Ab Urbe Condita 1.40

Liv. 1.40.1Duodēquadrāgēsimō fermē annō, ex quō regnāre coeperat Tarquinius, nōn apud rēgem modo sed apud patrēs plēbemque longē maximō honōre Servius Tullius erat.

In about the thirty-eighth year since Tarquinius had begun to reign, Servius Tullius stood in by far the highest honour, not only with the king but with the senators and the common people.

Note. duodēquadrāgēsimō: 'thirty-eighth', literally 'two from the fortieth'. patrēs: the senators.

Liv. 1.40.2Tum Ancī fīliī duo, etsī anteā semper prō indignissimō habuerant sē patriō regnō tūtōris fraude pulsōs, regnāre Rōmae advenam nōn modo vīcīnae sed nē Italicae quidem stirpis, tum inpēnsius iīs indignitās crēscere, sī nē ab Tarquiniō quidem ad sē redīret regnum, sed praeceps inde porrō ad servitia caderet, ut in eādem cīvitāte post centēsimum ferē annum quod Rōmulus, deō prognātus, deus ipse, tenuerit regnum, dōnec in terrīs fuerit, id servus servā nātus possideat.

Then the two sons of Ancus, although they had always before thought it a great outrage that they had been driven from their father's throne by the treachery of their guardian, and that a newcomer was reigning at Rome, not even of neighbouring, let alone Italian, stock, now felt the indignity grow all the more keenly if the kingdom was not even to return to them after Tarquinius but was to fall headlong from there into the hands of slaves, so that in the same state, about a hundred years after Romulus, born of a god and a god himself, had held the kingdom while he was on earth, a slave born of a slave woman should possess it.

Note. A very long sentence giving the sons' thoughts. indignitās crēscere: historical infinitive, 'their sense of outrage grew'. nē … quidem: 'not even'. tūtōris fraude: Tarquinius had been the guardian of Ancus' sons and had seized the throne while they were away.

Liv. 1.40.3Cum commūne Rōmānī nōminis tum praecipuē id domus suae dēdecus fore, sī Ancī rēgis virīlī stirpe salvā nōn modo advenīs sed servīs etiam regnum Rōmae patēret.

It would be a disgrace both to the Roman name as a whole and especially to their own house if, while the male line of King Ancus survived, the kingship at Rome lay open not only to newcomers but even to slaves.

Note. Still the sons' thinking, in indirect statement: dēdecus fore, 'it would be a disgrace'. Ancī … stirpe salvā: ablative absolute, 'while the male line of Ancus survived'.

Liv. 1.40.4Ferrō igitur eam arcēre contumēliam statuunt.

So they resolved to ward off this insult with the sword.

Note. Ferrō: 'with the sword', ablative of means.

Liv. 1.40.4Sed et iniūriae dolor in Tarquinium ipsum magis quam in Servium eōs stimulābat, et quia gravior ultor caedis, sī superesset, rēx futūrus erat quam prīvātus, tum Serviō occīsō quemcumque alium generum dēlēgisset, eundem regnī hērēdem factūrus vidēbātur, ob haec ipsī rēgī īnsidiae parantur.

But both the pain of their injury roused them against Tarquinius himself rather than against Servius, and also, because the king, if he survived, would be a more dangerous avenger of the murder than a private man, and because, if Servius were killed, he seemed likely to make whatever other son-in-law he chose the heir to the throne — for these reasons the plot was laid against the king himself.

Note. gravior ultor: 'a more dangerous avenger'. factūrus vidēbātur: the future participle with vidēbātur, 'he seemed likely to make'.

Liv. 1.40.5Ex pāstōribus duo ferōcissimī dēlēctī ad facinus, quibus cōnsuētī erant uterque agrestibus ferrāmentīs, in vestibulō rēgiae quam potuēre tumultuōsissimē speciē rixae in sē omnēs appāritōrēs rēgiōs convertunt;

Two very fierce shepherds were picked for the deed; with the farm tools each was used to, they made as violent an uproar as they could in the forecourt of the palace, pretending to be in a brawl, and so drew all the king's attendants towards themselves;

Note. quam potuēre tumultuōsissimē: quam with a superlative, 'as noisily as they could'. speciē rixae: 'under the appearance of a quarrel'.

Liv. 1.40.5inde, cum ambō rēgem appellārent clāmorque eōrum penitus in rēgiam pervēnisset, vocātī ad rēgem pergunt.

then, since both were appealing to the king and their shouting had reached deep into the palace, they were summoned and went to the king.

Liv. 1.40.6Prīmō uterque vōciferārī et certātim alter alterī obstrepere;

At first both shouted at once, each trying to drown the other out;

Note. vōciferārī, obstrepere: historical infinitives, used for lively description: 'they both shouted, they drowned each other out'.

Liv. 1.40.6coercitī ab līctōre et iussī in vicem dīcere tandem obloquī dēsistunt;

restrained by a lictor and ordered to speak in turn, they finally stopped interrupting;

Note. in vicem: 'in turn' (often written as one word, invicem).

Liv. 1.40.7ūnus rem ex conpositō ōrdītur.

one of them began to set out the case, as had been arranged.

Note. ex compositō: 'by arrangement', i.e. as planned.

Liv. 1.40.7Dum intentus in eum sē rēx tōtus āverteret, alter ēlātam secūrim in caput dēiēcit, relictōque in vulnere tēlō ambō sē forās ēiciunt.

While the king, intent on him, turned his whole attention his way, the other raised an axe and brought it down on his head, and leaving the weapon in the wound, both rushed out of doors.

Note. Dum … āverteret: dum with the subjunctive here suggests purpose as well as time, 'while (and so that) the king turned'. The axe recalls the shepherds' farm tools.