133. Tarquinios: subj. of nescire, did not know how.
privates: PRED. ADJ. after vivere.
135. contionem: contio, assembly (especially for a magistrate to address the people).
populum Romanum: subj. of credere in an IND. STATE. depending on an understood speech verb (“Brutus argued that…”).
139. absolve: free, i.e., complete.
141. auctore me: freely, at my request, under my authority.
deest: deesse,to be lacking.
amicus: nom. not voc., as a friend.
142. forsitan: adv., perhaps.
143. animis: i.e., of the citizens; dat. with persuasum est, here an impers. pass., where Eng. would say, the citizens’ hearts have been persuaded.
regnum: here, kingship, monarchy; subj. of abiturum (esse), inf. in IND. STATE. after the impers. persuasum est.
144. Lavinium: a town in Latium said to have been founded by Aeneas; Collatinus would hardly dare to go to an Etruscan city because of his part in the expulsion of Tarquinius Superbus.
145. tulit: sc. legem.
147. P. Valerium: Brutus is generally regarded as an historical figure, but Collatinus and Valerius likely were not.
quo adiutore: adiutor,assistant; ABL. ABS., freely, with whose assistance.
Collatinus, though loyal, is asked to leave Rome because of his name.
“Tarquin and Lucretia” Jan Sanders van Hemessen, 16th century Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille, France
Giraudon/Art Resource, NY.
Ac nescio an, nimis undique earn minimisque rebus muni-135 endo, modum excesserint. Consulis enim alterius, cum nihil aliud offenderit, nomen invisum civitati fuit: nimium Tarquinios regno adsuesse; pulso Superbo, penes Collatinum imperium esse; nescire Tarquinios privatos vivere; non placere nomen, periculosum libertati esse. Sollicitam suspicione plebem Brutus ad 135 contionem vocat: non credere populum Romanum solidam libertatem reciperatam esse; regium genus, regium nomen non solum in civitate 145 sed etiam in imperio esse; id obstare libertati. “Hunc tu,” inquit, “tua voluntate, L. Tarquini, remove metum. Meminimus, fatemur, eiecisti reges; absolve beneficium tuum, 140 aufer hinc regium nomen. Res tuas tibi non solum reddent cives tui, auctore me; sed, si quid deest, munifice augebunt. Amicus abi; exonera civitatem vano forsitan metu; ita persuasum est animis cum gente Tarquinia regnum hinc abiturum.” Abdicavit se consulatu; rebusque suis omnibus Lavinium translatis, civitate cessit. Brutus ex senatus consul to ad populum tulit ut omnes Tarquiniae gentis exsules essent. Collegam sibi comitiis centuriatis creavit P. Valerium, quo adiutore reges eiecerat.
148. Lartem: an Etruscan name or title.
Clusinum:of Clusium, one of the most important Etruscan cities; many rich Etruscan tombs have been found in the vicinity.
149. se: here, as often, the reflex, pron. refers to the subj. of the vb. in the main clause (the Tarquins) rather than to the subject of its own clause (Porsenna).
150. oriundos: gerundive of oriri, to rise, spring from; here essentially = ortos.
152. inultum: unavenged; sc. esse.
cum regem esse Romae tum (153):not only for there to be a king at Rome but also; the inf. phrase depends on ratus.
153. amplum Tuscis ratus: sc. esse, thinking it was an important thing for the Etruscans.
154. alias: adv., at another time, elsewhere.
155. res: sc. publica.
158. saepiunt: saepire, to hedge in, enclose, protect.
alia…alia:some things (= parts of the city)…others.
Tiberi obiecto (159):with the Tiber situated in (= blocking) the way.
159. sublicius: built on piles, in contrast to the regular use of arches; the old wooden bridge survived to the fifth century A.D.
160. ni: = nisi.
Horatius Codes: the cognomen means one-eyed; his story is one of the most famous and oldest Roman legends.
id munimentum: i.e., Horatius.
162. Ianiculum: the Janiculum, a hill across the Tiber opposite the city of Rome.
164. reprehensans: frequentative intensive of reprehendere, seizing and holding back.
obsistens: obsistere,to stand in the way, withstand, resist.
