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Livy · History of Rome §5.13.1-5.13.13

Recovery of Anxur, the First Lectisternium, and Victory at Veii

Passage 272 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Anxur is recovered from the Volscians, and following a severe winter and a plague, Rome's first Lectisternium is held. At the siege of Veii, the Roman forces decisively defeat the Capenates and Faliscans who had come to relieve the town.

§5.13.1Anxur in Volscis brevi receptum est neglectis die festo custodiis urbis.
Anxur in the territory of the Volscians was recovered in a short time, as the guards of the city were negligent on a festival day.
— insignis annus hieme gelida ac nivosa fuit, adeo ut viae clausae, Tiberis innavigabilis fuerit.
This year was remarkable for a cold and snowy winter, so much so that the roads were closed and the Tiber was unnavigable.
annona ex ante convecta copia nihil mutavit.
The price of corn did not change, thanks to the supply previously carried in.
§5.13.2et quia P. Licinius, ut ceperat haud tumultuose magistratum maiore gaudio plebis quam indignatione patrum, ita etiam gessit, dulcedo invasit proximis comitiis tribunorum militum plebeios creandi.
And because Publius Licinius had administered his office just as he had entered upon it, without any disturbance, to the greater joy of the plebeians than the indignation of the patricians, a desire came upon them at the next elections to elect plebeians as military tribunes.
unus M. Veturius ex patriciis candidatis locum tenuit; §5.13.3plebeios alios tribunos militum consulari potestate omnes fere centuriae dixere: M. Pomponium, Cn. Duillium, Voleronem Publilium, Cn. Genucium, L. Atilium.
Only Marcus Veturius among the patrician candidates kept his place; almost all the centuries named plebeians as the other military tribunes with consular power: Marcus Pomponius, Gnaeus Duillius, Volero Publilius, Gnaeus Genucius, and Lucius Atilius.
§5.13.4tristem hiemem sive ex intemperie caeli raptim mutatione in contrarium facta sive alia qua de causa gravis pestilensque omnibus animalibus aestas excepit.
A severe and pestilential summer for all animals succeeded the gloomy winter, whether from the unseasonableness of the weather due to a sudden change to the opposite, or from some other cause.
cuius insanabili perniciei quando §5.13.5nec causa nec finis inveniebatur, libri Sibyllini ex senatus consulto aditi sunt.
Since for its incurable ruin neither cause nor end was being found, the Sibylline books were consulted by decree of the senate.
§5.13.6duumviri sacris faciundis lectisternio tunc primum in urbe Romana facto per dies octo Apollinem Latonamque, Herculem et Dianam, Mercurium atque Neptunum tribus, quam amplissume tum apparari poterant, stratis lectis placavere.
The commissioners for performing sacred rites, on the occasion of a Lectisternium being then celebrated for the first time in the city of Rome, pacified Apollo and Latona, Hercules and Diana, Mercury and Neptune, on three couches spread with the greatest possible magnificence of that time, for eight days.
§5.13.7privatim quoque id sacrum celebratum est.
Privately also this rite was celebrated.
tota urbe patentibus ianuis promiscuoque usu rerum omnium in propatulo posito notos ignotosque passim advenas in hospitium ductos ferunt et cum inimicis quoque benigne ac comiter sermones habitos, iurgiis ac litibus temperatum; §5.13.8vinctis quoque dempta in eos dies vincula; religioni deinde fnisse, quibus eam opem dei tulissent, vinciri.
They say that throughout the whole city, with doors open and the common use of all things placed in public, known and unknown strangers alike were everywhere led in for hospitality, and friendly and courteous conversations were held even with enemies, and there was an abstaining from quarrels and lawsuits; from the bound also their chains were removed for those days, and it was afterwards a matter of religious scruple that those to whom the gods had brought such aid should be bound again.
§5.13.9interim ad Veios terror multiplex fuit tribus in unum bellis conlatis.
Meanwhile, at Veii there was a manifold terror, with three wars combined into one.
namque eodem, quo antea, modo circa munimenta, cum repente Capenates Faliscique subsidio venissent, adversus tres exercitus ancipiti proelio pugnatum est.
For in the same manner as before, around the fortifications, when the Capenates and Faliscans had suddenly come to help, a battle with doubtful issue was fought against three armies.
§5.13.10ante omnia adiuvit memoria damnationis Sergi ac Vergini.
Above all, the memory of the condemnation of Sergius and Virginius was of help.
itaque e maioribus castris, unde antea cessatum fuerat, brevi spatio circumductae copiae Capenates in vallum Romanum versos ab tergo adgrediuntur; §5.13.11inde pugna coepta et Faliscis intulit terrorem, trepidantesque eruptio ex castris opportune facta avertit.
Therefore, from the larger camp, where previously there had been inactivity, forces were led round in a short space of time and attacked from behind the Capenates who had turned against the Roman rampart; thence the battle began and brought terror also to the Faliscans, and a timely sally from the camp routed them as they wavered.
repulsos deinde insecuti victores ingentem ediderunt caedem.
The victors then pursued them when repulsed and made a huge slaughter.
§5.13.12nec ita multo post iam palantibus, velut tuti forent, forte oblati populatores Capenatis agri reliquias pugnae absumpsere.
Not long after, when they were already wandering about as if they were safe, the plunderers of the Capenate territory, happening to meet them, destroyed the remnants of the battle.
§5.13.13et Veientium refugientes in urbem multi ante portas caesi, dum prae metu, ne simul Romanus inrumperet, obiectis foribus extremos suorum exclusere.
And of the Veientes fleeing back into the city, many were slain before the gates, while from fear lest the Romans should burst in at the same time, they closed the doors and shut out the hindmost of their own men.

Notes

  1. 5.13.4tristem hiemem ... aestas excepit — There is a hyperbaton (inversion of word order) here; the accusative tristem hiemem is placed at the beginning, while the nominative aestas appears near the end. The verb excepit means "to succeed/follow," and its subject is aestas.
  2. 5.13.7ferunt — The main verb ferunt (they report / say) governs multiple accusative-with-infinitive clauses that follow: advenas ... ductos [esse], sermones habitos [esse], and the impersonal passive temperatum [esse].
  3. 5.13.8religioni deinde fuisse ... vinciri — Part of the accusative-with-infinitive construction governed by ferunt. religioni fuisse is a double dative construction (predicative dative of purpose/result), meaning "it was a matter of religious scruple/taboo." The subject of the infinitive fuisse is the passive infinitive vinciri (to be bound), whose logical subject refers to those represented by quibus.
  4. 5.13.10cessatum fuerat — An impersonal passive pluperfect of the intransitive verb cessare (to be inactive, to do nothing), meaning literally "whence previously there had been inactivity" (i.e., from which camp no action had previously been taken).
  5. 5.13.12palantibus ... oblati — The participle palantibus (to those wandering about) is a dative governed by the passive verb oblati [sunt] (met / came upon). The subject of oblati is populatores (the plunderers).

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §5.13.1-5.13.13. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.13.1-5.13.13

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