- 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-lat2:10.34.1-10.34.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-22
The consul Postumius captures Milonia after a fierce battle, and then takes possession of the deserted town of Feritrum, whose inhabitants had fled in the night, learning that other neighboring towns have also been abandoned.
Postumius Milioniam oppugnare adortus vi primo atque impetu, dein, postquam ea parum procedebant, opere, vineis demum iniunctis muro cepit.
Postumius, having attempted to assault Milonia at first by force and impetuosity, then, after these efforts made little progress, captured it by siege-works, with vineae finally brought up to the wall.
ibi capta iam urbe1 ab hora quarta usque ad octavam fere horam omnibus partibus urbis diu incerto eventu pugnatum est; postremo potitur oppido Romanus. Samnitium caesi tria milia ducenti, capti quattuor milia septingenti praeter praedam aliam.
There, although the city had already been captured, from the fourth hour until about the eighth hour the battle raged in all parts of the city for a long time with an uncertain outcome; at last the Roman got possession of the town. Three thousand two hundred of the Samnites were slain, and four thousand seven hundred were captured, besides other booty.
inde Feritrum ductae legiones, unde oppidani cum omnibus rebus suis, quae ferri agique potuerunt, nocte per aversam portam silentio excesserunt.
From there the legions were led to Feritrum, from where the townsfolk, with all their possessions that could be carried or driven off, had departed in silence at night through the rear gate.
igitur, simul advenit /consul, primo ita conpositus instructusque moenibus successit, tamquam idem, quod ad Milioniam fuerat, certaminis2 foret;
Therefore, as soon as the consul arrived, at first he approached the walls with his forces thus composed and drawn up, as if there would be the same struggle as there had been at Milonia;
deinde, ut silentium vastum in urbe nec arma nec viros in turribus ac muris vidit, avidum invadendi deserta moenia militem detinet, ne quam occultam in fraudem incautus rueret;
then, when he saw a vast silence in the city and neither arms nor men on the towers and walls, he held back his soldiers, who were eager to invade the deserted walls, lest in their carelessness they should rush into some hidden trap;
duas turmas sociorum Latini nominis circumequitare moenia atque explorare omnia iubet. equites portam unam alteramque eadem regione in propinquo patentes conspiciunt itineribusque iis vestigia nocturnae hostium fugae.
he ordered two squadrons of the allies of the Latin name to ride around the walls and reconnoiter everything. The cavalrymen descried one gate and then another nearby in the same quarter standing open, and on those paths the tracks of the nightly flight of the enemy.
adequitant deinde sensim portis urbemque ex tuto rectis itineribus perviam conspiciunt et consuli referunt excessum urbe; solitudine haud dubia id perspicuum esse et recentibus vestigiis fugae ac strage rerum in trepidatione nocturna relictarum passim.
They then rode up gradually to the gates and saw from a safe position that the city was accessible by straight paths, and reported to the consul that the city had been evacuated; they added that this was clear from the unmistakable solitude, the fresh tracks of flight, and the litter of things left behind everywhere in the nightly panic.
his auditis consul ad eam partem urbis, quam adierant equites, circumducit agmen. constitutis haud procul porta signis quinque equites iubet intrare urbem et modicum spatium progressos tris manere eodem loco, si tuta videantur, duos explorata ad se referre.
Having heard this, the consul led his column around to that part of the city which the cavalry had approached. Halting the standards not far from the gate, he ordered five cavalrymen to enter the city, and having advanced a moderate distance, three to remain in the same spot if things seemed safe, while two were to return to him and report what they had explored.
qui ubi redierunt rettuleruntque eo se progressos, unde in omnes partes circumspectus esset, longe lateque silentium ac solitudinem vidisse, extemplo consul cohortes expeditas in urbem induxit, ceteros interim castra communire iussit.
When they returned and reported that they had advanced to a point from which there was a view in all directions, and had seen silence and solitude far and wide, the consul immediately led the light-armed cohorts into the city, ordering the rest to fortify the camp in the meantime.
ingressi milites refractis foribus paucos graves aetate aut invalidos inveniunt relictaque, quae migratu difficilia3 essent.
The soldiers who entered, having broken open the doors, found a few people heavy with age or infirm, and the things left behind which were difficult to move.
ea direpta; et cognitum ex captivis est communi consilio aliquot circa urbes4 conscisse fugam; suos prima vigilia profectos; credere eandem in aliis urbibus solitudinem inventuros.
These were plundered; and it was learned from the prisoners that several surrounding cities had by common agreement resolved upon flight; that their own people had set out at the first watch; and that they believed the Romans would find the same solitude in the other cities.
dictis captivorum fides exstitit, desertis oppidis consul potitur.
The words of the prisoners proved true, and the consul got possession of the deserted towns.
- 10.34.2capta iam urbe
An ablative absolute with concessive force: 'although the city had already been captured'. It indicates that despite the general capture of the city, resistance and fighting continued in various quarters.
- 10.34.5idem... certaminis
The genitive certaminis (genitive singular of certamen) is a partitive genitive (genitive of the whole) depending on the neuter pronoun idem (the subject of foret), meaning 'the same struggle'.
- 10.34.12migratu difficilia
The second supine (ablative form) migratu (from the verb migro) modifying the adjective difficilia. It functions as an ablative of respect (specification), meaning 'difficult to move' or 'difficult to carry away'.
- 10.34.13aliquot circa urbes
The prepositional phrase circa ('around') is used attributively to modify the noun urbes directly ('several surrounding cities'). This is a Grecism (imitation of Greek syntax), characteristic of Livy's style.