Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §1.21.1-1.21.6

Peace under Numa and the End of His Reign

Passage 22 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Through Numa's religious reforms, both Roman citizens and neighboring peoples came to respect piety and peace, leading to the dedication of the grove of the Camenae, the institution of the festival of Faith, and the completion of his forty-three-year peaceful reign.

§1.21.1ad haec consultanda procurandaque multitudine omni a vi et armis conversa et animi aliquid agendo occupati erant, et deorum assidua insidens cura, cum interesse rebus humanis caeleste numen videretur, ea pietate omnium pectora imbuerat, ut fides ac ius iurandum pro obnoxio legurm ac poenarum metu civitatem regerent.
While all the multitude was turned away from violence and arms to consult and care for these things, and their minds were occupied with doing something, a constant, deep-seated reverence for the gods, since the heavenly divinity seemed to take part in human affairs, had imbued the hearts of all with such piety that faith and oaths, instead of the fear of laws and punishments, governed the state.
§1.21.2et cum ipsi se homines in regis velut unici exempli mores formarent, tum finitumi etiam populi, qui antea castra, non urbem positam in medio ad sollicitandam omnium pacem crediderant, in eam verecundiam adducti sunt, ut civitatem totam in cultum versam deorum violare ducerent nefas.
And not only did the men themselves fashion their own characters after those of the king, as after a unique model, but even the neighboring peoples, who had previously believed that a camp, not a city, had been established in their midst to disturb the peace of all, were brought to such reverence that they deemed it a sacrilege to violate a state entirely devoted to the worship of the gods.
§1.21.3lucus erat, quem medium ex opaco specu fons perenni rigabat aqua.
There was a grove, the middle of which a spring watered with perennial water from a dark cave.
quo quia se persaepe Numa sine arbitris velut ad congressum deae inferebat, Camenis eum lucum sacravit, quod earum ibi concilia cum coniuge sua Egeria essent.
Because Numa very often betook himself there without witnesses, as if to a meeting with a goddess, he dedicated that grove to the Camenae, because their meetings with his wife Egeria were held there.
§1.21.4et Fidei sollemne instituit.
He also established a solemn festival to Faith.
ad id sacrarium flamines bigis curru arcuato vehi iussit manuque ad digitos usque involuta rem divinam facere, significantes fidem tutandam sedemque eius etiam in dexteris sacratam esse.
To her shrine, he ordered the flamines to ride in a two-horse arched carriage, and to perform the sacred rite with the hand wrapped up even to the fingers, signifying that faith must be protected and that her seat is consecrated even in right hands.
§1.21.5multa alia sacrificia locaque sacris faciendis, quae Argeos pontifices vocant, dedicavit.
He dedicated many other sacrifices and places for performing sacred rites, which the pontifices call Argei.
omnium tamen maximum eius operum fuit tutela per omne regni tempus haud minor pacis quam regni.
Yet the greatest of all his works was the preservation, throughout the entire time of his reign, of peace no less than of his kingdom.
§1.21.6ita duo deinceps reges, alius alia via, ille bello hic pace, civitatem auxerunt.
Thus two successive kings, one in one way, the other in another, the former by war, the latter by peace, enlarged the state.
Romulus septem et triginta regnavit annos, Numa tres et quadraginta.
Romulus reigned thirty-seven years, Numa forty-three.
cum valida tum temperata et belli et pacis artibus erat civitas.
The state was both strong and tempered by the arts of both war and peace.

Notes

  1. 1.21.1animi aliquid agendo occupati erant — The main clause animi... occupati erant (indicative) is coordinated with the ablative absolute multitudine omni... conversa via et... et..., describing two parallel aspects of how the Roman citizens' minds shifted from violence to peaceful activities.
  2. 1.21.1pro obnoxio legum ac poenarum metu — The preposition pro is used here in the sense of 'instead of'. The adjective obnoxio ('subject to', 'submissive') modifies metu, meaning 'the submissive fear of laws and punishments' or 'the fear that makes men subject to them'.
  3. 1.21.2castra, non urbem positam in medio ad sollicitandam omnium pacem crediderant — This is an accusative-with-infinitve construction (with esse omitted) acting as the object of crediderant, where castra and urbem are accusative subjects, and positam [esse] is the predicate. In medio means 'in their midst'. It describes the neighbors' past perception of Rome as merely a 'camp' rather than a city.
  4. 1.21.3quod earum ibi concilia cum coniuge sua Egeria essent — The subjunctive essent is used in the quod clause to represent Numa's subjective reason ('because, as he alleged, their meetings were held there') rather than a direct statement of fact by the narrator.
  5. 1.21.5tutela per omne regni tempus haud minor pacis quam regni — Two objective genitives, pacis (of peace) and regni (of the kingdom), depend on the noun tutela (preservation/protection). This indicates that Numa's greatest achievement was preserving peace throughout his reign just as much as preserving his royal power.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §1.21.1-1.21.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.21.1-1.21.6

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