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Livy · History of Rome §40.2.1-40.2.8

Expiation of Storm Prodigies and Audiences for Envoys

Passage 1505 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

A violent storm in Rome damaged several temples and was expiated as a prodigy. Afterwards, various overseas embassies were received by the senate.

§40.2.1Ver procellosum eo anno fuit.
The spring of that year was stormy.
pridie Parilia, medio ferme die, atrox cum vento tempestas coorta multis sacris profanisque locis stragem fecit, signa aenea in Capitolio deiecit, §40.2.2forem ex aede Lunae, quae in Aventino est, raptam tulit et in posticis parietibus Cereris templi adfixit, signa alia in circo maximo cum columnis quibus superstabant evertit, §40.2.3fastigia aliquot templorum a culminibus abrupta foede dissipavit.
On the day before the Parilia, at about midday, a violent storm arose with wind and made havoc of many sacred and profane places, threw down the bronze statues on the Capitol, tore away the door from the temple of Luna which is on the Aventine, carried it off, and fixed it upon the rear walls of the temple of Ceres; it also overturned other statues in the Circus Maximus along with the columns on which they stood, and shamefully scattered several pediments of temples torn from their roofs.
itaque in prodigium versa ea tempestas, procurarique haruspices iusserunt.
Therefore, this storm was turned into a prodigy, and the haruspices ordered that expiation should be made.
§40.2.4simul procuratum est quod tripedem mulum Reate natum nuntiatum erat, et a Formiis aedem Apollinis Caietae de caelo tactam.
At the same time, expiation was made for the report that a three-legged mule had been born at Reate, and from Formiae that the temple of Apollo at Caieta had been struck by lightning.
ob ea prodigia viginti hostiis maioribus sacrificatum est et diem unum supplicatio fuit.
On account of these prodigies, twenty full-grown victims were sacrificed, and there was a supplication for one day.
§40.2.5per eos dies ex litteris A. Terentii propraetoris cognitum P. Sempronium in ulteriore provincia, cum plus annum aeger fuisset, mortuum esse.
During those days, it was learned from the letters of the propraetor Aulus Terentius that Publius Sempronius, after having been ill for more than a year, had died in the farther province.
eo maturius in Hispaniam praetores iussi proficisci.
Therefore, the praetors were ordered to set out for Spain earlier than usual.
§40.2.6legationes deinde transmarinae in senatum introductae sunt, primae Eumenis et Pharnacis regum et Rhodiorum querentium de Sinopensium clade.
Then, embassies from overseas were introduced into the senate, the first being those of the kings Eumenes and Pharnaces, and of the Rhodians who complained of the disaster of the Sinopeans.
§40.2.7Philippi quoque legati et Achaeorum et Lacedaemoniorum sub idem tempus venerunt.
Ambassadors of Philip also, and of the Achaeans and Lacedaemonians, arrived about the same time.
iis prius Marcio audito, qui ad res Graeciae Macedoniaeque visendas missus erat, responsa data sunt.
To these, after Marcius—who had been sent to inspect the affairs of Greece and Macedonia—had first been heard, answers were given.
§40.2.8Asiae regibus ac Rhodiis responsum est legatos ad eas res visendas senatum missurum.
To the kings of Asia and the Rhodians, the answer was given that the senate would send ambassadors to inspect those affairs.

Notes

  1. 40.2.2raptam tulit — The participle `raptam` (perfect passive participle of `rapto` in the accusative feminine singular) agrees with `forem` ('door') and is used with the verb `tulit` to express a coordinate sequence of actions ('snatched and carried off').
  2. 40.2.3procurarique haruspices iusserunt — The subject of `iusserunt` ('ordered') is `haruspices` ('diviners'). The present passive infinitive `procurari` functions as the object of the verb, meaning 'that expiation should be performed' (used impersonally).
  3. 40.2.4a Formiis aedem Apollinis Caietae de caelo tactam — This clause is subordinate to the impersonal passive `procuratum est` ('expiation was made'). `a Formiis` ('from Formiae') indicates the source of the report, with `nuntiatum erat` supplied from the previous clause. `aedem ... tactam [esse]` is an accusative with infinitive clause meaning 'that the temple of Apollo had been struck by lightning'.
  4. 40.2.7Marcio audito — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun `Marcio` (proper name Marcius in the ablative) and the perfect passive participle `audito`. It expresses temporal priority ('after Marcius had been heard') relative to the main verb `responsa data sunt`.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §40.2.1-40.2.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:40.2.1-40.2.8

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