- 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-lat2:23.47.1-23.47.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-25
The Roman Asellus accepts the challenge of the Campanian Taurea for a single combat. Since Taurea refuses to fight in the narrow road proposed by Asellus, Asellus returns as the victor, and a miraculous anecdote about his pursuit is recorded.
haec ubi Asello sunt nuntiata in castra, id modo moratus, ut consulem percunctaretur,1 liceretne extra ordinem in provocantem hostem pugnare, permissu eius arma extemplo cepit provectusque ante stationes equo Tauream nomine compellavit congredique, ubi vellet, iussit.
When these things were reported to Asellus in the camp, having delayed only so long as to ask the consul whether he might fight against the challenging enemy outside of the ranks, with his permission he immediately took up arms, and having ridden out before the outposts, he called upon Taurea by name and ordered him to clash where he pleased.
iam Romani ad spectaculum pugnae eius frequentes exierant, et Campani non vallum modo castrorum sed moenia etiam urbis prospectantes repleverant.
Already the Romans had gone out in crowds to watch this fight, and the Campanians also, looking on, had filled not only the rampart of the camp but even the walls of the city.
cum iam ante ferocibus dictis rem nobilitassent, infestis hastis concitarunt equos; dein libero spatio inter se ludificantes sine vulnere pugnam extrahebant.
Since they had already previously made the affair famous with fierce words, they spurred on their horses with spears leveled; then, maneuvering against each other in the open space, they prolonged the fight without a wound.
tum Romanus Campano “Equorum” inquit “hoc, non equitum erit certamen, nisi e campo in cavam hanc viam demittimus equos; ibi nullo ad evagandum spatio comminus conserentur manus.”
Then the Roman said to the Campanian: “This will be a contest of horses, not of horsemen, unless we ride our horses down from the plain into this hollow road; there, with no room to wheel about, we shall exchange blows at close quarters.”
dicto prope citius equum in viam Claudius deiecit; Taurea verbis ferocior quam re “minime sis” inquit “cantherium in fossam;”2 quae vox in rusticum inde proverbium prodita est.
Almost faster than the word was spoken, Claudius plunged his horse into the road; Taurea, fiercer in words than in action, said, “By no means, please, a gelding into a ditch!” which expression was passed down from then on as a rustic proverb.
Claudius, cum cava longe perequitasset via, nullo obvio hoste in campum rursus evectus increpans ignaviam hostis cum magno gaudio et gratulatione victor in castra redit.
Claudius, when he had ridden a long way through the hollow road, with no enemy meeting him, rode back out into the plain, and, upbraiding the cowardice of the enemy, returned as victor to the camp with great joy and congratulation.
huic pugnae equestri rem — quae quam vera sit, communis existimatio est3 — mirabilem certe adiciunt quidam annales: cum refugientem ad urbem Tauream Claudius sequeretur, patenti hostium porta invectum per alteram stupentibus miraculo hostibus intactum evasisse.4
To this cavalry combat some annals add a story—how true it may be is a matter of common opinion—which is certainly marvelous: that when Claudius was pursuing Taurea as he fled back to the city, having ridden in through an open gate of the enemy, he escaped unharmed through another gate while the enemy were paralyzed with astonishment.
- 23.47.1id modo moratus, ut consulem percunctaretur
The pronoun id anticipates the following ut clause (noun or purpose clause), meaning "having delayed only for this purpose, namely, to ask the consul."
- 23.47.6minime sis ... cantherium in fossam
sis is a contraction of si vis ("if you please", "pray"). cantherium in fossam is a proverbial expression with the verb (such as mitte or deice) omitted, meaning "don't throw a gelding into a ditch" (i.e., do not run into reckless danger).
- 23.47.8quae quam vera sit, communis existimatio est
A parenthetical clause. The relative pronoun quae refers back to rem (the event) and is the subject of the indirect question quam vera sit ("how true it may be"). communis existimatio est means "there is a common opinion (namely, that it is doubtful)," indicating Livy's skepticism about the credibility of the anecdote.
- 23.47.8patenti hostium porta invectum ... evasisse
An accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction dependent on the main verb adiciunt. The subject accusative eum (referring to Claudius) is omitted, and the perfect participle invectum agrees with this omitted subject in the masculine singular accusative.