum puerīlis regnī movēre arma aut Mezentius Etrūscīque aut ūllī aliī accolae ausī sint.

Yet their power had grown so much, chiefly through the defeat of the Etruscans, that not even on the death of Aeneas, nor afterwards during the woman's regency and the first apprenticeship of the boy's reign, did Mezentius and the Etruscans or any other neighbours dare to take up arms.

Note. maximē fūsīs Etrūscīs: ablative absolute. rudīmentum … puerīlis regnī: 'the first trial of a boy's reign'.

Liv. 1.3.5Pāx ita convēnerat, ut Etrūscīs Latīnīsque fluvius Albula, quem nunc Tiberim vocant, fīnis esset.

Peace had been agreed on these terms, that the river Albula, which they now call the Tiber, should be the boundary between the Etruscans and the Latins.

Note. fluvius Albula, quem nunc Tiberim vocant: the old name of the Tiber, which according to the next chapter changed when King Tiberinus drowned in it.

Liv. 1.3.6Silvius deinde regnat, Ascaniī fīlius, cāsū quōdam in silvīs nātus.

Next Silvius reigns, son of Ascanius, born by some chance in the woods.

Note. Chapter 3 continues with the kings of Alba, a list built up by later antiquarians to fill the four centuries between Aeneas and Romulus. Silvius: 'man of the woods', from silva.

Liv. 1.3.6Is Aenēam Silvium creat;

He fathers Aeneas Silvius;

Note. creat: 'fathers', historical present.

Liv. 1.3.6is deinde Latīnum Silvium.

he in turn Latinus Silvius.

Note. The verb creat is understood.

Liv. 1.3.7Ab eō colōniae aliquot dēductae, Prīscī Latīnī appellātī.

By him several colonies were planted, called the Old Latins.

Note. Prīscī Latīnī: the 'Old Latins', a name for the oldest Latin towns.

Liv. 1.3.8Mānsit Silviīs posteā omnibus cognōmen, quī Albae regnāvērunt.

The surname Silvius then remained for all who reigned at Alba.

Note. Silviīs: dative of possession with mānsit cognōmen. Albae: locative, 'at Alba'.

Liv. 1.3.8Latīnō Alba ortus, Albā Atys, Atye Capys, Capye Capetus, Capetō Tiberīnus, quī in trāiectū Albulae amnis submersus celebre ad posterōs nōmen flūminī dedit.

From Latinus was born Alba, from Alba Atys, from Atys Capys, from Capys Capetus, from Capetus Tiberinus, who was drowned crossing the river Albula and gave the river the name famous with later generations.

Note. A chain of names with ortus understood each time: 'from Alba (was born) Atys', etc. Atye and Capye are Greek-style ablatives. celebre ad posterōs nōmen flūminī dedit: the river was renamed Tiberis after King Tiberinus.

Liv. 1.3.9Agrippa inde, Tiberīnī fīlius, post Agrippam Rōmulus Silvius ā patre acceptō imperiō regnant.

Next Agrippa, son of Tiberinus, and after Agrippa Romulus Silvius reign, having received the power from their fathers.

Note. regnant: plural because two kings are named in turn.

Liv. 1.3.9Aventīnō fulmine ipse ictus regnum per manūs trādidit.

Romulus, struck by lightning himself, handed the kingdom on to Aventinus.

Note. fulmine ipse ictus: Romulus Silvius, in some versions a tyrant who imitated thunder, was himself killed by lightning. Aventīnō: dative, the next king. per manūs trādidit: 'passed on'.

Liv. 1.3.9Is sepultus in eō colle, quī nunc pars Rōmānae est urbis, cognōmen collī fēcit.

He, buried on the hill which is now part of the city of Rome, gave his name to the hill.

Note. cognōmen collī fēcit: the Aventine hill took its name from him.

Liv. 1.3.10Proca deinde regnat.

Next Proca reigns.

Note. Proca: the last of the line before the twins' story begins.

Liv. 1.3.10Is Numitōrem atque Amūlium prōcreat;

He fathers Numitor and Amulius;

Note. Numitōrem atque Amūlium: the two brothers whose quarrel sets the founding story going.

Liv. 1.3.10Numitōrī, quī stirpis maximus erat, regnum vetustum Silviae gentis lēgat.

to Numitor, who was the eldest of the line, he bequeaths the ancient kingdom of the Silvian family.

Note. quī stirpis maximus erat: 'who was the eldest of the line'. The edition prints 'stirps', a misprint for stirpis. lēgat: 'bequeaths' (lēgō, -āre, not legō, 'read').

Liv. 1.3.10Plūs tamen vīs potuit quam voluntās patris aut verēcundia aetātis.

But force counted for more than the father's wish or respect for age.

Note. Plūs … vīs potuit quam voluntās patris: 'force was stronger than a father's will'.

Liv. 1.3.10Pulsō frātre Amūlius regnat.

Driving out his brother, Amulius reigns.

Note. Pulsō frātre: ablative absolute.

Liv. 1.3.11Addit scelerī scelus;

He adds crime to crime;

Note. Addit scelerī scelus: a compact, quotable line.

Liv. 1.3.11stirpem frātris virīlem interimit;

he kills his brother's male offspring;

Note. stirpem … virīlem: Numitor's sons.

Liv. 1.3.11frātris fīliae Rhēae Silviae per speciem honōris, cum Vestālem eam lēgisset, perpetuā virginitāte spem partūs adimit.

from his brother's daughter Rhea Silvia, having chosen her as a Vestal under the pretence of honouring her, he takes away by perpetual virginity the hope of children.

Note. Reae Silviae: Livy's spelling; she is usually called Rhea Silvia. Vestālem: a Vestal Virgin had to stay unmarried for thirty years. per speciem honōris: 'under the pretence of an honour'.