- 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-lat2:4.28.1-4.28.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
At dawn, the Roman forces launch a full offensive, while the Volscian Vettius Messius rallies his men to break through with desperate courage, leading to a fierce struggle in which commanders on both sides are wounded.
et iam lucescebat omniaque sub oculis erant. et Fabius cum equitatu impetum dederat, et consul eruptionem e castris in trepidos iam hostes fecerat;
And now it was growing light, and everything was plain to view. Both Fabius had charged with his cavalry, and the consul had made a sally from the camp upon the enemy, who were already in a state of panic;
dictator autem parte altera subsidia et secundam aciem adortus circumagenti1 se ad dissonos clamores ac subitos tumultus hosti undique obiecerat victorem peditem equitemque.
the dictator, however, having attacked the reserves and the second line in another quarter, had opposed his victorious infantry and cavalry on all sides to the enemy, who were turning themselves towards the discordant cries and sudden tumults.
circumventi igitur iam in medio ad unum omnes poenas rebellionis dedissent, ni Vettius Messius ex Volscis, nobilior vir factis quam genere, iam orbem volventes suos increpans clara voce “hic praebituri”2 inquit “vos telis hostium estis indefensi, inulti? quid igitur arma habetis aut quid ultro bellum intulistis in otio tumultuosi, in bello segnes? quid hic stantibus3 spei est? an deum aliquem protecturum vos rapturumque hinc putatis? ferro via facienda est.
They would therefore, now surrounded in the midst, all to a man have paid the penalty of their rebellion, had not Vettius Messius, a Volscian, more noble for his deeds than his birth, rebuking his men who were already forming a circle, cried out with a loud voice: “Are you going to offer yourselves here defenceless and unavenged to the weapons of the enemy? Why then do you have arms, or why did you voluntarily bring on war, turbulent in peace, sluggish in war? What hope is there for those who stand here? Do you think that some god will protect you and snatch you away from here? A way must be made with the sword.
hac, qua me praegressum videritis, agite, qui visuri domos parentes, coniuges liberos estis, ite mecum. non murus nec vallum, sed armati armatis obstant. virtute pares, necessitate, quae ultimum ac maximum telum est, superiores estis.”
Come on, where you see me go before you; you who hope to see your homes, parents, wives, and children, come with me! It is not a wall or a rampart, but armed men who stand in the way of armed men. Equal in courage, you are superior in necessity, which is the ultimate and greatest weapon.”
haec locutum exsequentemque dicta redintegrato clamore secuti dant inpressionem, qua Postumius Albus cohortes obiecerat; et moverunt victorem, donec dictator pedem iam referentibus suis4 advenit, eoque omne proelium versum est.
Having spoken these words, and suiting his actions to his words, they followed him with a renewed shout and made a charge where Postumius Albus had opposed his cohorts; and they shook the victors, until the dictator arrived, while his own men were already retreating, and the whole battle was turned to that quarter.
uni viro, Messio, fortuna hostium innititur. multa utrimque vulnera, multa passim caedes est. iam ne duces quidem Romani incruenti pugnant.
On one man, Messius, the fortune of the enemy depended. There were many wounds on both sides, and much slaughter everywhere. Now not even the Roman leaders fought without drawing blood.
unus Postumius ictus saxo perfracto capite acie excessit, non dictatorem umerus vulneratus,5 non Fabium prope affixum equo femur, non bracchium abscisum consulem ex tam ancipiti proelio summovit.
Postumius alone, struck by a stone, with his skull fractured, left the field; but neither his wounded shoulder withdrew the dictator, nor his thigh almost pinned to his horse withdrew Fabius, nor his lacerated arm withdrew the consul from so critical a struggle.
- 4.28.2circumagenti
The dative present participle circumagenti, used with the reflexive pronoun se, modifies the collective noun hosti in the dative, which serves as the indirect object of obiecerat.
- 4.28.3praebituri
Nominative plural of the future participle, introducing the direct speech while anticipating or ellipting the auxiliary verb estis from the subsequent sentence vos ... estis.
- 4.28.4stantibus
The present participle stantibus is in the dative, functioning as a dative of possession with quid spei est ("what of hope is there to those standing"). spei is a partitive genitive.
- 4.28.6pedem iam referentibus suis
An ablative absolute construction composed of the pronoun suis, the present participle referentibus, and the object pedem, meaning "while his own men were already retreating."
- 4.28.8non dictatorem umerus vulneratus
A parallel sentence structure where three subjects (vulneratus umerus, femur, bracchium abscisum) and three accusative objects (dictatorem, Fabium, consulem) are juxtaposed, all governed by the single transitive verb summovit at the end.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1