- 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-lat2:2.20.1-2.20.13
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- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-04
In the Battle of Lake Regillus, prominent leaders from both Roman and Latin sides clash in personal combat, resulting in severe casualties. Ultimately, the dictator Postumius orders the cavalry to dismount to reinforce the line, and by vowing a temple and promising rewards, he inspires the Roman forces to capture the enemy camp and secure victory.
referentibus iam pedem ab ea parte Romanis M. Valerius, Publicolae frater, conspicatus ferocem iuvenem Tarquinium ostentantem se in prima exulum acie, domestica etiam gloria accensus, ut, cuius familiae decus eiecti reges erant, eiusdem interfecti forent,1 subdit calcaria equo et Tarquinium infesto spiculo petit. Tarquinius retro in agmen suorum infenso cessit hosti.
As the Romans were already retreating in that quarter, Marcus Valerius, brother of Publicola, having espied the fierce young Tarquin showing himself in the front line of the exiles, kindled also by family glory, in order that, as the expulsion of the kings had been the glory of his family, their slaughter might be the glory of the same family, dug his spurs into his horse and charged Tarquin with hostile spear. Tarquin withdrew backward into the column of his men before the hostile enemy.
Valerium temere invectum in exulum aciem ex transverso quidam adortus transfigit, nec quicquam equitis vulnere equo retardato2 moribundus Romanus labentibus super corpus armis ad terram defluxit.
Someone, having attacked from the flank Valerius as he charged blindly into the line of the exiles, pierced him through; and without the horse being at all slowed down by the wound of its rider, the dying Roman, with his arms slipping over his body, slid down to the earth.
dictator Postumius postquam cecidisse talem virum, exules ferociter citato agmine invehi, suos perculsos cedere animadvertit, cohorti suae, quam delectam manum praesidii causa circa se habebat, dat signum, ut, quem suorum fugientem viderint, pro hoste habeant. ita metu ancipiti versi a fuga Romani in hostem et restituta acies.
After the dictator Postumius noticed that so great a man had fallen, that the exiles were charging fiercely with quickened column, and that his own men, stricken, were giving way, he gave the signal to his cohort, which he had around him as a chosen band for the purpose of a guard, that they should treat as an enemy whomever of their own men they saw fleeing. Thus, turned from flight toward the enemy by a double fear, the Romans restored the line of battle.
cohors dictatoris tum primum proelium iniit; integris corporibus animisque fessos adorti exules caedunt.
The dictator’s cohort then for the first time entered the battle; attacking the exhausted exiles with fresh bodies and spirits, they slaughtered them.
ibi alia inter proceres coorta pugna. imperator Latinus ubi cohortem exulum a dictatore Romano prope circumventam vidit, ex subsidiariis manipulos aliquot in primam aciem secum rapit.
There another battle arose among the leaders. When the Latin commander saw the cohort of exiles almost surrounded by the Roman dictator, he snatched several maniples from the reserves into the front line with him.
hos agmine venientes T. Herminius legatus conspicatus interque eos insignem veste armisque Mamilium noscitans tanto vi maiore,3 quam paulo ante magister equitum, cum hostium duce proelium iniit, ut et uno ictu transfixum per latus occiderit Mamilium et ipse inter spoliandum corpus hostis veruto percussus, cum victor in castra esset relatus, inter primam curationem exspiraverit.
The lieutenant Titus Herminius, having espied them coming in a column, and recognizing Mamilius among them, distinguished by his dress and arms, entered into battle with the leader of the enemies with a force so much greater than the master of the horse had done a little before, that he both killed Mamilius, pierced through the side by a single blow, and he himself, struck by a javelin while despoiling the body of the enemy, when he was carried back victorious to the camp, expired during the first treatment.
tum ad equites dictator advolat obtestans, ut fesso iam pedite descendant ex equis et pugnam capessant. dicto paruere:4 desiliunt ex equis, provolant in primum et pro antesignanis parmas obiciunt.
Then the dictator flew to the cavalry, entreating them, since the infantry was already exhausted, to dismount from their horses and take up the fight. They obeyed the command: they leaped down from their horses, dashed forward to the front, and opposed their small shields in front of the standard-bearers.
recipit extemplo animum pedestris acies, postquam iuventutis proceres aequato genere pugnae secum partem periculi sustinentes vidit.
The infantry line immediately recovered its courage after it saw the leading men of the youth bearing a part of the danger with them in an equalized kind of fighting.
tum demum inpulsi Latini, perculsaque inclinavit acies. equiti admoti equi, ut persequi hostem posset; secuta et pedestris acies. ibi nihil nec divinae nec humanae opis dictator praetermittens aedem Castori vovisse5 fertur ac pronuntiasse militi praemia, qui primus, qui secundus castra hostium intrasset; tantusque ardor fuit, ut eodem impetu, quo fuderant hostem Romani, castra caperent. hoc modo ad lacum Regillum pugnatum est. dictator et magister equitum triumphantes in urbem rediere.
Then at last the Latins were pushed back, and their stricken line gave way. Their horses were brought up to the cavalry so that they could pursue the enemy; the infantry line also followed. There the dictator, neglecting nothing of either divine or human aid, is said to have vowed a temple to Castor and to have promised rewards to the soldier who should be the first, and to him who should be the second, to enter the enemy’s camp; and so great was their ardor, that the Romans captured the camp with the same onset with which they had routed the enemy. In this manner the battle at Lake Regillus was fought. The dictator and the master of the horse returned in triumph to the city.
- 2.20.2ut, cuius familiae decus eiecti reges erant, eiusdem interfecti forent
The correlative structure cuius... eiusdem sets up a comparison: 'in order that, of whichever family the expelled kings had been the glory, of the same family they might be [the glory] when slain'. forent is equivalent to essent (subjunctive imperfect), and interfecti agrees with the understood subject reges. This contrasts the past glory of expelling the kings with the hoped-for glory of slaying them.
- 2.20.3nec quicquam equitis vulnere equo retardato
quicquam is an adverbial accusative strengthening the negation ('not at all'). equo retardato is an ablative absolute, inside of which equitis vulnere functions as an ablative of cause modifying retardato ('by the wound of the rider'). It describes how the horse was not slowed down despite the rider, not the horse itself, being wounded.
- 2.20.8tanto vi maiore
tanto is an ablative of degree of difference modifying the comparative adjective maiore ('by so much'). vi maiore is an ablative of manner or means; vi is the irregular ablative singular of vis (force, strength). This indicates that Herminius charged with a force far greater than that of the master of the horse Aebutius just before.
- 2.20.10dicto paruere
The intransitive verb parere ('to obey') governs the dative case. Thus, dicto (dative singular of the neuter noun dictum, 'word, command') is used as its complement. The phrase literally means 'they were obedient to the word'.
- 2.20.12aedem Castori vovisse
Castori is the dative singular of the deity Castor. The verb vovere ('to vow') takes the accusative of the thing promised (aedem, 'temple') and the dative of the deity to whom it is promised. This refers to the legendary origin of the famous Temple of Castor and Pollux in the Roman Forum.