- Source
- Titi Livi ab urbe condita libri editionem priman, Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.49.1-1.49.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-05
Tarquinius Superbus establishes his reign through terror, ignoring the senate to rule as a tyrant, and secures his position by forming a marriage alliance with Octavius Mamilius, a leading figure among the Latins.
inde L. Tarquinius regnare occepit, cui Superbo cognomen facta indiderunt, quia socerum gener sepultura prohibuit, Romulum quoque insepultum perisse dictitans, primoresque patrum, quos Servi rebus favisse credebat, interfecit; conscius deinde male quaerendi regni ab se ipso adversus se exemplum capi posse,1 armatis corpus circumsaepsit;
Thereupon Lucius Tarquin began to reign, to whom his deeds gave the surname of the Proud, because, though a son-in-law, he refused burial to his father-in-law, repeatedly declaring that Romulus also had perished unburied; and he put to death the chief men of the senators, whom he believed to have favored the cause of Servius. Then, conscious that a precedent of wrongfully acquiring the kingdom might be taken from his own case against himself, he surrounded his person with armed men;
neque enim ad ius regni quicquam praeter vim habebat, ut qui neque populi iussu neque auctoribus patribus regnaret.2
for he had no claim to the right of the kingdom except force, as one who reigned neither by the order of the people nor with the sanction of the senators.
eo accedebat, ut in caritate civium nihil spei reponenti metu regnum tutandum esset.3 quem ut pluribus incuteret, cognitiones capitalium rerum sine consiliis per se solus exercebat perque eam causam occidere, in exilium agere, bonis multare poterat non suspectos modo aut invisos, sed unde nihil aliud quam praedam sperare posset.4
To this was added the fact that, as he placed no hope in the affection of the citizens, his kingdom had to be defended by fear. In order to inspire this in a greater number of people, he conducted trials of capital cases by himself alone, without advisers, and under that pretext he was able to put to death, drive into exile, and punish with confiscation of property not only those who were suspected or hated, but also those from whom he could hope for nothing but plunder.
praecipue ita patrum numero inminuto statuit nullos in patres legere, quo contemptior paucitate ipsa ordo esset minusque per se nihil agi indignarentur.5
Having especially diminished the number of the senators in this way, he resolved to choose no others into the senate, so that the order might be more despised by its very paucity, and they might feel less indignation that nothing was done through them.
hic enim regum primus traditum a prioribus morem de omnibus senatum consulendi solvit, domesticis consiliis rem publicam administravit; bellum, pacem, foedera, societates per se ipse, cum quibus voluit, iniussu populi ac senatus fecit diremitque.
For he was the first of the kings to break the custom handed down by his predecessors of consulting the senate on all matters; he governed the republic by domestic counsels; war, peace, treaties, and alliances he made and dissolved by himself alone, with whomsoever he wished, without the order of the people and the senate.
Latinorum sibi maxime gentem conciliabat, ut peregrinis quoque opibus tutior inter cives esset, neque hospitia modo cum primoribus eorum, sed adfinitates quoque iungebat. Octavio Mamilio Tusculano —
He especially conciliated the nation of the Latins to himself, so that he might be safer among his citizens by means of foreign resources as well; and he joined not only ties of hospitality with their leading men, but also alliances of marriage. To Octavius Mamilius of Tusculum—
is longe princeps Latini nominis erat, si famae credimus, ab Ulixe deaque Circa oriundus — ei Mamilio filiam nuptum dat6 perque eas nuptias multos sibi cognatos amicosque eius conciliat.
he was by far the chief man of the Latin name, if we believe rumor, descended from Ulysses and the goddess Circe—to this Mamilius he gave his daughter in marriage, and through that marriage he conciliated many of his kinsmen and friends to himself.
- 1.49.2conscius deinde male quaerendi regni ab se ipso adversus se exemplum capi posse
The adjective conscius governs the accusative and infinitive clause ab se ipso adversus se exemplum capi posse (that a precedent might be taken from his own case against himself). male quaerendi regni is a genitive of cause or reference depending on conscius. It expresses that Tarquin, aware of his own wrongful usurpation, feared he might become the victim of a similar precedent.
- 1.49.3ut qui neque populi iussu neque auctoribus patribus regnaret
ut qui with the subjunctive (regnaret) introduces a relative clause of characteristic that emphasizes the reason ("as one who reigned..."). auctoribus patribus is an ablative absolute ("with the senators as approvers", meaning without the sanction of the senate).
- 1.49.4ut in caritate civium nihil spei reponenti metu regnum tutandum esset
A consecutive clause (ut... esset) introduced by the impersonal phrase eo accedebat, ut (to this was added the fact that...). The dative of agent reponenti (agreeing with an implied ei, "to him placing no hope...") is used with the gerundive tutandum esset.
- 1.49.5unde nihil aliud quam praedam sperare posset
unde is a relative adverb equivalent to a quibus (from whom). The subjunctive posset is used in a relative clause of characteristic, modifying the implied antecedent of unde (referring to wealthy citizens from whom Tarquin had nothing to expect but plunder).
- 1.49.6quo contemptior paucitate ipsa ordo esset minusque per se nihil agi indignarentur
The conjunction quo (by which, in order that) is used instead of ut because of the accompanying comparative contemptior. It introduces the subjunctives esset and indignarentur. per se means "through themselves" (i.e., through the senate), and nihil agi is a passive infinitive ("that nothing was done"), acting as the object of indignarentur.
- 1.49.9ei Mamilio filiam nuptum dat
nuptum is the accusative supine of the verb nubo (to marry, said of a woman), used with the verb of motion/giving dat to express purpose ("gives his daughter in marriage").