HISTORIARUM

AB URBE CONDITA

LIBER PRIMUS.

EPITOME'.

I, II. Adventus Aeneae in Italiam et res ab eo gestae referuntur. III. Ascanii regnum Albae, et deinceps Silviorum. IV. Numitoris filiâ a Marte compressa nati Romulus et Remus. V. Amulius obtruncatus. VI. Urbs a Romulo condita. VIII. Senatus lectus. X. Opima Spolia Jovi Feretrio lata. XI. Cum Sabinis bellatum. XIII. In curias populus divisus. XIV, XV. Fidenates et Vejentes victi. XVI. Romulus consecratus. XVIII, &c. Numa Pompilius ritus sacrorum tradidit. Jano templum constituit, ejusque portam, pacatis omnibus circà populis, primus clausit. Cum dea Egeria sibi congressus nocturnos esse simulans, feroces populi animos ad religionem perpulit. XXII, &c. Tullus Hostilius Albanos bello petiit. XXV. Post haec trigeminorum pugna. XXVI. Horatius absolutus. XXVIII. Metti Fuffetii supplicium. XXIX. Alba diruta. XXX. Albani in civitatem recepti. Sabinis bellum indictum. XXXI. Ad postremum fulmine Tullus absumptus. XXXII. Ancus Marcius ceremonias a Numa institutas renovavit. XXXIII. Latinis victis et ad civitatem adscitis, montem Aventinum assignavit. Politorium, urbem Latinorum bello repetitam, quam Prisci Latini occupaverant, diruit. Pontem sublicium in Tiberim fecit. Janiculum collem urbi addidit. Fines imperii protulit. Ostiam condidit. Regnavit annos viginti quatuor. XXXIV. Eo regnante, Lucumo Damarati Corinthii

These Epitomae, ascribed to various writers, (see account of Livy's life and writings,) have been carefully drawn up, and are The division into chapters is modern.

often cited as authorities.

A

filius, a Tarquiniis, Etruriae civitate, Romam venit; et, in amicitiam Anci receptus, Tarquinii nomen ferre coepit; et post mortem Anci regnum excepit. XXXV. Centum additis patrum numerum auxit. Latinos subegit, Circum designavit, ludos edidit. XXXVI. Sabinorum bello petitus, equitum centurias ampliavit. Tentandae scientiae causâ Attii Navii auguris consuluisse fertur, an id, de quo cogitaret, effici posset;' 'quod' quum ille 'fieri posse' respondisset, jussisse eum novaculâ cotem praecidere; idque protinus ab Atto factum. XXXVII. Sabinos praeterea acie vicit. XXXVIII. Urbem muro circumdedit, cloacas fecit. XL. Occisus est ab Anci filiis quum regnâsset annos triginta octo. XLI. Successit ei Ser. Tullius, natus ex captiva nobili Corniculana; cui puero, adhuc in cunis posito, caput arsisse traditum est. XLII, XLIII. Vejentes atque Etruscos praelio fudit. Censum primus egit. Lustrum condidit, quo civium capita censa octoginta millia esse dicuntur. Classes, centuriasque descripsit. XLIV. Pomoerium protulit. Colles urbi Quirinalem, Viminalem, Esquilinumque adjecit. XLV. Templum Dianae cum Latinis in Aventino fecit. XLVII, XLVIII. Interfectus est a L. Tarquinio, Prisci filio, consilio filiae suae Tulliae, quum regnasset annos quadraginta quatuor. XLIX. Post hunc L. Tarquinius Superbus, neque patrum, neque populi jussu, regnum invasit. Quo die scelerata Tullia per patris jacentis corpus carpentum egit. Armatos circa se ad custodiam corporis sui habuit. L, LI. Turnum Herdonium fraude interemit. LIII. Bellum cum Volscis gessit. LIV. Et ex eorum praeda templum Jovi in Capitolio fecit. Terminus et Juventas non addixere, quorum arae moveri non potuerunt. LV. Filii Sexti Tarquinii dolo, Gabios in potestatem suam redigit. LVI. Hujus filiis Delphos profectis, et consulentibus, quis eorum regnaturus esset Romae, dictum est, eum regnaturum, qui primus matrem osculatus esset. Quod responsum quum ipsi aliter interpretarentur, Junius Brutus, qui cum iis profectus erat, prolapsum se simulavit, et terram osculatus est. Idque factum ejus eventus rei comprobavit. Nam quum, impotenter se gerendo, Tarquinius Superbus omnes in odium sui adduxisset, ad ultimum, propter expugnatam nocturnâ vi a Sexto

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filio ejus Lucretiae pudicitiam, (quae, vocato patre ad se Tricipitino, et viro Collatino, obtestata, ne inulta mors ' ejus esset,' cultro se interemit,) LIX. Bruti operâ maximè expulsus est, quum regnâsset annos viginti quinque. LX. Tunc consules primùm creati sunt L. Junius Brutus et L. Tarquinius Collatinus.

PRAEFATIO'.

FACTURUSNE operae pretium sim 2, si a primordio urbis res populi Romani perscripserim3, nec satis scio, nec, si sciam, dicere ausim; quippe qui, quum veterem, tum vulgatam esse rem *, videam, dum novi semper scriptores, aut in rebus certius aliquid allaturos se, aut scribendi arte rudem vetustatem

In this preface, written in a strain of modest dignity, which has been much and deservedly admired, Livy declines to claim superiority, either in point of information or style; and, after adverting to the pleasure felt by him in the necessary withdrawal of his attention from the misery of the civil wars of Rome to its early ages, as well as waving all discussion with regard to the truth of the origin assigned to the city, directs the reader's attention to the true object of history, Philosophy teaching by examples.' The close, which commences with a lament over the condition of Rome, whence Livy's history may be justly called the History of the Rise and Decline of the Roman Republic, winds up cheerfully with a semi-epic invocation peculiarly suitable to his general style.

The preface and the work itself are printed together, to render obvious their close connection, indicated by the word jam, at the beginning of the first chapter. 2 Of these words, Quinctilian, ix, 4, says; T. Livius, hexametri exordio coepit; Facturusne operae pretium sim. Nam ita edidit, estque melius quam quo modo emendatur. With reference to this last clause, it may be interesting as well as instructive to the youthful reader to observe, that there were various readings as early as Quinctilian, and to know that it is on the faith of this passage alone, that the text is thus given, the best MSS. being emendati, having Facturusne sim operae pretium. It may profit him also to pick out hexameters from prose writers, as,

Arma nec Hannibali tanto discrimine rerum.

Liv. xxi. 9.

So, in our own prose writers, verses are to be found as, 'The consecrated standards, long revered.' Gibbon's Decline and Fall, i. 9. This is, however, to be shunned. His object is, perscri

bere, to write a complete history. Compare this with Sallust. Cat. c. 4. carptim perscribere, to narrate fully detached portions of Roman history. Rem. This word refers either, as most commentators think, to the practice mentioned in the following clauses, dum, &c., or according to others, with whom I am disposed to agree, to the res populi Romani perscribere. The antiquity and frequent handling of the subject correspond with nec satis scio, &c., the practice of writers in commending themselves with nec dicere ausim.

superaturos, credunt1. Utcunque erit, juvabit tamen, rerum gestarum memoriae principis terrarum populi pro virili parte et ipsum consuluisse; et, si in tantâ scriptorum turbâ mea fama in obscuro sit, nobilitate ac magnitudine eorum, meo qui nomini officient, me consoler. Res est praeterea et immensi operis, ut quae supra septingentesimum annum repetatur, et quae, ab exiguis profecta initiis, eò creverit, ut jam magnitudine laboret suâ ; et legentium plerisque, haud dubito, quin primae origines proximaque originibus minus praebitura voluptatis sint, festinantibus ad haec nova, quibus jam pridem praevalentis populi vires se ipsae conficiunt. Ego contrà hoc quoque laboris praemium petam, ut me a conspectu malorum, quae nostra tot per annos vidit aetas, tantisper, certè dum prisca illa totâ mente repeto, avertam, omnis expers curae, quae scribentis animum, etsi non flectere a vero, sollicitum tamen efficere possit. Quae ante conditam condendamve urbem 2, poeticis magis decora fabulis, quàm incorruptis rerum gestarum monumentis 3,

This distinction between style and matter is well expressed by Thierry in his History of the Conquest of England by the Normans. In my opinion, every historic composition is a work of art, as well 'as of erudition; the form and style is a matter of no less moment 'than the critical inquiry into the truth of facts.' Livy has been too much of this opinion. 2 Quae ante conditam condendamve urbem. What is the distinction between the events ante conditam, and those ante condendam? One set of commentators, headed by Nannius and Perizonius are of opinion, that ante conditam refers to the earliest events, and ante condendam to those immediately connected with the building of the city. Others, headed by Ursinus and Douatius, maintain quite the reverse. A third method of solving the difficulty is one not uncommon in such cases, to reject condendamve altogether as a gloss. On the whole, without discussing the main ground of Perizonius, that participles in dus are present participles passive, the first opinion seems preferable, as to the traditionary accounts ' of the events previous to the building of the city, or those which were immediately connected with its foundation.' Decorum, involves the notion of aptum, conveniens. it consentaneum excellentiae, as there can be no grace without fitness. Hence the double application to fabulis, to which these traditionary accounts furnish congenial and ornamental materials, and monumentis for which such things are not fitted, and where they are therefore ungraceful. The passage is of importance, as pointing out Livy's perception of the poetical embellishment of Roman tradition, to which so much attention has been properly paid in our own day.

3 Poeticis, &c. Cicero defines