Ab Urbe Condita 1.5

Liv. 1.5.1Iam tum in Palātiō monte Lupercal hoc fuisse lūdicrum ferunt et ā Pallantēō, urbe Arcadicā, Pallantium, dein Palātium montem appellātum.

They say that even then this festival of the Lupercal was held on the Palatine hill, and that the hill was called Pallantium after Pallanteum, a city of Arcadia, and then Palatium.

Note. Chapter 5. Lupercal: a cave on the Palatine and the festival of the Lupercalia (15 February), when young men ran through the city. Pallantium: Livy derives Palatium from the Arcadian town Pallanteum.

Liv. 1.5.2Ibi Euandrum, quī ex eō genere Arcadum multīs ante tempestātibus tenuerit loca, sollemne adlātum ex Arcadiā īnstituisse, ut nūdī iuvenēs Lycaeum Pāna venerantēs per lūsum atque lascīviam currerent, quem Rōmānī deinde vocāvērunt Inuum.

There, they say, Evander, who belonged to that Arcadian race and had held these places many ages before, established a rite brought from Arcadia, in which naked young men ran about in play and high spirits in honour of Lycaean Pan, whom the Romans later called Inuus.

Note. Euandrum: Evander, an Arcadian exile. multīs ante tempestātibus: 'many generations before'. Lycaeum Pāna: Pan of Mount Lycaeus; Pāna is a Greek accusative.

Liv. 1.5.3Huic dēditīs lūdicrō, cum sollemne nōtum esset, īnsidiātōs ob īram praedae āmissae latrōnēs, cum Rōmulus vī sē dēfendisset, Remum cēpisse, captum rēgī Amūliō trādidisse ultrō accūsantēs.

While they were busy with this festival, since the date of the rite was well known, robbers angry at the loss of their plunder lay in wait for them, and while Romulus defended himself by force, they captured Remus and handed him over as a prisoner to King Amulius, even bringing charges against him themselves.

Note. Huic dēditīs lūdicrō: 'while they were devoted to this festival' (dative with īnsidiātōs). The whole sentence is still reported speech: latrōnēs … Remum cēpisse … trādidisse. ultrō accūsantēs: 'even accusing him themselves'.

Liv. 1.5.4Crīminī maximē dabant in Numitōris agrōs ab iīs impetūs fierī;

Their main charge was that the brothers were making raids on Numitor's lands;

Note. Crīminī … dabant: 'they made it a charge' (dative of purpose). impetūs fierī: 'that raids were being made'.

Liv. 1.5.4inde eōs collēctā iuvenum manū hostīlem in modum praedās agere.

that from there, with a band of young men gathered together, they were driving off plunder like an enemy.

Note. hostīlem in modum: 'like an enemy'.

Liv. 1.5.4Sīc Numitōrī ad supplicium Remus dēditur.

So Remus is handed over to Numitor for punishment.

Note. ad supplicium: 'for punishment'.

Liv. 1.5.5Iam inde ab initiō Faustulō spēs fuerat rēgiam stirpem apud sē ēducārī;

From the very beginning Faustulus had hoped that it was royal offspring being raised in his house;

Note. Faustulō spēs fuerat: 'Faustulus had hoped' (dative of possession).

Liv. 1.5.5nam et expositōs iussū rēgis īnfantēs sciēbat et tempus, quō ipse eōs sustulisset, ad id ipsum congruere;

for he knew that infants had been exposed on the king's order, and that the time at which he himself had taken them up fitted that exactly;

Note. quō ipse eōs sustulisset: 'when he himself had picked them up' — subjunctive in a subordinate clause of reported thought.

Liv. 1.5.5sed rem inmātūram nisi aut per occāsiōnem aut per necessitātem aperīre nōluerat.

but he had not wanted to reveal the matter before it was ripe, unless through opportunity or necessity.

Note. rem immātūram: 'the matter before it was ripe'.

Liv. 1.5.5Necessitās prior vēnit;

Necessity came first;

Note. Necessitās prior vēnit: the opportunity he waited for came as necessity, not chance.

Liv. 1.5.6ita metū subāctus Rōmulō rem aperit.

so, driven by fear, he reveals the matter to Romulus.

Note. metū subāctus: 'compelled by fear'.

Liv. 1.5.6Forte et Numitōrī, cum in custōdiā Remum habēret audīssetque geminōs esse frātrēs, comparandō et aetātem eōrum et ipsam minimē servīlem indolem tetigerat animum memoria nepōtum;

By chance Numitor too, holding Remus in custody and having heard that the brothers were twins, was touched by the memory of his grandsons as he compared their age and their character, which was anything but servile;

Note. comparandō: 'by comparing'. tetigerat animum memoria nepōtum: 'the memory of his grandsons had touched his mind'.

Liv. 1.5.6scīscitandōque eōdem pervēnit, ut haud procul esset, quīn Remum agnōsceret.

and by asking questions he came to the same point, so that he was not far from recognising Remus.

Note. haud procul esset, quīn … agnōsceret: 'he was not far from recognising', literally 'it was not far off that he should not recognise'.

Liv. 1.5.7Ita undique rēgī dolus nectitur.

So on all sides a plot is woven against the king.

Note. dolus nectitur: 'a plot is woven'.

Liv. 1.5.7Rōmulus nōn cum globō iuvenum— nec enim erat ad vim apertam pār—, sed aliīs aliō itinere iussīs certō tempore ad rēgiam venīre pāstōribus ad rēgem impetum facit, et ā domō Numitōris aliā comparātā manū adiuvat Remus.

Romulus does not make his attack on the king with a band of young men — for he was not equal to open force — but with shepherds ordered to come to the palace at a fixed time by different routes, and Remus helps from Numitor's house with another band he had got together.

Note. aliīs aliō itinere iussīs … venīre: 'having ordered different men to come by different routes' — alius repeated, a typical Latin idiom.

Liv. 1.5.7Ita rēgem obtruncant.

So they kill the king.

Note. obtruncant: 'cut down, kill'.