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Livy · History of Rome §3.62.1-3.62.9

Horatius Engages the Sabines in Fierce Combat

Passage 188 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Incited by the victory of the other army and provoked by the enemy's insults, the Roman soldiers demand a battle, and the consul leads them out the next day. Although the Sabines attempt a flank attack with reserve forces, the Roman cavalry dismounts to fight on foot, encouraging the struggling infantry.

§3.62.1ad id, quod sua sponte satis conlectum animorum erat, indignitate etiam Romani accendebantur: iam alterum exercitum victorem in urbem rediturum, sibi ultro per contumelias hostem insultare; quando autem se, si tum non sint, pares hostibus fore?
In addition to their courage, which was already sufficiently aroused of its own accord, the Romans were further inflamed by the indignity: that already the other army was about to return as victors into the city, while the enemy, of their own accord, were insulting them with scoffs; and when, if they were not so then, would they ever be a match for the enemy?
§3.62.2ubi haec fremere militem in castris consul sensit, contione advocata “quem ad modum” inquit “in Algido res gesta sit, arbitror vos, milites, audisse.
When the consul perceived that the soldiers were murmuring these things in the camp, he called an assembly and said: "I believe, soldiers, you have heard how the matter was conducted on Mount Algidus.
qualem liberi populi exercitum decuit esse, talis fuit.
It was such an army as it became the army of a free people to be.
§3.62.3consilio collegae, virtute militum victoria parta est.
By the planning of my colleague and the courage of the soldiers, victory was won.
quod ad me attinet, id consilii animique habiturus sum, quod vos mihi feceritis.
As far as I am concerned, I shall possess such counsel and courage as you shall inspire in me.
et trahi bellum salubriter et mature perfici potest.
The war can both be advantageously prolonged and speedily finished.
§3.62.4si trahendum est, ego, ut in dies spes virtusque vestra crescat, eadem, qua institui, disciplina efficiam; si iam satis animi est decernique placet, agitedum clamorem, qualem in acie sublaturi estis, tollite hic indicem voluntatis virtutisque vestrae!” §3.62.5postquam ingenti alacritate clamor est sublatus, quod bene vertat, gesturum se illis morem posteroque die in aciem deducturum adfirmat.
If it is to be prolonged, I, in order that your hope and courage may increase day by day, will bring it about by the same discipline with which I began; if you already have enough courage and it is your pleasure to decide the issue, come then, raise here such a shout as you are about to raise in the battle line, as an index of your will and courage!" After the shout was raised with immense alacrity—may it turn out well—he declared that he would comply with their wish and lead them out to the battle line on the following day.
reliquum diei apparandis armis consumptum est.
The remainder of the day was spent in preparing their arms.
§3.62.6postero die simul instrui Romanam aciem Sabini videre et ipsi, iam pridem avidi certaminis procedunt.
On the following day, as soon as the Sabines saw the Roman line being drawn up, they also, having long been eager for a contest, advanced.
proelium fuit, quale inter fidentes sibimet ambo exercitus, veteris perpetuaeque alterum gloriae, alterum nova nuper victoria elatum.
The battle was such as might be expected between two armies both trusting in themselves, the one elated by ancient and perpetual glory, the other by its recent new victory.
§3.62.7consilio etiam Sabini vires adiuvere; nam cum aequassent aciem, duo extra ordinem milia, quae in sinistrum cornu Romanorum in ipso certamine inpressionem facerent, tenuere.
The Sabines also aided their strength by planning; for when they had equalized their line, they kept in reserve two thousand men outside the ranks, who were to make a charge upon the left wing of the Romans in the very heat of the contest.
§3.62.8quae ubi inlatis ex transverso signis degravabant prope circumventum cornu, equites duarum legionum sescenti fere ex equis desiliunt cedentibusque iam suis provolant in primum simulque et hosti se opponunt et aequato primum periculo, pudore deinde animos peditum accendunt.
When these, bringing up their standards from the flank, were pressing hard upon the wing which was nearly surrounded, the cavalry of the two legions, about six hundred, leaped from their horses, and as their men were already giving way, they rushed forward to the front; at the same time they opposed themselves to the enemy, and first by sharing the danger equally, and then by a sense of shame, they inflamed the courage of the infantry.
§3.62.9verecundiae erat equitem suo alienoque Marte pugnare, peditem ne ad pedes quidem degresso equiti parem esse.
It was a cause of shame that the cavalry should fight in their own and in another's mode of warfare, while the infantry was not a match even for the cavalry who had dismounted.

Notes

  1. §3.62.1si tum non sint — A conditional clause in indirect speech. Although the governing verb `accendebantur` is in a past tense (imperfect), the present subjunctive `sint` is used instead of the imperfect `essent` to preserve the vividness and immediacy of the original thought (repraesentatio temporum). It serves as the condition for the rhetorical question `quando... fore`.
  2. §3.62.6veteris perpetuaeque alterum gloriae — A genitive of quality. It stands in contrast with the parallel clause `alterum nova nuper victoria elatum` (where `elatum` is modified by the ablative `victoria`). The first `alterum` is directly modified by the genitive of quality `veteris perpetuaeque gloriae` ('an army of ancient and perpetual glory'), though one might mentally supply `elatum` or an equivalent participle.
  3. §3.62.9verecundiae erat — A predicative dative (part of a double dative construction, though here without the dative of person). It is used impersonally to mean 'it was a cause of shame.' The true subjects of `erat` are the accusative-with-infinitive clauses that follow: `equitem... pugnare` and `peditem... esse`.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §3.62.1-3.62.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:3.62.1-3.62.9

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