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Livy · History of Rome §2.26.1-2.26.6

Repulse of the Sabines and Victory over the Aurunci

Passage 87 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

After a sudden Sabine raid is swiftly repelled within a single night, the Auruncans declare war on Rome, but the Roman forces quickly defeat them in a single battle near Aricia.

§2.26.1confestim et Sabini Romanos territavere; tumultus enim fuit verius quam bellum.
Immediately the Sabines also terrified the Romans; for it was more truly a tumult than a war.
nocte in urbem nuntiatur est exercitum Sabinum praedabundum ad Anienem amnem pervenisse; ibi passim diripi atque incendi villas.
At night it was reported in the city that the Sabine army, bent on plunder, had reached the river Anio; and that there, villas were being plundered and set on fire in every direction.
§2.26.2missus extemplo eo cum omnibus copiis equitum A. Postumius, qui dictator bello Latino fuerat; secutus consul Servilius cum delecta peditum manu.
Aulus Postumius, who had been dictator in the Latin war, was immediately dispatched thither with all the forces of cavalry; the consul Servilius followed with a chosen body of infantry.
§2.26.3plerosque palantes eques circumvenit, nec advenienti peditum agmini restitit Sabina legio; fessi cum itinere tum populatione nocturna, magna pars in villis repleti cibo vinoque, vix fugae quod satis esset virium habuere.
The cavalry surrounded most of those who were straggling, nor did the Sabine legion resist the arriving column of infantry; exhausted both by their march and by their nightly plundering, and a great part of them having filled themselves with food and wine in the villas, they had scarcely enough strength left for flight.
§2.26.4nocte una audito perfectoque bello Sabino postero die in magna iam spe undique partae pacis legati Aurunci senatum adeunt, ni decedatur Volsco agro, bellum indicentes.
The Sabine war having been heard of and finished in a single night, on the following day, when there was already great hope of peace obtained on all sides, the Auruncan ambassadors approached the senate, declaring war unless there should be a withdrawal from the Volscian territory.
§2.26.5cum legatis simul exercitus Auruncorum domo profectus erat; cuius fama haud procul iam ab Aricia visi tanto tumultu concivit Romanos, ut nec consuli ordine patres nec pacatum responsum arma inferentibus arma ipsi capientes dare possent.
At the same time as the ambassadors, the army of the Auruncans had set out from home; the report of which, as it was seen not far from Aricia, threw the Romans into such a tumult that the senators could neither consult in an orderly manner, nor, taking up arms themselves, give a peaceful answer to those who were bringing war.
Ariciam infesto agmine itur, §2.26.6nec procul inde cum Auruncis signa conlata proelioque uno debellatum est.
They marched towards Aricia in a hostile column, and not far from there they joined battle with the Auruncans, and the war was finished in a single engagement.

Notes

  1. §2.26.1diripi atque incendi — These are not historical infinitives, but rather present passive infinitives in the indirect discourse (Accusativus cum Infinitivo) introduced by the impersonal passive verb `nuntiatur` (or `nuntiatum est`), with the accusative subject `villas`.
  2. §2.26.3repleti — An example of constructio ad sensum (construction according to sense); the perfect participle is masculine plural, agreeing with the logical plural subject (the Sabines) rather than the singular feminine collective noun `magna pars`.
  3. §2.26.4ni decedatur — The present subjunctive of the impersonal passive of `decedere`, meaning "unless there should be a withdrawal (by the Romans)." It takes the subjunctive as a conditional clause within the indirect discourse introduced by the present participle `indicentes`.
  4. §2.26.5cuius fama haud procul iam ab Aricia visi — The relative genitive `cuius` (relative connection) refers to the preceding `exercitus`. The perfect participle `visi` (genitive singular masculine) agrees with `exercitus` and is modified by `haud procul iam ab Aricia`, meaning "the rumor of which [army], having been seen already not far from Aricia."
  5. §2.26.5itur — The impersonal passive of the intransitive verb `ire` (to go). It expresses the action itself without specifying a subject, meaning "they marched" or "a march was made." The accusative `Ariciam` denotes the direction or destination of movement.
  6. §2.26.6debellatum est — The perfect passive impersonal construction of `debellare` (to bring a war to an end), meaning "the war was brought to an end" or "the fighting was finished." It describes the completion of the war as a whole through a single battle, without a specific subject.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §2.26.1-2.26.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:2.26.1-2.26.6

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