Tullō mortuō[10] Ancum Mārcium rēgem[11]
populus creāvit. Numae Pompiliī nepōs
Ancus Mārcius erat, aequitāte[12] et
religiōne[12] avō similis. Tunc Latīnī, cum quibus
[5] Tullō rēgnante īctum foedus erat,
sustulerant[13] animōs, et incursiōnem in agrum
Rōmānum fēcērunt. Ancus, priusquam[14] eīs
bellum indīceret,[14] lēgātum mīsit, quī[15] rēs
repeteret, eumque[1] mōrem posterī accēpērunt. Id autem hōc
[10] modō fīēbat. Lēgātus, ubi ad fīnēs eōrum venit ā quibus rēs
repetuntur, capite[2] vēlātō “Audī, Iuppiter,” inquit[3] “audīte,
fīnēs hūius[4] populī. Ego sum pūblicus[5] nūntius populī Rōmānī;
verbīs[6] meīs fidēs sit.” Deinde peragit pōstulāta. Sī nōn dēduntur
rēs quās expōscit, hastam in fīnēs hostium ēmittit bellumque
[15] ita indīcit. Lēgātus, quī eā dē rē mittitur, Fētiālis[7] rītusque bellī
indīcendī Iūs Fētiāle appellātur.
Lēgātō Rōmānō rēs repetentī superbē respōnsum[8] est ā Latīnīs;
quārē bellum hōc[9] modō eīs indictum est. Ancus, exercitū
CARCER MAMERTĪNUS cōnscrīptō, profectus[10] Latīnōs fūdit et
[20] complūribus oppidīs dēlētīs cīvēs Rōmam
trādūxit[11]. Cum[12] autem in tantā hominum
multitūdine facinora clandestīna
fierent, Ancus carcerem[13] in mediā urbe
ad[14] terrōrem incrēscentis audāciae aedificāvit.
[25] Īdem nova moenia urbī circumdedit,
Iāniculum montem ponte[15] subliciō
in Tiberī factō urbī cōniūnxit, in ōre[1] Tiberis Ōstiam urbem
condidit. Plūribus aliīs rēbus intrā paucōs annōs cōnfectīs;
immātūrā morte praereptus obiit.
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[15.10] What is the force of this abl. abs.?
[15.11] rēgem populus creāvit: This phrase, as it stands, is somewhat misleading. As a matter of fact, the kingship was neither hereditary nor elective. On the death of a king an interrēx, or regent, was chosen, who took the auspices, and the augurs inferred from the signs that the gods favored a certain candidate. He was then elected by the Assembly, and the choice was confirmed by the Senate.
[15.12] abl. of specification.
[15.13] sustulerant (tollō) animōs: ‘had plucked up courage.’
[15.14] Cf. priusquam . . . posset, IV, 25, and note.