- 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-lat2:2.14.1-2.14.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-04
The origin of the ritual custom of selling King Porsinna's goods is explained as deriving from his presentation of his rich camp to the Romans upon his departure. Additionally, Arruns, son of Porsinna, attacks Aricia but is defeated, leading to the survivors finding refuge in Rome and establishing the "Tuscan Street."
huic tam pacatae profectioni ab urbe regis Etrusci abhorrens mos1 traditus ab antiquis usque ad nostram aetatem inter cetera sollemnia manet bona Porsinnae regis vendendi.
Inconsistent with this so peaceful departure of the Etruscan king from the city, a custom handed down from the ancients even to our age remains among other ceremonies, that of selling the goods of King Porsinna.
cuius originem moris necesse est aut inter bellum natam esse neque omissam in pace aut a mitiore crevisse principio, quam hic prae se ferat titulus bona hostiliter vendendi.
The origin of this custom must either have arisen during the war and not been dropped in peace, or have grown from a milder beginning than this title of “selling goods in a hostile manner” displays.
proximum vero est ex iis, quae traduntur, Porsinnam discedentem ab Ianiculo castra opulenta convecto ex propinquis ac fertilibus Etruriae arvis commeatu Romanis dono dedisse, inopi tum urbe ab longinqua obsidione;2
But the closest to the truth among the things handed down is that Porsinna, departing from the Janiculum, gave his rich camp, filled with provisions collected from the neighboring and fertile fields of Etruria, to the Romans as a gift, as the city was then destitute from the long blockade;
ea deinde, ne populo inmisso diriperentur hostiliter, venisse3 bonaque Porsinnae appellata, gratiam muneris magis significant titulo quam auctionem fortunae regiae, quae ne in potestate quidem populi Romani esset.4
those goods were then sold, lest if the people were let in they should be plundered in a hostile manner, and were called “the goods of Porsinna,” signifying by this title the gratitude for the gift rather than an auction of the king’s property, which indeed was not even in the power of the Roman people.
omisso Romano bello Porsinna, ne frustra in ea loca exercitus adductus videretur, cum parte copiarum filium Arruntem Ariciam oppugnatum mittit.
The Roman war having been abandoned, Porsinna, lest his army should seem to have been led into those parts in vain, sent his son Arruns with a part of the forces to attack Aricia.
primo Aricinos res necopinata perculerat; arcessita deinde auxilia et a Latinis populis et a Cumis tantum spei5 fecere, ut acie decernere auderent. proelio inito adeo concitato impetu se intulerant Etrusci, ut funderent ipso incursu Aricinos;
At first the unexpected event had terrified the Aricini; then, auxiliary forces summoned both from the Latin peoples and from Cumae inspired so much hope that they dared to decide the matter in a pitched battle. When the battle was begun, the Etruscans advanced with such rapid onset that they routed the Aricini by their very charge;
Cumanae cohortes arte adversus vim usae declinavere paululum effuseque praelatos hostes6 conversis signis ab tergo adortae sunt: ita in medio prope iam victores caesi Etrusci.
the Cumaean cohorts, using skill against force, gave way a little, and having wheeled around, attacked from the rear the enemy who had rushed past them in disorder; thus the Etruscans, who were already almost victors, were surrounded and cut down.
pars perexigua duce amisso, quia nullum propius perfugium erat, Romam inermes et fortuna et specie supplicum delati sunt.
A very small part, having lost their leader, because there was no closer refuge, made their way to Rome, unarmed, in the condition and appearance of suppliants.
ibi benigne excepti divisique in hospitia. curatis volneribus alii profecti domos nuntii hospitalium beneficiorum; multos Romae hospitum urbisque caritas tenuit. his locus ad habitandum datus, quem deinde Tuscum vicum appellarunt.
There they were kindly received and distributed among private lodgings. Their wounds having been cared for, some set out for home, messengers of the hospitable kindnesses; affection for their hosts and for the city kept many at Rome. To these a place to dwell was given, which they afterwards called the Tuscan Street.
- 2.14.1huic tam pacatae profectioni ab urbe regis Etrusci abhorrens mos
abhorrens governs the dative and modifies mos. Thus, huic ... profectioni depends on abhorrens ("a custom inconsistent with this so peaceful departure").
- 2.14.3inopi tum urbe ab longinqua obsidione
An ablative absolute consisting of the noun urbe and the adjective inopi without a participle, indicating the circumstance or cause ("as the city was then destitute from the long blockade").
- 2.14.4ea deinde, ne populo inmisso diriperentur hostiliter, venisse
venisse is the perfect infinitive of veneo (to be sold), forming an accusative and infinitive construction with ea as its subject, depending on the implicit main verb of reporting from the preceding sentence.
- 2.14.4quae ne in potestate quidem populi Romani esset
The subjunctive esset in the relative clause is used either because it is a subordinate clause in indirect speech (representing the thoughts of the chroniclers or Romans) or to express characteristic.
- 2.14.6tantum spei
spei is a partitive genitive (or genitive of the whole) dependent on the neuter singular pronoun tantum ("so much of hope", i.e., "so much hope").
- 2.14.7effuseque praelatos hostes
praelatos is the accusative perfect passive participle of praefero used in a middle/reflexive sense ("having rushed past", "carried forward"). It is modified by the adverb effuse ("disorderly").