Ab Urbe Condita 1.37

Liv. 1.37.1Hāc parte cōpiārum auctā iterum cum Sabīnīs cōnflīgitur.

With this part of his forces increased, there was fighting with the Sabines again.

Note. cōnflīgitur: impersonal passive in the present, 'there is a clash', a vivid historic present.

Liv. 1.37.1Sed praeterquam quod vīribus crēverat Rōmānus exercitus, ex occultō etiam additur dolus missīs, quī magnam vim lignōrum, in Aniēnis rīpā iacentem ārdentem in flūmen conicerent: ventōque iuvante accēnsa ligna et plēraque, in ratibus, inpācta sublicīs cum haerērent, pontem incendunt.

But besides the fact that the Roman army had grown in strength, a stratagem was also added in secret: men were sent to set fire to a great quantity of timber lying on the bank of the Anio and throw it burning into the river; and with the wind helping, the blazing wood, most of it on rafts, stuck fast against the piles and set the bridge on fire.

Note. praeterquam quod: 'apart from the fact that'. missīs (eīs) quī … conicerent: ablative absolute with a relative purpose clause, 'men having been sent to throw…'. cum haerērent: 'since they stuck fast'. The bridge was the enemy's link across the Anio.

Liv. 1.37.2Ea quoque rēs in pugnā terrōrem attulit Sabīnīs et fūsīs eadem fugam inpediit;

This too brought terror to the Sabines in the battle, and when they were routed it also blocked their flight;

Note. fūsīs: dative, 'for them when they had been routed'; eadem (rēs), the burning bridge, both terrified the Sabines and cut off their flight.

Liv. 1.37.2multīque mortālēs, cum hostem effūgissent, in flūmine ipsō periēre;

and many men, after escaping the enemy, perished in the river itself;

Note. periēre = periērunt: the shorter third person plural perfect in -ēre, very common in Livy (compare fēcēre, tenuēre, iēre, petiēre).

Liv. 1.37.2quōrum fluitantia arma ad urbem cognita in Tiberī prius paene, quam nūntiārī posset, īnsignem victōriam fēcēre.

their weapons, floating down the Tiber to the city and recognised there, made the great victory known almost before it could be reported.

Note. prius paene quam: 'almost before'. The arms floating down to Rome told the city of the victory before any messenger arrived.

Liv. 1.37.3Eō proeliō praecipua equitum glōria fuit: utrimque ab cornibus positōs, cum iam pellerētur media peditum suōrum aciēs, ita incurrisse ab lateribus ferunt, ut nōn sisterent modo Sabīnās legiōnēs ferōciter īnstantēs cēdentibus, sed subitō in fugam āverterent.

In that battle the cavalry won special glory: stationed on both wings, when the infantry centre of their own side was already being driven back, they charged from the flanks, they say, so hard that they not only halted the Sabine legions pressing fiercely on the retreating men but suddenly turned them to flight.

Note. incurrisse … ferunt: indirect statement after ferunt, with the cavalry (equitēs, understood) as subject: positōs agrees with them. ut nōn sisterent modo … sed … āverterent: result clause with nōn modo … sed.

Liv. 1.37.4Montēs effūsō cursū Sabīnī petēbant, et paucī tenuēre;

The Sabines made for the mountains in headlong flight, and a few reached them;

Note. tenuēre (montēs): 'reached them'. The Sabines lived in the hills, so they fled for home.

Liv. 1.37.4maxima pars, ut ante dictum est, ab equitibus in flūmen āctī sunt.

the greatest part, as was said before, were driven by the cavalry into the river.

Note. maxima pars … āctī sunt: the verb is plural because a 'part' means many men (construction according to sense).

Liv. 1.37.5Tarquinius īnstandum perterritīs ratus, praedā captīvīsque Rōmam missīs, spoliīs hostium— id vōtum Vulcānō erat— ingentī cumulō accēnsīs, pergit porrō in agrum Sabīnum exercitum indūcere;

Tarquinius, thinking he should press the frightened enemy hard, sent the booty and the captives to Rome, burned the spoils of the enemy in a huge heap — they had been vowed to Vulcan — and went on to lead his army further into Sabine territory;

Note. īnstandum (esse): impersonal gerundive of obligation, 'that he must press on'. Burning captured arms as an offering to Vulcan, god of fire, was an old Roman custom.

Liv. 1.37.6et quamquam male gesta rēs erat nec gestūrōs melius spērāre poterant, tamen, quia cōnsulendī rēs nōn dabat spatium, iēre obviam Sabīnī tumultuāriō mīlite iterumque ibi fūsī perditīs iam prope rēbus pācem petiēre.

and although things had gone badly for them and they could not hope to fare better, still, because the situation gave them no time to deliberate, the Sabines came out to meet him with a hastily raised army, were routed there a second time, and with their cause now almost lost, sued for peace.

Note. nec gestūrōs melius (sē): 'that they would not fare better', future participle in indirect statement. cōnsulendī: gerund, 'time for deliberating'. tumultuāriō mīlite: collective singular, 'with a scratch army'.