- 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-lat2:40.40.1-40.40.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
In a fierce battle between the Romans and the Celtiberians, the Roman cavalry's daring charge broke the enemy's wedge formation, leading to a decisive Roman victory. Afterwards, Fulvius and Sempronius reorganized the troops, and Fulvius returned to Rome.
atrox ubique proelium, sed varia fortuna erat. egregie legiones, nec segnius duae alae pugnabant: externa auxilia ab simili armatura, meliore aliquantum militum genere1 urgebantur, nec locum tueri poterant.
The battle was fierce everywhere, but the fortune was varied. The legions fought outstandingly, and the two wings fought no less actively: the foreign auxiliaries were hard pressed by an enemy with similar armor but somewhat better class of soldiers, and they could not maintain their position.
Celtiberi ubi ordinata acie et signis collatis se non esse pares legionibus senserunt, cuneo impressionem fecerunt, quo tantum valent genere pugnae, ut quamcumque partem perculere impetu suo, sustineri nequeant. tunc quoque turbatae legiones sunt, prope interrupta acies.
When the Celtiberians perceived that they were not equal to the legions in an organized battle line and in close combat, they made an attack with a wedge, in which kind of fighting they are so strong that whatever part they strike with their onset, they cannot be withstood. Then also the legions were thrown into confusion, and the line was almost broken.
quam trepidationem ubi Flaccus conspexit, equo advehitur ad legionarios equites, et “ni quid auxilii in vobis est, actum iam de hoc exercitu erit.” cum undique acclamassent, quin ederet, quid fieri vellet:2 non segniter imperium exsecuturos;3
When Flaccus saw this panic, he rode up to the legionary cavalry and said: “If there is no help in you, it will be all over with this army.” When they had cried out from all sides, asking him to declare what he wanted done, promising they would execute his order with no delay;
“duplicate turmas” inquit, “duarum legionum equites, et permittite equos in cuneum hostium, quo nostros urgent. id cum maiore vi facietis, si effrenatos in eos equos immittitis;
he said: “Double your squadrons, cavalry of the two legions, and charge your horses into the enemy’s wedge, with which they are pressing our men. You will do this with greater force if you let your horses loose against them;
quod saepe Romanos equites cum magna laude fecisse sua memoriae proditum est.”
which it has been handed down to memory that the Roman cavalry have often done with great praise.”
dicto paruerunt detractisque frenis bis ultro citroque cum magna strage hostium, infractis omnibus hastis, transcurrerunt. dissipato cuneo, in quo omnis spes fuerat, Celtiberi trepidare et prope omissa pugna locum fugae circumspicere.4
They obeyed his word, and having removed the reins, they galloped through twice, this way and that, with great slaughter of the enemy, breaking all their spears. When the wedge was dispersed, in which all their hope had been, the Celtiberians panicked and, almost abandoning the fight, looked around for a place of flight.
et alarii equites postquam Romanorum equitum tam memorabile facinus videre, et ipsi virtute eorum accensi sine ullius imperio in perturbatos iam hostes equos immittunt.
And after the allied cavalry saw such a memorable feat of the Roman cavalry, they themselves, kindled by their courage, charged their horses without anyone’s command into the already confused enemy.
tunc vero Celtiberi omnes in fugam effunduntur, et imperator Romanus aversos hostes contemplatus aedem Fortunae equestri Iovique optimo maximo ludos vovit.
Then indeed all the Celtiberians turned and fled, and the Roman commander, beholding the retreating enemy, vowed a temple to Equestrian Fortune and games to Jupiter Optimus Maximus.
caeduntur Celtiberi per totum saltum dissipati fuga. decem et septem milia hostium caesa eo die traduntur, vivi capti plus tria milia septingenti, cum signis militaribus septuaginta septem, equis prope sescentis.
The Celtiberians, scattered in flight, were slaughtered throughout the entire pass. Seventeen thousand of the enemy are reported to have been slain on that day, and more than three thousand seven hundred taken alive, along with seventy-seven military standards and nearly six hundred horses.
in suis castris eo die victor exercitus mansit. victoria non sine iactura militum fuit:
On that day, the victorious army remained in its own camp. The victory was not without the loss of soldiers:
quadringenti septuaginta duo milites Romani, socium ac Latini nominis mille decem et novem, cum his tria milia militum auxiliariorum perierunt. ita victor exercitus renovata priore gloria Tarraconem est perductus.
four hundred and seventy-two Roman soldiers, one thousand and nineteen of the allies and Latin name, and with these three thousand auxiliary soldiers perished. Thus the victorious army, with its former glory renewed, was led back to Tarraco.
venienti Fulvio Ti. Sempronius praetor, qui biduo ante venerat, obviam processit gratulatusque est, quod rem publicam egregie gessisset. cum summa concordia, quos dimitterent quosque retinerent milites, composuerunt.
Tiberius Sempronius the praetor, who had arrived two days before, went to meet the arriving Fulvius and congratulated him on having conducted the affairs of the state excellently. With the greatest harmony, they settled which soldiers to discharge and which to retain.
inde Fulvius exauctoratis militibus in naves impositis Romam est profectus, Sempronius in Celtiberiam legiones duxit.
Then Fulvius, having discharged his soldiers and put them on board ships, set out for Rome, while Sempronius led the legions into Celtiberia.
- 40.40.1ab simili armatura, meliore aliquantum militum genere
The ablatives armatura and genere introduced by ab express the agent of the passive verb urgebantur. Although they are abstract nouns ("armor", "class"), they are used metonymically to refer to "the enemy troops who had similar armor but were of a somewhat better class of soldiers."
- 40.40.4quin ederet, quid fieri vellet
quin with the subjunctive ederet introduces a clause dependent on the idea of not hesitating or delaying, which is implied in the loud shout of the soldiers (acclamassent), serving as an indirect command/entreaty to the effect of "asking him to declare without hesitation what he wanted done."
- 40.40.4non segniter imperium exsecuturos
An accusative with infinitive construction in indirect speech following acclamassent, with the subject accusative se omitted before the future active participle exsecuturos (with esse understood).
- 40.40.8Celtiberi trepidare et prope omissa pugna locum fugae circumspicere
The infinitives trepidare and circumspicere are historical infinitives, used with the nominative subject Celtiberi to describe a rapid or dramatic action in the past, functioning equivalently to the imperfect (or perfect) indicative.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1