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Ausonius · Conclusion to the Book of Fasti §1-24

Organization of the Consuls and Years from Rome's Founding

Passage 1 of 1 · Latin

Summary

The author organizes the history of eternal Rome and the names of its consuls, addressing his readers about expectations for their future consulship and the calculation of years from Rome's founding.

§1IGNOTA aeternae ne sint tibi tempora Romae, §2regibus et patrum ducta sub imperiis, §3digessi fastos et nomina praepetis aevi, §4sparsa iacent Latiam si qua per historiam, §5sit tuus hic fructus, vigilatas accipe noctes: §6obsequitur studio nostra lucerna tuo.
Lest the times of eternal Rome be unknown to you, times led under kings and under the commands of the fathers, I have arranged the calendars and the names of swift-flying time, whatever lies scattered through Latin history; let this be your harvest, receive the nights spent in watching: our lamp complies with your zeal.
§7tu quoque venturos per longum censere Ianos, §8ut mea digessit pagina praeteritos.
Do you also reckon through a long span the coming Januses, as my page has arranged the past ones.
§9exemplum iam patris habes, ut protinus 3 et te §10adgreget Ausoniis purpura consulibus.
You already have the example of your father, so that straightway [3] also you the purple robe may add to the Ausonian consuls.
§11NOSTRUM §12ANNIS undecies centum coniunge quaternos, §13undecies unumque super trieterida necte.
OUR RECKONING To eleven hundred years join four, and bind in addition a trieteris eleven times and once.
§14haec erit aeternae series ab origine Romae.
This will be the series from the origin of eternal Rome.
§15HACTENUS adscripsi fastos, si sors volet, ultra §16adiciam: si non, qui legis, adicies, §17scire cupis, qui sim? titulum, qui quartus ab imo est,
Thus far have I written the calendars; if fate wills, further I will add; if not, you who read will add, Do you wish to know who I am?
§18quaere: leges nomen consulis Ausonii.
The title which is fourth from the bottom seek: you will read the name of the consul Ausonius.
§19urbis ab aeternae deductam rege Quirino §20annorum seriem cum, Procule, accipies, §21mille annos centumque et bis fluxisse novenos §22consulis Ausonii nomen ad usque leges, §23fors erit, ut, lustrum cum se cumulaverit istis, §24confectam Proculus signet Olympiadam.
When, Proculus, you receive the series of years traced from king Quirinus of the eternal city, you will read that a thousand and one hundred and twice nine years have flowed up to the name of the consul Ausonius; there will be a chance that, when a lustrum has added itself to these, Proculus may mark the completed Olympiad.

Notes

  1. §2ducta — Perfect participle modifying "tempora" (neuter plural nominative) in line 1, meaning "drawn" or "traced" of time or history.
  2. §4si qua — "si qua" (if any [things]) is neuter plural nominative, referring back to "fastos et nomina" or generally "whatever things" lie scattered in history.
  3. §7censere — Here functioning as a second-person singular imperative (or an infinitive used as an imperative in the Greek style), equivalent to "tu quoque... cense".
  4. §13undecies unumque super trieterida necte — "undecies unumque" (eleven times and once, i.e., 12 times) functions adverbially, meaning to bind in addition ("super necte") a "trieteris" (Greek accusative singular "trieterida", a three-year or two-year period) twelve times.
  5. §21mille annos centumque et bis fluxisse novenos — An accusative-with-infinitive clause ("mille annos ... fluxisse"), functioning as the object clause of the main verb "leges" (you will read [that...]) in line 22.

Cite this passage

Ausonius, Conclusion to the Book of Fasti §1-24. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:stoa0045.stoa017.humanitext-lat2:1-24

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