Ab Urbe Condita 1.50

Liv. 1.50.1Iam magna Tarquinī auctōritās inter Latīnōrum procerēs erat, cum in diem certam ut ad lūcum Ferentīnae conveniant indīcit: esse, quae agere dē rēbus commūnibus velit.

Tarquin's influence among the Latin chiefs was already great when he proclaimed that they should meet on a fixed day at the grove of Ferentina: there were matters, he said, that he wished to discuss concerning their common interests.

Note. cum ... indicit: an 'inverted' cum clause with the indicative, 'when (suddenly) he proclaimed'. esse, quae agere ... velit: reported speech, 'there were matters that he wished to discuss'. The Latin League met at the grove and spring of the goddess Ferentina, below Aricia.

Liv. 1.50.2Conveniunt frequentēs prīmā lūce;

They gather in large numbers at first light;

Note. Conveniunt: Livy shifts into the historic present to make the scene vivid.

Liv. 1.50.2ipse Tarquinius diem quidem servāvit, sed paulō ante, quam sōl occideret, vēnit.

Tarquin himself kept the day, indeed, but came a little before the sun set.

Note. diem quidem servavit: 'he kept the day, it is true', with sed answering quidem. ante ... quam sol occideret: priusquam-type clause with the subjunctive.

Liv. 1.50.2Multa ibi tōtō diē in conciliō variīs iactāta sermōnibus erant.

Many things had been bandied about in the council all day in various conversations.

Note. iactata ... erant: pluperfect passive split by sermonibus, 'had been tossed about in talk'.

Liv. 1.50.3Turnus Herdōnius ab Arīciā ferōciter in absentem Tarquinium erat invectus: haud mīrum esse Superbō inditum Rōmae cognōmen— iam enim ita clam quidem mussitantēs, vulgō tamen eum appellābant—;

Turnus Herdonius from Aricia had fiercely attacked the absent Tarquin: it was no wonder, he said, that the surname Superbus had been given him at Rome (for by now people were calling him that, muttering it secretly, but still commonly);

Note. From here to the end of sentence 21 Turnus' speech is given in indirect statement (oratio obliqua): main verbs become infinitives (esse) and subordinate verbs subjunctives. The clause in dashes is Livy's own comment, so its verb appellabant is indicative. Romae is locative.

Liv. 1.50.3an quicquam superbius esse quam lūdificārī sīc omne nōmen Latīnum?

could anything be more arrogant than to make fools of the whole Latin name like this?

Note. an quicquam superbius esse ...?: a rhetorical question in reported speech is put in the accusative and infinitive. quam ludificari: 'than to mock'. nomen Latinum, 'the Latin name', means the whole Latin people.

Liv. 1.50.3Prīncipibus longē ab domō excitīs ipsum, quī concilium indīxerit, nōn adesse.

The leaders had been summoned far from home, and the very man who had called the council was not present.

Note. Principibus ... excitis: ablative absolute. qui concilium indixerit: subjunctive because it is a clause inside reported speech.

Liv. 1.50.4Temptārī profectō patientiam, ut, sī iugum accēperint, obnoxiōs premat.

Their patience was surely being tested, so that, if they accepted the yoke, he could crush them once they were in his power.

Note. Temptari profecto patientiam: infinitive of reported speech. obnoxios: 'once they were at his mercy', predicate with the understood eos.

Liv. 1.50.4Cui enim nōn appārēre, adfectāre eum imperium in Latīnōs?

For to whom was it not plain that he was aiming at rule over the Latins?

Note. Cui enim non apparere ...?: another rhetorical question turned into accusative and infinitive in oratio obliqua.

Liv. 1.50.5Quod sī suī bene crēdiderint cīvēs aut sī crēditum illud et nōn raptum parricīdiō sit, crēdere et Latīnōs, quamquam nē sīc quidem aliēnigenae, dēbēre;

But if his own citizens had done well to entrust it to him, or if it had been entrusted and not seized by murder, then the Latins too ought to entrust it to him, although not even so, since he was a foreigner;

Note. Quod si: 'but if'. sui ... cives: 'his own citizens' (sui refers to Tarquin, the subject of the original thought). quamquam ne sic quidem alienigenae: understand credendum esse, 'although not even so should they trust a foreigner'. Tarquin's family came from Etruria.

Liv. 1.50.6sīn suōs eius paeniteat, quippe quī aliī super aliōs trucīdentur, exulātum eant, bona āmittant, quid speī meliōris Latīnīs portendī?

if, however, his own people regretted him, since they were being butchered one after another, going into exile and losing their property, what better hope was held out to the Latins?

Note. quippe qui ... trucidentur: quippe qui with the subjunctive gives a reason, 'since they are being slaughtered'. exulatum eant: the supine in -um after a verb of motion expresses purpose, 'go into exile'.

Liv. 1.50.6Sī sē audiant, domum suam quemque inde abitūrōs neque magis observātūrōs diem conciliī, quam ipse, quī indīxerit, observet.

If they listened to him, they would each go home from there and keep the day of the council no more than the man who had called it kept it.

Note. abituros, observaturos: future infinitives with esse omitted. neque magis ... quam ipse ... observet: 'no more than he himself observes it'.

Liv. 1.50.7Haec atque alia eōdem pertinentia sēditiōsus facinorōsusque homō hīsque artibus opēs domī nactus cum maximē dissereret, intervēnit Tarquinius.

While this troublemaker and criminal, who had gained power at home by these very arts, was making these and other speeches to the same effect, Tarquin arrived.

Note. Haec ... cum maxime dissereret: cum maxime, 'just as', 'at the very moment when'. hisque artibus: 'by such methods as these'. domi is locative.

Liv. 1.50.8Is fīnis ōrātiōnī fuit;

That was the end of the speech;

Liv. 1.50.8āversī omnēs ad Tarquinium salūtandum.

everyone turned away to greet Tarquin.

Note. aversi: the participle stands for a main verb (sunt is understood). ad Tarquinium salutandum: gerundive of purpose.

Liv. 1.50.8Quī silentiō factō monitus ā proximīs, ut pūrgāret sē, quod id temporis vēnisset, disceptātōrem ait sē sūmptum inter patrem et fīlium, cūrā reconciliandī eōs in grātiam morātum esse et, quia ea rēs exēmisset illum diem, posterō diē āctūrum, quae cōnstituisset.

When silence was made and those nearest advised him to excuse himself for having come at that hour, he said that he had been chosen as arbiter between a father and a son, that he had been delayed by his concern to reconcile them, and that, since this business had taken up that day, he would do the next day what he had planned.

Note. Qui: connecting relative. id temporis: 'at that time', literally 'that (point) of time', an accusative of time. disceptatorem ... sumptum: understand esse. The rest is reported speech: moratum esse, acturum (esse).

Liv. 1.50.9Nē id quidem ab Turnō tulisse tacitum ferunt;

They say that not even this was allowed to pass in silence by Turnus;

Note. Ne id quidem ... tulisse tacitum: 'did not let even this pass in silence', literally 'bore it silent'. ferunt: 'they say'.

Liv. 1.50.9dīxisse enim nūllam breviōrem esse cognitiōnem quam inter patrem et fīlium, paucīsque trānsigī verbīs posse: nī pāreat patrī, habitūrum īnfortūnium esse.

for he said that no inquiry was shorter than one between a father and a son, and that it could be settled in a few words: if the son did not obey his father, he would come to grief.

Note. ni pareat patri, habiturum infortunium esse: a grim joke. Under Roman law a father had power of life and death over his son; a disobedient son 'would get a beating'. Turnus is mocking the excuse and hinting at Tarquin's own family crimes.