- 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
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:3.28.1-3.28.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
The dictator Cincinnatus surrounds and besieges the Aequi at night; caught between two forces, the enemy surrenders and is forced to submit to the humiliation of passing under the yoke.
ibi dictator, quantum nocte prospici poterat,1 equo circumvectus contemplatusque, qui tractus castrorum quaeque forma esset, tribunis militum imperavit, ut sarcinas in unum conici iubeant, militem cum armis valloque redire in ordines suos.2 facta quae imperavit. turn, quo fuerant ordine in via, exercitum omnem longo agmine circumdat hostium castris et, ubi signum datum sit, clamorem omnes tollere iubet, clamore sublato ante se quemque ducere fossam et iacere vallum.
There the dictator, riding round and observing, as far as could be seen in the night, what the extent of the camp was and what its shape, ordered the military tribunes to command that the baggage be thrown into one heap, and that the soldiers with their arms and stakes should return to their ranks. His orders were executed. Then, in the same order as they had been on the march, he surrounded the enemy’s camp with his whole army in a long column, and ordered that, when the signal should be given, they should all raise a shout, and that, after the shout was raised, each man should dig a trench before himself and fix his stake.
edito imperio signum secutum est. iussa miles exsequitur. clamor hostes circumsonat; superat inde castra hostium et in castra consulis venit;
The signal followed the delivery of the command. The soldiers executed their orders. The shout resounded around the enemy; then it passed beyond the enemy’s camp and reached the camp of the consul.
alibi pavorem, alibi gaudium ingens facit. Romani civilem esse clamorem atque auxilium adesse inter se gratulantes ultro ex stationibus ac vigiliis territant hostem.
In one place it caused terror, in another immense joy. The Romans, congratulating each other that it was the shout of citizens and that help was at hand, actively terrified the enemy from their outposts and watches.
consul differendum negat:3 illo clamore non adventum modo significari, sed rem ab suis coeptam; mirumque esse, ni iam4 exteriore parte castra hostium oppugnentur.
The consul declared that they must not delay; by that shout not merely the arrival was indicated, but that action had been commenced by their own men; and it would be a wonder if the enemy’s camp were not already being attacked on its outer side.
itaque arma suos capere et se subsequi iubet. nocte initum proelium est; legionibus dictatoris clamore significant ab ea quoque parte rem in discrimine esse.
Therefore he ordered his men to take arms and follow him. The battle was begun in the night; by their shout they indicated to the dictator’s legions that on their side also the matter was in crisis.
iam se ad prohibenda circumdari opera Aequi parabant, cum ab interiore hoste proelio coepto, ne per media sua castra fieret eruptio, a munientibus ad pugnantes introrsum versi vacuam noctem operi dedere;5 pugnatumque cum consule ad lucem est.
Already the Aequi were preparing to prevent the works from surrounding them, when, the battle having been commenced by the inner enemy, lest a sally should be made through the middle of their own camp, they turned inward from the builders to the fighters, and left the night free for the work; and they fought with the consul until dawn.
luce prima iam circumvallati ab dictatore erant et vix adversus unum exercitum pugnam sustinebant. tum a Quinctiano exercitu, qui confestim a perfecto opere ad arma rediit, invaditur vallum. hic instabat nova pugna; illa nihil remiserat prior.
At dawn they were already surrounded by the dictator, and could scarcely maintain the fight against one army. Then the rampart was attacked by Quinctius’ army, which immediately after finishing the work had returned to their arms. Here a new battle was pressing; the former one had in no way slackened.
tum ancipiti malo urgente a proelio ad preces versi hinc dictatorem, hinc consulem orare,6 ne in occidione victoriam ponerent, ut inermes se inde abire sinerent. ab consule ad dictatorem ire iussi; is ignominiam infensus addidit:
Then, pressed by a double danger, they turned from fighting to entreaties, and began to implore on one side the dictator, on the other the consul, not to place their victory in carnage, but to suffer them to depart from there unarmed. They were ordered by the consul to go to the dictator; the latter, full of resentment, added ignominy:
Gracchum Cloelium ducem principesque alios vinctos ad se adduci iubet, oppido Corbione decedi. sanguinis se Aequorum non egere; licere abire; sed, ut exprimatur tandem confessio subactam domitamque esse gentem, sub iugum abituros.7
he ordered Gracchus Cloelius, the general, and the other chiefs to be brought to him in chains, and the town of Corbio to be evacuated. He said that he did not need the blood of the Aequi; they were permitted to depart; but, that a confession might at length be wrung from them that their nation was conquered and subdued, they must pass under the yoke.
tribus hastis iugum fit humi fixis duabus superque eas transversa una deligata. sub hoc iugum dictator Aequos misit.
A yoke is made of three spears, two fixed in the ground and one tied across over them. Under this yoke the dictator sent the Aequi.
- 3.28.1quantum nocte prospici poterat
quantum is an adverbial accusative of limitation ('as far as'). prospici is an impersonal passive infinitive ('to be seen'), meaning 'as far as could be seen in the night'.
- 3.28.1ut sarcinas in unum conici iubeant, militem cum armis valloque redire in ordines suos
Serving as complements to the main verb imperavit (ordered), the ut-clause with the subjunctive (iubeant) and the accusative with infinitive clause (militem... redire) are coordinated.
- 3.28.5differendum negat
differendum is an impersonal gerundive with esse omitted, forming an accusative with infinitive construction in indirect discourse ('he says that there must be no delay').
- 3.28.5mirumque esse, ni iam
mirum esse, ni... is an idiomatic expression with a negative conditional clause, meaning 'it would be strange if not... (i.e., surely... is the case)'.
- 3.28.7cum ... vacuam noctem operi dedere
cum is a 'cum inversum' (inverted cum), indicating a sudden or unexpected event occurring while the action of the main clause is in progress. ab interiore hoste proelio coepto is an ablative absolute. The subject of dedere is Aequi, meaning they inadvertently left the night free for the Roman siege works.
- 3.28.9orare
An historical infinitive, functioning with the force of an imperfect indicative (orabant). The subject is the Aequi.
- 3.28.10sub iugum abituros
A future infinitive (abituros esse) in indirect discourse, with both esse and its subject accusative Aequos omitted.