Ab Urbe Condita 1.45

Liv. 1.45.1Auctā cīvitāte magnitūdine urbis, fōrmātīs omnibus domī et ad bellī et ad pācis ūsūs, nē semper armīs opēs adquīrerentur, cōnsiliō augēre imperium cōnātus est, simul et aliquod addere urbī decus.

Having increased the state by enlarging the city, and having shaped everything at home for the needs of both war and peace, he tried to increase Rome's power by policy, so that wealth should not always be gained by arms, and at the same time to add some ornament to the city.

Note. Aucta cīvitāte … fōrmātīs omnibus: two ablatives absolute. domī: locative, 'at home'. cōnsiliō 'by policy (rather than force)', contrasted with armīs.

Liv. 1.45.2Iam tum erat inclitum Diānae Ephesiae fānum;

Already then the temple of Diana of Ephesus was famous;

Note. The temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders, was the shared shrine of the Ionian Greek cities; Servius wants a similar shared shrine for the Latins, at Rome.

Liv. 1.45.2id commūniter ā cīvitātibus Asiae factum fāma ferēbat.

report said that it had been built jointly by the states of Asia.

Liv. 1.45.2Eum cōnsēnsum deōsque cōnsociātōs laudāre mīrē Servius inter procerēs Latīnōrum, cum quibus pūblicē prīvātimque hospitia amīcitiāsque dē industriā iūnxerat.

Among the chief men of the Latins, with whom he had deliberately made ties of hospitality and friendship both publicly and privately, Servius praised this harmony and the sharing of the gods in glowing terms.

Note. laudāre: historic infinitive, used like a past indicative: 'Servius praised'. dē industriā 'on purpose'.

Liv. 1.45.2Saepe iterandō eadem perpulit tandem, ut Rōmae fānum Diānae populī Latīnī cum populō Rōmānō facerent.

By repeating the same things often he finally persuaded them that the Latin peoples should build a temple of Diana at Rome together with the Roman people.

Note. iterandō: ablative of the gerund, 'by repeating'. The temple of Diana on the Aventine was the shared sanctuary of the Latin League; the story makes it Rome's claim to lead.

Liv. 1.45.2Ea erat cōnfessiō caput rērum Rōmam esse, dē quō totiēns armīs certātum fuerat.

That was an admission that Rome was the head of affairs, the question over which they had so often fought with arms.

Note. caput rērum Rōmam esse: indirect statement explaining cōnfessiō, 'an admission that Rome was the head of affairs'. dē quō … certātum fuerat: impersonal passive, 'over which there had been fighting'.

Liv. 1.45.3Id quamquam omissum iam ex omnium cūrā Latīnōrum ob rem totiēns īnfēlīciter temptātam armīs vidēbātur, ūnī sē ex Sabīnīs fors dare vīsa est prīvātō cōnsiliō imperiī recuperandī.

Although this seemed to have dropped out of the thoughts of all the Latins, after so many unsuccessful attempts by arms, chance seemed to offer itself to one of the Sabines, by a private plan, for recovering supremacy.

Note. uni … ex Sabīnīs 'to one of the Sabines'. fors … dare sē vīsa est 'chance seemed to offer itself'. imperiī recuperandī: gerundive in the genitive, 'of recovering power'.

Liv. 1.45.4Bōs in Sabīnīs nāta cuidam patrī familiae dīcitur mīrandā magnitūdine ac speciē;

A cow of wonderful size and beauty is said to have been born to a certain head of a household among the Sabines;

Note. patrī familiae: 'to the head of a household'; familiae is an old genitive form kept in this phrase (pater familiās). mīrandā magnitūdine ac speciē: ablative of description, 'of wonderful size and beauty'.

Liv. 1.45.4fīxa per multās aetātēs cornua in vestibulō templī Diānae monumentum eī fuēre mīrāculō.

its horns, fixed in the forecourt of the temple of Diana for many generations, were a memorial of that wonder.

Note. monumentum … miraculō: a double dative construction. Livy is pointing to a relic that visitors could still see.

Liv. 1.45.5Habita, ut erat, rēs prōdigiī locō est;

The thing was regarded, as it truly was, as a portent;

Liv. 1.45.5et cecinēre vātēs, cuius cīvitātis eam cīvis Diānae immolāsset, ibi fore imperium;

and the seers prophesied that whichever state's citizen sacrificed this cow to Diana, there supremacy would be;

Note. cuius cīvitātis … cīvis … immolāsset, ibi fore imperium: indirect statement after cecinēre (= cecinērunt), 'that wherever (= of whatever state) a citizen sacrificed her, there would be the power'. fore = futūrum esse.

Liv. 1.45.5idque carmen pervēnerat ad antistitem fānī Diānae.

and this prophecy had reached the priest of the temple of Diana.

Liv. 1.45.6Sabīnusque, ut prīma apta diēs sacrificiō vīsa est, bovem Rōmam āctam dēdūcit ad fānum Diānae et ante āram statuit.

And the Sabine, as soon as the first day suitable for the sacrifice came, drove the cow to Rome, led it to the temple of Diana and set it before the altar.

Liv. 1.45.6Ibi antistes Rōmānus, cum eum magnitūdō victumae celebrāta fāmā mōvisset, memor respōnsī Sabīnum ita adloquitur: "quidnam tū, hospes, parās?"

There the Roman priest, since the size of the victim, made famous by report, had moved him, and remembering the prophecy, addressed the Sabine thus: "What are you preparing, stranger?"

Note. victumae is the older spelling of victimae. quidnam … parās? 'what in the world are you preparing?' The priest's question opens a trick.

Liv. 1.45.6Inquit "incestē sacrificium Diānae facere?

He said, "to make a sacrifice to Diana unpurified?

Note. incestē: 'impurely', without the ritual washing required before a sacrifice. The infinitive facere depends on parās in the previous sentence.

Liv. 1.45.6Quīn tū ante vīvō perfunderis flūmine?

Why do you not first bathe in running water?

Note. Quīn … perfunderis? 'why do you not bathe?' quīn with the indicative makes an urgent suggestion. vīvō flūmine: running ('living') water.

Liv. 1.45.6Īnfimā valle praefluit Tiberis."

The Tiber flows past at the bottom of the valley."

Note. Infimā valle: 'at the bottom of the valley', ablative of place without a preposition.

Liv. 1.45.6Religiōne tāctus hospes, quī omnia, ut prōdigiō respondēret ēventus, cuperet rīte facta, extemplō dēscendit ad Tiberim.

Struck by religious scruple, the stranger, who wanted everything done properly so that the outcome would match the portent, at once went down to the Tiber.

Note. Religiōne tāctus: 'touched by scruple'. ut prōdigiō respondēret ēventus: purpose clause, 'so that the outcome would answer the portent'.

Liv. 1.45.7Intereā Rōmānus immolat Diānae bovem.

Meanwhile the Roman sacrificed the cow to Diana.

Note. The Roman's trick secures the prophecy for Rome. The horns, Livy says above, were still shown in his day.

Liv. 1.45.7Id mīrē grātum rēgī atque cīvitātī fuit.

This was wonderfully pleasing to the king and the state.