Livy 1.18 Flashcards
Inclita iustitia religioque ea tempestate Numae Pompili erat. Curibus Sabinis habitabat, consultissimus vir, ut in illa quisquam esse aetate poterat, omnis divini atque humani iuris.
There was an illustrious reputation of justice and religion for Numa Pomilius in those days. He was living in Cures of Sabine and was a most well-versed man, as much as anyone was able to be in that age, in all dicine and humane laws.
Auctorem doctrinae eius, quia non exstat alius, falso Samium Pythagoram edunt, quem Servio Tullio regnante Romae centum amplius post
annos in ultima Italiae ora circa Metapontum Heracleamque et Crotona iuvenum aemulantium studia coetus habuisse constat.
They say the author of his learning, because no one else exists, is Samian Pythagoras falsely, whom it is agreed, while Servius Tullius was reigning more than a hundred years after this, gathered crowds of young men eager for his teachings, in the furthest shores of Italy, around MEtapontum, Heraclea, and Crotona.
Ex quibus locis, etsi eiusdem aetatis fuisset, quae fama in Sabinos? Aut quo linguae commercio quemquam ad cupiditatem discendi excivisset? Quove praesidio unus per tot gentes dissonas sermone moribusque pervenisset?
from these places, even if they were the same age, what fame is there among the Sabines? Or with what common langauge might he have aroused any sort of desire for learning? or with whose protection a single man might have gone through so many races differing in words and customs?
Suopte igitur ingenio temperatum animum
virtutibus fuisse opinor magis instructumque non tam peregrinis artibus quam disciplina tetrica ac tristi veterum Sabinorum, quo genere nullum quondam incorruptius fuit.
Therefore, it was his very own (Numa’s) natural disposition, i believe, that regulated his soul with virtues and it was not so much trained in the foreign arts, as in the severe and rigid discipline of the ancient Sabines, to whom at the time there was never a more incorruptible race.
Audito nomine Numae patres Romani, quamquam inclinari opes ad Sabinos rege inde sumpto videbantur, tamen neque se quisquam nec factionis suae alium nec denique patrum aut civium quemquam praeferre illi viro ausi, ad unum omnes Numae Pompilio regnum deferendum decernunt. Accitus, sicut Romulus augurato urbe condenda regnum adeptus est, de se quoque deos consuli iussit.
When Numa’s name was heard, the Roman fathers although it seemed to them that the balance of the power would turn to the Sabines with a king chosen from them, still no one dared to offer a man of his own party or any senator or citizen in preference to that man, they all unanimously voted to offer the power to Numa Pompilius. He was invited to Rome, he ordered that just like Romulus had obtained by the augury the rule to found the city, the also should be consulted in his case.
Inde ab augure, cui deinde honoris ergo publicum id perpetuumque sacerdotium fuit, deductus in arcem, in lapide ad meridiem versus consedit. Augur ad laevam eius capite velato sedem cepit, dextra manu baculum sine nodo
aduncum tenens quem lituum appellarunt.
He was from there led into the citadel by an augur, to whom afterwards as a mark of honour he made a priest of the state permanently in charge of this matter, and he sat on a stone facing the south. The Augur took his seat on the left of him, with his head covered, and in his right hand holding a curved staff without a knot, which they called a lituus.
Inde ubi prospectu in urbem agrumque capto deos precatus regiones ab oriente ad occasum determinavit, dextras ad meridiem partes, laevas ad septentrionem esse dixit; signum contra quo longissime conspectum oculi ferebant animo finivit; tum lituo in laevam manum translato, dextra in caput Numae imposita, ita precatus est:
Then from there looking out onto the city and the county, he prayed to the gods, and marked off the regions from east to west, the parts to the south he called the right and those to the north the left; and fixing in his mind a sign opposite him as far as his eye could see; then moving the lituus into his left hand, he placed his right hand on Numa’s head, praying in this way:
“Iuppiter pater, si est fas hunc Numam Pompilium cuius ego caput teneo regem Romae esse, uti tu signa nobis certa adclarassis inter eos fines quod feci.”
“father Jupiter, if it is Heaven’s will that this Numa Pompilius, whose head I hold, be king of Rome, do you make clear to us certain signs within those limits which i set.”
Tum peregit verbis auspicia quae mitti vellet. Quibus missis, declaratus rex Numa de templo descendit.
He then described with words the auspices which he wished to be sent. when they had been sent, Numa was declared king and descinded from the temple.
