The Society for Ancient Languages
Week Two
T. LIVI |
TITUS LIVIUS (LIVY) |
LIBER V |
BOOK 5 |
| XXXVII. Cum tanta moles mali instaret -- adeo obcaecat animos fortuna ubi vim suam ingruentem refringi non volt -- civitas quae adversus Fidenatem ac Veientem hostem aliosque finitimos populos ultima experiens auxilia dictatorem multis tempestatibus dixisset, ea tunc invisitato atque inaudito hoste ab Oceano terrarumque ultimis oris bellum ciente, nihil extraordinarii imperii aut auxilii quaesivit. Tribuni quorum temeritate bellum contractum erat summae rerum praeerant, dilectumque nihilo accuratior- em quam ad media bella haberi solitus erat, extenuantes etiam famam belli, habebant. Interim Galli postquam accepere ultro honorem habitum violatoribus iuris humani elusamque legationem suam esse, flagrantes ira, cuius impotens est gens, confestim signis convolsis citato agmine iter ingrediuntur. Ad quorum praetereuntium raptim tumultum cum exterritae urbes ad arma concurrerent fugaque agrestium fieret, Romam se ire magno clamore significabant quacumque ibant, equis virisque longe ac late fuso agmine immensum obtinentes loci. Sed antecedente fama nuntiisque Clusinorum, deinceps inde aliorum populorum, plurimum terroris Romam celeritas hostium tulit, quippe quibus velut tumultuario exercitu raptim ducto aegre ad undecimum lapidem occursum est, qua flumen Allia Crustuminis montibus praealto defluens alveo haud multum infra viam Tiberino amni miscetur. Iam omnia contra circaque hostium plena erant, et nata in vanos tumultus gens truci cantu clamoribusque variis horrendo cuncta compleverant sono. | Since so great a calamity of disaster threatens -- therefore Fortune blinds the spirits when her oncoming power she wishes not to be checked -- the state who against the Fidenatian and Veientian enemy and other neighboring peoples, attempting the final remedy had appointed a dictator on many occasions, she (the state), now with an unseen and unheard of enemy causing war from the ocean and farthest regions of the land, had sought nothing of extraordinary power or aid. The tribunes, of whom by their thoughtlessness the war had been brought about were in supreme command of affairs, and were conducting a draft with no greater care than used to be held for ordinary wars, even lessening the fame of the war. Meanwhile the Gauls after they heard an honor to have been conferred to violators of human rights and their wantonly insulted embassy, flaming with wrath, of which the race is lacking self-control, immediately rolling up the military standards they began the march quickly with the column. With respect to the tumult of those passing by hurriedly, when terrified cities would rush to arms and the flight of peasants would occur, they indicated with great noise themselves to go to Rome wherever they went, with cavalry and infantry far and wide, the battle line having been poured out extending over a vast tract of land. But by preceding rumor and messengers of the Clusini, then in succession the messengers of the other tribes, the enemy's swiftness had brought a great deal of terror to Rome, since to which with the emergency army as it were having been led rapidly, it (the army) was met exhausted near the 11th milestone, where the river Allia, flowing down from the Crustumian mountains by a very deep riverbed, is mixed not far south of the road with the river of the Tiber. Already all areas opposite (the army) and all around were full of the enemy, and the race (of Gauls) naturally given to wild song and varied shouts had filled the whole area with a horrendous sound. |
| Nam cum defendi urbem posse tam parva relicta manu spes nulla esset, placuit cum coniugibus ac liberis iuven- tutem militarem senatusque robur in arcem Capitoliumque concedere, armis- que et frumento conlato inde ex loco munito deos hominesque et Romanum nomen defendere; flaminem sacerdotes- que Vestales sacra publica a caede, ab incendiis procul auferre, nec ante deseri cultum eorum quam non superessent qui colerent. Si arx Capitoliumque, sedes deorum, si senatus, caput publici consilii, si militaris iuventus superfuerit imminenti ruinae urbis, facilem iacturam esse seniorum relictae in urbe utique periturae turbae. Et quo id aequiore animo de plebe multitudo ferret, senes triumphales consularesque simul se cum illis palam dicere obituros nec his corporibus quibus non arma ferre, non tueri patriam possent, oneraturos inopiam armatorum. | For since there was no hope that the city to be defended by hand with so few remaining behind, it had been decided that the militia youth and the strongest part of the senate, with their wives and children, to withdraw into the citadel and the Capitol, and with arms and grain having been stockpiled there to defend from that place having been fortified the gods and men and the Roman name; the Vestal priest and priestesses to take away the sacred public objects far away from the slaughter, from the flames, nor their cult to be abandoned before they who would worship had been suppressed. If the citadel and the Capitol, seats of gods, if the senate, head of public policy, if the youth of military age should have survived the impending destruction of the city, the crowd of old men abandoned in the city about to perish at any rate to be an easy sacrifice. And so that the multi- tude of common people might bear it with calmer spirit, the old men having had a triumph and ex-consuls together to say publicly themselves about to die with those others and not with these bodies unable to bear arms, unable to defend the country, about to burden the lack of armed men. |