Ab Urbe Condita 1.4

Liv. 1.4.1Sed dēbēbātur, ut opīnor, fātīs tantae orīgō urbis maximīque secundum deōrum opēs imperiī prīncipium.

But, as I believe, the origin of so great a city and the beginning of the greatest empire after the power of the gods was owed to the fates.

Note. Chapter 4. dēbēbātur … fātīs: 'was owed to the fates'. secundum deōrum opēs: 'next after the power of the gods' (secundum as a preposition). ut opīnor: a rare personal remark from Livy.

Liv. 1.4.1Vī compressa Vestālis cum geminum partum ēdidisset, seu ita rata, seu quia deus auctor culpae honestior erat, Mārtem incertae stirpis patrem nūncupat.

The Vestal, taken by force, gave birth to twins and named Mars as the father of her doubtful offspring, either because she believed it or because a god was a more respectable author of her fault.

Note. Vī compressa: 'raped'. seu ita rata, seu quia …: Livy gives two possible motives, belief or face-saving. honestior: 'more respectable'.

Liv. 1.4.3Sed nec diī nec hominēs aut ipsam aut stirpem ā crūdēlitāte rēgiā vindicant;

But neither gods nor men protect her or her children from the king's cruelty;

Note. nec diī nec hominēs: a strong, rhetorical opening for the story of rescue that follows.

Liv. 1.4.4sacerdōs vīncta in custōdiam datur;

the priestess is bound and put in custody;

Note. vincta: from vinciō, 'bind'.

Liv. 1.4.4puerōs in prōfluentem aquam mittī iubet.

he orders the boys to be thrown into the flowing river.

Note. in prōfluentem aquam: 'into the flowing river'.

Liv. 1.4.4Forte quādam dīvīnitus super rīpās Tiberis effūsus lēnibus stagnīs nec adīrī usquam ad iūstī cursum poterat amnis et posse quamvīs languidā mergī aquā īnfantēs spem ferentibus dabat.

By some chance sent by the gods, the Tiber had overflowed its banks in sluggish pools, and the course of the real river could not be reached anywhere, and this gave those carrying the infants hope that they could be drowned in water however still.

Note. Forte quādam dīvīnitus: 'by some heaven-sent chance'. Tiberis effūsus … nec adīrī … poterat: 'the Tiber, flooding its banks, could not be reached at its proper channel'. spem ferentibus dabat: the flood gave the servants carrying the babies (ferentibus) the hope that they could be drowned even in still water.

Liv. 1.4.5Ita, velut dēfūnctī rēgis imperiō, in proximā ēluviē, ubi nunc fīcus Rūminālis est— Rōmulārem vocātam ferunt—, puerōs expōnunt.

So, as if carrying out the king's order, they expose the boys in the nearest flood-pool, where the Ruminal fig tree now stands — they say it was called the fig of Romulus.

Note. velut dēfūnctī rēgis imperiō: 'as if they had carried out the king's order'. fīcus Rūminālis: the sacred fig tree near the Lupercal; Rūminālis was linked to rūma, 'teat'. Rōmulārem: 'of Romulus'.

Liv. 1.4.5Vāstae tum in hīs locīs sōlitūdinēs erant.

In those places then there were vast empty wilds.

Note. sōlitūdinēs: 'wildernesses'.

Liv. 1.4.6Tenet fāma, cum fluitantem alveum, quō expositī erant puerī, tenuis in siccō aquā dēstituisset, lupam sitientem ex montibus, quī circā sunt, ad puerīlem vāgītum cursum flexisse;

The story goes that when the shallow water left the floating basket, in which the boys had been exposed, on dry ground, a thirsty she-wolf from the hills around turned her course towards the crying of the children;

Note. Tenet fāma: 'the story holds'. The rest is in indirect statement: lupam … cursum flexisse. tenuis … aqua: 'the shallow water'. alveum: 'the trough, basket' in which the babies were floated.

Liv. 1.4.6eam summissās īnfantibus adeō mītem praebuisse mammās, ut linguā lambentem puerōs magister rēgiī pecoris invēnerit— Faustulō fuisse nōmen ferunt—;

that she lowered her teats to the infants and was so gentle that the master of the king's flocks found her licking the boys with her tongue — they say his name was Faustulus;

Note. summissās … mammās: 'her lowered teats'. adeō mītem … ut … invēnerit: result clause. Faustulō fuisse nōmen: dative of possession.

Liv. 1.4.7ab eō ad stabula Lārentiae uxōrī ēducandōs datōs.

and that they were taken by him to his farmstead and given to his wife Larentia to bring up.

Note. ad stabula: 'to the farmstead'. ēducandōs datōs: 'given to be brought up' — gerundive of purpose with dō. ēducō, -āre (bring up) is not ēdūcō, -ere (lead out).

Liv. 1.4.7Sunt, quī Lārentiam vulgātō corpore lupam inter pāstōrēs vocātam putent;

There are some who think that Larentia was called 'she-wolf' among the shepherds because she sold her body;

Note. Sunt quī … putent: 'there are those who think' (relative clause of characteristic). lupa was also Latin slang for a prostitute — Livy reports the rationalising version without endorsing it.

Liv. 1.4.7inde locum fābulae ac mīrāculō datum.

from there, they say, came room for the tale and the marvel.

Note. inde locum fābulae ac mīrāculō datum: 'hence room was given for the tale and the marvel'.

Liv. 1.4.8Ita genitī itaque ēducātī, cum prīmum adolēvit aetās, nec in stabulīs nec ad pecora segnēs, vēnandō peragrāre saltūs.

Born and raised in this way, as soon as they came of age they were not idle at the farmsteads or with the flocks, but roamed the forests hunting.

Note. peragrāre: a historical infinitive; Livy uses them for lively narrative. vēnandō: ablative of the gerund, 'by hunting'.

Liv. 1.4.9Hinc rōbore corporibus animīsque sūmptō iam nōn ferās tantum subsistere, sed in latrōnēs praedā onustōs impetūs facere pāstōribusque rapta dīvidere et cum hīs crēscente in diēs grege iuvenum sēria ac iocōs celebrāre.

Having gained strength of body and mind from this, they now not only stood up to wild beasts but attacked robbers loaded with plunder, divided what they took among the shepherds, and with them, as the band of young men grew day by day, shared both serious business and fun.

Note. subsistere, facere, dīvidere, celebrāre: more historical infinitives. rōbore … sūmptō: ablative absolute. sēria ac iocōs: 'serious matters and fun'.