Ab Urbe Condita 1.48

Liv. 1.48.1Huic ōrātiōnī Servius cum intervēnisset trepidō nūntiō excitātus, extemplō ā vestibulō cūriae magnā vōce "quid hoc" inquit, "Tarquinī, reī est?

Servius came upon this speech, roused by an alarming message, and at once from the entrance of the senate house he said in a loud voice, "What is this, Tarquinius?

Note. quid hoc … reī est? 'what is this business?' (partitive genitive reī with hoc).

Liv. 1.48.1Quā tū audāciā mē vīvō vocāre ausus es patrēs aut in sēde cōnsīdere meā?"

With what audacity have you dared, while I am alive, to summon the senators or to sit in my seat?"

Note. Quā … audāciā 'with what audacity', an interrogative adjective. mē vīvō: ablative absolute, 'while I am alive'.

Liv. 1.48.2Cum ille ferōciter ad haec, sē patris suī tenēre sēdem, multō quam servum potiōrem fīlium rēgis regnī hērēdem, satis illum diū per licentiam ēlūdentem īnsultāsse dominīs, clāmor ab utrīusque fautōribus oritur, et concursus populī fīēbat in cūriam appārēbatque regnātūrum, quī vīcisset.

When the other answered fiercely to this that he held the seat of his own father, that a king's son was a much better heir to the throne than a slave, that Servius had mocked his masters long enough through their indulgence, shouting broke out from the supporters of each, the people rushed into the senate house, and it was clear that whoever won would reign.

Note. Tarquinius' reply is in indirect statement (sē … tenēre, … fīlium rēgis … hērēdem (esse), … illum … īnsultāsse). multō quam servum potiōrem: 'much better than a slave'. regnātūrum (esse) quī vīcisset: 'that whoever won would reign'.

Liv. 1.48.3Tum Tarquinius necessitāte iam etiam ipsā cōgente ultima audēre, multō et aetāte et vīribus validior, medium arripit Servium ēlātumque ē cūriā in īnferiōrem partem per gradūs dēicit;

Then Tarquinius, with necessity itself now forcing him to dare the utmost, being much stronger in both age and strength, seized Servius round the middle, carried him out of the senate house and threw him down the steps to the lower part;

Note. ultima audēre: 'to dare the utmost'. medium arripit 'seized him by the waist'. Note the vivid historic presents arripit … dēicit.

Liv. 1.48.4inde ad cōgendum senātum in cūriam redit.

then he went back into the senate house to hold the meeting of the senate.

Liv. 1.48.4Fit fuga rēgis appāritōrum atque comitum;

The king's attendants and companions fled;

Liv. 1.48.4ipse prope exanguis, cum sine rēgiō comitātū domum sē reciperet, ab iīs, quī missī ab Tarquiniō fugientem cōnsecūtī erant, interficitur.

he himself, almost bloodless, as he was making his way home without his royal escort, was killed by men sent by Tarquinius, who had caught up with him as he fled.

Note. exanguis (= exsanguis) 'drained of blood'. fugientem: present participle, 'as he fled'.

Liv. 1.48.5Crēditur, quia nōn abhorret ā cēterō scelere, admonitū Tulliae id factum.

It is believed, since it is not out of keeping with the rest of her crime, that this was done at Tullia's urging.

Liv. 1.48.5Carpentō certē, id quod satis cōnstat, in forum invecta nec reverita coetum virōrum ēvocāvit virum ē cūriā rēgemque prīma appellāvit.

At any rate, which is well established, she drove into the forum in a carriage and, not shrinking from the crowd of men, called her husband out of the senate house and was the first to hail him as king.

Note. Carpentō … invecta: 'having ridden in a carriage'; women of rank were allowed the two-wheeled carpentum in the city. id quod satis cōnstat 'a thing which is well agreed'.

Liv. 1.48.6Ā quō facessere iussa ex tantō tumultū cum sē domum reciperet pervēnissetque ad summum Cyprium vīcum, ubi Diānium nūper fuit, flectentī carpentum dextrā in Urbium clīvum, ut in collem Esquiliārum ēveherētur, restitit pavidus atque inhibuit frēnōs is, quī iūmenta agēbat, iacentemque dominae Servium trucīdātum ostendit.

Ordered by him to leave such a commotion, she was returning home and had reached the top of the Cyprian Street, where the shrine of Diana stood until recently; as she was turning the carriage to the right onto the Urbian Slope, to drive up to the Esquiline hill, the man driving the mules stopped in terror, pulled back the reins, and showed his mistress Servius lying murdered.

Note. A long sentence: the temporal clause cum … reciperet pervēnissetque sets the scene, flectentī (dative participle) refers to the driver turning the carriage, and the main verbs come late: restitit … inhibuit … ostendit. Diānium: a shrine of Diana, demolished not long before Livy wrote.

Liv. 1.48.7Foedum inhūmānumque inde trāditur scelus, monumentōque locus est.

A foul and inhuman crime is reported to have followed, and the place serves as a memorial:

Note. monumentō … locus est: double dative, 'the place serves as a memorial'.

Liv. 1.48.7Scelerātum vīcum vocant, quō āmēns agitantibus furiīs sorōris ac virī Tullia per patris corpus carpentum ēgisse fertur partemque sanguinis ac caedis paternae cruentō vehiculō, contāmināta ipsa respersaque, tulisse ad penātēs suōs virīque suī, quibus īrātīs malō regnī prīncipiō similēs prope diem exitūs sequerentur.

they call it the Wicked Street, where Tullia, out of her mind, driven by the avenging spirits of her sister and her husband, is said to have driven the carriage over her father's body, and, defiled and spattered herself, to have carried part of her father's blood and slaughter on the bloodstained vehicle to her own and her husband's household gods; and through their anger an end like the evil beginning of the reign was soon to follow.

Note. The Vicus Sceleratus, 'Wicked Street', kept its name in Livy's day. agitantibus furiīs: the avenging spirits of the murdered sister and husband. quibus īrātīs 'and since they were angry' (ablative absolute with a relative); exitūs … sequerentur: the end of the Tarquins' reign would match its evil beginning.

Liv. 1.48.7Servius Tullius regnāvit annōs quattuor et quadrāgintā ita, ut bonō etiam moderātōque succēdentī rēgī difficilis aemulātiō esset.

Servius Tullius reigned forty-four years, in such a way that even for a good and moderate successor rivalry with him would have been difficult.

Note. regnāvit annōs: accusative of duration. succēdentī rēgī: 'for the king who followed', i.e. any successor.

Liv. 1.48.8Cēterum id quoque ad glōriam accessit, quod cum illō simul iūsta ac lēgitima regna occidērunt.

Moreover this too added to his glory, that just and lawful kingship fell together with him.

Note. iūsta ac lēgitima regna: with Servius ended rule that was 'just and lawful'; Tarquinius will be a tyrant.

Liv. 1.48.9Id ipsum tam mīte ac tam moderātum imperium tamen, quia ūnīus esset, dēpōnere eum in animō habuisse quīdam auctōrēs sunt, nī scelus intestīnum līberandae patriae cōnsilia agitantī intervēnisset.

Some authorities say that he had in mind to lay down that very rule, mild and moderate as it was, because it belonged to one man, had not a crime within his own family cut short his plans for freeing his country.

Note. deponere eum in animō habuisse: 'that he had intended to lay down (his rule)'; Livy reports, without vouching for it, a tradition that Servius planned to give Rome liberty. nī … intervēnisset: past unreal condition, 'had not … interrupted'.