Ab Urbe Condita 1.7

Liv. 1.7.1Priōrī Remō augurium vēnisse fertur, sex vulturēs, iamque nūntiātō auguriō cum duplex numerus Rōmulō sē ostendisset, utrumque rēgem sua multitūdō cōnsalūtāverat: tempore illī praeceptō, at hī numerō avium regnum trahēbant.

Remus, it is said, received an augury first, six vultures; and when the augury had just been announced, twice the number showed itself to Romulus, and each man's following had hailed him king: the one side claimed the kingship on the ground of time (they had seen first), the other on the number of birds.

Note. Priōrī Remō … fertur: 'Remus is said to have received…' — personal passive fertur with the infinitive (venisse). sex vulturēs stands in apposition to augurium. tempore praeceptō: ablative of cause, 'by having been first in time'. Augury, watching the flight of birds to learn the gods' will, stayed central to Roman public life.

Liv. 1.7.2Inde cum altercātiōne congressī certāmine īrārum ad caedem vertuntur;

Then, meeting in a quarrel, they were turned by the clash of tempers to bloodshed;

Note. congressī: perfect participle of the deponent congredior, 'having met'. vertuntur is passive in form but means 'they turn' (middle sense).

Liv. 1.7.2ibi in turbā ictus Remus cecidit.

there, in the crowd, Remus was struck and fell.

Liv. 1.7.2Vulgātior fāma est lūdibriō frātris Remum novōs trānsiluisse mūrōs;

The more common story is that Remus, mocking his brother, leapt over the new walls;

Note. Vulgātior: comparative of vulgātus, 'more widespread'. The infinitive transiluisse depends on fāma est, 'the story is that…'. Livy often gives two versions and lets the reader choose.

Liv. 1.7.2inde ab īrātō Rōmulō, cum verbīs quoque increpitāns adiēcisset "sīc deinde, quīcumque alius trānsiliet moenia mea," interfectum.

and that he was then killed by the angry Romulus, who added these words of rebuke: "So perish whoever else shall leap over my walls."

Note. inde … interfectum (esse): still part of the reported story, with esse left out. sīc deinde, quīcumque…: supply 'pereat', 'so perish whoever…' — a curse that later Romans quoted.

Liv. 1.7.3Ita sōlus potītus imperiō Rōmulus;

So Romulus gained sole power;

Note. potītus imperiō: potior takes the ablative. Livy, like Sallust, often leaves out the verb 'to be' (est).

Liv. 1.7.3condita urbs conditōris nōmine appellāta.

the city, once founded, was called by its founder's name.

Note. condita urbs … appellāta: supply est twice. Rōma from Rōmulus — the ancients assumed the city was named after its founder.

Liv. 1.7.3Palātium prīmum, in quō ipse erat ēducātus, mūniit.

First he fortified the Palatine, where he himself had been brought up.

Liv. 1.7.3Sacra diīs aliīs Albānō rītū, Graecō Herculī, ut ab Euandrō īnstitūta erant, facit.

He performed the rites for the other gods by the Alban custom, but for Hercules by the Greek, as they had been established by Evander.

Note. Sacra … facit: sacra facere, 'to perform rites'. Graecō (rītū) Herculī: the cult of Hercules at the Ara Maxima kept Greek forms, such as sacrificing bare-headed.

Liv. 1.7.4Herculem in ea loca Gēryone interēmptō bovēs mīrā speciē abēgisse memorant ac prope Tiberim fluvium, quā prae sē armentum agēns nandō trāiēcerat, locō herbidō, ut quiēte et pābulō laetō reficeret bovēs, et ipsum fessum viā prōcubuisse.

They say that Hercules, having killed Geryon, drove his cattle, wonderfully handsome, into these parts, and that near the river Tiber, where he had swum across driving the herd in front of him, he lay down himself, tired from the journey, in a grassy spot, so that he might refresh the cattle with rest and rich pasture.

Note. Herculem … abēgisse memorant: accusative and infinitive after memorant, 'they relate'. Gēryone interēmptō: ablative absolute. nandō: ablative of the gerund of nō, 'by swimming'. ut … reficeret: purpose clause.

Liv. 1.7.5Ibi cum eum cibō vīnōque gravātum sopor oppressisset, pāstor accola eius locī, nōmine Cācus, ferōx vīribus, captus pulchritūdine boum cum āvertere eam praedam vellet, quia, sī agendō armentum in spēluncam compulisset, ipsa vestīgia quaerentem dominum eō dēductūra erant, āversōs bovēs, eximium quemque pulchritūdine, caudīs in spēluncam trāxit.

There, when sleep had overcome him, heavy with food and wine, a shepherd who lived in the neighbourhood, named Cacus, fierce in his strength, was taken with the beauty of the cattle and wanted to carry off this prize; but because, if he had driven the herd into his cave, their very tracks would have led their owner there as he searched, he dragged the finest of the cattle backwards by their tails into the cave.

Note. cum … oppressisset: cum with the pluperfect subjunctive, 'when sleep had overcome him'. quia … dēductūra erant: the active periphrastic (future participle + erant) in a past unreal condition, 'would have led'. Cacus drags the cattle backwards so the hoofprints point away from the cave.

Liv. 1.7.6Herculēs ad prīmam aurōram somnō excitus cum gregem perlūstrāsset oculīs et partem abesse numerō sēnsisset, pergit ad proximam spēluncam, sī forte eō vestīgia ferrent.

Hercules, woken from sleep at first light, ran his eyes over the herd, saw that part of the number was missing, and went to the nearest cave, in case the tracks perhaps led there.

Note. sī forte … ferrent: 'in case the tracks perhaps led there' — sī with the subjunctive expressing an expectation or hope.

Liv. 1.7.6Quae ubi omnia forās versa vīdit nec in partem aliam ferre, cōnfūsus atque incertus animī ex locō īnfestō agere porrō armentum occēpit.

When he saw that they all pointed outwards and led in no other direction, confused and uncertain in his mind, he began to drive the herd on, away from the dangerous place.

Note. Quae ubi … versa vīdit: connecting relative, 'when he saw that these (tracks)…'. incertus animī: genitive of respect, 'uncertain in mind'. occēpit: from occipiō, an archaic word for 'begin'.

Liv. 1.7.7Inde cum āctae bovēs quaedam ad dēsīderium, ut fit, relictārum mūgīssent, reddita inclūsārum ex spēluncā boum vōx Herculem convertit.

Then, when some of the cows being driven off lowed, as happens, in longing for those left behind, the answering voice of the cows shut in the cave turned Hercules back.

Note. relictārum: genitive with dēsīderium, 'longing for those left behind'. reddita … vōx: 'the voice given back', i.e. the answering lowing.

Liv. 1.7.7Quem cum vādentem ad spēluncam Cācus vī prohibēre cōnātus esset, ictus clāvā fidem pāstōrum nēquīquam invocāns morte occubuit.

When Cacus tried to stop him by force as he made for the cave, he was struck with the club and fell dead, calling in vain on the shepherds to help him.

Note. cōnātus esset: pluperfect subjunctive of the deponent cōnor. morte occubuit: 'fell in death', a solemn phrase for 'died'.

Liv. 1.7.8Euander tum ea profugus ex Peloponnēsō auctōritāte magis quam imperiō regēbat loca, venerābilis vir mīrāculō litterārum, reī novae inter rudēs artium hominēs, venerābilior dīvīnitāte crēditā Carmentae mātris, quam fātiloquam ante Sibyllae in Ītaliam adventum mīrātae eae gentēs fuerant.

Evander, an exile from the Peloponnese, at that time ruled these places, more by personal authority than by power; a man revered for the wonder of writing, a new thing among men ignorant of the arts, and revered still more for the believed divinity of his mother Carmenta, whom these peoples had admired as a prophetess before the Sibyl came to Italy.

Note. auctōritāte magis quam imperiō: influence rather than formal power. mīrāculō litterārum: Evander was credited with bringing the alphabet to Latium. Carmenta's name was linked with carmen, 'prophecy, song'.

Liv. 1.7.9Is tum Euander concursū pāstōrum trepidantium circā advenam manifestae reum caedis excitus postquam facinus facinorisque causam audīvit, habitum fōrmamque virī aliquantum ampliōrem augustiōremque hūmānā intuēns rogitat, quī vir esset.

This Evander, roused by the shepherds crowding in alarm around the stranger caught red-handed in murder, heard the deed and the reason for it; and looking at the man's bearing and form, somewhat greater and more majestic than a human's, he asked who he was.

Note. manifēstae reum caedis: 'charged with a murder that was plain to see' (genitive of the charge). rogitat, quī vir esset: indirect question with the subjunctive; rogitō is a frequentative, 'keeps asking'.

Liv. 1.7.10Ubi nōmen patremque ac patriam accēpit, "Iove nāte, Herculēs, salvē" inquit;

When he heard his name, his father and his country, he said: "Son of Jupiter, Hercules, hail!

Note. Iove nāte: vocative of the participle nātus with the ablative of origin Iove, 'born of Jupiter'. salvē: imperative of salveō, the usual greeting.

Liv. 1.7.10"tē mihi māter, vēridica interpres deum, auctūrum caelestium numerum cecinit tibique āram hīc dicātum īrī, quam opulentissima ōlim in terrīs gēns maximam vocet tuōque rītū colat."

My mother, the truthful interpreter of the gods, foretold to me that you would increase the number of the heavenly ones, and that here an altar would be dedicated to you which a nation, one day the most powerful on earth, would call the Greatest and would tend with your own rite."

Note. aucturum (esse) … dicātum īrī: two future infinitives after cecinit — the active future participle with esse omitted, and the future passive infinitive (supine + īrī), 'that an altar would be dedicated'. maximam: the Ara Maxima, 'Greatest Altar', in the cattle market (Forum Boarium). deum = deōrum.

Liv. 1.7.11Dextrā Herculēs datā accipere sē ōmen implētūrumque fāta ārā conditā ac dicātā ait.

Hercules gave him his right hand and said that he accepted the omen and would fulfil the fates by founding and dedicating an altar.

Note. Dextrā datā: ablative absolute, 'his right hand given' — a gesture of good faith. āra conditā ac dicātā: ablative absolute of means, 'by founding and dedicating an altar'.

Liv. 1.7.12Ibi tum prīmum bove eximiā captā dē grege sacrum Herculī adhibitīs ad ministerium dapemque Potītiīs ac Pīnāriīs, quae tum familiae maximē inclitae ea loca incolēbant, factum.

There and then, for the first time, a choice cow was taken from the herd and a sacrifice was made to Hercules, with the Potitii and the Pinarii, the most distinguished families then living in those parts, called in to serve at the rite and the feast.

Note. bove eximiā captā: ablative absolute; bōs can be feminine, 'a cow'. adhibitīs … Potītiīs ac Pīnāriīs: another ablative absolute. factum (est): the main verb at the very end.

Liv. 1.7.12Forte ita ēvēnit, ut Potītiī ad tempus praestō essent iīsque exta appōnerentur, Pīnāriī extīs adēsīs ad cēteram venīrent dapem.

It happened by chance that the Potitii were there on time and the entrails were set before them, while the Pinarii came for the rest of the feast after the entrails had been eaten.

Note. ut … essent … appōnerentur … venīrent: result clause after ēvēnit, 'it happened that…'. extīs adēsīs: ablative absolute, 'the entrails having been eaten'.

Liv. 1.7.13Inde īnstitūtum mānsit, dōnec Pīnārium genus fuit, nē extīs sollemnium vēscerentur.

From this came the rule, which lasted as long as the Pinarian family existed, that they should not eat the entrails of the sacrifice.

Note. nē … vēscerentur: the content of the rule, 'that they should not eat'; vēscor takes the ablative (extīs).

Liv. 1.7.14Potītiī ab Euandrō ēdoctī antistitēs sacrī eius per multās aetātēs fuērunt, dōnec trāditō servīs pūblicīs sollemnī familiae ministeriō genus omne Potītiōrum interiit.

The Potitii, instructed by Evander, were the priests of this rite for many generations, until the family's solemn office was handed over to public slaves and the whole clan of the Potitii died out.

Note. In 312 BC, Livy says (9.29), the censor Appius Claudius transferred the cult to public slaves, and the Potitii died out within a year — taken as divine punishment.

Liv. 1.7.15Haec tum sacra Rōmulus ūna ex omnibus peregrīna suscēpit, iam tum inmortālitātis virtūte partae, ad quam eum sua fāta dūcēbant, fautor.

These were the only foreign rites that Romulus then adopted, already even then a supporter of the immortality won by merit, to which his own fates were leading him.

Note. ūna ex omnibus peregrīna: 'alone of all foreign (rites)'. immortālitātis virtūte partae fautor: 'a supporter of immortality won by merit' — Romulus himself would become the god Quirinus.