The son of Aeneas,
Ascanius, was not yet old enough for power; yet this power remained for him safely until his ahe of
puberty. Meanwhile by a woman’s
guardianship, such character was in Lavinia, the Latin state and the kingdom of
his father and grandfather stood for the boy. [Haud] I will hardly debate – for who might confirm a matter
so old for certain? – whether this was Ascanius or an older (boy) than this,
born from Creusa as mother, Troy being safe, and companion then of his father’s
flight, whom the Iulian family calls the same Iulus, the author of their
name. [Is] This Ascanius, wherever
and from whatever mother born -- it is surely was born from Aeneas -- with the
multitude of Lavinium superfluous, left a already flourishing and opulent city,
as things then were, to his mother or stepmother, and he himself built a another
new (city) at the foot of the Alban mountain, which from the position of the
city stretching along the side was called ‘Alba Longa.’
Nearly thirty years were
between Lavinium and the colony of Alba Longa having been lead out. Yes they
had created such resources, mainly with the Etruscans having been routed, that not
even at the death of Aeneas, nor then during the womanly protection and first, immaturity
of the boyish kingdom, did either
Mezentius and the Etruscans or any other neighbors dare to move arms. [Pax] Peace thus had been agreed upon,
so that the river Albula, which now they call the Tiber, was the boundary for
the Etruscans and the Latins.
[Silvius] Silvius
then reigned, son of Ascanius, by some chance born in the forest. He begets Aeneas Silvius, he then
Latinus Silvius. By this one some
colonies were lead out, called Prisci Latini. The cognomen afterwards remained for all the Silvians who
ruled at Alba. From Latinus was
born Alba; from Alba, Atys; from Atys, Capys; from Capys, Capetus; from
Capetus, Tiberinus, who, having drowned in crossing the Albula, gave his name
to the river, famous to posterity (lit. pl). [Agrippa] Agrippa then was the son of Tiberinus; after
Agrippa, Romulus Silvius rules with power having been received from his
father. He himself hands over
(lit. transfers by hand) power having been struck by lightening on the
Aventine. This man, buried on this
hill, which now is a part of the city of Rome, produced the name for the
hill. Proca then rules. This one begets Numitor and Amulius; to
Numitor, who was the elder son (lit. offshoot), he chooses the ancient power of
the Silvian race. Violence,
however, was more able than either a father's will or respect for age. [Pulso] His brother having been driven
out, Amulius rules. He adds crime
to crime: he murders the son (lit. manly offshoot) of his brother and by
perpetual virginity deprives the hope of his brother’s daughter, Rhea Silvia, for
issue when he had chosen her a Vestal through the pretense of honor.
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