- 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-lat2:28.21.1-28.21.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Scipio returns to New Carthage to host a voluntary gladiatorial show in honor of his father and uncle, during which two cousins, Corbis and Orsua, decide their dispute over the sovereignty of Ibe by a duel.
Marcius inde in barbaros, si qui nondum perdomiti erant, sub ius dicionemque redigendos1 missus; Scipio Carthaginem ad vota solvenda deis munusque gladiatorium, quod mortis causa patris patruique paraverat, edendum rediit.
Marcius was then sent to reduce the barbarians, if any were not yet thoroughly subdued, under Rome’s authority and dominion; Scipio returned to Carthage to perform his vows to the gods and to exhibit a gladiatorial show, which he had prepared on account of the death of his father and uncle.
gladiatorum spectaculum fuit non ex eo genere hominum, ex quo lanistis comparare mos est, servorum de catasta ac liberorum, qui venalem sanguinem habent:
The gladiatorial spectacle was not of that class of men from which lanistae are accustomed to procure them, slaves from the auction platform and free men who have their blood for sale:
voluntaria omnis et gratuita opera pugnantium fuit. nam alii missi ab regulis sunt ad specimen insitae genti virtutis ostendendum, alii ipsi professi se pugnaturos in gratiam ducis, alios aemulatio et certamen, ut provocarent, provocative2 haud abnuerent, traxit;
all the service of those who fought was voluntary and unpaid. For some were sent by petty kings to demonstrate the courage innate in their nation, others declared of their own accord that they would fight to win the favor of the general; others were drawn by rivalry and competition, either to challenge or not to decline a challenge;
quidam quas disceptando controversias finire nequierant aut noluerant pacto inter se, ut victorem res sequeretur, ferro decreverunt.
some decided with the sword, by an agreement between themselves that the property in dispute should go to the victor, those controversies which they had been unable or unwilling to end by discussion.
neque obscuri generis homines, sed clari inlustresque, Corbis et Orsua patrueles fratres, de principatu civitatis, quam Ibem vocabant, ambigentes, ferro se certaturos professi sunt.
Nor were they men of obscure rank, but distinguished and illustrious, Corbis and Orsua, cousin brothers, disputing for the sovereignty of a city which they called Ibe, who declared that they would contend with the sword.
Corbis maior aetate erat; Orsuae pater princeps proxime fuerat, a fratre maiore post mortem eius principatu accepto. cum verbis disceptare Scipio vellet ac sedare iras, negatum id ambo dicere3 cognatis communibus, nec alium deorum hominumve quam Martem se iudicem habituros esse.
Corbis was the elder in age; Orsua’s father had been the prince most recently, having received the sovereignty from his elder brother after his death. Although Scipio wished to settle the dispute with words and appease their anger, both of them told their common kinsmen that this was refused, and that they would have no other judge, of gods or men, than Mars.
robore maior, minor flore aetatis ferox, mortem in certamine, quam ut alter alterius imperio subiceretur, praeoptantes, cum dirimi ab tanta rabie nequirent, insigne spectaculum exercitui praebuere documentumque, quantum cupiditas imperii malum inter mortales esset.
The elder, superior in strength, and the younger, fierce in the flower of his youth, preferring death in combat to being subjected to the command of the other, since they could not be diverted from such madness, presented a remarkable spectacle to the army and a proof of how great an evil the lust for power is among mortals.
maior usu armorum et astu facile stolidas vires minoris superavit. huic gladiatorum spectaculo ludi funebres additi pro copia provinciali et castrensi apparatu.
The elder, by his experience in arms and by cunning, easily overcame the brute force of the younger. To this gladiatorial show were added funeral games, according to the resources of the province and the equipment of the camp.
- 28.21.1sub ius dicionemque redigendos
The gerundive (future passive participle) redigendos agrees with the preceding barbaros and expresses purpose ('barbarians to be reduced'). A parallel construction expressing purpose appears in the latter half of the sentence with munusque gladiatorium... edendum ('a gladiatorial show to be exhibited').
- 28.21.4provocative
Formed of the perfect passive participle nominative plural provocati combined with the enclitic disjunctive conjunction -ve ('or'). Standing in contrast to the preceding clause ut provocarent ('that they might challenge'), it functions as a conditional/concessive participle meaning 'or, if challenged [not to decline]'.
- 28.21.8negatum id ambo dicere
A construction with the historical infinitive dicere ('both said'), taking the nominative ambo ('both') as its subject. The clause negatum [esse] id is the accusative with infinitive (indirect speech) acting as the object of dicere, meaning 'both said that this was refused'.