Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Livy 1.6

At (lit. among) the first tumult, Numitor declaring that an enemy had entered the City and was attacking the palace, when he had called the Alban youth to hold the citadel as a guard and arms, after he saw the young men coming to congratulate him, the assassination having been accomplished, a council having been immediately called, he explained his brother's crime towards himself, the origin of his grandsons, how they were born, how they were brought up, and how they were recognized, finally the tyrant's death and that he himself was the author it.  [Iuvenes] The young men, having entered in a line through the middle of the assembly, when they had saluted their grandfather as king, a harmonizing voice from the whole multitude having approved ratified (lit. made ratified) the title and sovereignty for the king.

[Ita] Thus the Alban government having passed to Numitor, a desire for founding a city seized Romulus and Remus in these places where they had been exposed and where they had been brought up.  The multitude of the Albans and Latins was over and above, to this the shepherds also added, who all easily formed the hope that Alba would be small, Lavinium would be small before this city which was to be founded.  [Intervenit] Then an ancestral evil interrupted these thoughts, desire for rule, and then a foul contention arose from a mild enough beginning.  [Quoniam] As they were twins, and modesty of age could make no distinction, so the gods, whose safeguard were these places, would choose by the augurs, who would give his name to the new city, who would rule the founded (city) by his power, Romulus takes the Palatine, Remus took the Aventine as their quarters of the sky (lit. temples) for the augury.

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