Ab Urbe Condita 1.58

Liv. 1.58.1Paucīs interiectīs diēbus Sex. Tarquinius īnsciō Collātīnō cum comite ūnō Collātiam vēnit.

A few days later Sextus Tarquinius, without Collatinus' knowledge, came to Collatia with a single companion.

Liv. 1.58.2Ubi exceptus benignē ab ignārīs cōnsiliī cum post cēnam in hospitāle cubiculum dēductus esset, amōre ārdēns, postquam satis tūta circā sōpītīque omnēs vidēbantur, strictō gladiō ad dormientem Lucrētiam vēnit sinistrāque manū mulieris pectore oppressō "tacē, Lucrētia" inquit;

There he was kindly received by people who knew nothing of his plan, and when after dinner he had been taken to the guest room, burning with desire, when everything around seemed safe and everyone asleep, he drew his sword, came to Lucretia as she slept, and holding her down with his left hand on her breast, said, 'Be silent, Lucretia;

Note. A long sentence building up suspense: Ubi … cum … postquam …, then the main verb venit and the direct speech. stricto gladio and pectore oppresso are ablatives absolute.

Liv. 1.58.2"Sex. Tarquinius sum;

I am Sextus Tarquinius;

Liv. 1.58.2ferrum in manū est;

I have a sword in my hand;

Liv. 1.58.2moriēre, sī ēmīseris vōcem."

you will die if you make a sound.'

Note. moriere: future, second person singular of the deponent morior (= morieris). emiseris: future perfect, 'if you make (will have made) a sound'.

Liv. 1.58.3Cum pavida ex somnō mulier nūllam opem, prope mortem inminentem vidēret, tum Tarquinius fatērī amōrem, ōrāre, miscēre precibus minās, versāre in omnēs partēs muliebrem animum.

When the woman, woken in terror, saw no help and death almost upon her, then Tarquinius began to declare his love, to plead, to mix threats with entreaties, to work on her woman's heart in every way.

Note. fateri, orare, miscere, versare: historical infinitives, describing a rapid series of attempts.

Liv. 1.58.4Ubi obstinātam vidēbat et nē mortis quidem metū inclīnārī, addit ad metum dēdecus: cum mortuā iugulātum servum nūdum positūrum ait, ut in sordidō adulteriō necāta dīcātur.

When he saw she was resolute and not moved even by fear of death, he added disgrace to fear: he said that when she was dead he would lay beside her a slave with his throat cut, naked, so that she would be said to have been killed in a sordid adultery.

Note. cum mortua: 'with (her) dead (body)'. positurum ait: future infinitive with esse omitted, 'he says he will place'. Sextus threatens to make her death look like adultery with a slave, the greatest disgrace for a Roman wife.

Liv. 1.58.5Quō terrōre cum vīcisset obstinātam pudīcitiam velut vī trux libīdō profectusque inde Tarquinius ferōx expugnātō decore muliebrī esset, Lucrētia maesta tantō malō nūntium Rōmam eundem ad patrem Ardeamque ad virum mittit, ut cum singulīs fidēlibus amīcīs veniant;

When by this terror his lust had overcome her steadfast chastity as if by force, and Tarquinius had left, exulting in having taken a woman's honour, Lucretia, grief-stricken at so great a wrong, sent the same message to her father at Rome and to her husband at Ardea, that they should come, each with one trusted friend;

Note. Quo terrore: connecting relative, 'by this terror'. velut vi: Livy stresses that her consent was not real. ut … veniant: indirect command after the message; ita facto maturatoque opus esse: 'there is need for this to be done and done quickly' (opus est with the perfect participle in the ablative).

Liv. 1.58.5ita factō mātūrātōque opus esse;

it must be done, and quickly;

Liv. 1.58.6rem atrōcem incidisse.

something terrible had happened.

Liv. 1.58.6Sp. Lucrētius cum P. Valeriō Volesī fīliō, Collātīnus cum L. Iūniō Brūtō vēnit, cum quō forte Rōmam rediēns ab nūntiō uxōris erat conventus.

Spurius Lucretius came with Publius Valerius, son of Volesus, and Collatinus with Lucius Iunius Brutus, with whom he happened to be returning to Rome when his wife's messenger met him.

Note. P. Valerius, later called Publicola, was one of the founders of the Republic. erat conventus: 'had been met' — convenire can take a direct object.

Liv. 1.58.6Lucrētiam sedentem maestam in cubiculō inveniunt.

They find Lucretia sitting in her room in grief.

Liv. 1.58.7Adventū suōrum lacrimae obortae quaerentīque virō "satin salvē?"

At the arrival of her family tears rose to her eyes, and when her husband asked, 'Is all well?',

Note. satin salve?: a set phrase, 'is all well?' (satin = satisne). salve is an old adverb, 'in good health'.

Liv. 1.58.7"Minimē" inquit;

'Far from it,' she said;

Liv. 1.58.7"quid enim salvī est mulierī āmissā pudīcitiā?

'for what can be well with a woman who has lost her honour?

Liv. 1.58.7Vestīgia virī aliēnī, Conlātīne, in lectō sunt tuō;

There are the marks of another man in your bed, Collatinus;

Note. Vestigia viri alieni: 'the traces of another man'. Conlatine: vocative; the edition spells the name with n here (Conlatinus = Collatinus).

Liv. 1.58.7cēterum corpus est tantum violātum, animus īnsōns;

but only my body has been violated; my mind is innocent;

Note. corpus est tantum violatum, animus insons: the contrast of body and mind is the heart of Lucretia's speech and of the friends' consolation in 73.

Liv. 1.58.7mors testis erit.

death will be my witness.

Liv. 1.58.7Sed date dexterās fidemque haud inpūne adulterō fore.

But give me your right hands and your word that the adulterer will not go unpunished.

Note. date dexteras fidemque: the handshake was the gesture of a solemn pledge. haud impune adultero fore: 'that it will not be without punishment for the adulterer'.

Liv. 1.58.7Sex. est Tarquinius, quī hostis prō hospite priōre nocte vī armātus mihi sibique, sī vōs virī estis, pestiferum hinc abstulit gaudium."

It is Sextus Tarquinius who last night, an enemy instead of a guest, came armed and by force took from here a pleasure that will be his ruin, and mine too, if you are men.'

Note. hostis pro hospite: wordplay, 'an enemy instead of a guest'. The violation of hospitality made the crime worse.

Liv. 1.58.9Dant ōrdine omnēs fidem;

They all give their word, one after another;

Liv. 1.58.9cōnsōlantur aegram animī āvertendō noxam ab coāctā in auctōrem dēlictī: mentem peccāre, nōn corpus, et unde cōnsilium āfuerit, culpam abesse.

they comfort her in her distress by turning the guilt away from her, who had been forced, onto the doer of the crime: it is the mind that sins, not the body, and where there was no intent there is no guilt.

Note. mentem peccare, non corpus: indirect statement giving the consolation. unde consilium afuerit, culpam abesse: 'where intention is absent, guilt is absent'.

Liv. 1.58.10"Vōs" inquit "vīderitis, quid illī dēbeātur;

'You will see,' she said, 'what is due to him;

Note. videritis: future perfect used as a firm future, 'you will see to it'.

Liv. 1.58.10ego mē etsī peccātō absolvō, suppliciō nōn līberō;

as for me, though I acquit myself of wrongdoing, I do not free myself from punishment;

Note. etsi … absolvo, … non libero: 'though I acquit myself of guilt, I do not free myself from punishment'.

Liv. 1.58.10nec ūlla deinde inpudīca Lucrētiae exemplō vīvet."

no unchaste woman shall live hereafter by the example of Lucretia.'

Note. nec ulla … impudica Lucretiae exemplo vivet: 'no unchaste woman will live (claiming) Lucretia's example'. In Roman eyes her death made her a model of pudicitia; Livy reports this view rather than arguing it.

Liv. 1.58.11Cultrum, quem sub veste abditum habēbat, eum in corde dēfīgit prōlāpsaque in vulnus moribunda cecidit.

She took a knife which she had hidden under her clothing, drove it into her heart, and falling forward onto the wound, she dropped down dying.

Liv. 1.58.12Conclāmat vir paterque.

Her husband and her father cried out.