FASCĒS [45] ostentāns, ōrābat populum nē[9] sē, quem paulō
ante cum ēgregiā stirpe cōnspexissent,[10] orbum
līberīs[11] faceret.[9] Nōn tulit populus patris lacrimās
iuvenemque[12] absolvit admīrātiōne[13] magis
virtūtis quam iūre[13] causae. Ut tamen caedēs
[50] manifēsta expiārētur, pater quibusdam[14] sacrificiīs
perāctīs trānsmīsit per viam[15] tigillum et fīlium
capite adopertō velut sub iugum[16] mīsit; quod
tigillum Sorōrium[17] appellātum est.
Nōn diū pāx[18] Albāna mānsit[19]; nam Mettius
[55] Fūfetius, dux Albānōrum, cum[20] sē invidiōsum apud cīvēs vidēret,[20]
quod[1] bellum ūnō[2] paucōrum certāmine fīnīsset, ut[3] rem corrigeret,
Vēientēs Fīdēnatēsque adversus Rōmānōs concitāvit. Ipse,
ā Tullō in[4] auxilium arcessītus, aciem in collem subdūxit, ut fortūnam
bellī exspectāret et sequerētur. Quā[5] rē Tullus intellēctā
[60] māgnā vōce ait[6] suō illud iussū Mettium facere, ut hostēs ā tergō
circumvenīrentur. Quō audītō hostēs territī et victī sunt. Posterō
diē Mettius cum ad grātulandum Tullō vēnisset, iussū illīus
quadrīgīs[7] religātus et in[8] dīversa distrāctus[9] est. Deinde Tullus Albam
propter ducis perfidiam dīruit et Albānōs Rōmam trānsīre iussit.[10]
[65] Rōma interim crēvit[11] Albae ruīnīs[12]; duplicātus est cīvium
numerus; mōns Caelius urbī additus et, quō[13] frequentius
habitārētur,[13] eam[14] sēdem Tullus rēgiae cēpit ibique deinde habitāvit.
Auctārum[15] vīrium fīdūciā ēlātus[16] bellum Sabīnīs indīxit. Pēstilentia
īnsecūta[1] est; nūlla tamen ab armīs quiēs dabātur. Crēdēbat
[70] enim rēx bellicōsus[2] salūbriōra mīlitiae[3] quam domī esse
iuvenum[4] corpora, sed ipse quoque[5] diuturnō morbō est implicitus.
Tunc vērō adeō[6] frāctī[7] simul cum corpore sunt spīritūs[8]
illī ferōcēs, ut nūllī reī posthāc nisi sacrīs operam daret. Memorant
Tullum fulmine[9] īctum cum domō cōnflagrāsse. Tullus
[75] māgnā glōriā bellī rēgnāvit annōs duōs et trīgintā.
Skip to [next selection].
[10.16] Mortuō Numā: abl. abs. = post Numae mortem.
[10.17] proximō rēgī: ‘his predecessor.’ Join with dissimilis, which has the same constructions as similis ([p. 3, n. 12]). Proximus may mean ‘nearest (in the past)’ = ‘last,’ or ‘nearest (in the future)’ = ‘next.’ The context must determine the sense.
[10.18] abl. of comparison. H 471 (417): M 615: A 247: G 398: B 217.
[11.1] Eō rēgnante: ‘during his reign.’ How does this abl. abs. differ from those in I, lines [3, 5], [18], [37], and [40]? Cf. [p. xxii], K 1.
[11.2] exorior.
[11.3] Ducibus . . . placuit: ‘the leaders agreed that,’ etc. The subject of placuit is the clause rem . . . fīnīrī.