Of Livy’s original 142 volumes, composed over a period of about 40 years (ca. 25 B.C.-A.D. 17, the year of his death) and ranging from Rome’s founding down to 9 B.C., only Books 1–10 and 21–45 survive essentially intact; we have, in addition, some fragments and quotations from later authors, as well as brief summaries (periochae), composed in the fourth century, of nearly all the missing books. The passages excerpted for this volume include, from Books One and Two, some of the best known legends of early Rome (Romulus and Remus, the Horatii and the Curiatii, the expulsion of the Tarquins, Horatius at the bridge) and, from Books 21–22, Hannibal’s invasion of Italy and his stunning victories over the Romans at Trasimene in 217 B.C. and the next year at Cannae, one of the most disastrous military defeats in European history. Readers will appreciate throughout these selections Livy’s consummate narrative skill and his steadfastly patriotic aim of demonstrating the valor and high moral character of the Roman people and their heroes even in the face of catastrophic adversity.
Battle of Cannae Illuminated manuscript Inv. RF 5271 Louvre Paris, France
Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, NY.
1. Proca: Livy has just recounted the legend of Aeneas’ founding of Lavinium, of his son Ascanius’ transfer of the people to Alba Longa, and of the succession of Alban kings down to Proca, the father of Numitor and Amulius.
regnat: Livy frequently employs the HIST. PRES. tense.
2. stirpis: stirps, trunk, stock, family, lineage.
maximus: i.e., in years, oldest.
Silviae gentis (3): so-called after Silvius, the son of Ascanius.
3. legat: legare, to appoint, bequeath.
4. plus…potuit: i.e., had greater power.
verecundia:respect, reverence; with aetatis, the respect due to Numitor’s seniority.
6. interemit: interimere, to take away, destroy, kill.
filiae Reae Silviae: in Eng. usually spelled Rhea Silvia; DAT. OF SEPARATION with adimit.
speciem: species,view, appearance, semblance.
7. Vestalem: the Vestal Virgins in the service of the goddess of hearth fire took a vow of chastity; breaking this vow meant death.
8. partus: gen. of partus, offspring, giving birth.
adimit: adimere,to take away.
9. debebatur…fatis: a recurrent theme also in Vergil’s Aeneid; the vb. is sg. as the subjs. origo and principium constitute a single idea.
10. secundum: prep. + acc., following, after.
11. edidisset: edere, to give forth, give birth to.
seu…seu: = sive…sive,whether…or.
rata: reri,to think, believe; sc. est.
deus auctor (12): i.e., (having) a god as….
12. honestior: more honorable, pred. adj.
Martem:Mars, the god of warriors and warfare, second only to Jupiter in his importance to the Romans.
13. nuncupat: nuncupare, to name.
dii: = dei; dii and di are alternative nom. pl. forms.
14. vincta: vincire, to bind.
15. iubet: sc. rex.
16. divinitus: adv., divinely, providentially.
ripas: ripa,bank (of a river).
Tiberis:Tiber River; subj. of both poterat and dabat.
effusus: effundere,to pour out.
17. stagnis: stagnum, standing water, pool; sc. in.
iusti…amnis: i.e., of its regular stream.
posse…infantes (18): IND. STATE., depending on spem…dabat; infantes serves as both obj. of ferentibus and subj. of posse mergi.
18. quamvis languida…aqua: by the water however sluggish.
19. velut: adv., as, just as, as if.
defuncti: defungi,to perform, discharge, complete + abl.; the partic. here is nom., agreeing with the subj. of exponunt.
