Ab Urbe Condita 1.46

Liv. 1.46.1Servius quamquam iam ūsū haud dubiē regnum possēderat, tamen, quia interdum iactārī vōcēs ā iuvene Tarquiniō audiēbat sē iniussū populī regnāre, conciliātā prius voluntāte plēbis agrō captō ex hostibus virītim dīvīsō ausus est ferre ad populum, vellent iubērentne sē regnāre;

Although Servius had already undoubtedly gained the throne by long possession, yet because he sometimes heard remarks thrown out by the young Tarquinius that he reigned without the people's order, he first won the goodwill of the commons by dividing land taken from the enemy man by man, and then dared to put the question to the people whether they wished and ordered him to reign;

Note. Servius had first become king through Tanaquil's management, not by a vote of the people; Tarquinius exploits this. iniussū populī 'without the people's order'. vellent iubērentne: the old formula for a question put to the assembly: 'whether they wished and ordered'.

Liv. 1.46.1tantōque cōnsēnsū, quantō haud quisquam alius ante, rēx est dēclārātus.

and he was declared king with greater agreement than anyone before.

Note. tantō … cōnsēnsū, quantō haud quisquam alius ante: 'with an agreement greater than any before' (literally 'so great as no one else before').

Liv. 1.46.2Neque ea rēs Tarquiniō spem adfectandī regnī minuit;

Nor did this lessen Tarquinius' hope of seizing the throne;

Liv. 1.46.2immō eō inpēnsius, quia dē agrō plēbis adversā patrum voluntāte sēnserat agī, crīminandī Servī apud patrēs crēscendīque in cūriā sibi occāsiōnem datam ratus est, et ipse iuvenis ārdentis animī et domī uxōre Tulliā inquiētum animum stimulante.

on the contrary, all the more eagerly, because he had seen that the land for the commons was being handled against the wishes of the senators, he thought he had been given the chance to accuse Servius before the senators and to grow powerful in the senate house; he was himself a young man of fiery spirit, and at home his wife Tullia goaded his restless mind.

Note. eō impēnsius 'all the more eagerly' (eō, ablative of degree). crīminandī Servī … crēscendīque: two genitives depending on occāsiōnem, 'a chance of accusing Servius and of growing powerful'. uxōre Tulliā … stimulante: ablative absolute.

Liv. 1.46.3Tulit enim et Rōmāna rēgia sceleris tragicī exemplum, ut taediō rēgum mātūrior venīret lībertās ultimumque regnum esset, quod scelere partum foret.

For the Roman royal house too produced an example of tragic crime, so that through disgust with kings liberty might come sooner, and the reign gained by crime might be the last.

Note. Livy announces the theme: Rome too had its royal tragedy, like the Greek houses of Atreus and Thebes. ut … venīret … esset: result clauses. foret = esset.

Liv. 1.46.3Hic L. Tarquinius— Prīscī Tarquinī rēgis fīlius nepōsne fuerit, parum liquet;

This Lucius Tarquinius (whether he was the son or the grandson of King Tarquinius Priscus is not clear;

Note. Livy is honest about his sources: it is unclear whether Lucius Tarquinius (later 'Superbus', the Proud) was the son or the grandson of Tarquinius Priscus. neposne: -ne attached to the second alternative marks an indirect question.

Liv. 1.46.4plūribus tamen auctōribus fīlium ēdiderim— frātrem habuerat Arrūntem Tarquinium, mītis ingeniī iuvenem.

following the majority of authors, I would call him the son) had a brother, Arruns Tarquinius, a young man of gentle character.

Note. ēdiderim: potential subjunctive, 'I would declare'. plūribus auctōribus: 'following more authorities' (ablative).

Liv. 1.46.5Hīs duōbus, ut ante dictum est, duae Tulliae, rēgis fīliae, nūpserant, et ipsae longē disparēs mōribus.

To these two, as was said before, the two Tullias, the king's daughters, had been married, and they too were far apart in character.

Note. The two Tullias were both called Tullia, as Roman daughters took the family name. ipsae longē disparēs mōribus 'they themselves very unlike in character'.

Liv. 1.46.5Forte ita inciderat, nē duo violenta ingenia mātrimōniō iungerentur, fortūna, crēdō, populī Rōmānī, quō diūturnius Servī regnum esset cōnstituīque cīvitātis mōrēs possent.

It had so happened, by chance, that the two violent natures were not joined in marriage, thanks, I believe, to the good fortune of the Roman people, so that Servius' reign might last longer and the state's customs might be established.

Note. nē duo violenta ingenia … iungerentur: the gentle sister was married to the violent brother, and the violent sister to the gentle one. quō diūturnius … esset: purpose clause with quō because it contains a comparative.

Liv. 1.46.6Angēbātur ferōx Tullia nihil māteriae in virō neque ad cupiditātem neque ad audāciam esse;

The fierce Tullia was vexed that there was no stuff in her husband for either ambition or daring;

Note. Angēbātur … nihil māteriae … esse: indirect statement after a verb of feeling, 'she was vexed that there was no stuff in her husband'.

Liv. 1.46.6tōta in alterum āversa Tarquinium eum mīrārī, eum virum dīcere ac rēgiō sanguine ortum;

turned entirely toward the other Tarquinius, she admired him, called him a real man and born of royal blood;

Note. mīrārī, dīcere, spernere: historic infinitives describing Tullia's repeated behaviour.

Liv. 1.46.6spernere sorōrem, quod virum nacta muliebrī cessāret audāciā.

she despised her sister because, having got a man, she fell short in a woman's daring.

Liv. 1.46.7Contrahit celeriter similitūdō eōs, ut ferē fit: malum malō aptissimum;

Likeness quickly drew them together, as usually happens: evil is most suited to evil;

Note. malum malō aptissimum: a proverb, 'evil is best suited to evil'.

Liv. 1.46.7sed initium turbandī omnia ā fēminā ortum est.

but the beginning of throwing everything into confusion came from the woman.

Liv. 1.46.7Ea sēcrētīs virī aliēnī adsuēfacta sermōnibus nūllīs verbōrum contumēliīs parcere dē virō ad frātrem, dē sorōre ad virum;

Used to secret talks with another woman's husband, she spared no insulting words about her husband to his brother, about her sister to her sister's husband;

Note. parcere: another historic infinitive; nūllīs … contumēliīs parcere 'she spared no insults'. dē virō ad frātrem, dē sorōre ad virum: 'about her husband to his brother, about her sister to her sister's husband'.

Liv. 1.46.7et sē rēctius viduam et illum caelibem futūrum fuisse contendere, quam cum inparī iungī, ut ēlanguēscendum aliēna ignāvia esset.

and she argued that it would have been better for her to be a widow and for him to be unmarried than to be joined with an unequal partner, so that one had to languish through another's cowardice.

Note. sē … viduam et illum caelibem futūrum fuisse: in indirect statement the future participle + fuisse represents an unreal past: 'that she would have been better off a widow and he unmarried'. ēlanguēscendum … esset: impersonal gerundive, 'one had to languish'.

Liv. 1.46.8Sī sibi eum, quō digna esset, diī dedissent virum, domī sē prope diem vīsūram regnum fuisse, quod apud patrem videat.

If the gods had given her the husband she deserved, she would soon have seen in her own house the royal power she saw in her father's.

Note. A past unreal condition in indirect speech: sī … diī dedissent …, sē … vīsūram fuisse. prope diem 'soon'.

Liv. 1.46.8Celeriter adulēscentem suae temeritātis implet.

Quickly she filled the young man with her own recklessness.

Liv. 1.46.9Lūcius Tarquinius et Tullia minor, prope continuātīs fūneribus cum domōs vacuās novō mātrimōniō fēcissent, iunguntur nūptiīs magis nōn prohibente Serviō quam adprobante.

Lucius Tarquinius and the younger Tullia, after they had emptied their houses for a new marriage by deaths following almost one on another, were joined in marriage, with Servius not so much approving as not forbidding it.

Note. prope continuātīs fūneribus 'with deaths following almost one after another': the elder Tullia and Arruns died, Livy implies by murder. magis nōn prohibente Serviō quam adprobante: 'with Servius not forbidding rather than approving'.