Ab Urbe Condita 1.30

Liv. 1.30.1Rōma interim crēscit Albae ruīnīs.

Rome meanwhile grows on the ruins of Alba.

Note. Albae ruinis: ablative of means or cause, 'on (thanks to) the ruins of Alba'. Tullus Hostilius had destroyed Alba Longa and moved its people to Rome (ch. 29). Livy often opens with a short sentence in the historic present (crescit).

Liv. 1.30.1Duplicātur cīvium numerus;

The number of citizens is doubled;

Liv. 1.30.1Caelius additur urbī mōns, et, quō frequentius habitārētur, eam sēdem Tullus rēgiae capit ibique deinde habitāvit.

the Caelian hill is added to the city, and so that it might be more thickly inhabited, Tullus takes that site for his palace and lived there from then on.

Note. quo frequentius habitaretur: quo + comparative introduces a purpose clause ('so that … the more'). The verb is impersonal passive: 'so that there might be more living there'. regiae is dative of purpose: 'as the site for his palace'.

Liv. 1.30.2Prīncipēs Albānōrum in patrēs, ut ea quoque pars reī pūblicae crēsceret, lēgit: Iūliōs, Servīliōs, Quīnctiōs, Gegāniōs, Curiātiōs, Cloeliōs;

He enrolled the leading men of the Albans among the senators, so that this part of the state too might grow: the Julii, Servilii, Quinctii, Geganii, Curiatii and Cloelii;

Note. in patres … legit: 'enrolled among the patricians/senators'. The names (Julii, Servilii, Quinctii, Geganii, Curiatii, Cloelii) are noble families later claimed to be of Alban origin; the Julii, Caesar's family, made much of this.

Liv. 1.30.2templumque ōrdinī ab sē auctō cūriam fēcit, quae Hostīlia usque ad patrum nostrōrum aetātem appellāta est.

and as a consecrated meeting-place for the order he had enlarged he built the senate house, which was called the Curia Hostilia down to the time of our fathers.

Note. templum here means a space consecrated by augury, which the senate house had to be. The Curia Hostilia stood until 52 BC, when it burned during the riots after Clodius' murder — hence 'down to the time of our fathers'.

Liv. 1.30.3Et ut omnium ōrdinum vīribus aliquid ex novō populō adicerētur, equitum decem turmās ex Albānīs lēgit, legiōnēs et veterēs eōdem supplēmentō explēvit et novās scrīpsit.

And so that some strength might be added to all the orders from the new people, he enrolled ten squadrons of cavalry from the Albans, filled up the old legions with the same reinforcement, and raised new ones.

Liv. 1.30.3Hāc fīdūciā vīrium Tullus Sabīnīs bellum indīcit, gentī eā tempestāte secundum Etrūscōs opulentissimae virīs armīsque.

Trusting in these forces Tullus declares war on the Sabines, a nation at that time the richest in men and arms after the Etruscans.

Note. genti … opulentissimae viris armisque: dative in apposition to Sabinis; viris armisque are ablatives of respect, 'richest in men and arms'. secundum here is a preposition, 'after, next to'.

Liv. 1.30.5Utrimque iniūriae factae ac rēs nēquīquam erant repetītae: Tullus ad Fērōniae fānum mercātū frequentī negōtiātōrēs Rōmānōs conprehēnsōs querēbātur, Sabīnī suōs prius in lūcum cōnfūgisse ac Rōmae retentōs.

Wrongs had been done on both sides and redress demanded in vain: Tullus complained that Roman traders had been seized at the crowded market at the shrine of Feronia, the Sabines that their own people had earlier fled to the grove and been held at Rome.

Note. res … repetitae: res repetere is the technical phrase for demanding restitution before war (it returns in ch. 32). The shrine of Feronia, near Mount Soracte, held a market where Sabines, Latins and Etruscans traded. The digital text reads priua; the standard reading is prius, printed here.

Liv. 1.30.6Hae causae bellī ferēbantur.

These were put forward as the causes of the war.

Liv. 1.30.6Sabīnī, haud parum memorēs et suārum vīrium partem Rōmae ab Tatiō locātam et Rōmānam rem nūper etiam adiectiōne populī Albānī auctam, circumspicere et ipsī externa auxilia.

The Sabines, well aware both that part of their own strength had been settled at Rome by Tatius and that the Roman state had lately been increased as well by the addition of the Alban people, began themselves to look around for outside help.

Note. memores et … et …: two accusative-and-infinitive clauses depend on memores (partem … locatam [esse], rem … auctam [esse]). circumspicere is a historic infinitive: Livy uses the bare infinitive in place of a past indicative for vivid narrative.

Liv. 1.30.7Etrūria erat vīcīna, proximī Etrūscōrum Vēientēs.

Etruria was their neighbour, and the nearest of the Etruscans were the people of Veii.

Note. Veii was the great Etruscan city twelve miles north of Rome, its rival for three centuries until Camillus captured it in 396 BC.

Liv. 1.30.7Inde ob residuās bellōrum īrās maximē sollicitātīs ad dēfectiōnem animīs voluntāriōs trāxēre, et apud vagōs quōsdam ex inopī plēbe etiam mercēs valuit;

From there, since their minds were stirred towards revolt chiefly by anger left over from earlier wars, they drew volunteers, and among some vagrants from the poor common people pay also had its effect;

Liv. 1.30.7pūblicō auxiliō nūllō adiūtī sunt, valuitque apud Vēientēs— nam dē cēterīs minus mīrum est— pacta cum Rōmulō indūtiārum fidēs.

they were helped by no public aid, and with the Veientes — for about the others it is less surprising — the truce agreed with Romulus held good.

Note. indutiarum fides: Romulus had made a hundred-year truce with Veii (1.15). nam de ceteris minus mirum est is a parenthesis: the other Etruscans had no such agreement.

Liv. 1.30.8Cum bellum utrimque summā ope parārent vertīque in eō rēs vidērētur, utrī prius arma īnferrent, occupat Tullus in agrum Sabīnum trānsīre.

When both sides were preparing for war with all their might and the matter seemed to turn on which of them would attack first, Tullus gets in first by crossing into Sabine territory.

Note. occupat … transire: occupare + infinitive means 'to be first to do something'. utri prius arma inferrent is an indirect question depending on in eo res verti, 'the issue turned on which side would attack first'.

Liv. 1.30.9Pugna atrōx ad silvam Malitiōsam fuit, ubi et peditum quidem rōbore, cēterum equitātū auctō nūper plūrimum Rōmāna aciēs valuit.

A fierce battle took place at the Wicked Wood, where the Roman line was strongest, partly through the strength of its infantry but above all through its recently increased cavalry.

Note. silva Malitiosa: the 'Wicked Wood', site unknown. et … quidem … ceterum: 'partly … but chiefly'. plurimum valuit: 'had the greatest strength'.

Liv. 1.30.10Ab equitibus repente invectīs turbātī ōrdinēs sunt Sabīnōrum;

The ranks of the Sabines were thrown into confusion by the cavalry suddenly charging in;

Liv. 1.30.10nec pugna deinde illīs cōnstāre nec fugā explicārī sine magnā caede potuit.

after that they could neither hold the fight nor break away in flight without great slaughter.