Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

Inversion of familiar phrases.

bello domique, p. 44, 1. 33; Vere primo, p. 94, l. 15. Paronomasia.

consilio auxilioque, p. 66, 1. 17; hostis pro hospite, p. 71, 1. 9.

Pleonasm.

[ocr errors]

longe ante alios acceptissimus, p. 20, 1. 18; Itaque ergo, p. 30, 1. 25; nova de integro, p. 147, l. 12.

THE MANUSCRIPTS.

THE text of the first decade comes to us through recensions by Victorianus (fourth century) and two Nicomachi (fifth century). The best MSS. representing them are the Codex Mediceus (M) at Florence (eleventh century) and the Codex Parisinus (P) at Paris, No. 5725 in the Bibliothèque Nationale (tenth century). Earlier MSS. once known to scholars have disappeared.

For the third decade the chief source of the text is the Puteanus (P) MS. of Paris, No. 5730 (sixth century). As several leaves at the beginning are missing, we are reduced, for the first two thirds of Book XXI., to two MSS. derived from the Puteanus, the Colbertinus at Paris, No. 5731 (C) (tenth or eleventh century), and the Mediceus at Florence (M) (eleventh century).

The text of Livy was first printed at Rome in 1469. The first great critical edition was that of Gronovius, Leyden, 1644, which remained the standard for nearly two centuries. A number of excellent editions have appeared since 1830, and the first rank to-day is held by those of Madvig (Copenhagen), and Weissenborn (Berlin).

Among recent editions with notes of Books I., XXI., and XXII., the following are worthy of recommendation:

Weissenborn, annotated edition (cura H. J. Müller), Weidmann, Berlin. Bk. I., 8th ed., 1885; XXI., 8th ed., 1888; XXII., 8th ed., 1891.

The whole of Livy is constantly appearing in parts. Moritz Müller, Bk. I. Teubner, Leipzig, 1888. Heynacher, Bk. I. Perthes, Gotha, 1885. Seeley, Bk. I. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1881. Valuable Introduction.

[blocks in formation]

Luterbacher, Bk. XXI.
Luterbacher, Bk. XXII.
Riemann et Benoist, Bks.
Harant, Bks. XXI., XXII.
Capes, Bks. XXI., XXII.
Dowdall, Bk. XXI.

Dowdall, Bk. XXII.

Greenough and Peck,

XXI., XXII. Hachette, Paris, 1888.
Belin, Paris, 1886.

Macmillan, London, 1889.
Deighton, Bell, & Co., Cambridge, 1885.

Deighton, Bell, & Co., Cambridge, 1888.
Bks. XXI., XXII. Ginn, Boston, 1893.

Among other books interesting to students of Livy may mentioned:

:

be

Ancient Classics for English Readers. Livy, by Rev. L. W. Collins Macmillan, London; Lippincott, Philadelphia.

The Remains of Ancient Rome. J. H. Middleton. Black, Edinburgh, 1892.

Hannibal. T. A. Dodge. Houghton, Boston, 1893.

Die Phraseologie des Livius. E. Ballas. Jolowicz, Posen, 1885.

Études sur la Langue et Grammaire de Tite-Live. O. Riemann. Thorin, Paris, 1885.

It has to a great extent superseded the earlier work of Kühnast, Die Hauptpunkte der Livianischen Syntax.

Historisch-Kritische Untersuchungen zur 3ten Dekade des Livius. H. Hesselbarth. Waisenhaus, Halle, 1889.

Lexicon Livianum.

I.-VI. 1889-1893.

F. Fügner. Teubner, Leipzig. Fasciculi

An important and valuable work, to appear in parts.

Livius, XXI-XXIII., grammatisch untersucht.

F. Fügner.

Weidmann, Berlin, 1888.

TITI LIVI

AB URBE CONDITA LIBRI.

PRAEFATIO.

The motives of the author in writing the history of the Roman people, and the plan and aim of the work.

Facturusne operae pretium sim, si a primordio urbis res populi Romani perscripserim, nec satis scio, nec, si sciam, dicere ausim, quippe qui cum veterem tum vulgatam esse rem videam, dum novi semper scriptores aut in rebus certius aliquid allaturos se aut scribendi arte 5 rudem vetustatem superaturos credunt. Utcumque erit, iuvabit tamen rerum gestarum memoriae principis terrarum populi pro virili parte et ipsum consuluisse; et si in tanta scriptorum turba mea fama in obscuro sit, nobilitate ac magnitudine eorum me, qui nomini officient 10 meo, consoler. Res est praeterea et inmensi operis, ut quae supra septingentesimum annum repetatur, et quae ab exiguis profecta initiis eo creverit, ut iam magnitudine laboret sua; et legentium plerisque haud dubito quin primae origines proximaque originibus minus prae- 15 bitura voluptatis sint festinantibus ad haec nova, quibus iam pridem praevalentis populi vires se ipsae conficiunt. Ego contra hoc quoque laboris praemium petam, ut me a conspectu malorum, quae nostra tot per annos vidit aetas, tantisper certe, dum prisca tota illa mente repeto, 20 avertam, omnis expers curae, quae scribentis animum etsi non flectere a vero, sollicitum tamen efficere posset.

Quae ante conditam condendamve urbem poeticis magis decora fabulis quam incorruptis rerum gestarum mo

2

TITI LIVI AB URBE CONDITA LIBRI.

numentis traduntur, ea nec adfirmare nec refellere in animo est. Datur haec venia antiquitati, ut miscendo humana divinis primordia urbium augustiora faciat. Et si cui populo licere oportet consecrare origines suas et 5 ad deos referre auctores, ea belli gloria est populo Romano, ut, cum suum conditorisque sui parentem Martem potissimum ferat, tam et hoc gentes humanae patiantur aequo animo quam imperium patiuntur. Sed haec et his similia, utcumque animadversa aut existimata erunt, 10 haud in magno equidem ponam discrimine: ad illa mihi pro se quisque acriter intendat animum, quae vita, qui mores fuerint, per quos viros quibusque artibus domi militiaeque et partum et auctum imperium sit; labente deinde paulatim disciplina velut desidentes primo mores 15 sequatur animo, deinde ut magis magisque lapsi sint, tum ire coeperint praecipites, donec ad haec tempora, quibus nec vitia nostra nec remedia pati possumus, perventum est. Hoc illud est praecipue in cognitione rerum salubre ac frugiferum, omnis te exempli documenta 20 in inlustri posita monumento intueri; inde tibi tuaeque rei publicae quod imitere capias, inde foedum inceptu, foedum exitu, quod vites. Ceterum aut me amor negotii suscepti fallit, aut nulla umquam res publica nec maior nec sanctior nec bonis exemplis ditior fuit, nec 25 in quam civitatem tam serae avaritia luxuriaque inmigraverint, nec ubi tantus ac tam diu paupertati ac parsimoniae honos fuerit: adeo quanto rerum minus, tanto minus cupiditatis erat. Nuper divitiae avaritiam et abundantes voluptates desiderium per luxum atque libidinem 30 pereundi perdendique omnia invexere. Sed querellae, ne tum quidem gratae futurae, cum forsitan necessariae erunt, ab initio certe tantae ordiendae rei absint: cum bonis potius ominibus votisque et precationibus deorum dearumque, si, ut poetis, nobis quoque mos esset, liben35 tius inciperemus, ut orsis tantum operis successus prosperos darent.

« IndietroContinua »