11. The First Consuls
Hinc cōnsulēs coeptī sunt prō ūnō rēge duo creārī, ut, sī alter mālus esse voluisset, alter eum coercēre posset cum similem potestātem habēret. Placuit etiam nē imperium longius quam annuum habērent, nē per diuturnitātem potestātis īnsolentiōrēs redderentur, sed ut cīvīlēs semper essent, quī sē post annum scīrent futūrōs esse prīvātōs. Fuērunt igitur annō prīmō post exāctōs rēgēs cōnsulēs L. Iūnius Brūtus, quī maximē ēgerat ut Tarquinius pellerētur, et Tarquinius Collātīnus, marītus Lucrētiae. Sed Tarquiniō Collātīnō statim sublāta est dignitās; placuerat enim nē quisquam in urbe manēret quī Tarquinius vocārētur. Itaque cum ex urbe migrāsset locō eius Valerius Pūblicola cōnsul factus est.
coepti sunt—this is the usual form instead of coeperunt when the verb depending on it is in the passive voice.
placuit--‘it was resolved.’
qui scirent--the relative here takes the subjunctive as it has a causal force: (qui=cum ii, ‘since they’).
ne quisquam—this is the way to translate ‘that no one,’ except in consecutive clauses, when ut nemo is used.
placuit--‘it was resolved.’
qui scirent--the relative here takes the subjunctive as it has a causal force: (qui=cum ii, ‘since they’).
ne quisquam—this is the way to translate ‘that no one,’ except in consecutive clauses, when ut nemo is used.
12. The Tarquini Attempt to Return
Commōvit tamen bellum contrā Rōmānōs rēx Tarquinius, et magnīs cōpiīs cōnscrīptīs, ut in rēgnum posset restituī, dīmicāvit. In prīmā pugnā Brūtus cōnsul et Ārūns Tarquiniī fīlius invicem sē occīdērunt, victōria autem penes Rōmānōs stetit. Brūtum Rōmānae mātrōnae quasi commūnem patrem per annum tōtum lūxērunt. Ineunte autem vērē Tarquinius iterum Rōmānīs bellum intulit, auxilium eī ferente Porsenā Tuscōrum rēge, cuius ope nōn multum abfuit quīn urbs caperētur. Tertiō autem annō Tarquinius, cum urbe potīrī nequīret neque eī Porsena, quī pācem cum Rōmānīs fēcerat, auxilium praestāret, Tusculum sē contulit atque ibīdem tandem mortuus est.
non multum...caperetur—‘the city was nearly taken;’ lit. ‘not much was wanting but that, etc.’ abfuit is impersonal.
Tusculum—in Latium, about 10 miles from Rome.
Tusculum—in Latium, about 10 miles from Rome.
13. Horatius Cocles Defends the Bridge
Lars Porsena, Tuscōrum rēx, ut suprā dēmōnstrātum est, fīnēs Rōmānōrum cum magnō exercitū ingressus est, ut Tarquinium in rēgnum restitueret. Cum hostēs adessent, Rōmānī in urbem ex agrīs dēmigrant; urbem ipsam saepiunt praesidiīs; alia mūris, alia Tiberī obiectō vidēbantur tūta. Pōns Sublicius iter paene hostibus dedit. Tum Horātius, cui nōmen Coclitī fuit ob alterum oculum āmissum, suōs monuit ut pontem interrumperent: sē impetum hostium exceptūrum. Vādit inde in prīmum aditum pontis. Duōs tamen cum eō pudor tenuit Sp. Lartium ac T. Herminium, ambōs clārōs genere factīsque. Cum hīs prīmam perīculī procellam parumper sustinuit: deinde eōs quoque ipsōs, exiguā parte pontis relictā, revocantibus quī rescindēbant, cēdere in tūtum coēgit.
ut supra demonstratum est—‘as has been shown in a former chapter.’
demigrant--historic present.
Tiberi obiecto--‘by being guarded by the Tiber’. lit. ‘the Tiber being opposite.’
Cocliti--dative (Cocles=one-eyed), attracted into the case of cui. This is the most usual construction in giving a name.
monuit ut interrumperent--You can only ascertain the right construction after such verbs as moneo, by analysing the dependent clause. Here it is evidently an indirect command.
se excepturum—indirect statement, often, as here, without a verb to govern it, depending on the sense.
demigrant--historic present.
Tiberi obiecto--‘by being guarded by the Tiber’. lit. ‘the Tiber being opposite.’
Cocliti--dative (Cocles=one-eyed), attracted into the case of cui. This is the most usual construction in giving a name.
monuit ut interrumperent--You can only ascertain the right construction after such verbs as moneo, by analysing the dependent clause. Here it is evidently an indirect command.
se excepturum—indirect statement, often, as here, without a verb to govern it, depending on the sense.
14. He Holds it Until it is Cut and Then Escapes
Circumferēns inde trucēs mināciter oculōs ad procerēs Etrūscōrum, nunc singulōs prōvocāre, mūne increpāre omnēs, servitia rēgum superbōrum, suae lībertātis immemorēs, aliēnam oppugnātum venīre. Cūnctātī aliquamdiū sunt; pudor deinde commōvit aciem, et, clāmōre sublātō, undique in ūnum hostem tēla coniiciunt. Quae cum in obiectō cūnctā scūtō haesissent, neque ille minus obstinātus ingentī pontem obtinēret gradū, iam impetū cōnābantur dētrūdere virum: cum simul fragor ruptī pontis, simul clāmor Rōmānōrum, alacritāte perfectī operis sublātus, pavōre subitō impetum sustinuit. Tunc Cocles, Tiberīnē pater, inquit, tē, sāncte, precor, haec arma et hunc mīlitem propitiō flūmine accipiās. Ita sīc armātus in Tiberim dēsiluit: multīsque superincīdentibus tēlīs incolumis ad suōs trānāvit.
servitia—‘slaves,’ abstract for concrete.
alienam--understand libertatem.
oppugnatum--supine. 10, note.
aciem--‘the line of battle,’ (ac- sharp); as opposed to agmen (ago), ‘the line of march.’
ingenti gradu—‘with his huge stride.’
alienam--understand libertatem.
oppugnatum--supine. 10, note.
aciem--‘the line of battle,’ (ac- sharp); as opposed to agmen (ago), ‘the line of march.’
ingenti gradu—‘with his huge stride.’
15. Cloelia
Porsenam nārrant Cloeliam virginem nōbilī gente ortam inter obsidēs accēpisse. Cum eius castra haud procul rīpā Tiberis locāta essent, Cloeliam dēceptīs cūstōdibus noctū ēgressam equum arripuisse et Tiberim nandō trāiēcisse. Quibus nūntiātīs rēgem incēnsum īrā Rōmam lēgātōs mīsisse ad obsidem reposcendam: Rōmānōs eam ex foedere restituisse. Tum Porsenam Cloeliae virtūtem admīrātum eam laudāvisse, ac parte obsidum dōnāre sē dīxisse: proinde ipsa quōs vellet, legeret. Prōductīs obsidibus Cloeliam virginēs ēlēgisse et cum iīs Rōmam rediisse. Rōmānōs novam in fēminā virtūtem novō genere honōris dōnāsse, statua equestrī, virgine scīlicet īnsidente equō in summā viā sacrā posita.
proinde legeret—indirect command; without ut, when, as here, it is simply the indirect form of his command in the imperative.
via Sacra—the chief street in Rome, leading to the Capitol, or citadel.
via Sacra—the chief street in Rome, leading to the Capitol, or citadel.
16. The Battle of the Lake Regillus
Sed operae est accūrātius nārrāre quantā virtūte Rōmānī prō rēpūblicā ad lacum Rēgillum dīmicāverint. Ā. Postumius dictātor, T. Aebūtius magister equitum, magnīs cōpiīs peditum equitumque profectī ad lacum Rēgillum in agrō Tusculānō agminī hostium occurrērunt: et quia Tarquiniōs esse in exercitū. Latīnōrum audītum est, sustinērī īra nōn potuit quīn extemplō cōnflīgerent. Ergō etiam proelium aliquantō quam cētera gravius atque atrōcius fuit. Nōn enim ducēs ad regendam modo cōnsiliō rem affuēre, sed, suīsmet ipsīs corporibus dīmicantēs, miscuēre certāmina: nec quisquam prōcērum fermē hāc aut illā ex aciē sine vulnere praeter dictātōrem Rōmānum excessit. In Postumium, prīmā in aciē suōs adhortantem īnstruentemque, Tarquinius Superbus, quamquam iam aetāte et vīribus erat gravior, equum īnfēstus admīsit: ictusque ab latere, concursū suōrum receptus in tūtum est.
operae est—‘it is worth while.’ Another form is operae pretium est.
lacum Regillum--in Latium.
dictator—in times of extreme peril the safety of the state was intrusted to a single man with this title. He used to appoint a second in command with the title of magister equitum.
quin confligerent—’from fighting.’ quin (qui, old form of ablative =how, ne, old form of negative).
lacum Regillum--in Latium.
dictator—in times of extreme peril the safety of the state was intrusted to a single man with this title. He used to appoint a second in command with the title of magister equitum.
quin confligerent—’from fighting.’ quin (qui, old form of ablative =how, ne, old form of negative).
17. The Gallant Death of a Roman Soldier
Et ad alterum cornū Aebūtius magister equitum in Octāvium Mamilium impetum dederat. Nec fefellit veniēns Tusculānum ducem: contrā quem et ille concitat equum: tantaque vīs īnfēstīs venientium hastīs fuit, ut bracchium Aebūtiō trāiectum sit, Mamiliō pectus percussum. Hunc quidem in secundam aciem Latīnī recēpēre: Aebūtius, cum sauciō bracchiō tenēre tēlum nōn posset, pugna excessit. Latīnus dux nihil dēterritus vulnere proelium ciet; et, quia suōs perculsōs vidēbat, arcessit cohortem exsulum Rōmānōrum, cui L. Tarquiniī fīlius praeerat. Ea, quod maiōre pugnābat vī ob ērepta bona patriamque adēmptam, pugnam parumper restituit. Referentibus iam pedem ab eā parte Rōmānīs, M. Valerius cōnspicātus ferōcem iuvenem Tarquinium ostentantem sē in prīmā exsulum aciē, subdit calcāria equō, et Tarquinium īnfēstō spīculō petit. Tarquinius retrō in agmen suōrum īnfēnsō cessit hostī. Valerium, temere invectum in exsulum aciem, ex trānsversō quīdam adortus trānsfīgit: nec quicquam equitis vulnere equō retardātō, moribundus Rōmānus, lābentibus super corpus armīs, ad terram dēflūxit.
Mamilium—a Tuscan chief, son-in-law of Tarquinius.
infestis hastis--‘with lance in rest.’
traiectum sit--primary sequence instead of traiiceretur, to make the description more vivid. This is called Narrative Stress.
referentibus pedem--‘retreating.’
ex transverso—‘sideways.’
infestis hastis--‘with lance in rest.’
traiectum sit--primary sequence instead of traiiceretur, to make the description more vivid. This is called Narrative Stress.
referentibus pedem--‘retreating.’
ex transverso—‘sideways.’
18. The Rival Leaders
Dictātor Postumius, postquam cecidisse tālem virum, exsulēs ferōciter citātō agmine invehī, suōs perculsōs cēdere animadvertit; cohortī suae dat signum, ut quem suōrum fugientem vīderint, prō hoste habeant. Ita metū ancipitī versī ā fugā Rōmānī in hostem, et restitūta aciēs. Cohors dictātōris tum prīmum proelium iniit: integrīs corporibus animīsque fessōs adortī exsulēs caedunt. Ibi alia inter procerēs coorta pugna. Imperātor Latīnus, ubi cohortem exsulum ā dictātōre Rōmānō prope circumventam vīdit, ex subsidiāriīs manipulōs aliquot in prīmam aciem sēcum rapit. Hōs agmine venientēs T. Herminius lēgātus cōnspicātus, interque eōs īnsignem veste armīsque Mamilium nōscitāns, tantā vī cum hostium duce proelium iniit ut et ūnō ictū occīderit Mamilium, et ipse inter spoliandum corpus hostis verūtō percussus, cum victor in castra esset relātus, exspīrāverit.
ancipiti—‘on either side.’
19. Defeat of the Enemy
Tum ad equitēs dictātor advolat, obtestāns ut, fessō iam pedite, dēscendant ex equīs et pugnam capessant. Dictō pāruēre: dēsiliunt ex equīs. Recipit extemplō animum pedestris aciēs, postquam iuventūtis procerēs aequātō genere pugnae sēcum partem perīculī sustinentēs vīdit. Tum dēmum impulsī Latīnī, perculsaque inclīnāvit aciēs. Equitī admōtī equī, ut persequī hostem posset: secūta et pedestris aciēs. Ibi nihil nec dīvīnae nec hūmānae opis dictātor praetermittēns aedem Castorī vōvisse fertur: ac prōnūntiāsse mīlitī praemia, quī prīmus, quī secundus, castra hostium intrāsset: tantusque ārdor fuit, ut eōdem impetū, quō fūderant hostem, Rōmānī castra caperent. Hōc modō ad lacum Rēgillum pugnātum est. Nārrant etiam veterēs Castorem cum frātre opem Rōmānīs tulisse et inter prīncipēs pugnam cīvisse.
impulsi—understand sunt. The auxiliary verb is often omitted.
inclinavit--‘wavered.
Castori—Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri (sons of Zeus), were twin demigods: the former was celebrated for his horsemanship and the latter for his skill in boxing. They were especially worshipped as the patrons of sailors.
inclinavit--‘wavered.
Castori—Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri (sons of Zeus), were twin demigods: the former was celebrated for his horsemanship and the latter for his skill in boxing. They were especially worshipped as the patrons of sailors.
20. The Early Days of the Republic
Iam suprā dēmōnstrāvimus cōnsulēs creātōs esse post exāctōs rēgēs: hī patribus praeerant et exercitūs adversus hostēs dūcēbant. Maior inde patrum auctōritās habērī coepta, cum magistrātum annuum obīrent cōnsulēs, ipsī vērō quotannīs in cūriam dēlīberandī causā adīrent. Neque plēbēs diūtius spernī poterat, quae per centuriās, prō ut armātus erat quisque, comitia frequentābat, magistrātūsque creābat. Cōnsulēs plērumque quotannīs creābantur: sed maiōre aliquō perīculō ortō, dictātor cīvitātī praeficiēbātur, quī summō imperiō ūterētur. Neque autem fierī potuit quīn clāde afficerētur iam nāscēns rēspūblica post tantam rērum commūtātiōnem. Vastārī prīmō ab hostibus Rōmānōrum fīnēs; inde opprimī plēbēs aere aliēnō. Intercēdēbant etiam plēbī cum patribus simultātēs, cum patrēs īnfortūnia plēbēiōrum in sua commoda vertere cōnstāret.
armatus--the people in their centuries had certain arms assigned to each class, so that it was a military as well as a civil classification.
comitia--the assemblies of the people for electing magistrates (cum--eo). There were three varieties of the comitia:
comitia--the assemblies of the people for electing magistrates (cum--eo). There were three varieties of the comitia:
- Curiata: of the old noble families in their curiae, the aristocratic classification.
- Centuriata: of the people in their centuries or classes according to their property.
- Tributa: of the people in their tribes.